Experiencing True Empathy Through My Own Surgery It was a rainy day. I had a graduate class early in the morning, so I decided to grab breakfast at a nearby fast-food restaurant. As I rushed out of the subway station into the drizzle, I entered the shop intending to place an order through a kiosk. Suddenly, my foot slipped on the wet floor, and I fell straight onto my cheekbone. Immediately, a tingling sensation surged through my face, and I feared nerve damage. My first instinct was to visit an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, mistakenly believing I'd injured my jaw. After being rejected by a local clinic that specialized more in cosmetic jaw surgeries rather than trauma, I visited a neurosurgeon. Imaging confirmed fractures in my cheekbone and orbital bones, along with facial nerve compression. The very next day, I was scheduled for facial reconstructive surgery under general anesthesia. As someone who had spent the last four years as an anesthesia nurse, regularly administering ...
Former nurse officer turned Korean–English interpreter, a curious spirit always chasing diverse experiences