After years of research, indecisiveness, and paying off debt, I finally decided to schedule my rhinoplasty today! I'd been to a few consultations, asked a ton of questions, and decided Dr. Vitenas was the one. I am beyond excited....and a little bit nervous, but that's exactly why I decided to join this site. Any encouraging words, experiences, ANYTHING would be helpful in helping me prepare myself mentally for this procedure I've been wanting for so long. I'll be happy to post before and afters :)
Scheduled Today, Already Getting Nervous! - Houston, TX
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rjgallar
- Worth It
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Cost:
$9,000 - Paul Vitenas, Jr., MD, Houston, TX
After years of research, indecisiveness, and...
Surgery done!
Hi, RS! I finally had my surgery yesterday and all is well. The first few hours were a complete blur, but I will say I feel a lot better than I look! I started to get a lot of pressure in my nose when I swallow, so that has definitely been a challenge. Not much of an appetite, either, but I've been taking in low-sodium soft food and tons if water to flush out the anesthesia.
I haven't been able to wear my glasses and I am very blind without them! I won't attempt my contacts until the swelling around my eyes goes down significantly. So that, and breathing solely from my mouth have been pretty frustrating.
I have my first post op on Tuesday to remove the packing, and I couldn't be more excited about that! My question is, how badly will that hurt??
I have some more pictures around somewhere I will post from right after the surgery, and I will continue to post my progress :)
I haven't been able to wear my glasses and I am very blind without them! I won't attempt my contacts until the swelling around my eyes goes down significantly. So that, and breathing solely from my mouth have been pretty frustrating.
I have my first post op on Tuesday to remove the packing, and I couldn't be more excited about that! My question is, how badly will that hurt??
I have some more pictures around somewhere I will post from right after the surgery, and I will continue to post my progress :)
3 days post op
A lot of the swelling has gone down and my purple eyes have now gone yellow. Going to try to very carefully wash my hair tonight! I have my first post op tomorrow, so I am hoping to hear some good news. I'm still pretty stuffy, but there is lots of improvement from just yesterday. Oh! And the red spot on my face....forgot to mention I got a huge ZIT the night before surgery! The RN who was prepping me for the procedure said it looked so bad she'd have to ask the dr if they'd be able to go on with it. I would've been so let down if a zit stopped everything! But he came in, took a look at it, said it wouldn't be a problem. He took care of that sucker for me!
Almost 2 weeks post op
Sorry for the late update! My cast came off last Thursday and I nearly cried when I saw it for the first time - happy tears! I didn't have my glasses or contacts on, but the first thing I noticed was the hump was gone. My nose was still pretty swollen, but I was ecstatic! Taking out the stitches wasn't bad at all, and Dr. V cleaned out my nose one more time. He said I can wear my glasses (yay!) but I'm wearing my contacts as much as I can. I have noticed that my nostrils are a little bit uneven. I'm going to post pics as soon as I'm done with this update, but from what I've read, it's nothing to worry about just yet. Tomorrow I'll probably call the office just for peace of mind. I went back to work on Monday, and I've been taking it pretty easy. Everyone has been really helpful with lifting heavy stuff for me.
People who knew about the surgery at work said they could tell right away that the bump is gone and my nose has a slope! Since I still have some bruising, those who didn't know just asked if I'd been in an accident, haha. And one person (who didn't know about it) insisted I got a haircut and dyed my hair! I've gotten so many different reactions! It's a subtle change, especially since the tip is still pretty swollen, but I am loving it! Right under the tip it's still a little bit numb. It feels like it's asleep when I touch it, if that makes any sense. My makeup hides the bruising really well, and I am being patient with the swelling and uneven nostrils. My boyfriend and mom are the only two to mention my nose looks like it's uneven, and I've noticed it myself. I've explained that it's still really early and my nose is still swollen and healing, but my mom wants me to call first thing tomorrow - she's being a mom! So, to appease her, I will.
Dr. V told me two very important things to do until my next visit next month: 1. Low to no sodium food and 2. don't bump my nose! I'm getting used to watching everything I eat and this diet isn't so bad. In fact, I'm looking slimmer!
People who knew about the surgery at work said they could tell right away that the bump is gone and my nose has a slope! Since I still have some bruising, those who didn't know just asked if I'd been in an accident, haha. And one person (who didn't know about it) insisted I got a haircut and dyed my hair! I've gotten so many different reactions! It's a subtle change, especially since the tip is still pretty swollen, but I am loving it! Right under the tip it's still a little bit numb. It feels like it's asleep when I touch it, if that makes any sense. My makeup hides the bruising really well, and I am being patient with the swelling and uneven nostrils. My boyfriend and mom are the only two to mention my nose looks like it's uneven, and I've noticed it myself. I've explained that it's still really early and my nose is still swollen and healing, but my mom wants me to call first thing tomorrow - she's being a mom! So, to appease her, I will.
Dr. V told me two very important things to do until my next visit next month: 1. Low to no sodium food and 2. don't bump my nose! I'm getting used to watching everything I eat and this diet isn't so bad. In fact, I'm looking slimmer!
I will say that although the price is steep for a rhinoplasty, I truly felt Dr. Vitenas and his patient coordinator were wonderful. And this is something I'll live with for the rest of my life, so I wanted to be sure I'm in good hands. There's absolutely no pressure to commit to anything at the consultation, and I spent a good deal of time figuring out my financial options with Melissa to see what would work best for me. I never thought I'd be able to afford anything like this, but I'm happy I'm finally doing it.
