Minor Changes Make a Big Difference! (Rhinoplasty and Lower Lid Blepharoplasty) - New York, NY

I had wanted a nose job for years and kept putting it off because it was something that wasn't life threatening and it's a big financial investment to swallow. But after talking with some friends who visited Dr. Barry Weintraub on their cosmetic fixes (rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, botox injections...) I knew I needed to make the call and get it done... and I'm glad I did.
From the moment, I walked into Dr. W's office, I felt at ease and through our conversations, I knew I could trust him to perform the rhinoplasty, but also a lower lid blepharoplasty, that would make me look and feel better - without looking drastically different and fake. The decision to do both was really to take advantage of being under anesthesia, and I knew I'd have to get my eyes done eventually since heavy under eye bags run in my family.
In speaking with Dr. W. we reviewed the steps for a closed rhinoplasty and he was optimistic that I wouldn't need internal splints for post-op. The bleph. though a bit gross of a procedure (pulling lid from eye and popping the fat deposits out) I also knew I wouldn't have sutures or possible scarring. I have sensitive skin that does scar easily so this was a concern I had and wanted to make sure would not be an issue.
Before going into the surgery, I was fully prepared - got the prescriptions filled, bag of frozen peas, soft foods and protein shakes, and charged the iPad - basically everything I would need for a few days so I could relax and recover easily.
The day of I was a bit nervous, as my nurse noted by my slightly high blood pressure, but I knew the end result would be worth it. The anesthesia worked quickly and when I woke up, the only discomfort I had was in my one eye - which the doctor gave me a medicated cream that soothed it immediately. When I changed out of the scrubs back into my clothes, I looked in the mirror and while the bandages covered a lot, the bruising started. A bit startling, but I knew it wouldn't be pretty. And the doctor also confirmed that no splints in the nose were needed, so a good step that would make recovery a bit easier.
When my friend picked me up, I noticed the time - between when I went into surgery and out the door - was about 4 hours. Though since I hadn't eaten since the night before by that evening I was pretty hungry and ended up eating some pudding since it was soft and cold. Then I started taking the antibiotics, pain killer and sleep aids as indicated on the prescription labels. I slept elevated with the help of a travel pillow and didn't feel much pain - just felt really tired. I only took the pain killers for 3 days in anticipation of pain - but I wasn't really uncomfortable, aside from not being able to sleep on my side. Thankfully, I didn't need to change the drip dressing under my nose until I went back to the doctor's office, but it was weird feeling liquid coming out and not being able to blow my nose. Over the next couple of days, there was a bit of a routine between sleeping, icing my brow with the bag of peas, drinking coconut water and gatorade and eating soft foods - I also added watermelon and pineapple into the mix so I wouldn't be constipated and the extra vitamin c would help the recovery. Plus, I took arnica and bromelain herbal supplements I got from Whole Foods, to help with the bruising and swelling.
When I went back to the doctor 5 days later, he took the external bandages off and I could already see the difference -- straight nose with no bump, the tip tightened up and the one nostril that I wanted evened out was corrected. The bruising and swelling especially for the eyes was still present. The skin colored bandages on the nose needed to stay on for another week, but now I could shower more easily without worrying about getting my face wet.
My second visit post-op, the final bandages came off, and I was super happy. Again, the bruising around my eyes was still there - though much less than before.
I've since been back to the doctor twice since December and though there is still some minor swelling at the bridge of my nose - I know it takes time for this type of work to heal and I'm looking forward to the final. I even catch looking at myself in the mirror periodically, and notice subtle changes every so often. However, I will say that friends and family who didn't know I had work done, don't even notice that I did since the changes look natural. I could just kick myself for not doing this sooner!! :)