Rhinoplasty/Septoplasty/Turbinate Reduction - Glendale, CA

It has been one week since my cast removal. I am feeling so much better. Been doing a saline rinse 2x/day and cleaning my nose out with q-tips. The saline dries my nose out a lot so after I rinse I have been putting vaseline in my nostrils with a q-tip which helps. A few things--my smile is slowing coming back and I have more sensation in my upper lip (yay), I can now flare my nostrils, and today was my first day being able to blow my nose (Dr. G said wait a week after the cast removal to blow it). I think today was the first day that I didn't completely look like an avatar. The swelling is its worst in the morning and is lessened throughout the day, with each day being better and better. Still anxious and excited to see what another week will do to the appearance. Been resting a lot, little exercise, and have been taping at night and whenever I'm home. Next weekend, I most likely will be going out and drinking alcohol, however I'm a bit nervous as I have read in some reviews that even after a month having half a beer will cause swelling! Can anyone else share their experience with drinking and the swelling? I am hoping not to turn into an avatar when out and about next week. Thanks!

Got my cast off today and I couldn't feel better! Dr. Grigoryants pulled these plastic splints out of my nose and I immediately felt relief after and the sinus pressure I have been dealing with all week disappeared. I truly feel as if the storm has passed. Cast removal was simple as well and he took the stitches out of the sides of my nostrils where he brought them in. Felt a little pressure but not too painful (did take a pain pill prior to the visit). Anyways, I feel like a whole new person and am so happy to have the splints out of my nose (also false alarm--didn't have a sinus infection). Booked my 6 week follow up appointment as well and talked with the receptionists as well, they are so sweet! Now I just have to rest up, tape my nose at night, Vaseline around my nostrils, and saline rinse here and there to wash everything out. Oh, and as far as looks go I knew not to expect anything crazy today and knew I'd probably look like an avatar//miss piggie, which is what I kind of look like now. But I can see the slope of my nose and also how it is already visibly smaller. I'm really happy about it and have high hopes that when swelling resolves I will be more than happy. Dr. Grigoryants also said that my nasal tip is swollen and will get smaller with time and I will look less "piggish" soon. He also told me it will take up to two months to fully regain my normal smile (it's hard for me to raise my upper lip currently without feeling pain in my nose). Overall though I am such a better mood about this whole thing and am so happy with my results thus far.

After resting for a few hours now my nostrils have opened up and pressure had gone down a bit. However now I can smell and at first the stench was terribly awful. Literally everything smells like dead bodies. The more I breath the more used to it I get but at first it was unbearable. Has to be all the dried blood and stitches in my nose, yuck yuck yuck. Cannot wait to get it cleaned out tomorrow!