In LOVE with My Natural New Nose - Chicago, IL

I remember how hard it was to find reliable information on Dr. Shah during my preliminary research, so I hope this review can help others during such a critical and uncertain time. Where do I begin? I guess I could start with why I decided to change my nose. Somewhat wide and long with a little hump, it was never my favorite part about me. So when I got the opportunity to change it in time for my upcoming wedding, I took it! I met with two other plastic surgeons before deciding on Dr. Shah -- one in Chicago and another big shot doc in LA. Dr. Shah was the only one who took the time to really listen to my concerns, patiently answer endless my questions and discuss the procedure in such depth to ensure I was completely comfortable moving forward.

Over the course of THREE consultations, he scrutinized my nose meticulously and worked with me to generate multiple digital morphs. The time he took with me showed not only his attention to detail, but his commitment to his patients and achieving the best possible outcomes. After the third consultation, I was convinced this was the doctor for me and booked my surgery for open rhinoplasty on February 7th.

SURGERY - I underwent open rhinoplasty on February 7th. The surgery was originally expected to take no longer than 2 hours, but because my nose proved more deviated than anticipated, it went to 3 hours. POST-OP It's been 11 days since my surgery and 4 days since the split came off.

Here's a bit about my post-op experience thus far, starting with recovery. RECOVERY (DAYS 1-7) Like other patients, I'd say I felt more "uncomfortable" than in pain. Just like I had a really bad cold and a migraine. Day One was ok; I threw up while leaving the surgery center but fared well at home. Then, Day Two and Three came. Those were the worst. I just sat in my recliner falling in and out of consciousness while the swelling got worse and worse. I was breathing out of my parched mouth, sitting in darkness, not able to talk, go on the Internet or watch TV, just waiting for my boyfriend to bring me up an ice pack every 20 minutes. Because of the mouth breathing, I had a very tough time sleeping and would wake up every 40 minutes either needing to pee or feeling like my tongue was going to crack in half. I was miserable.

But from Day Four on, things got easier and easier. I got more self-sufficient, could start eating more normal foods and even started sleeping uninterrupted. RECOVERY TIPS: - Live in a recliner for the next week. This keeps your head above your heart, thus reducing any swelling. - Have a glass of water WITH A BENDY STRAW next to you at all times. Mouth breathing makes your throat extremely dry. - Have a helper with you for the first three days, as you most likely will not feel like moving. My boyfriend brought me all my food, walked me to and from the bathroom, and made sure I got my ice packs and medications on time. He's the best. - Try to take it easy and not to freak out about what your nose/incisions look like. It's so premature, it's not worth the worry. - Use frozen peas in a surgical glove as a cold pack - Have ChapStick or Aquaphor on you at all times - Be prepared to sleep in a recliner for a week. It sucks. -

Sustenance: tons of mashed potatoes, apple sauce, Jello, pasta without sauce, SHAMROCK SHAKES, and ... sliced turkey. Hey, you gotta get your protein somehow. - Girls, buy DRY SHAMPOO, because you're not going to be able to get your hair wet until the splint comes off 5-7 days later. - Use a Clarisonic to help wash your face around the splint SPLINT REMOVAL (DAY 7) Because I had an open rhinoplasty, the doctor needed to remove both the splint and the stitches on my septum. This wasn't exactly painless, but it was over in about 4 minutes. I still have a few dissolvable stitches inside my nose but should soon go away.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS When my new nose was unveiled, my initial reaction was a pretty standard one: "Holy crap, IT'S SO SWOLLEN!" I actually found it more funny than alarming; from the front, I looked like Cindy Lou Who! However, I knew this was a very early, undeveloped impression of what would later be a very different, more refined and defined nose. My profile view is gorgeous, however -- feminine, refined. The hump, though reduced, is still somewhat visible. I asked the doctor about this. He said the bump is only skin deep. The skin is so used to being draped over a hump, it takes some time for it to conform to the new straight bone. So once the swelling subsides, the "bump" will as well.

DAY 11 I'm currently on Day 11, and my nose has already started to de-swell. I can't say I'm 100% happy with the results just yet, but I can appreciate the overall shape, which is SO improved. My profile is amazing, and I can already see that once the skin begins to "shrink wrap" to the new underlying structure, my beautiful new nose will emerge. I will continue to keep you posted as my results mature! All in all, I have no regrets. When RealSelf asks me "Was is worth it?", I base my response not only on the cost of the surgery but the physically and emotionally rough recovery period thereafter. And despite it all, my answer is yes! To be able to live the rest of my life not worrying about how my nose looks in pictures, or trying to put my makeup on in just the right way to make it look smaller, or feeling self-conscious of my profile every time someone looks at me from the side, it is definitely worth it.

It's officially been 2 weeks since my surgery, which seems like a good time to update my review.

So far, everything is progressing (albeit slowly). The tip of my nose is incredibly swollen, as expected, but apparently I'm the only one who really notices; I returned to work today with a ton of excuses at the ready: "I'm just well-rested." "I have a cold." "I cut my hair." "My hair grew." But I never had to use them! No one said a word. No one gave a suspicious glance. I felt like I was on The Truman Show.

I still have verrrry slight, stubborn bruising on my upper eyelids, but it should be gone by the end of the week. In the meantime, I can easily cover it up with concealer.

Happy anniversary to me and my nose! I can't believe it's been one month already. When I went in for my two week follow-up, the doctor told me I was still extremely swollen -- much more swollen than he'd expected. He said at two weeks, I was where he expected I'd have been at one week. Slow healer, I guess.

I just went in for my ONE MONTH follow-up tonight, and since my tip swelling still hadn't progressed very much, Dr. Shah gave my nose a kenalog injection (a steroid) to encourage the swelling to come down a bit. It suppresses growth factors (or some medical jargon like that) and slows collagen production. He said according to his past patients, it could take anywhere from 2 hours to 2 weeks to take effect. So I'm hoping for something less bulbous soon :) It didn't hurt too badly; just a pinch, similar to the feeling of getting your stitches out.

Nonetheless, I'm still very happy with my results. The frontal view still needs some time to deswell, but the profile views are SO CUTE. I'll post some updated pictures soon!