Why I Got Double Jaw Surgery: I was self-conscious about my long and asymmetrical lower jaw. People would tell me wasn't noticeable, but only those who have undergone double jaw surgery can understand this frustration. My asymmetrical jaw is really noticeable to me :( Even though I had preexisting facial asymmetry, I got double jaw surgery since my chin was the most noticeable part of my face. I got facial contouring surgery when I became an adult, but for some weird reason, I think my asymmetrical jaw became more noticeable after that procedure :'( To summarize, I underwent double jaw surgery because I wanted to stop looking older for my age because of my long lower jaw and facial asymmetry.
Day 1
Fortunately, I wasn't in as much pain as I expected it to be. In fact, the square jaw surgery I did in the past at a different clinic hurt more lol, but I couldn't breathe comfortably until my nasal cannula was removed. My back and hip hurt from sitting so much, so I tried to walk as much as possible inside the clinic. I don't know if it's because of the medications, but I kept vomiting even though I didn't eat anything. The nurse who took care of me was super nice. She changed my clothes for me and basically did anything difficult for me on my behalf...I was sincerely grateful. The experience was very different from the clinic that did my square jaw surgery (in a good way). I'm glad I came to EU this time around!
Day 2
Discharge day! At home, I was physically comfortable, but mentally, I was worried every time something felt somewhat off, lol. I had indigestion too, which was strange. Why is my stomach upset when I had surgery on my jaw? The people at the clinic were so friendly when I asked about it. I got better after taking the medicine! I couldn't wear the compression band because my jaw hurt. I should start wearing it tomorrow.
Day 3
I went to the clinic to get the laser treatment. The consultant told me to eat better meals as she thought I lost weight. Everyone at the clinic was watching out for me, making sure I don't bump into anything. Can't all clinics be like EU? Making sure that your surgeon is competent and can give you the results you want is important, but so are the clinic staff since you'll continue to receive post-op care there. I didn't search for other double jaw surgery clinics after visiting EU because I liked their clinic staff and vibe. In the end, I think it was a great decision to go with EU. I also took the tape off and found the post-op swelling more noticeable. I should go on walks more often!
Day 4
The bruises are becoming more noticeable. Interestingly, there were none in the beginning. The throbbing pain in my right chin completely disappeared. Is it because I got the laser treatments regularly? I really appreciate the people at the clinic encouraging me to come in frequently because otherwise, I would've felt like I was being a burden. I haven't been wearing the compression band because my chin has been hurting, and now my face is square, lol. I should wear the band more often…
The bruising is down to my collarbone! I wonder how much the bruising can spread?! I feel so much better today, and I'm able to open my mouth much more. I can feel the medications working, too. It was a struggle to swallow pills at first, but now it's a breeze. The pain's gone, and I feel mostly back to normal, but the inside of my mouth feels tingly and weighed down. My teeth are sore too—it's annoying! :( It's almost as if someone put a huge rock on my tongue. Is it too early to feel sensations again? When will the numbness go away :'(
Day 6
I went and got the laser treatment. I feel as if I'm getting prettier, and it's relaxing to think about that while lying down. LOL. My wafer spontaneously fell out last night, but Dr. Shin assured me that there was nothing wrong and disinfected my mouth as well. I was scheduled to get that done tomorrow, but since I had it done today, I can just come for the laser treatment tomorrow. I no longer wear the compression band while I'm out and about, and there’s no discomfort that interferes with my everyday life. But it’s important to avoid extreme activities such as running! It's funny that no one knows that there's a swollen face behind the mask I'm wearing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. LOL. It stung a bit while the surgical site was being cleaned, so I'm kind of worried about getting my stitches out. I think it depends on the person. I'm both eagerly awaiting and wanting to avoid the 2-week post-op mark. The swelling went down considerably today since I walked a lot yesterday. I think my face is more swollen than most others because I didn't wear the compression band as much as I should've. I was told to wear the compression band until tomorrow, so I should really wear it as much as I can today.
The swelling goes down as each day goes by. I can take my mask off at a cafe no worries!! My face is still swollen, but not to the extent that it would startle someone. I can open my mouth wider, too. About a finger's width? Brushing my back teeth is still uncomfortable, but considering it hasn't even been 2 weeks yet, I think I'm recovering well. I don't want to wear the wafer for much longer. I think the wafer is the reason my teeth feel sore and weighed down :'( Or maybe the numbness is causing this sensation... :'( I'm able to feel sensations inside my nose now. It felt clogged before, but now it's not noticeable. Is it because I’m walking 10,000 steps per day?! I just want to get the sutures removed now :( It's uncomfortable and painful when I laugh :'( I'm intentionally avoiding funny videos at the moment, lol.
