While discussing what to do for our wedding anniversary with my husband, I suddenly said, “Hey, what will you say if our kid asks why Mom and Dad have different chests?” I jokingly pushed this nonsensical logic, and in the end, our anniversary gift turned into a melon… Good job, husband… Make sure to think about what to do for next year's anniversary, okay? 😏 Originally, I was 160 cm tall, weighed 49 kg, with a chest circumference of 77 cm, and my sizes were completely different on both sides. I had a petite chest, and after going through childbirth and breastfeeding, I had a lot of complexes about my body. But that wasn’t all; eight years ago, I had a craniotomy due to a ruptured brain aneurysm, and two years ago, I underwent a clipping procedure for a subarachnoid hemorrhage. I had two major surgeries, which made me wonder if I could go through this again… That thought was my main concern while at the hospital. I have a keloid-like scar from my C-section, and I never had the option of natural childbirth. Meanwhile, my husband gifted me with a nose job and facial fat grafting, but I have no idea where the silicone went. The tip of my nose is red, and my nostrils look in different directions… 🙄 Since that experience, I’ve become someone who doubts any procedure or surgery. Then I thought about going for a melon consultation, and I ended up meeting Dr. Kim Joo-won. At first, I just planned to have a casual consultation, but his gentle tone and thorough examination put me at ease. He checked every detail, from skin elasticity to body balance, and considered the types and sizes of implants with me. When I said, “I want to go bigger,” he didn’t just brush it off. He explained what would work well and why some options weren’t great, which made sense to me. There was no pressure at all. In the end, we decided on a left Motiva Full 400 and a right Motiva Demi 360. But then came the issue of anesthesia. I was afraid of general anesthesia, and with my medical history, I had some pre-tests done. I had a long consultation with Dr. Tae-won from the anesthesia department, who explained everything from the side effects of general anesthesia to how to handle any potential complications. So, I intentionally got a brain MRI a month before the surgery and brought the report to show him. Only after hearing “This looks fine” did I truly relax. When it was time for anesthesia, I thought to myself, “Let’s try counting to ten before drifting off this time,” but I barely made it to two… It was just lights out. When I opened my eyes, the surgery was over. Dr. Tae-won stayed by my side the whole time, which was oddly reassuring. You know that warm feeling you get from someone who doesn’t say much but makes you feel safe? As I started to come back to my senses, the head nurse came in to explain things. I saw a lollipop stuck in a straw on a bottle cap on the desk, and I was unexpectedly touched by that little detail. There was no smell of medication, and I didn’t feel any throat pain. The night shift nurse came in regularly to check on me, refill my water, and help me to the bathroom. Considering how scared I was going in, the pain was surprisingly minimal, which was even more astonishing. In the early morning, I suddenly woke up wide-eyed, had some porridge, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and even applied my skincare as if I were at home. But then I heard someone rushing in from a distance, making a “tap tap tap” sound, and then knocking on the door, asking, “Did you sleep well overnight?” It was Manager Lee Eun-young. I could feel her genuine concern from her tone, and at that moment, I thought, ‘Oh, this place is good.’ I even thought it would be fun to have a drink with her later… She really has a charm. The highlight was when they removed the bandages. As soon as they came off, I felt like the pain had halved. The surgeon adjusted my compression bra straps personally. I was told not to drive when I was discharged, so I took a taxi, but honestly, I felt like I could have used public transport. On the way home, my husband and I went out to eat, and when we got home, my 6-year-old firstborn gave me a shower. Seeing my appearance, he even washed my hair. In the meantime, he did all the housework… On the third day, it was time to remove the tape. Once the bruising subsided a bit, I thought the scars wouldn’t be as bad as I expected, and that’s when I started feeling satisfied. I took my prescribed medication every eight hours and supplemented with Taksen every four hours. I didn’t do anything too vigorous but cleaned the house gradually… It felt like my chest and upper body were getting fuller. Getting up and lying down with just my upper body strength was still tough. However, with the swelling, it felt like my torso and chest were one big lump, and even though I knew it was just swelling, I felt a bit down about it. 😅 My husband kept saying things like, “Isn’t the implant dropping down to your belly?” “Shouldn’t we call the hospital?” “Aren’t you going to need liposuction for next year?” He just kept talking… In the end, he just held back while looking at my chest. By the fourth day, the pain was decreasing, and I was left with just a little pressure and stiffness. I took a shower with the waterproof bandage provided by Melon and caught a glimpse in the mirror, thinking, ‘Oh? I look pretty good!’ I kept muttering to myself, “Wow, I’m beautiful…” while washing up. I even went for car maintenance and picked up my child from kindergarten, which is a round trip of an hour, and all this was still less than a week after the surgery… On the seventh day, I went back to the hospital and felt unexpectedly happy to see Dr. Kim Joo-won again. He asked about my pain and daily life, listening to every detail. It felt like we communicated well. The management room was tidy, and after receiving a chest pack and light care, they removed my stitches, making my chest feel much softer. What I appreciated about Melon was the presence of CCTV, the absence of any painful procedures, and the intercostal anesthesia they provided. It definitely felt like the pain burden was lessened, so I worried less about the scars. The post-operative care was super detailed, which made me feel more at ease, and hearing about lifetime aftercare made me feel even more relaxed. I thought of breast surgery as something I might only do once in my life. I really wanted to take my time with this decision. After contemplating various places, I ended up choosing Melon right in the heart of Gangnam. I think I deserve to give myself a little credit for that. 😂