Rhinoplasty: Stories

I have hated my nose since I was a child. From the front it's just fine but I hate the profile because of the hump. I have wanted surgery for a long time but after going through a divorce recently I decided now was the time to do something for myself. I just wanted the most subtle of changes just to take the hump down but still look like myself!
 

Had my preop appointment yesterday. Getting excited and nervous now as surgery is just over 2 weeks away. They gave me all my pre and postop instructions, and prescriptions that I will need. The staff there are all so sweet and make you feel really comfortable, answer all your questions and explain everything thoroughly. So far I feel like I have made the right choice about my surgeon.

Less than 2 weeks to go now. Got some of the supplies today that I will need after surgery. Gauze, pain killers, hydrogen peroxide, saline nasal spray, polysporin, Chapstick, Benadryl. Still have a few more things to get and get my prescriptions filled. Wish it was done already. Hate waiting once I have made my mind up to do it!

24hrs to go. Getting nervous now. Can't believe it's actually happening. Got everything I needed yesterday so I don't have to leave the house for a week! Plenty of gatorade and soft foods for tomorrow and Friday, and enough stuff for the rest of the week. Hopefully I won't go stir crazy! I get the cast off next Wednesday so if I don't look too bad then, maybe I will go out a bit! Hope I manage to get some sleeptonight, been having problems all week. Don't know if I'm more excited or nervous!

Had my surgery on Thursday. Actually managed to get some sleep the night before and I was surprised that I wasn't nearly as nervous as I thought I would be. Got to the surgery center around 9.30am and was prepped for the surgery. After several nurses came in and out to do various things, finally the anesthesiologist came by and he's my new best friend! I told him I wanted a good cocktail and he asked me what kind! I said margarita on the rocks with salt and he said it would be top shelf only! He was right! He asked me where I wanted to go on vacation and I said Bora Bora and that's one of the last things I remember. I have no recollection of being moved from pre op to the OR and I don't remember anything till I woke up in recovery. My friend took video of me before and I was just babbling complete nonsense! Pretty funny.
After I woke up, I was super thirsty and my throat was a little sore from the breathing tube but other than that I felt fine. Got dressed, went to the restroom and then they let me go home. I felt fine until about 3 hours after I got home then the anesthetic wore off and I started to have some pain so I took some vicodin which helped. The swelling and bruising didn't set in till later in the evening and were worst the next morning. Managed to eat apple sauce and ice cream so I would have something in my stomach for the medications. Was very grateful that I didn't experience any nausea and I actually managed to get some sleep that night too. The bleeding wasn't too bad. Changed out the dressings every 30 mins for the first few hours then every hour or two and by the next morning it had stopped. They gave me a gel mask at the surgery center which is very soothing over my eyes.
Friday was the worst day for swelling and bruising. My eyes and underneath them were black and very swollen and everything under the cast and tape just felt so tight. I think I took one vicodin that morning and that was the last time I took any. Just took tylenol extra strength after that. The gel masks had dried out so I just used frozen peas to ease the swelling. I slept a lot on and off Friday, and stuck to soft foods. I had to start cleaning out my nose too. Had to rinse it out with saline, swab the inside of my nostrils and sutures on the outside (I had an open procedure so have a few stitches) with hydrogen peroxide, then apply polysporin. Have to repeat it 4 times a day till I go back to the doctor on Wednesday. Started taking benadryl to help with the congestion, and it has helped. The arnica montana that they gave me that I had been taking since before the surgery also seemed to help with the bruising cause it was much better by Saturday. Sleeping elevated was tough for two days but it helped with the swelling.
Saturday I woke up feeling a little nauseous so I took one of the anti nausea pills they gave me, and felt much better. The swelling had gone down a lot and the bruising was staring to go down too. Managed to eat more solid foods like some soft bread with my soup, Just tried to take it easy and let myself heal. Kept cleaning out my nose and applying polysporin. Pain was pretty minimal and only took tylenol for it.
Today is my 3rd day post op and I feel fine. My nose is a little stuffy but I can breathe out of it a little. Just feels like I have a bad cold. Haven't even taken any tylenol today, Just been taking my antibiotics and benadryl. I'm amazed that it's not painful at all. The area where the sutures is, is a little tender when I clean it but nothing major. There's really nothing to clean anymore. No blood or anything but i will still keep following my instructions. Can't wait to get the cast of cause I keep getting itches under it that I can't scratch! I'm also afraid of getting it off cause I don't know what it's going to look like although it already looks pretty straight and there's still a lot of swelling to go down.
So that's the story so far. Everything went well, all the nurses and doctors have been awesome and I'm healing well.

Finally washed my hair today and feel a little more human. I had been afraid to do it in case I got my cast wet but I managed not to. Most of my swelling has subsided and the bruising has dissipated. Can't wait to get this cast off on Wednesday cause this itching underneath it is driving me nuts! I don't really have any congestion anymore, just feels like allergies but I can breathe through my nose. I haven't even taken any Tylenol since Saturday. All I'm taking is my antibiotics and the occasional benadryl. The recovery from all this hasn't been bad at all which I'm very grateful for.

I had my cast removed on Wednesday but they retaped it after that to help with the swelling. They also took out some of the sutures from below my nose which wasn't painful at all, just pinched a little. Today I went back to have the last few sutures inside my nostrils taken out and to have the tape removed. It is still swollen so it will get even smaller but I already love it and am very happy with my results. I have to continue to put a small piece of tape just above the tip of my nose, every night for the next 6 weeks to inhibit the formation of scar tissue. I would say this procedure was well worth it and I feel like it has made a huge difference to my whole face. I got very natural results and I think I still look like myself, just better!

I will post more pictures in a few weeks when more of the swelling has gone down so you can see the true results.

Went for a follow-up a couple of weeks ago and my surgeon is pleased with the way I am healing and he said there is still a bit of swelling in the tip that will go down. I have been taping the tip of my nose at night since the surgery, to avoid scar tissue building up under the skin in that area. At my last appointment I got a steroid injection in the area to inhibit scar tissue from forming. It wasn't the most comfortable experience, but totally bearable. I am happy with the outcome of my surgery although I do think I still have to get used to it. I was so used to the way it was, that I don't think I see it for what it actually is now, or what other people see! It's like losing weight, sometimes it takes a while for your brain to catch up with the new way you look! I need to post some more pictures of how it is looking now. Overall, I would say it is definitely worth getting it done if you hate the way it looks. I have no regrets at all and I was lucky that it was an easy surgery and recovery and I had no complications afterwards. I can barely even see the scar under the tip any more. It has faded so well. That was my biggest fear going into this as I have not scarred well on other areas so I was worried that this one would look bad but it really isn't even noticeable.