After looking for more than 6 years i decided to go to Cali,Colombia for my surgery.. I have to admit, it wasn't easy being away from my family for nearly 3 weeks and having to do this all alone in a place ive never been before is very hard but as longest as you are a 100% sure that this is what you want go for it!!!
So I'm 35 and never been a fan of my nose. Always kinda felt it was pig-like...the bridge was so wide and I inherited my mother's bulbous tip. When I complained about it, people would always tell me it fit my face, I guess cuz I've always been chubby. Well, in the last year I've lost quite a bit of weight and am ready for a cute, more refined nose. Whenever I take selfies or pose for pics (which I hate), it's always with my nose tilted to the side. My profile is fine...it's just the full frontal, especially when smiling which I found so unflattering. So fast forward a bit, I decided to get the surgery done in Colombia for a few reasons: 1# I've always wanted to visit here as I love how friendly Colombian people are, 2# they are known to be top-notch in cosmetic surgery and 3# well the price! duh! I paid a small percentage of the cost of Rhinoplasty in the US and it included the insurance, all the fees and removal of a gross mass from my cheek (Juvederm gone wrong, done in Dubai...more on that later). I decided to go with Julio Cesar Escobar F. after chatting with a Colombian girl online who had had Rhinoplasty with him a few years before. She loved her results and so did I, plus he's a member of all the important plastic surgery societies in Colombia and has a ton of experience...so I booked my flight and headed to Colombia. I met the Dr. 2 days after I arrived for my consultation. He was very nice, but we struggled a bit with language. (Between my poor Spanish, his little English and the help of his secretary, we were able to communicate) Unfortunately, I had had some Juvederm put in by a Syrian Dr. in Dubai and have had multiple nodules and swelling from it in my left cheek and nasal fold. The first 2 the Dubai doc injected me with hydroloraniase (sp?) to dissolve the nodule and then the 3rd (which formed after he re-did the filler) went away on its own. Well a week before I came to Colombia, and months after the last Juvederm injection, I got a huge nodule right next to my nose :( It was very swollen and painful. Unfortunately, the Dr. said he needed to cut it out during my Rhinoplasty and wanted to send it to the lab for a biopsy. I cried a bit as I was scared of the possible scarring or indentation that might be left afterwards, but he assured my my face would be symetrical again after he removed it. As for my nose, he was excited to work on it and said he felt he could do a very good job. This obviously made me feel better. It didn't come prepared with any wish pics or go into too much detail about what I did and did not want...I simply told him I wanted a thinner bridge and a more refined tip. He seemed to understand completely. So...surgery was scheduled for the next day at 1 pm!!! Ahhh! I was definitely nervous, especially being that I came alone. Luckily my online buddy came to pick me up from the hosptial and took me home after surgery. I was super surprised at how 'ok' I felt that evening...no pain! In fact, the doctor didn't even prescribe pain meds...just something for inflamation, an antibiotic, nose spray and mouth wash. That night I felt great and couldn't sleep until 5 am! The next day was when the swelling came. Updated on 11 Aug 2016: Will write more about my experience thus far in a bit. Updated on 11 Aug 2016: Here's pics from post op days 4 & 5. Updated on 11 Aug 2016: I'm currently 5 days post op and feeling pretty darn good. My nose is fine and really hasn't posed much of a problem. Doc gave me nasal spray for congestion, which I use twice a day, some anti-inflammatory pills and antibiotics. That's it. I only had a little bruising around my eyes and literally no pain. I haven't taken a single pill for pain or even felt like I needed one. The swelling on the other hand is a different story. Frozen peas are my friend...and days 1-3 if I went without them for too long, I could definitely feel and see it. But the majority of the swelling I've been dealing with is from the area where the mass was removed. I have this weird pocket now which feels like it's filled with liquid above my lip. Unfortunately, this nodule was a secondary, last minute procedure as it had only formed a week before my surgery, but has caused the most distress. While the doc was removing the mass, a few nerves got damaged and now I don't have any feeling in my left upper lip. It feels like when you get a big shot of novocain at the dentist...fat lip and all. I've chewed on it a few times while eating which is frustrating and I look pretty ridiculous when I pucker up for a kiss. On the positive, the doc is on his game and I feel really well taken care of. I've had 2 appointments with him post op already and he really takes his time talking with me and making sure I'm ok. Also, in the clinic where the Dr.'s offices and the surgery rooms are, there are also massage rooms and a place for oxygen therapy. To help reduce the inflammation and regenerate the nerves in my cheek, the Dr. has ordered that I get a facial massage everyday for lymphatic drainage and stimulation and oxygen therapy. Honestly, the massage has worked wonders for the inflammation! I had my first one the morning of Day 3 PO and you can see how much the swelling went down in the pics. Patricia is a miracle worker! Today was my first day with the oxygen therapy. It was an interesting experience. You get into this tube for an hour while oxygen is pumped in. The therapist told me to take a nap, but I couldn't because your ears keep popping like when you take off in a plane. So I won't put up my stars and final rating until the cast is off and I see the final results, but so far, my experience has really been wonderful. In addition, the clinic has a hotel on the 3rd floor where you can recover