Rhinoplasty: Stories

Hi everyone, what a fab site! It is so good to read other people's experience of Rhinoplasty! I am from the UK and am scheduled to have surgery to take the hump from my nose on Thurs 28th March 2013!!

I used to have a nice nose but then in my teens it grew and developed a large bump! Some describe it as regal I say it's horrible! The only people who have teased me about my nose would be my two younger brothers years ago, they called me witch nose and I hated it!

I just want a nice, normal nose that fits my face! I am feeling excited about having a nose to be proud of and also nervous about the anesthetic and not getting the results I had hoped for!!!

I am interested in any advice to prepare for the op and also what I need for after! I have read about something for swelling beginning with b, I can't remember we the name. Is that something you can get in the uk and is it over the counter or prescription?

Cost is £4850 not sure what that is in dollars.

Thanks in advance!

Wow I can't believe in 9 1/2 hours I will be at the hospital awaiting my rhinoplasty! I booked the op back in Oct as I wanted to time it with my work shutting down for two weeks over Easter so I have been waiting a long time! My mum has my two children who are 3 & 7, my son wanted to come home withi me but my daughter was happy to have a sleep over! Lord knows what they will think when they see me, i am a bit worried about how they will react S i havent actually told them.

I have packed a small bag most of which is taken up by my dressing gown...do I really need it?! Took my horse to another training yard where he will be cared for and exercised so he isnt a lunatic when i get back on him, friend is looking after my children's two ponies (i really should let Bertie Basset the black shetland go but he is so cute and i love him dearly!). I have such a lot to organise its exhausting!

My husband is driving me to Northampton in the morning and I assume I am in for the day and will be home by late afternoon/evening.

Anyway I took some more photos tonight of my nose as it is now, looking at them reminded me to forget being nervous as you need this op!!! It's amazing how much better if looks from one side to the other -so it's true, we do all have a better side!

Well I just want to be there now and to be waking up with hopefully a beautiful nose!

Will keep you all posted!

Phew it's all done and over now! I arrived at Three Shires Hospital, Northampton, UK at 7.30am. All staff were lovely especially the first nurse who was from Belgium! She was really nice & looked after me right till I came back from surgery.

I went down at 11am and was in a small room to be anethatised, I had a needle put in hand abd oxygen mask, i was scared and I could feel my heart beating really fast, I did feel like crying but managed to control myself lol, even the anethatised commented on my heartrate to which Iike a little 10yr old girl, i admitting I was feeling scared to which he said "no need to be scared think of something nice" of course I started thing about horses and before I knew it was was being woken up in recovery! Thank God I didn't have to go into theatre before being knocked out as that would of freaked me out! Lol.

One of my biggest fears was waking up and panicking due to not being able to breath and being sick etc but I was fine and I had and still don't have any packing in my nose so could breath, I just feel like I have a really bad cold! My lips are not dry but my throat was a little sore from the breathing tube and man I had a bad headache that lasted all day and night, well it's 3.30am I am wide awake with no headache! I felt sick but I think it was empty stomach but I haven't been sick. With regards to the headache, pain killers didn't really help, the only thing was ice in a cloth which I out on forehead and it really helped on ears, eyes, cheeks, throat, basically my whole face!

I have a huge cast on, got to stay on for a week!! I have no bruising what so ever which is fab as I was worried about scaring my children, so at least I won't be quite so scary to them.

I keep sneezing - omg the first time was a bit comical as in the space of a second I had to decide the best way to do this! I sneeze loudly normally anyway so now having to do so through my nose is so loud! And I do it about 4/5 times each time I want to sneeze! I think my face is allergic to my new nose! I could hear people down the corridor commenting on the sneezing and saying "wow whoever that is BLESS YOU"! Hey, it's be, you know the one who has must had a nose job!!!!! Does make my nose run a bit though, I feel like I need to blow the bloody snot out, looks a bit gross!

Another worry was not being able to eat! Lol. Well i can honestly say I could manage a T-bone steak right now! I ate soup, jacket potato with tuna, yoghart and an aero choc bar - this was to help the headache as I do suffer with low blood sugar too and had a headache before I went down to theatre.

Mike Tyler came to see me right after op in recovery and then last night in the room. He said all went well, that they took the little bump away to which I said "wasn't it a huge bump?" He laughed! Said he did some "tip control", and that he would see me again in the morning.

Although I have a cast on I can see already the nose is smaller and I feel very happy and excited to see what it is like without cast in a weeks time!

