I was mentally out of it and just really tired after the surgery :( I didn't feel well, I had a headache, and the was blood coming from my nose and mouth. I felt like I was suffocating, so I called the nurse but she said that nothing could be done for it. The early morning hours were the worst... I prayed that time would go by quickly. 

1 Day Post-Op 

My Foley catheter and nasal cannula were removed in the morning. I thought I would be able to breathe through my nose once the nasal cannula was removed, but my nose felt even more congested... I was told walking is beneficial, so I walked around a little. After getting the deswelling laser treatment, I slept a bit and went to get my surgical site disinfected. Dr. Shin personally dressed my surgical site, which was the best!!! I wasn't very alert and couldn't speak, but I was grateful. My throat hurts less than yesterday, so I'm trying to drink as much water as possible, but I can't drink Nucare yet. I mentioned to the nurse that my nose felt really stuffy, and she spritzed nasal spray in my nose and showed me how to use the compression band as well. The nurse on-call during the day was incredibly nice. I'm doing much better than yesterday, but I would like the bleeding from my nose to stop :( My face is still really, really swollen so I don't know what my face shape looks like :( I hope the swelling goes down soon! 

2 Days Post-Op (Discharge Day) 

Dr. Shin came by last night to check on me!! He pays attention to the little things!! I thought the swelling was going to peak today, but the swelling is expected to increase. That is so discouraging :( I was only able to sleep for an hour at a time before waking up throughout the night, so I made sure to apply the ice pack and wear the compression band for as much as I could. I've been wanting time to go by quickly, but I read other patients' reviews over and over again throughout the night as well. My surgical site was disinfected again, and I went to the pharmacy to get my prescription filled and for a box of pumpkin juice. I should've asked for a syringe... I went to three different pharmacies nearby before being able to buy a syringe. I was able to finish a packet of pumpkin juice, and I feel more invigorated after :) I'm feeling unclean, so I'm eagerly waiting for tomorrow so that I can take a shower. My mom said that I look like a teenage girl and that my face has gotten much shorter and cuter. 

It was too hard to breathe at night. My neck was also swollen, so I used my compression band as a pillow while I slept. I thought the day after the surgery would be the most difficult on my body, but today has been the most taxing. I was so tired I barely ate half a pouch of pumpkin porridge and dissolved my medications in an energy drink to take them. The area inside my mouth near my throat was quite swollen, which concerned me. I sent a photo to the consultant, and she put my mind at ease, so I was able to keep it off my mind until my visit tomorrow. My mom commented that the swelling seemed to have gone down a bit after I came back from an hour-long walk around my neighborhood. But since I got dizzy while walking, I should nourish my body well and continue to go on walks!  

4 Days Post-Op

I had a thin porridge right after waking up this morning. I couldn't sleep well, so I've been falling asleep throughout the day. After taking my medicines, I went to the clinic to get the deswelling laser treatment. I really don't like taking the medications, but I'm dealing with it by hoping to make a quick recovery. The skin underneath my chin looks quite swollen, so I'm concerned that it'll end up sagging... it should be okay, right? I took the bus to the clinic, and I had an upset stomach and felt dizzy and carsick, it was awful :(  The mucus made me cough a few times, which got me a few stares because of the COVID pandemic... As soon as I entered the clinic, the consultant checked my face and let me receive a long session of the deswelling laser treatment. The swelling worried me a lot, and I was very thankful to be able for the long laser treatment session and visit with Dr. Shin. I'm also grateful that everyone at EU is friendly and caring towards patients! I don't know what my face shape will look like since I'm very swollen, but I should be optimistic and hope that it will get better with time. After I got home, my face looked a little less swollen compared to before! My mom also made me a banana and Chinese yam smoothie which was really good! 

