Finally Have the Nose I've Always Wanted! - West Orange, NJ

I have wanted a nose different from the one I was born with for as long as I remember. From the time I was 13 until I turned 31, I routinely researched the procedure and the doctors, etc. I just never actually thought that I would go through with the surgery because I was terrified of going under the knife. I always considered myself an attractive girl and I never had anyone tell me otherwise but I was self-conscious of my nose and it was always on my mind. Whenever someone would be in the position to see my profile (i.e. in the car, etc) I would always wonder what they are thinking about my nose.
Finally, I was about to turn 32, I did not have anything or anyone in my life telling me that I shouldn't do this and I had just completed my last bout of research and came again upon the same doctor - Dr. Joseph in West Orange, NJ. Since this was probably the 6th time that I stumbled onto the same doctor, I decided that for my 32nd birthday, I would get myself the gift that I had always wanted.
I was really nervous when I went for my consultation, but Dr. Joseph was able to put me at ease immediately as he voiced my concerns exactly. His warm demeanor and humor really has a way of relaxing you. He was very thorough in explaining what would happen and somehow my fears were diminished and I scheduled my surgery date then and there - a day after my 32nd birthday. There was about a month between the consultation and the surgery. I saw Dr. Joseph a few more times before the surgery and each time he and his staff were very welcoming and warm. I did not feel like just another patient or just a number. After the first consultation, I had a concern that I wanted to discuss with Dr. Joseph and I called the office (on a weekend) and he called me back immediately.
Fast forward to the day of surgery. A part of me still thought that I would not go through with it since I was frankly, terrified. I had my surgery at the North Fullerton Surgery Center and I have to say that the nurses there were absolutely wonderful. Before the surgery, Dr. Joseph came in and explained everything step by step again and even prayed with me for a perfect procedure. I am by no means a religious person, but at that point, I was game for just about anything. The anesthesiologist came in after Dr. Joseph and talked to me about any concerns that I might have (I had a fear of either waking up during the procedure or not waking up at all) - she explained that she will be monitoring everything closely and I was taken into the surgery room. Dr. Joseph was there every step of the way and held my hand while the anesthesiologist prepared me to go under. Next thing I knew, I woke up with frozen peas on my eyes and there were two nurses taking care of me to make sure that I had something to drink (that I wasn't freaking out completely, etc). Afterwards, I found out that Dr. Joseph actually showed me a picture of my nose before he put the cast on but since it was right after surgery, I had zero recollection of actually talking to him. I was told that I was happy with it and that's all I cared about. I wasn't in recovery for long and my mom came and took me to her house to recuperate.
Surprisingly enough, I wasn't in any real pain at all. I was bleeding but I knew that it was normal from what I was told by Dr. Joseph and the nurses at the surgical center.
Dr. Joseph called me that afternoon and even sent me before and afters of my nose! I was thrilled. I didn't even care that my face looked like I was in a boxing match. The recovery process sucked a little bit since breathing through your mouth 24/7 gets tiring fast but I was not in any pain at all.
I stayed home for the whole week and just recovered. My bruising and swelling went down very quickly and I think it was due to the Arnica that Dr. Joseph provided before the surgery. During the recovery, I had a few concerns regarding bleeding and I texted Dr. Joseph. He called me back in less than an hour and calmed me down. After I got the cast removed, I went back to work immediately. My nose was healing but I felt as though one side was healing faster than the other and my nose looked weird to me. Also, I was concerned about hard scar tissue that was forming on the inside of my nostril. I took pictures (yes, of the inside of my nostril) and sent it to Dr. Joseph. He called me back and assured me that even though it is just the healing process and I have to have patience (not one of my strong suits) he insisted that I come in to see him to put my mind at ease. I went in first thing on a Saturday morning and Dr. Joseph examined the hard tissue that was forming on the inside of my nose and said that we will just wait and see what happens with it. He was confident that it would subside, and if not, he would perform an in office procedure to remove it. He was right. I am now almost 4 months post-op (Sept. 1 will be 4 months) and the hard scar tissue is barely there.
People ask me all the time if I would do it again. My answer - IN A SECOND. I'm mad at myself for not doing this sooner! I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Joseph and his staff. Through all my follow up appointments, I have been treated like family, basically. All my concerns have been tended to and I know that if I do need anything, all I have to do is call.