Journey to Self Acceptance - Coral Gables, FL

Tomorrow marks 10 weeks since my septo/rhinoplasty, and I certainly feel the healing changings progressing. I have experienced intermittent swelling that comes and goes, and seems to be directly related to days when I don't eat & drink as healthy as I should (i.e. saltier foods, alcohol, being outdoors too much). But the good news is that within 1 day, the swelling comes back down as soon as my diet habits improve again.

I continue to be extremely happy with how my nose looks. We were recently on a family vacation, and for the first time, I was able to share pictures that had captured my side profile. I actually liked the pictures. Pictures, that before surgery, I would have automatically deleted at the sight of my nose in certain angles. It is an amazing feeling! Honestly, I've never felt prettier in my life, and I'm so happy that I finally had the courage at 43 to fix my nose. I wish I would have done it in my early 20s, but then again, I wouldn't have had the right surgeon for me back then.

There are 2 minor annoyances I'm still dealing with...the first is the increased oiliness on my nose, which still hasn't improved. I'm using oil blotting paper throughout the day, usually once every 2 hours or so. The second is that my nose is still difficult to clear. The natural secretions seem to stick to the inside of my nostrils despite my daily use of nasal saline spray. I try gentle blowing at the end of every warm shower, and sometimes things clear easily, but I can go days with no clearance. Overall, though, I know that these annoyances are temporary, and a small price to pay for the new nose. My happiness with the aesthetic far outweighs the annoyance of extra oil, and inside crustiness.

This week, I get to see Dr. Bustillo for my 2 month follow-up and am looking forward to discussing these issues with him. Two weeks ago, I had concerns about going on vacation to mountains of Colorado and emailed Dr. Bustillo with my concerns about higher altitude, physical activity, drier air/climate, etc. He emailed me back the same day, and was very helpful. He continues to communicate promptly and sweetly whenever there is concern or questions.

If anyone is still considering Dr. Bustillo for nose surgery, I continue to feel strongly about recommending him without reservation. He continues to care for his patients even after the acute phase of healing. It's so rare to find such a highly talented, skilled surgeon who is also so caring and compassionate. As trivial as my concerns are, he never makes me feel like I'm asking a "dumb" question.

Until the next time, fellow patients. :-)

Today marks 4 weeks since my septo/rhinoplasty with Dr. Bustillo. I am very pleased with the shape so far, and know that it will continue to change. I do not notice daily changes as some patients report, but every week I do feel improvement in swelling both internally and externally.

The most frustrating and bothersome feeling has been the nasal stuffiness, crusty, dirty feeling from having what I call "gunk" in my nostrils. I followed the saline nasal spray instructions, ointment instructions, but still had difficulty being patient for the inside to clear out. Just this past weekend, I was finally able to have my first productive gentle "nose blowing" after long hot shower to loosen things up. (Doctor's instruction sheet tells you to start trying a gentle nose blow as soon as 1 week post op.) I feel like during the day, I have wet, cold nose, and my nostril openings feel sensitive to the strong AC at my workplace. Sometimes, the nostril openings feel irritated, so I carry a small saline nasal spray with me, and Neosporin ointment, which I apply very gently to the nostril openings with a cotton swab. I do not put the cotton swab up my nostrils! Very important!

Overall though, I feel well and breathe well at night and during the day (despite the gunk). I keep reminding myself every day that I'm still healing, and this dirty nose feeling is only temporary.

On a positive note, the swelling between my nose and upper lip and gone down considerably, and I can finally smile again! One never realizes how much your nose moves and stretches with every facial expression until one undergoes nose surgery. The swelling initially makes facial expressions such as smiling very difficult. Luckily, I'm over that part of the healing phase.

Thank you to all who have followed and commented on my journey. Please feel free to keep the conversation going. Happy to answer any questions or read comments. This website has given me great support, and I look forward to continuing to share our experiences together.

I forgot to add this pic in the first group. This if post op day 10 left.