Day 10
My teeth don't hurt as much anymore! I tend to sleep with my teeth clenched, so I feel quite a bit of discomfort upon waking up, but other than that, I'm fine. It amazes me how much of a difference a day makes during the recovery period. Do I bounce back quickly, or is it all because of Dr. Shin's skills? I can feel most sensations in my face now. Up until last week, my face felt like a stranger’s face, but now it does feel like it really is mine, lol. Now I'm just waiting for the numbness in my gums to disappear!
Day 12
I went to my parents' place after being away for quite some time, and everyone was shocked by how much the swelling's gone down. I was also elated to hear that I look a lot slimmer. This didn’t surprise me since it was hard to eat after the surgery, but it had me thinking that I should go on a diet. LOL. I can feel the tug of the stitches when I laugh, but other than that, I don't feel any pain. Does that mean the surgical site has healed that much?! Tuesday can't come soon enough!
Day 14
Today's the 2-week mark that I've been waiting for! I'm finally here to get my sutures out! I’ve been stressed about it since I heard that this was painful, but thankfully, Dr. Shin assured me by saying he would make the suture removal as pain-free as possible. This was actually okay! It depends on the person too, but saying it doesn’t hurt is a lie… It was definitely a tolerable pain, though. It felt like I was being liberated from those stitches that had been restricting me. I got to eat real food for the first time in two weeks. Porridge isn’t that good... I kept myself from eating it with kimchi for so long. I hope I can recover faster now that the sutures are out!
Day 17
I’m eating much better than I thought I’d be. I thought I wouldn’t be able to eat much until I could start chewing again, but I’ve been smashing grains of rice with my tongue. It looks like I’m going to be wasting my soymilk-like meal replacement drinks. I can feel the swelling going down, but I’m not seeing any drastic changes like before. My upper gums hurt when I laugh :( It’d be great if the surgical site heals soon.
Day 19
I’ve been meeting up with my friends a lot lately. According to them, the swelling just looks like I had my wisdom teeth removed. I was thrilled to hear this, lol. My jawline is much more visible, and my gums hurt less. Since I’m busy with exams, I haven’t been sleeping much, so I don’t think I made much progress recovering from my double jaw surgery. I’ll make sure to take care of myself when exam season is over!
Day 23
I’ve been doing the jaw exercises consistently, and now it’s easy for me to open my mouth. It doesn’t go wider than two finger widths, but it’s better than before. The benchmark for the 2-month mark is three finger widths; I don’t know if it’s possible for my mouth to adjust to that. I’m eating lots of good food: I smash all kinds of food with my tongue before swallowing it. A week from now, I’ll be one-month post-op. Will I be able to have pizza then? I can’t wait!
Day 25
Maybe it’s because I spent a lot of time singing yesterday, but I think I can open my mouth wider now. I can feel my mouth loosen up when I talk and do other things that involve my mouth. A friend I hadn’t seen since I had double jaw surgery was shocked to see how much smaller my face had gotten. You have no idea how proud I felt… I think I’ll be disappointed if people don’t notice after all I’ve been through. The swelling continues to go down, too. The one-month mark is so close!
Day 27
It’s been a few days since my last update, and my one-month post-op check is in a few days. I’ve realized how greedy people can be since I’ve gotten the surgery. At first, I just wanted the elastic band taken out, but now I want to stop wearing the wafer, drink some alcohol… I keep longing for more. Ugh… I really want to stop wearing the wafer. Also, I’m eating really well lately, which makes me feel like I’m gaining weight. I should have more self-control. I want to hit the one-month mark already!
Day 35
I went to the clinic for my one-month post-op check. The first two weeks after the surgery went by quickly, but the last two weeks seem to have gone by slower. This means that means I’ve gotten used to my post-double jaw surgery self. I only saw the orthodontist today and because I can’t exactly close my mouth without it, I was told to wear the wafer for two more weeks. Instead of wearing the wafer all day, I was told to wear it for an hour and go wafer-less for the next couple of hours. My post-surgery eating patterns haven’t changed much, but I can somewhat chew grains of rice now. I used to just swallow them whole, but I already had a habit of swallowing my food without chewing it, so I don’t chew the rice grains thoroughly. Chewing isn’t on my mind since my mouth is numb, but it’s easy to open/close my mouth now since I’ve been making a concerted effort to do the prescribed exercises. I hope I can open my mouth three-finger widths by the time my six-week post-op check rolls around. I think my swelling has gone down asymmetrically… I just want the swelling on the right side to go down faster.
My friends are telling me that the swelling is hardly noticeable. I think so too, but photos make me look more swollen than I actually am :( I've consistently been doing the exercises and I can open my mouth to three finger widths. Wearing the wafer was really uncomfortable, but now I've gotten so used to it that my mouth feels empty without it, lol. I want to eat pizza already... I've gotten tired of eating ramyeon now :'(
Day 50
The swelling went down a lot! People say that it doesn't even look like I had surgery. They also gave me the OK to stop wearing the wafer during last week's visit. On the one hand, it's so nice to get rid of the wafer that had been annoying me, but I'm worried about how it might affect the alignment of my teeth... I also mentioned that there was a screw bothering me, and they removed it for me, to my surprise. That didn't hurt at all. I can basically eat everything now (except for thick cuts of meat)! I think I need to go on a diet now since I'm eating so indulgently. I went traveling recently and took a lot of photos and the swelling isn't too noticeable. Fortunately, my face doesn't look asymmetrical like before, and it was so nice to smile widely with no concerns on my mind.
