I really never noticed my nose much growing up. I wasn't the kid that got teased nor did anyone really understand WHY I needed it. But for my sake, I noticed I was hiding my nose in photos with my girls and hated the profile in almost every photo. I finally decided to do something about. Booked the rhinoplasty (and Surgisil implants) together. The night before I cancelled the lip implants and I couldn't be any more glad I did.
Updated on 29 Aug 2015:
Showered and made me feel much better. Sleeping was so much better the 2nd night. Had packing removed yesterday and it was a huge relief. I'm feeling very zoned out from the Norco so I'm taking myself off. My nose is so numb and the wrap around the nostrils really stinks but there isn't pain. Just discomfort.
Updated on 30 Aug 2015:
Way better! I can breathe through my nose, I'm off the Norco (that is wicked awful stuff) and my only challenge is sleeping on an angle. Rolled to my side last night and got stuffy. Need to show you my before surgery nose....
Updated on 30 Aug 2015:
I didn't publish any good pre-surgery photos so here they are.
If you see comparison studies those are what the doctor illustrated for my expectations.
1st photo (left) pre-surgery nose
2nd photo (rt) post-surgery
Updated on 31 Aug 2015:
Back in the Dr's office because my taping around my nostrils are stained with old blood (gross!). I want to be able to go out in public and I only would with clean taping. To be honest, I prayed ALL weekend they'd let me removed the nostril tape keeping just the base splint. I'm assuming since I had alar stitches for the flair, I need that additional tape. The tape itches like mad and I'm loosing it. Plus it cuts off half of my air flow through my nose and collects drainage. Friday 'removal day' can't come soon enough!!!
Updated on 1 Sep 2015:
Day 6 here! After going In yesterday to get myself re-taped, the doctor let me bump up my cast removal date to tomorrow vs Fri (2 days difference! Wahoo)
Sorry no makeup and lounging but here is day 6. Bruising is gone. I bumped my tip of my nose trying to wipe my nose and HOLY SMOKES ouch. I'm nervous about what a real bump feels like and what that would of been without the casting.
Again removal is tomorrow. How bad is this going to hurt? I'm nervous and plan to take Tylenol before. The tip taping is saturated with dried blood, I need 2 areas of stitches taken out on my ala (rest internal are dissolvable), and the bridge cast off. Praying it does suck too bad and it will finally be over.
Can't wait.
Again sorry for awful pic -- no makeup and resting
Updated on 2 Sep 2015:
Feeling like my scalp is still numb and very out of it as well as easily fatigued. My surgery was Aug 27th & today is Sept 2nd. Tomorrow is 1 week. Is this normal? I'm off all pain meds for 4 days now. Can't wait to talk to my doctor because this is scarying me. :(
Updated on 2 Sep 2015:
Ouchie! Please take your narcotic if you have one. I did one Tylenol because of having to pick up my kids. I may have had more sutures due to the alar/nostril work. When she removed the cast off the bridge of my nose I felt like my bones were going to burst. I'm pretty sure that was the swelling that occurred after the compression was off. Then I had lots of stitches around nostrils and that really pinched. I actually had tears in my eyes and got really hot. The nurse brought me ice for the back of my neck and a Sprite.
Now... Drum roll! The results! It looks really cute in person already even though it's very small changes. The after pictures are very mild changes from the front view BUT from the side and when I smile... Wow what a difference! I know my tip will get smaller and smaller over the next 6 mos so I can't wait to see the difference with that.
So happy it's over!
Updated on 3 Sep 2015:
Wow! I feel like my normal self again. Energy is better but still needed a nap today. (I have never been a napper.). I can breathe well but do have itching attacks on my nostrils. Any recommendations for the itching around where the stitches were?
I feel so relieved to walk around and although there are tiny scars, I can be in public with really no big signs I just had a rhinoplasty.
I'm still sleeping upright but I can probably lay normal. Little drips after going from hot to cold and vice versa.
So glad to feel good again after a long week. Pictures to come!
Updated on 4 Sep 2015:
Slept without elevation! Positive, woke up without being stuffy BUT looks more swollen today. Could of been the fries last night (oops!)
It appears I am more swollen that. Cast off day (6 days post op). I'm not sure if this is just because it's the morning, or from the salt or from not sleeping with elevation for the 1st time.
I'm not getting too bent out of shape over it because the smile photo is SO much better and that's what I care about.
On the forum I've seen the swollen/not swollen struggle for everyone so I know it will be that way for the next 6 months.
It seems at night and morning I feel the thump thump of swelling the most. Again, seems like this is the general census.
Updated on 4 Sep 2015:
Spot on! Crazy ACCURATE article.
Must read!
http://thoughtcatalog.com/eden-strong/2014/11/7-secrets-you-need-to-know-about-recovering-from-a-nose-job/
Updated on 6 Sep 2015:
Going through the whole process was pretty emotional. Should I do this, is it worth going under general anesthesia, healing, missing work and time with my kids, am I being foolish, is this dumb to do at 40 when I should of done it when I was younger?
Today I am feeling a little defeated. It seems that as I feel back to normal I'm noticing my nose is flaring quite a bit again in the center (the middle of the nostrils) is dropping again. It is better but I looked better after the bandages came off.
