So Far, So Good! before and after surgery experience - Quito, Ecuador

Well now I moved to a new place, I moved to Southern California and the last couple of month I've experienced congestion and runny nose due to my allergies mainly because it was the season in Ecuador for that. My ENT doctor told me that I experienced it more severely because of the dust in the city and the high altitude but once I move to Cali it would get better. I had terrible allergies kick in that even my ears were pressured and I was coughing and sneezing but now that I'm in Cali it has gotten better! Besides that my doctor also did mention (ENT doctor was not the same as the one who performed surgery) this was my mom's doctor which she took me to) that because I've always have sinusitis (and both my parents did too) that after surgery it triggered to come off more strongly so I would experience allergies more often especially with anything cold. So now eating ice cream will have to be something I do every once in a while, same as holding the ice on my drinks. :( But I guess it's something I have to live with. Everyone who has these type of allergies knows what I mean, it terrible cause you feel as if you were sick but you really aren't. Besides this, everything is fine with my nose. The weather here is so nice, something that will suit me fine!

Regards!

So now I'm seven months post-op, my doctor told me that by the 6th month my swelling will be down to nearly nothing, to be honest I haven't seen a difference these last three months since my swelling went away long before. I feel great, my confidence has risen greatly after this surgery. I posted some photos so you guys can see for yourself. I feel that the chin implant and my nose are perfectly proportional as my doctor had promised me. Last month I got the flu, I was stuffy for a couple of days and after hat I feel I'm still congested once in a while. I blame it mostly to where I live: Quito, Ecuador. The high altitude and the dry cold weather haven't allowed me to get better from that cold.

But nevertheless, I hope this review is helpful to everyone especially teens who I completely understand that your nose can make you so insecure. The only thing I would recommend is if you're going to get the surgery done.. DO YOUR RESEARCH! This helped me so much, visit different doctors and just have that positive vibe from them. It can be expensive to get it done but remember this is all for you and don't you want nothing but the best?

Good luck to all who get a nose job!

I I herited my mothers nose, who inherited her mothers nose. From the front I liked my nose it wasn't bad at all but from the side I was always self conscious because I had a hump that was evident. It wasn't until my last year in high school that I decided to do something about it. So my best friend had gotten a nose job circa a year ago. Her nose had to be fully reconstructed so her experience was a bit different that mine, but I had an idea of what I was up against. I visited 3 plastic surgeons and even a otorhinolaryngologist so I can get my actual nasal problems fixed. I had gone with my mother to visit the surgeon and I stuck with one that far both of us a good a good vibe. December 15th was set as surgery day and I had been assigned to get a tomography and preoperative blood tests and have them done one week prior to my surgery. Although it was a drag to get all done because I miss some class time that I have to make up after I ey back. So basically it was set that I was getting my turbinates removed, the hump removed, straighten my septum and lift my nose up a bit. I also had to get a chin implant as the plastic surgeons I had visited all said that it was ideal for me to get one as I had a weak chin and it will be proportional with my new nose. The time went by so quickly and come the week before my surgery I had an appointment. The doctors gave me a run through of what they would do and a relaxant I should take the night before and the morning of surgery that will aid with the nerves. I got to the hospital and I was feeling good, positive vibes. At ten to nine I was taken to the OR and put under serum. In cane bth my doctors and the anesthesiologist (which I met the day before and he looked at my blood work). I remember them saying hello to me and my plastic surgeon holding my hand and caressing it (she's a lady btw) until I was gone asleep. The anestesiologist reminded me as I was dozing off that I can't hesitate when I wake up and that I have to remember to breathe with my mouth.

About 3 hours later I woke up in that same room. I was the moved to a waiting room in the OR waiting to be moved to my room. I had a monitor in that measured the levels of oxigen. I had breathling tubes on but I stuck to breathing with my. Mouth although I felt that every breath I took was icy (like when you're about to get a cold and your throught is sensitive) so I took small breaths in and the monitor would ring because of that. I didn't not feel any pain and I had completely forgotten about my chin implant at the time. I was taken to my room and I saw my mother for the first time after surgery. I fell asleep for some hours and my mother had been changing cold gauzes on my eyes all afternoon. I had done research and I read that most of the time the anesthesia makes you nauseous. Lucky for me this wasn't my case (I hate the feeling of throwing up) and when some food came (soup, pineapple juice, liquid jell-o) I ate it all. I had no pain until later that night when I was released to home due to the tampons in my nose. They were indeed painful and I was set to take them off the next day. I had a Percocet for the pain but barely had any sleep. The next morning I got the tampons taken off along with the breathing tubes and I was shocked to see how big they were and how they were stuffed in my nostrils. As they removed them I felt the worst sensation ever, I felt like my brain was coming out of my nose due to how deep they were inside. (try that feeling 4 times) After that I felt no pain at all in my nose. The pain was now further down in my chin as it is a nuisance because I can't chew anything or talk right.

I am now on my third day of recovery and the swelling from my eyes has gone down a lot (sleep with chamomile soaked gauzes under a sleeping eye mask) yet my cheeks are still puffy. Today I feel less pain and I haven't taken any pain medicine, only my antibiotics.

I feel happy that I did this and that my recuperation wasn't at all bad. I stayed home these days as I live in Quito and its really cold here and I don't want to get sick. My best friends came to visit me and they made me laugh and I couldn't! I felt like my stitches were going to break (but they arent although it feels like it. Don't laugh hard though I don't really know if that can occur)

Tomorrow I get my splint taken off and hopefully my eyes are not so swollen to see what I look like. Evidently I know that final results are long from now but I'm anxious to see myself. I play Varsity soccer and basketball in my school and I have to wear a safety mask to play because that next few month the nose is weak and a hit can be crutial to its finall formation.

I recomend this to people who are not satisfied with their noses or have nasal problems. "The best money invested is in oneself" my dad always said. Best of luck anyone who gets nose surgery! It's worth it!