Rhinoplasty: Stories

Hey guys!
My name is Megan and I have my Rhinoplasty scheduled with Dr. Robert Ciardullo for Thursday September 6, 2012.


xo

Three weeks away!

With the help of RealSelf & Google I made a list of things to get before my surgery :

? Vitamin C (500 mg) - softgel tablets
? Arnica Montana - softgel tablets
? Arnica Montana - cream/lotion
? Saline Nasal Spray
? Extra Strength Tylanol
? Gauze
? Medical Tape
? Chapstick
? Throat Lozenges
? Qtips
? Straws
? Ice Packs
? Neck Pillow
? Zip-up hoodies / sweatshirts
? Lots of Pineapple juice & soft foods =)

So I had my surgery yesterday morning around 11:00. The surgery its self only took about 1.5 hours, and then I had to be in recovery for another 1.5 hours. Dr. C and his WHOLE staff (the nurses & anesthesiologist, Dr. Spencer, were AMAZING. The worst part had to have been waking up from the anesthesia. All I was concerned about was getting the cream & gunk out of my eyes (I guess they put cream in your eyes during the surgery), and my extremely numb lips. When I got home, I did not leave bed ALL day. I was really out of it. I wasnt in any pain really, and only took 1 painkiller late last night right before bed just to help me sleep thru the night. I meant to text my boyfriend, friends & siblings right after surgery to let everyone know that I was okay, but I was so out of it that I didnt even get around to doing so until that evening. All I wanted to do was sleep.

My biggest concern right now seem to be my nostrils. Before I had a very long nose which = long nostrils. Dr. C was debating whether or not he had to do a "nostril tuck" - which is basically when he make incisions to make your nostrils smaller. He said that he doesnt do it often on patients, and only when it is necessary. during surgery he decided that I DID need the nostril tuck. I pray that my nostrils are just swollen because right now it looks like I dont have any nostrils at all. They look like they are sewed shut. The first time I changed the "dip pad" / "mustache guaze" last night I almost fainted and got veryyy light headed. I hope that its just swelling. My nostrils are smaller than a pea... smaller than a mini chocolate chip. That is my biggest concern right now. Im very nervous about that

Hey guys. So I got my cast off last Thursday (Sept 13) & I must say that I do like my nose. It still looks a little strange to me and each day I am getting more & more used to it. Also each day I am feeling more like myself. Yesterday was the first day since my surgery that I did my hair & put makeup on (for work). I still have black & blues under my eyes, but I was able to cover them with some concealer. Like I said, I do like my nose. Im not sure if I love it yet (or ever will). but I do like it. Its not "perfect" but even with my cast on I came to terms that Its reallyyyy hard to have/get a "perfect" nose. & I am okay with that. No nose IS perfect. Even what appears to be a perfect nose probably does have some flaws. My nostrils are still asymmetrical & the tip seems to be a little uneven. You cant tell so much in person, but more so in pictures and DEFINIELY when I tilt my head back (to expose my nostrils) But even with these flaws, overall I do like it. I hope it doesnt change too much, because I am happy with it. I think that I might just need some time to get used to it

I just wanted to talk about something that most people don't mention in these reviews :
To me, recovering was not PHYSICALLY hard, but instead MENTALLY hard. It didnt hurt. I didnt need / take any pain meds. But mentally it was difficult for me. I didn't feel like myself. & I felt reallyyyyy ugly - [[ dirty hair, no makeup, black&blues, swollen face&cheeks, stitches everywhere, dry blood, couldnt smile ]] - I looked like a hot mess. Each day I started feeling a LITTLE more like myself, and I sit here 10 days later, and Im finally STARTING to get back to normal & back to feeling like ME. Also during that time you start to wonder if you made the right decision about the surgery and all. I definitely started having doubts - Was my nose really that bad before? Did I pick the right doctor? - So for me, mentally is was hard - looking in the mirror and not feeling like myself. Luckily I had a supportive family & boyfriend who kept cheering me on and telling me that it was going to look great & I was going to love it

If anyone has any questions please fell free to message me - I'm happy to answer any questions at all about the surgery and/or Dr. C
xo

Hey Guys,
So im a little more than 1 month post-op and I have mixed feelings about my nose...Sometimes I wonder if I liked my old nose better. This nose is def different. And it def has flaws - It leans to the right (or left in pictures). It looks like the columella is crooked. Also my nostrils are realllyyy uneven, and you can notice it front on. I can't notice it so much in person (maybe its because Im used to looking at it) but in pictures you can tell. One nostril looks alot higher than the other and bigger than the other.
I know theres nothing I can do and this was a risk that I took with the surgery. I just hope with time it evens out... but it seems like as time goes on, and as the swelling goes down, you can notice it more....

Hey guys! So its been a little over 3 months since my surgery and overall I am pleased with my nose - Ive def seen some improvements since the last time I wrote. Overall I am happy! I think that I just needed some time to get used to it. Posted some pictures. If you want to see more pictures / updated ones feel free to inbox me for more!

xoxo

Hey. So Im a little more than 4 months post-op. Slowly seeing improvements each and every week. Uploaded a pic so you guys can see thus far. This will prob be the last post I post - its hard for me to keep up with uploading pics, reviews and what-not. So, like I mentioned before if you have any questions feel free to message me; and if youd like to see more pics inbox me for my Facebook / Instagram so you can see the most recent and updated pics of my nose