I will keep you updated, but so far I feel it was totally worth it and wish I had done it years ago!

Well I think I was a bit too quick to say how lightly I got off with no bruising or swelling! Still not that much bruising but it's coming along with the swelling! My dad was right, I am starting to resemble a rabbit!

I feel ok in myself though, not in any pain, still sneezing! Sleeping ok, I am upright but on my side and I am a deep sleeper so I am ok though I have woken up with both kids in bed with us and me and my new nose hanging on the edge of the bed for dear life!

My little boy who is three was a little shocked to see me, he asked if I fell of my horse and then started acting out a horse and me falling!! My daughter thinks it is to do with breathing problems! Actually I have never really been able to breathe through my nose at night so maybe that is why I am sleeping ok as it's no different! Lol!

nyway all seems ok, looking forward to getting the cast off, including today (sat) only another six days to go! :(

Xx

I am updating to inform those with young children that recovery with young children is not that easy! I have a three your old boy and a seven year old girl and they are bored out there brain being at home! They also keep falling out and it is very stressful especially when your on day two of rhinoplasty! My husband has now taken them swimming (let's hope they swim for a long time) and my daughter is having a sleepover at her friends tonight so that will be easier but seriously if you have young kids might be best to make arrangements for someone to look after them. Fortunately my husband is of work with Easter till tues and my mum will help but I between I can feel my nose throbbing !!!!

Xxxxx

Well I am now on day four, only three days to go till I get this cast off! Although I have remarkably well considering what I have just put myself through, today I feel almost normal! I actually washed my face and used toner on the remaining parts of my face that aren't covered with cast or sticky tape! I am slightly worried about how this tape is going to come of as for now it looks like it will be there forever! Could this be my first experience of waxing!

Lst night I was a bit bored so I decided to examine the new nose a bit more! I was slightly worried that it looked wonky but I think it is just swelling. I reckon when the cast does come off the bridge will be really swollen and I need to prepare myself for what might look like a potatoe!

It is really itching under the cast, I think it's because it's all healing. I find I can raise my brows up and down and that seems to help. I am sleeping really well still upright but not quite so bolt upright and on my side, waking up in the morning hoping that I am not actually lying on the new nose!

Overall I am finding the whole ordeal not too bad! Like I said before the worst part for me was the sacking headache I endured after surgery!

Will upload pictures! Xx

Day five - now feel completely and utterly normal! I washed my hair this morning which was quite difficult to not get face wet and also resist temptation to give my face a much needed scrub! I am getting so excited about the cast coming off this thurs 9.20am!!! From looking at this site I seem to be the only one that has had to endure a hard plastic cast for a week!!! I did resort to using a cotton bud under it across my forehead yesterday as it was itching so badly!! I think there is a big spot on my forehead too!! I can and have been able to breath through my nose ok, I managed to pick (sorry so disgusting!!) some of the dried blood/snot from the inside of my nose but it is sensitive and I won't do anymore for fear of hurting the new nose! The tape holding the cast on is starting to loosen and I have naughtily lifted the cast up as much as it will to see my new nose! It looks good! Straight, smaller, cute??? Can't believe I am saying cute, perhaps that is taking it a little far! Anyway I think I am going to be happy and I love my surgeon!!! Best of all I think I will still look like me so hopefully people won't notice and ask me if I have had a nose job or not and I wouldn't want to not look like me, I feel bad enough changing what Mother Nature has given me! Sorry Mother Nature, happy with everything else, just not the nose (feet could do with being a size smaller too lol!).

Staying at home 24/7 - I thought it would drive me crazy! My normal life consists of working three days, looking after and riding two ponies (kids ride those but i have to run along with then when they canter ha ha!) and one horse both morning and night (and lunch break spent mucking out!!), two children who are very energetic and everything else I do! Though I am really missing my furry four legged animals and missing riding like crazy (especially as it has been raining in the uk since may 2012 and now since I had op it's been cold but sunny and perfect riding weather) I am not only making the most of staying at home but I am enjoying it! I have always been a home bird! I have re arranged my wardrobe, got all the mountain of ironing done, tidied out my daughters bedroom and I now feel sick because I have eaten some of the choc muffins and chocolate covered flapjack I am this morning, have also become addicted to ebay and have a load of things arriving in the post this week. I hope I can fit in them after all the muffins and flapjack lol!

I wonder if I will cope with my busy life when all returns to normal!

Yippee not long to go now!