My face was visibly swollen upon waking up. My nose is also really swollen and looks massive, LOL. It's interesting looking at my face right now, and I burst into laughter every time I look in the mirror. I'm so tired I feel like a paper doll. I've been having thin porridge and I really didn't like eating it :( It was more like having sustenance to live... Since I don't like the taste of Nucare too much, my boyfriend bought me porridge, soup, and vanilla ice cream!! I felt much more alert once I had some ice cream...! However, I think I should eat more carefully because I felt bloated after. I had been taking the prescription medicines by dissolving them in an electrolyte drink. This tastes terrible, so I cut up the large pills into pieces and barely managed to swallow them today. I also went for an hour-long walk around my neighborhood today! After getting home, I took a shower, and I noticed that the swelling in my face had gone down a great amount. I let my bangs down, and my face looked so small, I was so surprised. My mom said my eyes looked larger, too. Compared to the right side of my face, the left side looks much more swollen, and the bruising there is down to my neck as well. Despite all this, I'm incredibly happy and I hope more of the swelling goes down! 

6 Days Post-Op

I felt nauseated throughout the night and couldn't sleep because of the medications I took before bed. Even though I had swallowed the pills, it felt like something was stuck in my throat. I was dizzy, too. Taking the medications is worse than not being able to eat :( I'm trying to think positively, but I'm wondering if getting the surgery was a good decision because I feel like I looked better beforehand. Maybe it's because the swelling under my chin is quite noticeable, but I feel that I look like the protagonist from the movie 200 Pounds Beauty before cosmetic surgery. Also, since I've been reading other patients' reviews too many times over and over again, I think I'll recognize those people if I were to run into them outside. I just want the swelling to go down quickly :( 

What I Ate Today / Pumpkin Porridge, Vegetable & Egg Porridge, Pumpkin Juice, Ice Cream

7 Days Post-Op

For some reason, I feel much better today! I slept in, had some porridge, took the medicines, and headed to the clinic. I think taking the medications before the bus ride made me feel nauseated. Regardless, I'm still doing much better than before. The swelling has dissipated considerably, and my pronunciation has gotten better. I'll be seeing Dr. Shin tomorrow, and I'm eagerly awaiting the visit. I don't know if the ability to feel sensations has returned, but my teeth and the roof of my mouth feel weird. My cheeks and the area around my mouth feel tingly, too? Also, there is a yellow bruise covering the area from my mouth down to my neck! I took a photo of my side profile, and I'm really happy with how the outline of my lip looks. I think I'll look much pretty once the swelling dissipates!!! Yay!! I want the swelling to go down quickly so that I can go out dressed up and wearing makeup.

What I Ate Today / Pumpkin Porridge, Pumpkin Juice, Ice Cream

8 Days Post-Op

I left for the clinic as soon as I woke up! Dr. Shin disinfected my surgical site and said it was healing nicely. He also mentioned that my postoperative scans looked good, which made me happy. It's hard for me to speak, but I made sure to say "Thank you" before leaving because I am truly grateful...! I hope my next appointment comes by quickly so that I can get my stitches removed. My face is swollen when I wake up in the morning, but the swelling goes down at night, which is really interesting. The swelling has dissipated quite a lot, but my nose is still bigger from the swelling which is kind of funny, lol. I'm still happy to see the swelling dissipate from my face every day, though!  

What I Ate Today / Cream Soup, Pumpkin Porridge, Ice Cream, Soft Tofu

I left for the clinic as soon as I woke up—just like yesterday! It's not close by, but I can feel the effects of the deswelling laser right away, so it's totally worth it. All of the employees at the clinic are really friendly, so I'm in a better mood when I come back from the clinic.. ♡ Today, I ordered waffles to-go from a cafe in Garosugil for my friends and my boyfriend. I couldn't have the waffles, but it's the joy of giving! I can eat whatever I want at the 3-month post-op mark!!! Once I got back home, I had soup and soft tofu. I made sure to take the medicines, too. Although my face is still swollen, lowering my mask doesn't embarrass me a whole lot anymore, lol. I ran into a close friend in Sinsa by chance and I had a much easier time speaking...!! She mentioned that the swelling has gone down nicely :)

What I Ate Today / Cream Soup, Pumpkin Porridge, Ice Cream, Soft Tofu​

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