for the first few days and all your meals and nurses are included, and on the 4th floor they have a spa and saloon so you can stay cute while you recover. Since I was so last minute with everything, the hotel rooms were booked for my surgery day so I didn't get to take advantage of them, but if I ever come back for another nip and tuck, I definitely will. I have gotten my hair washed and dried for 12$ at the salon cuz you can't get your nose wet. Another reason why I feel really taken care of by my doc is because he is really conservative and cautious with the healing process. I've done a lot of research and back home in the states most doctors let you fly after 6-7 days and will remove the splint after a week. Not Dr. Escobar! He wants me here for a full 2 weeks after Rhinoplasty and longer if you get body work done. (Although, at 9 days post op he's allowing me a short trip to Cartagena, but I must come back for my last appointment before going home.) Another, more dissapointing thing is that he keeps the splint on for 2 full weeks. So mine won't be removed until the day before I head home. (so no cute selfies from my trip to colombia :( Actually, I'm ok with this though. Of course, I can't wait to see my new nose, but heal I must. Ok, that's all for now. But honestly, the amount of care I've gotten for the price (1,300$) is really amazing. I feel so blessed and glad I chose to come here....granted I say this before seeing what's going on under this splint! lol Updated on 13 Aug 2016: I'm so excited! Initially Dr Escobar said I had to keep the splint on until the day before I leave...2 full weeks. But when I saw him today (3rd post op visit) he said I was healing well and will take it off on Tuesday morning. Yay!!! This is great news cuz I'm planning a short trip to cartagena and want to be able to have a few pics of myself while I'm there. I don't have any pics of me during my trip to Colombia so far. As for my cheek, it's getting better, but at this point I'm just annoyed. I'm annoyed with not feeling anything yet feeling like I have a fat lip, but don't. I'm annoyed that there's still a bump in my cheek. And the last day or 2 the splint and my nose have been annoying me. I guess now that the swelling is down, the splint feels more cumbersome. I'm just ready to have a normal face again! I guess all I can do is have patience and pray that my lip and cheek get back to normal. Will update with pics on Tuesday when the splint comes off. (I look the same now, but all the bruising and swelling is gone) Updated on 16 Aug 2016: Hey realselfers, Today is a good day! I got my splint taken off this morning and got a quick glimpse of my nose before doc taped it back up. He warned me that it washould very swollen and would take a few months to get to its final shape. Well, regardless of the swelling, I liked what I saw. Very natural looking, yet more refined. I'm a happy camper! As for my lip, I've noticed some tingling and a little more movement , which is a good sign. Now I'm off to cartagena. Ciao bellas! Updated on 19 Aug 2016: I had my last appointment with my doc today to have the tape removed. I'm happy to say that sensation and movement seems to be returning to my lip, and all the cheek swelling has gone down. So I think my nose is a definite improvement....I like it. I do, however, hope the tip will get a little smaller in time. So on to the pics.... Updated on 19 Aug 2016: Updated on 19 Feb 2017: Hi all. Figured I should update you with new pics now that my nose has taken its final shape....I think. I definitely like it a lot more than before, and I think overall it makes my face prettier...but sometimes I wish the bulb was still a little less bulbous and more refined. However, the doctor did a good job at a great price. As for my lip, well unfortunately I've lost a bit of movement and sensation where a nerve was cut. It's come back a little, but not all the way (you can notice it a little when im talking if you're super observant). They say nerves can take up to a year to heal, so my fingers are crossed that over time it will come back. As for my doctor, I highly recommend him. He took very good care of me and I'm pretty satisfied with my results. (BTW, I am 12-15 lbs lighter now...but the nose does make me look slimmer) Updated on 19 Feb 2017: Updated on 18 May 2017: Here's recent pic of how my nose turned out. I'm generally happy as I feel like it enhanced my face overall. Kinda wish the tip were a little smaller, but I'm not sure it's worth another surgery. Updated on 7 Aug 2017: Hi All, It's been awhile since I updated this so figured it was time. I came back to Cali, Colombia for some body procedures and decided to have the same Dr. (Julio Escobar) revise the tip of my nose and add a little fat to my lips. Right now I am 10 days post op and still have the tape on my nose. The reason I wanted it revised is because I still thought my tip was pretty bulbous and wanted it a bit more refined...but nothing extreme. When he changed the tape last week it looked pretty good. Not too different, just a little smaller I guess...but good. With my experience from this past year, it definitely takes a few months for your nose to take its final shape as you will have a little swelling in the tip. I was extremely happy with the fat injected into my lips, however, it seems to have dissapated the last few days. I really hope they don't go down anymore or it will be a total waste of money. (I had fat put in my cheeks last December and it looked so good...for like 3 months, and then it was gone. I figured a better surgeon would have a better result.) I'm scared of fillers as I think they can look pretty crazy in lips, so liked the idea of fat being used. Fingers crossed it stays awhile! Will update when I get the tape off. Updated on 7 Aug 2017: Oh, forgot to add the price. The Dr said he would only charge me for the operating room and anesthesiologist, so it was 700 for the tip revision and 800 for the lips. Total for these 2 procedures was just over 1,500$ usd.