Am I being too quick to judge? That central nostril area feels hard and bowing... I'm praying that will go back up since that was my biggest complaint.
I'm honestly feeling really scared today that it didn't fix my issue.
Is this normal?
Updated on 7 Sep 2015:
Last update for a week or so. It feels good today. No throbbing or swelling sensations today. I keep icing twice a day though just because it can't hurt.
Started to get a little cold last night & it brought back all the surgery memories. Still fearing my first sneeze :) It appears that icing, elevating while avoiding alcohol really does help.
Some flaking on the tip so I use AFFIRM triple antioxidant cream with coconut oil/Vaseline combo on and off.
Until next time... Healing continues. :-0
Updated on 9 Sep 2015:
Feeling pretty good. Energy is back to normal. During the day, surgery is almost a faint memory (until I bump it, of course!)
Numbness on the bridge & tip is decreasing. I'm noticing I get stuffy/runny nose every evening. What the heck!! I'm not certain this is a cold as its only apparent at night. Sure hope I'm not developing sinus/allergy issues since I'vd been blessed WITHOUT that my whole life.
Anyone else noticed this?????
Inside my nose there are areas that feel like boogies (sorry TMI) but it's really part of my nose. That may be the inflammation inside the nostrils.
Hoping that sling with this nightly cold/running/stuffy nose ends soon!
Anyone else had this please LMK!
I'm planning on calling my doctor to see if taping the columella will help anything. It's hard and dropped a bit and it's the main reason I got surgery. Maybe I can take for support.
Continuing the healing process....
Updated on 14 Sep 2015:
Made a lunch stop at the doctors' office. Had 2 stitches that didn't dissolve and they were pretty sharp.
I asked about having a hard columella (part between the nostrils) and how it still drops. I'm hoping it will still retract more. She said it would but also there can be scar tissue and if so I could down the road have/need steroid shot. Ummmm.... NO thank you.
Praying this will improve with time.
I also have an area inside my left nostril that feels like a boogie but it's my actual skin around a suture. I'm hoping that's not scar tissue too. Pray it's still inflammation and it goes down. I'm not into a shot inside my nostril either.
Congestion and dripping is now over. I believe that last week I had a cold. It was scaring me making me think it will be a long term issue I brought on by having a rhinoplasty. (I didn't have at problems before, luckily.)
No one else has really noticed personally nor professionally but I can tell. The biggest difference is the tip hang when I smile. I still think it's a bit big compared to other cute button noses, but it's MUCH better after the surgery.
I'm taping the columella up tonight in hopes that it will help it retract some.
Continuing to heal! ????????
Updated on 15 Sep 2015:
Inside my left nostril along the lateral border, I have developed scar tissue. It has cut off a little breathing flow if I isolate breathing out of that nostril.
Is there anything I can do 2 weeks out? I am really freaked out by even the concept of a steroid injection on my 6 week post-op.
It's not horrible but it does slightly affect my breathing AND it makes the left side contour further out than the other side.
Help please!
Updated on 20 Sep 2015:
Ughhhh! Really self?!!!
3 weeks and 2 days post-op. Getting ready for a wedding and tried to lift my bra up through the top of my dress. My hand slipped and flew up punching my nose HARD. Ouchie!!!!!!
Immediate feeling of swelling, pain and thought I was going to have bleeding and broke something. Has this happened to anyone?
I have a slight ache today but it's minimal. And honestly a few Hours later it was just minimally sore.
I probably set back my swelling improvement by weeks... I can't see anything physically but I can feel it. :(
Updated on 2 Nov 2015:
Here is my most recent picture taken at Halloween (please don't mind the costume.) I often forget I had anything done but am only reminded when I wash gently and also when it's cold out. My nose is COLDER than normal on the TIP! This is where some of the hardening is still present. I can feel my nose softening week by week which I know is healing. The left nostril still has a slight thickness which I can feel a slight breathing issue with. But at my 6 week appt, Dr Will didn't appear concerned and stated we would address at my next appt in January. I feel like my nose is still a bit big for my face BUT it is so much better than before. The alar narrowing is my happiest part. When I smile, there is a lot less spread now. Onto healing!
Updated on 5 Dec 2015:
Back again! Everything is coming along nicely. I can't beeline how long it takes the tip to go back to 'the new normal.' It still is very numb and puffy. I'm curious what any of you have exoerienced?!!! Please share. It may be 6-8 'I this before I can see my true tip shape, eh? My nose gets VERY cold easily in temperatures that are not normally affected. I'm always running my nose up against my husbands and he thinks it's freezing too. Winter should be fun! Scar really is now fading nicely but I'm using a serum suggested by Dr. Will. I still have scarring in the LF nostril but it doesn't really bother me.
Updated on 5 Dec 2015:
3+ months photos
Please let me know if you all have still had a lot of tip swelling at 3 months!
Thank y'all!!
Updated on 12 Jan 2016:
All is well! Numbness is less and less and the profile is coming along nicely. The tip is still numb and 'bulbous' but Dr said that it will go done about 15% more. I do have scar formation inside my inner nostrils, which does narrow my breathing, but she believes that may improve. I have my doubts because it hasn't budged from surgery until now. Little nervous for my first cold and see how my narrowed nasal passages hold up. Love my fair improvement. That's the biggest difference for me.