I've wanted to get rhinoplasty for many years now. I feel that my tip is too bulbous and my bridge (or lack of) is very short. Being that I'm of mixed race (black & white), I want to find a surgeon who has worked with all types of noses. I still want to look like myself... just an improved version. I finally found a surgeon who I feel has the experience to get the job done! I'm hoping that my final result will look less bulbous, have more of a defined tip, as well as more of a defined bridge. I'll post better pictures soon. Updated on 28 Aug 2014: I had surgery yesterday!! I was sooooo nervous!!! My sister was with me and I was so grateful for that. Something about having her there was very comforting. I first spoke with the anesthesiologist who was very nice. Talking to him actually helped calm me down because believe it or not- he'd gotten rhinoplasty too! He was giving me tips on icing, as well as discussing the recovery process. A while after speaking with him, the surgeon came in to talk to me one last time. I felt great after speaking with him because once again I had confirmation that we were on EXACTLY the same page (aesthetically speaking). He left, and what felt like 10 minutes later, I was being wheeled back to the OR. When I woke up in the recovery area I felt fine! I was surprised since I expected to feel nauseous, loopy, and in pain. Of course, I had a cast on my nose complete with a drip pad. :-) The surgeon came in to speak with me before I left to tell me that the surgery went well and to feel free to call with any issues or concerns. Day 1: My nose felt sore, but not exactly painful. This was by far the worst night due to the difficulty I had breathing. I'm one of those people who hate being sick simply due to the fact that I have to breathe out of my mouth..lol Not to mention that sleeping was nearly impossible because I was sitting up. I found myself in the bathroom every couple of hours changing the drip pads. However, around 4 am the bleeding started to slow down. Throughout the day, I iced my nose with frozen peas. I found that the pressure was somewhat uncomfortable. Idk why, but it didn't feel good putting anything on my nose. Needless to say I fought through and iced it anyway. Day 2: Feeling much better! I was able to remove the gauze from my nose today and that made a world of difference! Taking the first breath through my nostrils was nothing short of amazing. My nose is congested , but I don't mind since I expected this. The tip of my nose looks pretty swollen, but no bruising or noticeable swelling anywhere else. No meds today as I don't have any pain! Day 3: When I woke up this morning I noticed that I had some swelling underneath my left eye. It's not too bad, but it's definitely more than yesterday. I've been icing it throughout the day in hopes that it will subside. I've also been congested with a runny nose. The runny nose has been horrible since I cant blow it. I've just been letting it run out onto some gauze. Disgusting I know! I also started using my saline spray and ointment. I am determined to have no crusting! Updated on 2 Sep 2014: Today I had my cast removed and I was a little anxious beforehand. I've read so many reviews where people absolutely hated the look of their nose when the cast came off. Needless to say, I didn't have very high expectations. Before the doctor took the cast off he was sure to tell me that the bridge would look pinched and the tip would look larger and swollen. After the removal of my stitches (which didn't hurt at all), I was able to look in the mirror. Surprisingly I liked what I saw!! I had a bridge!! I've never had a "true bridge" so it was a little surreal to see one.. on MY face!! As the doc said, the tip looked large and swollen. What's funny is that the tip is the same size as it was before the surgery. I think that's a positive sign since I'm confident that the swelling will go down. I should mention that I have uneven swelling- more on the left side; therefore; my bridge looks a little crooked. I am not worried about it at this point since I am only 1 week out. I also feel that the tip looks high; the doctor assured me that this would improve as the swelling goes down. I look forward to seeing small improvements in my nose each day. I'll keep you updated! Updated on 3 Nov 2014: Sorry that I haven't updated in a while; I didn't realize how much time had passed since my last review. I am now 10 weeks post op and doing great. The tip of my nose is still pretty tender and swollen. This is not at all surprising given that my Dr. told me to expect tip swelling for a minimum of 12 weeks. He was very clear during my consult that the tip takes the longest to go down. I'm thankful for his honesty because it has helped me manage my expectations. I can't wait to see the final result as time goes on. I no longer have congestion, and my internal stitches have dissolved. My tip isn't numb but feels rock hard. It definitely does not have the pre-op "squishy" feeling. I'm sure this will return as time passes. As I mentioned before, it's also tender to the touch. This has been improving each day, and believe it or not, I don't mind it being tender. It keeps this process in perspective- although "I feel fine", there's still a lot of internal healing left to go. I posted a few new pics. I should mention that my nose looks much bigger in the new pics than it does in person. Weird! Has anyone else experienced this?
