Italian Rhinoplasty...Finally! :)

I have been contemplating rhinoplasty for the past 15 years, and I am beyond excited to finally be going through with it! Although I met with several surgeons in San Diego (where I currently live), none could compare to Dr. Grigoryants. He also did an amazing rhinoplasty on my sister last year, so choosing him was an easy decision :) I had my first consultation with Dr. Grigoryants back in October 2017, and I will be going to my pre-op appointment tomorrow. I will give updates on my supply list and preparation over the next few weeks. The reviews on RealSelf have been incredibly helpful, and I am so grateful for all the users who shared their experiences. They definitely motivated me to book my surgery. I can't believe it's finally here!

Hi all! So I had my pre-op Jan 10th and it was very helpful and informative. They even had my prescriptions (antibiotic, painkiller, anti-nausea, lidocaine gel) ready for me when I arrived! You will take pictures, receive your before and after surgery instructions, along with a list of the medications that must be stopped 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after surgery (especially Advil, Ibuprofen, multivitamins, vitamin E, fish oil, garlic, herbal supplements...his staff will provide the whole list). Also, NO alcohol 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after! I got my pre-op bloodwork done last week, and I've mostly just been trying to make sure I have all my supplies ready. I’ve attached some pics with a list of major items below. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have additional suggestions! ????
Items for swelling/comfort:
*Cool Queen ice bags (one for each eye! can be filled with ice or cold water for a softer compress)
*Disposable gloves (fill with cold water for cold compress)
*Quart freezer bags to fill with frozen peas
*Vaseline jelly and lip therapy
*Travel pillow
*Wedge pillow
*Biotene mouth wash for dry mouth
*Coconut cooking oil for dry mouth
*Baby wipes / face wipes
*Arnica gel
*Ocean Spray saline nose spray (after cast removal)
*Air purifier/humidifier
*Q-tips, cotton balls, extra gauze
Food Items:
**Squeezable water bottle (aka “Platypus”): I’m excited to try this! I’ve heard drinking from straws can be difficult because of the stiff upper lip & numbness, we’ll see if this helps...
*Low sodium/high protein meal-replacement shakes
*Low sodium/low sugar baby food cups and pouches
*Low sugar applesauce cups
*Pudding cups
*Arnica & bromelain supplements
*Wheeled cooler (no lifting required! ????)

I’m sorry I haven’t posted! In my opinion, the recovery is absolutely brutal and I really didn’t feel well enough to write until today (I have a low tolerance for pain). But now on Day 8, things are starting to get better.
My surgery was scheduled for Monday February 5th at 6AM at the Avanguard Surgery Center in Tarzana, CA. My mom and I stayed at the Hilton Woodland Hills Sunday February 4th and returned home the morning of Wednesday February 7th. We were able to get a room very close to the ice machine (I booked this 1 month in advance), and were told we would have a fridge. After we settled into the room, about 5 hours later, we discovered it's an “ECO-fridge”, that SHUTS OFF every two hours and you have to keep pressing the “cooling” button to keep your food from spoiling. I was furious that the Hilton did not tell us this is advance, especially since I explained to them over and over (since JANUARY) that I was having surgery. Also, the electricity was shut off for about 3 hours in our hotel (and surrounding area) on Tuesday. So in addition to not having real fridges, this hotel also doesn’t have a backup generator. They did pay for our parking during our stay after I complained.
The morning of surgery, we arrived at Avanguard a little before 6AM. Everything went smoothly. After checking in, I filled out more paperwork and provided a urine sample. The nurses will help you change into your gown and hook up your IV. The hand IV was surprisingly not bad! I repeatedly emphasized to all the nurses the anesthesiologist that I get extremely nauseous extremely easily, and the anesthesiologist was able to give me something in my IV to help with that before the surgery. He was wonderful! If you are prone to any kind of motion sickness, definitely SPEAK UP before the procedure! His staff is very helpful, and I did not throw up once. After they wheel you into the operating room, they help you get centered on the table, give you the gas, and then you’re out! I woke up in the recovery room and could breathe a little through one nostril. My breathing got progressively worse as the swelling kicked in, and I could only breathe through my mouth during the recovery.
The dry mouth and congestion are definitely the worst. Every time I swallowed, my ears and nose would pop and I felt like my head was going to explode. I also have naturally poor vision (I wear contacts everyday), and I was too swollen to even attempt to put contacts in until Day 6. Prepare to be incapacitated. I needed help with everything, including getting to the bathroom, eating & drinking, and preparing fresh ice packs. If possible, try to have at least two people with you during the first 3 recovery days. My mom is a superhero, but it is an exhausting ordeal. Regarding eating and drinking, it was very helpful to use 5ml or 10ml syringes (from your local pharmacist) to draw up water or baby food and just inject it into my mouth slowly so that I would not vomit or choke. I actually didn't swell up as much as I was expecting (historically I am a bruiser and a sweller), but I had committed to a low sodium diet about two months before my surgery and I think that helped.
Overall, hang in there! The recovery is terrible, but just know that you will have an amazing result that makes it all worth it! I got my cast off on Day 6 and I love the results already! I am still very swollen, but I cannot believe the amazing nose Dr. Grigoryants gave me! He is a true artist!