Rhinoplasty: Stories

I've been considering having my nose done for years, and was waiting for the right time in my life. It's finally time! I was getting tired of looking in the mirror & photographs and being so critical of my nose. I have a fairly small face, and my nose just seems so out of proportion. I'm not expecting a tiny, cute as a button nose. I would like something that is natural looking and less prominent.

I especially hate pictures of me taken from the front view, since my nose is so wide. Of course I've found which angles hide this most successfully, and there are many pictures of myself that I do enjoy looking at. I've decided (for now) to only upload pictures of my nose that I dislike.

I have been getting more and more excited as the date is quickly approaching! Around 3 weeks to go. I am a bit nervous now though, because I am quite the perfectionist and even the slightet things bother me for weeks on end. For example - I had to get some dental crowns placed and bonding touched up on my front teeth, and I can't stop looking in the mirror and thinking this tooth should be slightly longer, this tooth should be less round, the colour isn't 110% accurate. How am I going to cope with slight imperfections after my rhinoplasty? I'm sure the results will look great compared to my current nose, but I am so picky! and a bit concerned about my expectations and the outcome.

I also became a bit concerned when I received my before/after photos from my digital imaging appointment. (The ones posted here were from my initial consultation, and some that I did myself.) I know the front view is difficult to accurately portray, so I wasn't too worried about that. The problem was that my profile view didn't seem to have a significant enough change. It still looked too large and not feminine at all. I did voice my concerns, and was told that the after image was underdone since it really will depend on how my nose heals. I am crossing my fingers for a less projected profile! I also sent a few versions of edited images of my profile that I would prefer to have, so I'm really hoping one of these will be attainable.

2 more days!!! I'm so excited to get this done!

I was planning on stocking up on supplies today, but I've decided to put that off until tomorrow night. Did anyone have trouble eating the first couple of days after? I'm wondering if I should also pick up some softer food.
Here's what I'm planning on getting:
-neck pillow
-polysporin ointment
-frozen peas (even though already have a few freezer gel packs)
-q-tips..extra cotton on the tips?
-medical tape
-gauze
-saline nasal spray
-Otrovin nasal spray
-cotton balls
-new pjs for lounging around in :)

I'm also going to buy Arnica pills, however I can only seem to find the Arnica Sin Ecch brand for sale through my doctor. I tried a few health food stores, but the brands were different, and I was paranoid they wouldn't be as good. My doctor's office is selling 12 (I think..or was it 9?) pills for $53. Is this typical? Seems rather pricey, but I'll buy them either way.

The Arnica brand they are recommending is from Alpine Pharmaceuticals.

Well....This is it! I will be checking in to the clinic tomorrow at 12:30pm. I hope I can get some sleep tonight! I feel like this is the end of an era..

My surgery was yesterday, Dec. 20, at around 2:30pm. I was told to be at the clinic for 12:30, so I sat waiting for quite some time. The nurse came in to see me and ask a few questions. She seemed a bit hesitant when I asked if the doctor would be coming in to see me before. It was as if it was an unusual request..which was a bit strange. When he came in, he seemed rushed and a bit irritable - unlike my previous 2 meetings with him. I just wanted to go over what we would be doing again...because you know, my nose was about to be cut open, and wanted a bit of reassuring. I guess they were running behind schedule?

Besides that, I wasn't feeling too nervous until it was time to move into the OR. I've had anesthesia twice before, and was terrified of having that burning feeling in my veins again. But I didn't feel it at all this time, which I was happy to discover; and before I knew it, I was coming to again. I would say the worst part for me was waking up. I woke up slowly, and seemed to be having some trouble breathing. I was still out of it, and I tried to describe to one of the nurses the feeling I was having as "trapped air in my lungs", and was told 'you're fine, you're just drugged up'. Then my other nurse (who was great by the way) came to see how I was doing. She suggested opening my mouth and coughing...and out came several blood clots. I knew I was having difficulty breathing for a reason other than drugs! My throat was slightly sore, but having a freezie helped. After the blood clots came up, I felt much better. I left the clinic around 5:30pm - drove home in rush hour, and with freezing rain - fun!

It is now the day after my surgery, and I am not experiencing any pain at all. I don't appear to have any substantial swelling or bruising. I'm crossing my fingers it won't get much worse. I actually cannot believe how good I feel! I had my full appetite back the minute I got home. So far I am doing well, and hope it only gets better from here!