Day 6 - excited! Can't believe I am having cast off tomorrow! Have managed to avoid contact with re outside world for nearly a week but today I had to answer the door to the postman, it might of been the start of all my eBay purchases! It wasn't! I got a funny look from him which I should of ignored but instead I blurted out how I got thrown off my horse and broke my nose! All those years of mucking out is finally paying off as this horse story is a good cover up! He asked why I had no bruising to which I looked at him in a sorrowful way and said "I did have.....pause". I think I got away with it!

Mum took kids to a farm park for the day so I have had a whale of a time doing something I don't normally have time to do ....cleaning! Got mum's dog with me too, Jack he features in my update photo! He is a miniature Schnauzer with a big attitude though he thought I had some spare flapjack on my nose which is how I got the pic! Lol!

Cast off tomorrow!!!

Xxx

The cast will come off, tomorrow,
Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow I will be free (of this damn thing!!!).

Xx

Hi everyone, so cast off today, was so good to get plastic cast off, stitches not too bad to take out just stung a little. Was a bit shocking to see myself for the first time, I admit I felt a tad gutted looking a what looked a potato on my face! It's hard going from a big high bridges nose to a smaller prettier one. It is also very swollen or so I hope, the bridge and tip is swollen and side profile is higher than I hoped but I don't look too piggy. Anyway I had to keep things into perspective as had my children with me and if it wasnt for that and my new make up case that arrived when we got home i might of cried! However, two hours later and some make up to cocer the full blown acne that has developed under tge cast I have to say I think......I quite like it! See for yourself....!

Ok I apologise to having a slight moment of panic when I first saw the sausage, ahem I mean nose! It was so swollen but I forgot about that when I first looked in the mirror and when the nurse said it looked very natural I did think what on earth had I done to my face, as the day went by I got used to it and started to like it even though it did look fat, swollen and angry with me for putting it though such an ordeal!

Today came, I decided to curl my hair and put some more make up on, my skin is so bad at the mo from the cast, tape and no moisturiser. I think the swelling has gone down so much and that is with me not resting or eating pineapple but carrying on with my life as normal.

Every photo my surgeon showed me I was very pleased with, there was not one nose he had done that I didn't think looked good and natural, he did warn me about the swelling and I feel bd for my slight doubt in faith of him yesterday, now I am thinking he has done a good job and it will only get better!

Funny thing is there is a photo of my mum in the 60's with bleach blonde hair in pigtails and her cute nose is the same as mine, she keeps telling me I look like her in her younger days and she forgot how good looking she was!! I said you still gorgeous now!

Xxxxxx

Today is ten days since the op. nose is less swollen and I am really excited now about my new nose! I want to thank everyone for all your support and bothering to post/message & e mail, it it wasn't for you lot I would of felt so much worse that first day of cast removal! Thank you all!!

xxx

Ok today is day 10 I miscalculated! Yesterday day 9 I was ok but over did it and ended up going to bed at 8.30pm as felt horrible but woke up today feeling great! So took my children for a ride on their ponies! I have a photo to prove it! None of my friends at the farm noticed my nose, I was happy about that but so surprised! How can they not notice the huge hump that is no longer there!!! Lol! My sister and my dad saw it today for the first time, my dad is very honest and usually very critical but I was so surprised at his reaction, he was impressed, kind about how the swelling will go down And said it was a really lovely nose! I still have my greatest fan my Mother telling me it looks amazing! My sister said it was a lovely "snub" nose! Snub was not quite what I was going for lol!

A slight bump has developed on the bridge fr the swelling now going down but I quite like that it makes it look more natural.

Anyway I am starting to fall in love with my nose!!!!!

Some questions :-

1. Scar tissue inside nose does that dissapearing or will I always have a lump there?

2. When can you start wearing sun glasses? I have but it feels like too much pressure on bridge so haven't dared!

Rachael xx

Ps have added an update pick of me without any makeup of my new nose day 10!

Hi all! I am so happy with new nose, I can't believe what a good job my surgeon did on giving me a natural nose! Most friends haven't noticed, one friend at farm who is a bit rude & blunt but means well stormed up to me and said "have you had a nose job!?" Bit of a shocker to be so blunt but then again no surprise from her! She did manage to force herself to compliment me lol! Told another friend at yard who thought I had been suffering with exhaustion and had to have time off lol, she couldn't see what was different when I asked her, I even circled my face with my hand and said "honk honk" and she still didn't get it! She nearly collapsed when I told her. Said she couldn't believe there were no bruises or scars! Saw my auntie & uncle last night they couldn't tell! So funny!

