Since my school days, I had undergone physical therapy for temporomandibular joint disorder caused by my jaw, but I never imagined it would develop into a protruded jaw.
However, as I grew older, my jaw developed into a lantern jaw, causing a lot of discomfort.
I experienced instances where my jaw would dislocate ａnｄ had difficulties such as digestive issues, but I brushed them off as insignificant ａnｄ continued on.
However, I came to realize that the things I had previously dismissed as insignificant were actually causing considerable discomfort when I learned through a friend who had similar symptoms.
After receiving consultations at about five places in Seoul, we decided to have surgery with Dr. Lee Seok-jae at WHY Oral & Maxillofacial surgery. (Both of me ａnｄ my friend haha)
The reason was not only Dr. Lee's impressive credentials but also his personal involvement in the surgical process (of course, there is a separate anesthesiologist). Moreover, his honesty in pinpointing exactly what I needed ａnｄ confidently stating how much improvement could be achieved gave me the trust to undergo the surgery.
 
<First Day of Surgery>
I arrived at 10 a.m. ａnｄ went through the final consultation ａnｄ payment before heading to the operating room for anesthesia. After waking up, I was taken to my room.
The room was a single occupancy, with ample space to move around yet cozy enough for comfort. It was equipped with everything I needed ａnｄ provided a space where I could easily access necessities without much movement.
I brought along a tablet for entertainment, chargers, power banks, ａnｄ a couple of sauce containers. Wet wipes were also handy to have if needed.
The surgery lasted past 2 p.m., ａnｄ until 8 p.m., I refrained from sleeping ｏｒ drinking water, observing my recovery.
Due to high blood pressure ａnｄ continuous bleeding, additional medication was administered, causing dizziness for about 5-10 seconds.
Dr. Lee encouraged me every time he passed by, urging me to hang in there just for today.
Breathing was facilitated through a nasal airway connected to the throat, yet when the airway became blocked, it was difficult to breathe, posing challenges in managing breathing.
Apart from this, I fought against time. It would be beneficial to bring plenty of media for entertainment during this period.
My guardian left at 7 p.m., ａnｄ the on-duty nurse provided excellent care, managing ice packs ａnｄ IV bags.
Due to dry throat, I drank plenty of water, using the sauce containers, squeeze water into my mouth to drink water.
 
<Day 2>
I couldn't sleep.
Around 8 ｏｒ 9 a.m., the urinary catheter ａnｄ nasal airway were removed. After about 30 minutes of managing swelling with laser treatment, Dr. Lee checked on the progress of the surgery while removing the IV bag.
Then, at 11 a.m., I had a cup of NewCare ａnｄ gargled.
From this point on, my condition improved. I felt light ａnｄ had no pain.
I wanted to drink two ｏｒ three more cups of NewCare.
Some people say they feel weak, but I didn't feel weak.
 

<Day 3>
Today is the day of discharge. After receiving instructions for post-discharge care, I was discharged.
Although the discharge time was scheduled for 10 a.m., they kindly accommodated my request, allowing me to leave after 11 a.m. due to personal reasons.
I was able to take public transportation home, ａnｄ as soon as I arrived, I took a shower. I didn't experience dizziness ｏｒ any other discomfort; I just felt refreshed.
I had a machine for making fine porridge, so I could easily make porridge with rice, sweet potatoes, chicken, vegetables, beef, etc., by simply pressing a button. Through this machine, I could consume about 2 liters of fine porridge every day without having to cook. I never felt drained, perhaps because I ate a lot.
To prevent hunger, I drank NewCare, pumpkin juice, soy milk, ａnｄ blended fruits ａnｄ vegetables every two hours.
As the weather was warm, I went for a short walk immediately after returning home ａnｄ alternated between camping chairs ａnｄ recliners for rest. Although the sleeping arrangements were not uncomfortable, I woke up every two hours ａnｄ continued applying ice packs ａnｄ receiving massages.
 
<Day 4>
My eating routine remained the same, ａnｄ although I woke up intermittently during sleep, there wasn't much to do besides sleeping. So, I continued eating, disinfecting my mouth, sleeping, ａnｄ in the daytime, going for walks.
Feeling quite energetic, I enjoyed about an hour-long walk ａnｄ drank plenty of fluids upon returning. my mouth wasn’t tied up, so I breathed through my nose ｏｒ mouth during the day ａnｄ occasionally wiped away any blood coming out that’s pooled inside.
At night, I used Otrivin to help with breathing.
 
<Day 5>
I spent the day much like Day 4 ａnｄ continued with warm compresses.
While the swelling in my lips had decreased a bit from Day 3, my cheeks were a bit puffier.
I went for walks in the morning ａnｄ evening, totaling a little over 2 hours each day. I felt good after showering ａnｄ slept well.
My nose remained clear during both day ａnｄ night, so I didn't use Otrivin, but I still woke up every 2 hours during sleep.
 
<Day6>
I began to notice the swelling subsiding.
Bruises appeared on the sides of my cheeks, neck, ａnｄ chest.
I continued eating ａnｄ going for walks, exploring areas along the riverside ａnｄ places I hadn't visited before.
 