Day 4 - Today was a good day! I protected my nose with saran wrap/tape and took a shower. I then went out to get my hair washed and blow dried. I also made a quick stop at the mall to get a few last minute christmas gifts. It was quite tiring being up and about for the first time today, but I made it! I'm not sure I'll be going out again until the 27th when my cast comes off, but at least I got some fresh air today. I'm feeling a bit anxious about seeing my nose for the first time but I'm trying not to think about it too much for now.

I hope you are all having speedy recoveries - Merry Christmas/Happy holidays!

Cast removal tomorrow!!! I am extremely nervous and excited to see what's been happening under my cast. It must be so strange to look in the mirror and see a different nose than the one I've been looking at for 20-some odd years.

My nose is still running a bit, not too much, and the stitches under my left nostril have somewhat crusted over. I am able to breathe slightly through both nostrils however I still have to breathe through my mouth in order to get enough air in. I find chewing on foods leaves me quite out out of breath! I've never had stitches removed, so I'm feeling a bit anxious to get them pulled out tomorrow, especially since the area seems to be so tender.

I absolutely love my nose. Although it's obviously still rather swollen, and my nostrils are currently uneven, my face instantly looks much more in proportion. I'm very thankful that I didn't experience any significant bruising or swelling this past week!

The cast removal was't bad at all - a little discomfort, a few pulls, and it was off. I was also pleasantly surprised to discover that my stitches are actually dissolvable. I had assumed they weren't because they still seem so stiff. I was expecting Dr. Rival to be at my first post-op appointment but he was not in the office. Instead, someone else removed the cast for me (not sure if doctor/nurse/other staff member - and didn't catch her name). She also gave me a paper stating "Sorry I couldn't be there.." and a list of things to expect while healing. She then trimmed a few stitches which were sticking out and I was able to gently pick at a few myself in the car. My follow up appointment is in a month.

I thought I would mention a few of the not so great things I discovered:

When the cast was removed, my nose smelled terrible. I have never had a cast before, so it did not even occur to me what would be happening under there for a week. My nose is now covered in deep black heads, and the skin is peeling off quite a lot.

I have a bump on the right side of my nose and my nostrils are really uneven, making one side appear more pig-like than the other. I know, I know: wait for the swelling to subside, etc. etc. It's so much easier to think that for other people's pictures rather than looking at your own actual nose. Patience...I know... I will try..

Day 19

Well...I've been avoiding uploading new pictures because I'm feeling rather disappointed with the bump on the right side of my nose, as well as the very uneven nostrils. I went to see Dr. Rival last Friday about these concerns, and of course there's nothing else to do but wait. I was told that if by summer the bump hasn't gone away, I'll have to be put to sleep again to fix it. I'm happy with the overall idea of my new nose, but it's hard to look in the mirror and pictures and see a different nose from all angles.

The pictures I'm uploading now are from New Year's Eve (Day 11 after surgery). I'm not seeing any improvements as of yet, so I'll hold off for another week or so until I add some new ones. I'm constantly worried about people looking at me from my new 'bad side' :(

It's been a month since surgery! I can't believe how quickly time is passing. No improvements in terms of the bump and uneven nostrils, but I am still happy overall. My nose is still really stuffy and I'm breathing through my mouth most of the time. The left (larger) nostril also tends to run, so I find myself constantly dabbing at my nose with a tissue. Also, I frequently feel the need to blow my nose, but when I actually do it, it's not satisfying at all - feels like there's so much in there! And right after I blow my nose I feel some slight pressure build up in my nose, and then it subsides. My next post-op appointment is at the end of February so I will update again after that.

I would like to add one more thing for now... I've been noticing some comments around, pretty much putting down people's feelings of unhappiness regarding their new noses "so soon after surgery". Everyone is entitled to their own opinions of their own surgery. If you just got your cast off and are feeling uneasy about your nose, go ahead and post about it! If there is something about your new nose that bothers you, it's perfectly normal to feel this way! Yes, the healing process does take time, and it will be different for everyone. If you just got your cast off and completely love your new nose, are oblivious to imperfections, don't have any imperfections, etc. that's great. Just know that not everyone can have the same reactions to their new nose, as all of our experiences and outcomes are different.

Happy healing!

Posted a picture to compare my nostril before and after surgery.. just to show the extent of it. Thankfully it's only noticable when I tip my head really far back.