One thing I am concerned about is the jump coming back! I have a bit of a bump over bridge that is becoming more noticeable as the swelling goes down, I can feel it more than see, at the mo I like the bump as I think it looks more natural but I wouldn't eat it to get too much bigger. It also tingles across bridge sometimes, I am worried it is over calcification and I will end up with a huge jump again :(

Have put an updated pic taken at farm if your wondering what is in back ground!

Xxx

Hi guys! Well its now just over two weeks since my surgery and I feel like I have always had this nose. Amazing how quickly you get used to things! I no longer feel that serge of embarrassment when people look at me side on and though I always have considered myself to be confident this huge change (to me anyway!) has increased my confidence and happiness!

I starting back horse riding 11 days after surgery, you will think I am mad but believe me I more likely to come of my horse if he isn't rode regularly and he has been a dream to ride - horses seance these things and I am sure when he nodded at me he was nodding with approval! Neigh that's a fine nose you have there! I was so nervous the first time I rode him but second and third time this morning I feel back to my normal self. I am minimising the danger of course by not putting myself in situations that could cause probs. The most dangerous thing is taking the ponies rugs off, the Shetland is so tiny I on my knees! Anyway I being so careful as I would be devastated to ruin my new nose!

My nose feels normal only time I feel it swelling is out in the cold ESP when windy. It feels like it is swelling up inside but then goes down again when back in car or house!

I had a bit of an annoying situation the other day. Someone I know at stables is friends with my mums neighbour who I also know as her daughter is friends with my daughter through school. I wanted to keep nose job to myself as much as I could but these two women have been gossiping. Because I told the stables friend I was going away and the other one I was ill and because they like a good gossip they obviously talked about me and couldn't work out what was happening or where I was. The neighbours husband who I can't stand because he is the worlds bogged gossip & story teller was also digging to find out and when he did from aparantly asking my dad (which I think is a load of rubbish as my dad is Far too classy to tell unless this idiot tricked him) he then went and telephone stables friend to tell her! I had already had to admit to stables friend as she was spreading a rumour that I was suffering with exhaustion and I didn't want it all to get out of hand & I said at time to her the last person I would want to know would be him which is why she told me he knew and how! I am so annoyed not so much that they know but the gossiping behind my back. Even if they guessed something was not right surely they would also guess I wanted to keep it a secret or if they really had to know to call me rather than gossiping to each other. I now it is rediculous but I have struggled to get to sleep last two nights as I am so annoyed. They obviously have such boring lives that they need something to make it more interesting. They both also said that there was nothing wrong with the nose I had, good job i only care what i think!

The neighbours husband has had loads of business failings, was stuck in china for 4 months last year as his visa was withheld as he owed a debt of £140k and although I knew because she had confided in my
Mum I respected their privacy and saved her the embarrassment of trying to get her to tell me! They are such Looser's I wish they would butt out of my life. She also said she thought I was her friend, I think she was upset I hadn't told her????. Well she is a friend as in my daughters friends mother etc but not a FRIEND friend! Why would I consult in her. Not that I am interested but she has never confided in me once when her husband is in the you know what and I respect her choice. I am always there to listen and support and help if I can but only if that person wants me too! I could go on forever.....I am over it now lol!!

Anyway I am the one with the nice nose so all is good! :)

Seeing Moke Tyler in a weeks time, I am dying to show him my nose!!

Xxx

I just wanted to update for those who have horses to say that I was back riding 11 days after op. I felt
Really nervous as was worried about y new nose but my horse was a good boy and I har rode nearly every day since. I can feel the nose swelling a bit not just from riding but when its cold or windy but it quickly goes back down! It also drips a but which I can't feel as its still numb! I suppose when I am riding I using muscles more than heart so how I would feel if I went for a run I am not sure, prob half dead but I would feel like that before the nose job lol! The most dangerous part isn't the riding but the handling of my horse and worse, two ponies as they are so small I have to be in my knees to put rugs on! Fortunately they are well behaved too and I have quick reactions! I know how to keep my face out the way and minimise danger to te new nose!

