Primary Rhinoplasty with Dr. Cochran - Dallas, TX

Hello, my name is Doro, and I would like to share my rhinoplasty experience with you. It took me a while to decide whether I want to tell people that I underwent nose surgery or better keep it secret. I am not sure if it's the hydrocodone pain meds that are giving me the courage (today is day 6 after my surgery; I haven't taken any pain meds for almost 24 hours now), or my strong believe that people should be open about the need to improve their looks when they are unhappy with them. My love and hate relationship with my nose started when I was twelve years old. A dear family friend, a 10 year old child at that time told me out of nowhere that my nose looked like a witch's nose. I was shocked; until then I was pretty sure I had a cute and small nose like a button and that my friend was probably just teasing me. However, as weeks were passing, I realized that there was something to his words. My nose wasn't cute as button anymore. Never ever again. At the age of twelve, it didn't look as big and crooked, neither it did at the age of 16 or even 18. My nose looked larger and more defined than the noses of my friends, more like on a Roman or Greek sculpture. It was very slim from the front, with a little longer than wanted columnella, but still very acceptable. I thought I looked good from the front. What bothered me the most, was the over projected profile, and worst off, when smiling, the tip of my nose pointing down. Slowly, but surely, as I entered my twenties, there was more of hate relationship than love. I tried to accept and love myself for who I was and how I looked, yet I dreamed about having my nose fixed. I am 36 year old Caucasian white, however, my nose has a very ethnic look. Pardon me, had. After a decade of researching rhinoplasty surgeons and building up the courage to actually do it, the timing seemed right. I had my second baby 11 months ago, I run my own business from home, and I am not planning any exhausting travels for the next year. My parents were coming to visit me for long time to help with the children, so the only important, if not the most important remaining factor for my surgery was my surgeon. As I said, I spent the last ten years finding the right doctor. Fingers crossed for me, since I am still sitting here in front of my laptop with a cast on my nose thinking about my uneven nostrils and my nose seeming to slightly point towards right. Cast removal is in two days, yeay!!! I chose Dr. Cochran from the Gunter Center because I liked his work best. The noses he creates have definition, are proportionate to the face, look elegant, and very important - don't change the overall look of his patients much. I still want to look like me, just me with more refined and pretty nose. I finally scheduled my interview which went really well. I brought some pictures from magazines showing what I desired for my nose to look like. Dr. Cochran showed me a simulation image of what he could do, and eventually we agreed on the final look. I appreciated his honesty about what he can and can't do, or shouldn't do. Also, important to mention is my breathing. Not only was my septum deviated, but my nostrils were basically lying flat at the columnella creating a difficult passage for the air. When sleeping on my side, I only got partial air, as well as during the sports when correct breathing is crucial! Dr. Cochran and I agreed on rebuilding my deviated septum, shortening the nose from the profile, and widening the nostrils a little bit. I already had enough definition in the cartilage in the tip of my nose, however, the tip was too long as well. I scheduled my surgery to be in one month, today it's 6 days ago. I am not sure yet how my nose will look like and how difficult it will be for me to get adjusted to the new looks. Even though my profile already looks fantastic, just like my mother's nose that I wanted so much to have inherited but didn't, I look like a different me. From the profile I look about 10 years younger, no kidding, like my mom when she was young and whose beauty I adored. From the front my nose is swollen and shorter and wider than it used to be. It will probably always remain somewhat wider because my nostrils should flare out a little bit. As of the moment, with the cast still on my nose and splints inside, I do not like myself all that much yet. I am very positive that this will change, hopefully sooner than later. The experience of the surgery was great. Not only the staff at the Gunter Center was professional and courteous, but also everybody at the Texas Institute for Surgery. From the receptionist, through the payment assistant, through the nurses and the anesthesiologist, to Dr. Cochran, everybody made me feel as comfortable as it got. I totally felt like I was in good hands and that I could absolutely trust them. I do not trust many people and I am quite critical. I can be difficult to please. There were numerous complaints I had at the hospital where I was delivering my both children at the aftercare, but I had no single complaint the day of my nose surgery. So far, my experience is very positive.

Before I was wheeled off to the operating room, I was given some pill that makes me forget the time between being wheeled off and waking up. It really works! After I said bye bye to my surgeon, my husband and my old nose, I don't remember anything until after waking up from the anesthesia. I didn't even hear my name, but the name of the lady waking up across the room. They called her about 10 times and she wasn't responding probably, so my first words were asking if she was alright? I was told she was alright as was I :) Good news! I had a new nose!
I was really happy to be alive, awake, and to hear from my husband that my surgery went well and that Dr. Cochran did not have to break my nose. I did not get to talk to my surgeon after my surgery, but he talked to my husband. It's probably better that way because I don't remember much, only that my throat was really hurting and that my male nurse was absolutely compassionate and well taking care of me. We talked about Germany and how we miss the food.
The trip home, about 30 min car ride was miserable. I wasn't nauseous at all, probably also because I almost never get nauseated and never vomit either. I was, however, uncomfortable, dizzy, not myself, and that throat! The throat pain was from the breathing tube inserted in my throat during the surgery. I kept on drinking, but didn't have the strength, nor the will, nor the right mind. My husband stopped at McDonald's to get me a shake to feel better. It went straight to the freezer when we came home. Yesterday, 6 days after my surgery I drank it after dinner, with no smell and no taste sensation, its freshness didn't matter anyway.
Before I fell asleep after we came home, I noticed very important observation in the mirror - my nose was tiny and my nostrils were symmetrical - picture perfect! This was before the swelling started taking part. The first days went by when I had to take the prescribed pain meds for super sore throat, painfull swelling in the face, and really painful bridge on the nose. I altered every 4 to 3 hours, for the first 2 days. My second evening after the surgery was the worst; my face swelled up too badly around my nose and eyes. The following days brought some relief as my swelling started subsiding, however, new nuisance appeared. My nose got stuffed up and started running. I remember the words for the aftercare - NO BLOWING YOUR NOSE, NO SNIFFLING, AND NO SNEEZING! Well, what to do then??? I called up my surgeon's nurse, who, such a sweet and helpful lady recommend decongestant that does not contain any ibuprofen nor aspirin. Remember, do not take ibuprofen or aspirin after your surgery because it can cause bleeding and who knows what else. So I sent my husband to Walgreens to get me Sudafed. He came back with Sudafed, but the type that contains ibuprofen which I couldn't take. Great, so I had to wait until he was willing to get me something else the next morning which was Claritin. Claritin did not work for me at all. We called the nurse again, and she said that at this point almost every patient has stuffed up and runny nose and that frankly, decongestants do not help that much. My last hope was Vick's DayQuil Sinex 'Daytime Sinus relief' containing acetaminophen and Phenylephrine. It worked about 85% of getting rid of my terrible symptoms. If you had a nose surgery and about after day 3 your nose gets really stuffed up and running, the chances are high that you didn't get a cold or flu, your nose is just trying to heal and this is normal. I didn't feel sick and I don't have any allergies either, so I knew for sure it had to do with the surgery. Also, instead of blowing my nose I found that running a Q-tip along the rim inside my nose takes away the excess mucus and leaves me feeling almost as if I blew my nose.
Today is day 7 after my surgery and my cast removal is tomorrow. I have mixed feelings. With splints inside my nose, I don't even remember how it feels to have empty nose. I am excited to have the cast and stitches removed, to see my new nose, to see the swelling start going down the following days and weeks. On the other hand, I lived 37 years with the way I looked, so who knows how hard it will be excepting a new me even if it looks much, much better than my old me.