Almost 1 year post op :)

I went to Dr. Rubenstein in April for a consultation. He was very attentive, professional, and I felt that he and I shared realistic expectation of what could be done to improve my nose. At the age of almost 45,I felt that the tip was becoming even more bulbous, and the divot which divided the cartilage was becoming more pronounced as I got older. In addition, I had a wavy bump that I always disliked. We aged that it was important to preserve my Italian heritage features while making subtle adjustments that would fit my face. He and his staff helped me to feel very prepared for the surgery, which was six days ago. I was fairly nervous that morning, but again, the staff made it a great experience. I had: rhinoplasty, septoplasty, and turbinectomy (not sure if that is the correct term). I forgot to mention that during my consultation, when I was telling him my nose concerns, he mentioned that he was surprised that I did not mention that my nose was crooked. My septum was 85 percent deviated!

The surgery took about 4 hours, plus wake up time. He called to check on me that night, and his staff called me two days later to check, the day between being the 4th of July. I had a number that I could call him at anytime, which was very assuring. Other than being stuffed up, pain has been minimal (only took 1 and a quarter pain tablet, then switched to plain Tylenol), swelling and bruising were / are mostly on one side and pretty controlled considering that my nose has been broken! The cast felt very, very heavy and the pressure of that at night, combined with stuffiness, was kind of claustrophobic at times. Also, the cleaning out of my nostrils was mostly done by my very supportive and nurturing partner! The bubbling hydrogen peroxide is pretty nasty as is flooding my nose with saline - but we were really good about keeping on top of the after care, and I am sure it helped minimize pain. Right now I feel pretty good :)

It just took a few minutes to pop the cast off this morning, and he showed me how to tape it at night, which I will be doing for six weeks. My nose is happy to be free from under that cast and out in the air! It is kind f hard to tell what it will look like right now - it's pinched on the sides from the cast and the tip is quite swollen. I can see that the hump is gone, though, and that it is straight. So I am looking forward, over the next few months, to see my nose settle into what looks like a much improved and feminine shape. I really am glad that I finally was able to take this step...I have been pretty much cringing at my profile for 20 years.

8 days after surgery and 2 days with the cast off - my nose continues to come back to life as far as numbness. It it still very delicate to touch. Also, it is very greasy - I made a gentle toner of brewed organic chamomile and non - alcoholic witch hazel, cooled it in the fridge, and have been applying the mixture carefully. Very soothing and effective!

15 days post - op...loving my profile but the front view shows that I am more swollen on one side. I am hoping that this will settle down. Also hoping that my smile returns to normal soon!