Will update with 3wk pics thurs! Xx

Well it is now three weeks since the day I had my rhynoplasty! Wow how time flys! I am thrilled with what my surgeon has achieved and I really can't wait to see him in a weeks time & last time he saw me was with a cast on! My nose is feeling better and better every day, still numb around the tip & septum but not quite so hard. I found an ap so I can compare photos side my side and wow I didn't realise how huge and witch like my nose actually was! I am sure it didn't look that big at the time! Anyway have posted two side by side pics of before and then today at the three week mark-you will see what I mean when I say huge lol! The side profile is unbelievable! While I am updating I just wanted to say thanks to you all for supporting me, I feel like is nose job girls are a family and I feel privileged to be friends if only in cyber space with you all!!! Xxx

Hi everyone well I just wanted to update just to say I am still really happy with my nose, it is looking better everyday though I am feeling different things as the swelling goes down, right at the top of my bridge there is more of a lump on the left side than the right, I think I had that before. You cant see it, only feel it and it could be swelling as the little bump on the bridge goes up and down depending on how much I have been doing. My son hit me on my nose Sat after having a major mealtdown because I washed his hair! Ouch!!! It hurt so bad!! If only he know how much it had cost!! Anyway he got over it and next time I wash his hair I am going to wear a helmet with a visor!! My nose did swell up after but it went down after a day.

Also I have always found that in photos my nose looks a little bent, I think there is swelling more on one side that the other and the flash picks this out. In person I don't think you can tell. I am seeing my ps this Thurs so all my concerns I will tell him but to be honest if it stayed as it is I will still be over the moon - as you can see for before and after pics - it is a great improvement from the old witch nose!! You know I never thought my nose was that big untill I saw the before and after pics!!

Sunday I spent the whole day outside in the wind watching point to point horse racing, that is one thing I am so glad I dont too!! Scary jumping at a gallop on a fired up thoroughbred!! Wow when I got back in the car my nose was throbbing! So it seems for me what makes it swell up is the cold and when it is windy - hmm cold and windy, only one thing missing for it to be true UK weather and that is rain!! LOL!

Anyway will update Thurs/Fri after I have seen my ps for check up appointment!!!

Love to all my friends on here!!

XXX

XXXXX

Well four weeks have passed very quickly and life is going on as normal but with a cute, new nose which I love!!! I saw my plastic surgeon last Thurs bang on four weeks and all was good! He was as pleased as I was with the result as he hadn't seen it since the op! I mentioned about the scar tissue inside my nose on left side, it wasn't quite dry and didn't heal quite so quickly unlike the other side which is now perfect and he said it should settle down. To be honest if it stayed as it is I am still delighted with the result! He mentioned that revisions are free and showed me some examples to which to be honest i couldnt see what the problem was and i said i can see how easy it is to become obsessed, to which he said "oh yes if you start looking at your nose five times a day etc.." to which i nodded and said in a I'm not obsessed way " oh yes" thinking OMG i look at mine about 500 times a day I am soooo obsessed! I have to go back in three months time for the final check up. So as you all know I have a horse that I ride regularly well today I did my first comp since the op! Dressage and I really enjoyed being out and didn't feel half as nervous as I usually do, I think my new nose has made me more confident subconsciously in many ways!! It is great, you don't just get a new nose you get a whole new happiness and confidence! Anyway will post pics of nose at four weeks but for now here is one of Serge and myself today! Also the best thing when looking at the pics of me riding today was that my nose looked so small!! Yippee! Xx

Ok it's been five weeks now since I had my op! Not really much to say other than I adore my new nose! It has made me so happy and confident I feel I can take on the world! To all you guys and gals out there debating just do it! As long as you research and find the right surgeon, make sure you see photos of his/her work of noses like yours and try find reviews of the surgeon on forums like this one then you will be ok!

Only one little thing is my nose can run sometimes like when I am out in cold/wind and because it is still numb I can't feel it so I am constantly wiping my nose for fear of it running! Anyone else have this and does it stop!? Also does feeling eventually come back to tip of nose with open rhynoplasty? Scar healing well and I can blow gently through my nose!

Love to you all my nose family! :)

Xxxx

Hi from a very windy UK! Not much to update on really, the nose looks the same and I still love it! I am getting more feeling back and it is becoming slightly softer, still hurst if I bang it front on like when I give my kids a kiss inhale to be careful! I can blow my nose gently now but as nostrils are small I have to report that I doubt I will ever be able to pick my nose again!!! Which is a good thing! Lol! I am so happy and I still look at my nose everyday and think how lucky I am to have been able to have the operation! Went on a hen party last weekend with lots of my school friends who I have know since I was eight ad not one noticed!!! I am not a drinker but I did drink quite a bit and nose was fine, my head the next day was not! First time I had drink in two months! Apart from the g&t my mum gives me on a thurs when I pick kids up after work! Oh that reminds me its g&t night tonight! Yippee!

Xxx