9 months post-op! A quick picture update!

I am 24 years old and I’ll be getting a new nose on August 1st! I have really loved reading through the many positive reviews and experiences on this website. Since the posts of others have been such an immense help to me, I decided to share my own experience as well. My hope is that this blog will help someone who is considering the surgery and connect people who are also having the procedure soon.

What I hate about my nose for cosmetic reasons is obvious; I have a really large dorsal hump and it projects too far from my face. The tip is droopy, especially when I smile, which makes the hump look even worse. From the front, you can also see how there is no definition and that the nose deviates to the left. This has caused breathing issues (I always wind up breathing through my mouth at night) and sinus problems (post nasal drip, infections, and stubborn headaches). In the past year, I have been on antibiotics more times than I can count because of sinusitis, which was recently confirmed through a CT scan. The cosmetic and functional issues will all be fixed by Dr. Guida through rhinoplasty, septoplasty, and endoscopic sinus surgery – and honestly, words can’t express how ready or excited I am to be having this procedure!!! It really is a dream come true to know that soon, I will improve the quality of my health, be able to breathe through my nose, and finally put years of self-consciousness behind me.

I have wanted a nosejob for an extremely long time. As far back as the fifth grade, I have memories of being teased because of the shape of my nose. There was one boy in particular, that would relentlessly make comments about it every day. By sixth grade, it had really gotten to me. Of course, when middle school came around, people became more into looks and having a big nose became even more of a problem for me. I stopped participating in classes and was generally very quiet in school, just so that I wouldn’t attract attention to myself. Throughout my high school and college years, I can remember specific instances where I was embarrassed because of my nose: a time in the locker room, a time when a friend made a mean remark about someone else's nose which was a lot like mine, and countless times where I simply felt unattractive and extremely self-conscious.

Over the years, my self-consciousness has grown to the point where I feel that I can’t wear my hair up because it puts my profile on display. I really wanted bangs in high school but never got them for that same reason. I feel the need to turn away from the car next to me when I’m at a red light, just because I am convinced the driver will look at my nose. It is something that I always think about and always think people are staring at, especially when I meet new people or am in a very social setting. I have never been able to truly accept a compliment - and I hate to say something like that because it sounds dramatic and the truth is, I’m a really happy person. But no matter what, even when I get dressed up in a pretty dress for a special occasion, there is always a nagging voice in my head that says “but your nose is still big.”

Day to day, I am afraid of someone making a comment about my nose. I used to work as a preschool teacher and am now a substitute teacher for the elementary grades, so I spend a lot of time around kids that have no filter and say exactly what they are thinking. A few times, a young child has innocently asked me a question along the lines of, “Why is your nose like that?” And even though it’s coming from a little kid, my stomach turns and I flashback to all of the school memories I want to forget about. It’s exhausting to think about my nose so much.

This is the one thing that I want to change about myself. After so many years of wanting this surgery, I feel so lucky that I’ll be having the procedure on August 1st with Dr. Guida. I still can’t wrap my mind around the fact that this is actually going to happen – but it is!!!

MY SURGERY IS ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!!!!

Whoa. It’s so crazy saying that… IS IT REALLY NEXT WEEK?!?!

I have to admit, the nerves have kicked in. I am still SUPER excited more than anything, but I have moments where I freak out and worry about certain things: what my swelling/bruising will be like for those first few days, the IV, and if I’ll throw up afterwards. I haven’t had any kind of surgery since I was really little, so I also have the typical concerns about anesthesia. I seem to think that I have some sort of superpower where I’ll mentally fight the anesthesia off and it won’t work on me – that I’ll never “fall asleep” - or that I’ll wake up in the middle of surgery (OH BOY…). I know that a lot of people experience nerves like this beforehand, so I just keep telling myself “If they can do it, so can I!”

This past Friday, I received a packet in the mail with an informational booklet and my prescriptions - one was for bloodwork. I went in for that on Monday and typically hate getting blood tests. This one was no exception but I had a more positive mentality than usual because I kept thinking “pretty nose, pretty nose, pretty nose” – Haha! I will be getting the results back tomorrow so I’ll have my official medical clearance then. I think that’s contributing to my nervous energy because after that, all that’s left is going to my pre-op appointment this Monday… And then it’s the big day!!!

Seriously, I know I’d be bugging out WAY more if I didn’t trust my doctor as much as I do. In the past few months, I have chatted with some of his patients online and they all had such reassuring and positive experiences to share! My mom’s friend also personally recommended him to me because her son had septo-rhinoplasty surgery with him. I know that Dr. Guida is an excellent surgeon (he was always my first choice for this procedure!) and I know that I'm in great hands. That fact is REALLY helping put my mind a bit more at ease when I have my nervous-wreck moments... I just have to focus on keeping everything in perspective these next few days!!!

MY NEW NOSE... ONLY ONE WEEK AWAY!!!