Really Excited and Nervous! The Date is Set! - Washington DC, DC

I have been so self conscious about my nose for more than 10 years now. There is a small hump and its too wide and bulbous in the front. I know that I have read so many reviews on here and they really helped me. So, I paid the down payment and its I will be getting the surgery in roughly 3 weeks!

So, I have a fear of throwing up and that is what I am most nervous about- feeling nauseous after the surgery. I also am worried about the front looking ok. I know that is the hardest part for the doctor to work on so Im hoping and praying it turns out looking good.

Very nervous and excited all at the same time!!!

So, as I had posted before... I hated my nose and was SO excited to get this done because I had been so self conscious about it for so long. I have to keep my splint, casts, tape, everything on for 7 days so I can't really get a good look yet but from what I see i get very upset. I feel really depressed and anxious and I'm very worried it won't turn out right. I cry about it everyday at least once (and I'm not one to usually cry either... ). I just wish i would have maybe waited or been convinced not to do it. I really hope and pray that it turns out to be alright.

The operation itself went smoothly. I don't really recall anything. I threw up a few times the first day I came home. And, the next 4 days were mostly sleep, cry, have soup, and go back to bed. My eyes were so swollen the first day that i couldn't even open them. Then they just got really red and thats about it. Pain is not terrible but comes and goes.

So, I met with my doctor today and he said everything looks wonderful and that everything was still very swollen of course. It was painful while he was squeezing, removing, and cleaning the inside too. Finally when he was just looking at my bare nose from the outside he said I could look in the mirror if i wanted to. I decided not to. But, after he left the office for a few minutes to grab something my mom insisted it was so beautiful already and that i had nothing to worry about and i would be so happy to see it.... until she grabbed a hand held mirror and put it in front of me.. convinced i would be blown away with joy once i looked into it... In fact i saw a quick glance and broke down crying hysterically in the doctors office. I know it seems as though I'm being OVER emotional about all of this but i get stressed and anxious easily. And, the day after my surgery we found out my boyfriends cousin had died of alcohol :( and so it has been a VERY emotional week. Not as heavy, but also i was told i should be able to go back to work after 1 week.... and thats not happening obviously.

Well, anyways, so I saw my nose and it was 2x the size of the original nose prior to any surgery... he then taped it back up and said i can finally take a shower (AFTER 7 DAYS!!!! You don't realize how much the little things mean to you until they are taken away from you... ). And, i return on Thursday to get the inner splints out and have it cleaned all up.

The bruising has gone down significantly. Now, it just looks like i have dark purple eye liner across my eyes. And, my face is breaking out EVERYWHERE. Its awful and very stressful.

Well, I realize I didn't fully explain why my stress and anxiety had been so high. Of course, the surgery has got be doubting everything and really feeling down in the dump. But also, the day after surgery there was a family death which had me crying all day and added a lot of stress and pressure to everything. My doctor also told me that I would need 1 good week off work but I realize that I am going to need a lot more then 1 week. I work 2 jobs and both of them were counting on me to be back with 1 of them being a very serious job that isn't too understanding about needing more than 1 week. Lastly, I have had my inner splints inside my nose for more than a week now. And, they are staying for 9 days... At first they were fine... until 2 days ago when the doctor cleaned out my nose and i could somewhat breath through them... I woke up in the middle of the night feeling so sick because i had this strong smell in my nose. After freaking out, i realize the smell was coming from way inside my nose from those splints and it smelled of rubbing alcohol and vomit ( sorry its descriptive) and theres no way to get away from it!!! I couldn't smell anything else from the "outside world" only the splint smell was going through.

But, I recall one of the doctors i had met with before deciding on mine had mentioned arnica to me to help with swelling but i have not been instructed to take anything? Has anyone tried it and has it helped???

thanks.

So, I went to the Dr. today to get everything inside taken out (except for all the dissolvable stitches of course) and taking out the splints which had been in there for 9 days with all that blood dried around them and stitches stuck to them was SO PAINFUL! I knew it was going to be bad.. but not THAT BAD. It was so bad it really knocks the wind out of you for a couple seconds and a pain shoots all in your face. Luckily its quick pain and doesn't last long. Very similar to getting a wax.

As for the nose, I like that the hump is gone from the side view.. but the front is still very scary... I know i need to be patient and that its way bigger than its normal size. Also, my cheeks are still very swollen (I can't even fully smile.. thats how swollen they are) and my eyes and forehead too. It makes my eyes look very far apart too because the bridge of the nose is so wide and swollen. Now its time to wait for improvements.

So, I still have things I don't exactly love about it but its only been about 3 weeks so I know there is still a lot of healing that needs to be done. I feel as though it is slightly uneven at the moment (I know that bruising and swelling doesn't go away symmetrically so hopefully time will heal that), the side profile is a bit too curvy (like a ski slope) but hopefully once the swelling goes down more it will straighten out. And, I can't breathe as well out of my right nostril as I can in my left. Its not perfect but its getting better with each day that passes.