Day 58
It's almost been two months since my double jaw surgery! I can eat virtually anything with no issues, but I don't think my teeth are quite up to the challenge of eating hard foods. I want to eat kimchi with my ramen :( I didn't think that I would hit the two-month mark, but now the three-month mark doesn't even feel far away! I caught up with a friend who didn't know I had surgery, and she said that my jawline looked different, like that of the actress Sarang Kim. I was ecstatic to hear this. Also, I don't have any discomfort opening my mouth or laughing after I had that screw taken out. Now, if I can feel sensations in my mouth and have no swelling, I'd be over the moon.
Day 64
The swelling's not going down as much as I thought it would :'( I've been worrying that my recent weight gain is affecting this. I really want kimbap. I want to munch on crunchy pickled radishes and cucumbers, but I don't think I'll be able to do so as soon as I'd like :( The feeling of heaviness in my mouth is gone now, but I'm still waiting to feel sensations in my gums.
Day 70
The swelling in my nose has gone down a lot. I was stressing over my nose looking bigger in photos, but now it's back to normal! One of my friends who didn't know I got double jaw surgery thought I got braces because my lip looks differently now. Supposedly, those who have undergone double jaw surgery seem to have a distinct lip shape, and I think I know what that means now. I ordered fried chicken with the intent of shredding it first and then eating it, but I couldn't do so because the batter on it was pretty thick :( I just want to have kimchi already…
Day 77
People don't know that my face is still somewhat swollen upon meeting me for the first time. It's interesting because my face still looks filled out to me. LOL. I love the way I look with makeup on. An improved appearance was one of my main priorities, so I'm extremely satisfied with the results. I can just smile without just hiding one side of my chin when taking photos now. Becoming prettier was sort of a given, but I'm still just taking it all in.
4 Months Post-Op
It seemed like the swelling stopped going down for a bit, but now I think I'm seeing some changes. I've forgotten that I had double jaw surgery because there's no pain or discomfort that interferes with my day-to-day life. According to the orthodontist, I can get my braces off next month if all goes well. This is so exciting! I still have to get the implant and get the screws removed, but I'm really eager to see myself without braces.
5 Months Post-Op
The swelling goes down, stops, then goes down again. I met up with some friends I hadn't seen in a while. They couldn't tell I had double jaw surgery, but they said that I gave off a different vibe. Also, I finally got my braces off, and now I'm just wearing a retainer. The retainer isn't as comfortable as I thought it'd be, so I'm kind of missing the braces, which in hindsight, weren't all that uncomfortable. I think I need to go to the dentist for sensitivity in my molars though...
6 Months Post-Op
I had almost forgotten that I had undergone double jaw surgery. I have no problems munching on some almonds or biting into a Big Mac. I'm getting used to my retainer, and I got the implant placed as well. It'd be nice to wear the retainer only when I'm sleeping, though. It's so annoying! I only think about having had the surgery when I'm in front of a camera. I would keep fussing over how to hide my facial asymmetry before the surgery. Being able to smile confidently is great. Honestly, becoming more physically attractive is nice, but the self-esteem boost is even better.
7 Months Post-Op
The swelling's gone down significantly. I'm able to feel almost all sensations in my gums and the roof of my mouth. There's no feeling of heaviness, either, but my lips look much thinner—especially my lower lip. I'm considering getting lip fillers for it… I love being able to smile confidently every time I'm photographed. There's sagging on the right side of my face is noticeable, but I'm still satisfied with the results! If only I can wear my retainer for shorter periods of time now…
8 Months Post-Op
I've forgotten that I had double jaw surgery, except for when my jaw clicks. I recently got lip fillers since I felt my lips got thinner post-surgery, and I really like how I look right now. I think there are lots of people who worry about their lips getting thinner after double jaw surgery, but the benefits are so worth it. It’s easy to plump up thin lips with lip fillers. Also, what I thought was swelling was just a result of my weight gain. I went on a strict diet for a bit, and my double jaw disappeared. I thought it was a side effect of the surgery. LOL. I think I'll be prettier after I lose more weight.
9 Months Post-Op
I'm finally done with the implant! I thought getting the implant would be as quick as wisdom tooth removal, but it is done over several months. There was a foreign body sensation in my mouth for a week after I got the implant crown placed, but I don't notice it now that several weeks have gone by. It's been almost a year since my double jaw surgery, and it still feels like the swelling is gradually going down.
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