<Day 7>
I could see the swelling is subsiding significantly day by day.
Perhaps the intense walks were helpful.
For warm compresses, I used a microwave at home for 10 minutes, 3-4 times a day.
Although I was advised to avoid talking too much, I couldn't help but converse with family members.
The clinic advised against moving my jaw, including talking.

First Outpatient Visit (Day 9)
Since I could only gargle after having liquid food, my mouth felt extremely dirty.
Dr. Lee reassured me that it was normal ａnｄ kindly cleaned my mouth with a wafer ａnｄ disinfected it.
It felt refreshing to get rid of the stickiness.
He said the recovery was going well. I didn't have any specific questions, so I didn't ask any. He told me I could start brushing my teeth with a baby toothbrush from today onwards, so I bought one.
He emphasized that I should brush gently, just like before.
After completing the deswelling session, I returned home.
 
<Second Week>
I could see the swelling decreasing noticeably. I brushed my teeth gently, but it was difficult due to the stitches. Nevertheless, after putting in the effort, I felt refreshed, especially after using a tongue cleaner.
I continued warm compresses ａnｄ went for walks focusing more on uphill paths to break a sweat.
The most challenging part was not being able to smile ｏｒ laugh freely around family ａnｄ friends. I had to suppress my laughter like a fool, which ironically made others laugh even more, but I couldn't join in.
From this point on, I woke up only once during sleep instead of every two hours.
 
Although it was busy, thanks to the jaw surgery, I had some leisurely ａnｄ even happy moments.
 
<Second Week Outpatient Visit (Day 16) >
The stitches were removed. It was quite painful, ａnｄ I even broke into a sweat on my nose due to the discomfort. As the removal started, I felt continuous slight pain, ａnｄ I was anxious about when it would become more intense. But finally, the removal was completed.
I felt so happy to be able to smile.
I was instructed to increase mouth movements ａnｄ mouth opening, so I started practicing immediately.
It seems like I'm doing well with mouth movements, but the lower left lip still feels a bit weak.
I feel like the movement of my mouth will improve gradually.
With much of the swelling gone, I no longer feel the need to wear a mask. People don't see me as weird until I take my mask off.
I've explored every corner of the neighborhood during walks. From now on, I plan to drive around the nearby areas.
My meals consisted of four main meals (pasta, rice soup, ramen, dumplings, etc.), supplemented with porridge, NewCare, ａnｄ blended fruits in between.
Even when I was only eating liquid foods, I ate every two hours ａnｄ consumed a lot, but I've already lost 6 kilograms.
 


Review of the 4th Week
 
It's already the 4th week since the removal of the stitches in the 2nd week.
Being able to smile freely makes me incredibly happy.
 
For the first couple of days after stitches removal, I continued eating as I did before. I also kept up with my walks ａnｄ warm compresses, which made a noticeable difference in reducing swelling.
 
Although I still couldn't chew properly, I managed to eat by cutting everything into small pieces.
 
My diet mainly consisted of ramen, pasta, various soups, ａnｄ rice-based meals (like dumpling soup, seaweed soup, beef soup, etc.). I had four meals a day plus snacks, which included NewCare, fruits, ａnｄ frozen strawberries blended into a smoothie.
 
From the 3rd week onwards, I experienced minimal discomfort in daily life. However, I had to remind myself to be cautious, especially when I was feeling a bit too carefree.
 
In the 4th week, my routine remained largely the same. Focusing on eating ａnｄ resting, I managed to catch up on household chores while my family was out working. It seems like being a full-time homemaker suits me well.
 
Waiting patiently for each stage of recovery—discharge, stitch removal, ａnｄ wafer removal—made the time pass quickly. Now, after the removal of the wafer in the 4th week, it's almost time for orthodontic treatment.
 
Excitedly, I went to the clinic ａnｄ underwent orthodontic treatment after hearing once again from the surgeon about the results of the surgery.
 
Since I was a pre-surgery case, the orthodontist suggested starting with the lower jaw first. Fortunately, the installation wasn't painful ｏｒ uncomfortable, ａnｄ because only the lower jaw was treated, it wasn't noticeable.
 
I was told that I could start chewing food, so I challenged myself to eat rice first.
 
As the swelling from the jaw surgery decreased, I lost weight too. I've already lost 10 kilograms.
 
It felt a bit awkward at first without the wafer, but humans are adaptable creatures, ａnｄ I quickly adjusted.
 
Although some people still say that I look like I'm in my mid-20s, I know that with time, the discomfort I experienced will fade away. Meanwhile, I'm gradually regaining sensation ａnｄ jaw function, preparing to return to normal life.
 
I'm not looking forward to going back to work though.
In the third week, I could see the swelling gradually subsiding, which made me happy because I could smile. I ate a lot, but sometimes I forgot that I was a patient.
During the fourth week, the treatment remained the same, but the wafer was removed, ａnｄ I got braces on the lower jaw. It didn't show much, ａnｄ I felt comfortable enough to eat rice.
I attached a picture not because I'm proud but to encourage those considering double jaw surgery. I'm satisfied with the results.