Dr. Anand Patel is One of the Best

Ever since I was a teenager I deeply disliked my nose. There was nothing wrong with it, per se, but it was bulbous, wide and mansculine. I would get snide comments about it from boys, which brought it to my attention even more. After many, many years of being unhappy, having the financial resources, and support, I sought a plastic surgeon in my area. By various methods, (such as word of mouth via friends and realself.com), I found one I felt comfortable with... keep in mind, this was NOT Dr. Patel. I figured since I had breastfed three healthy babies, my breasts were looking rather sad and deflated, so I would get a breast lift/implants and a rhinoplasty at the same time. This my friends, was my first mistake, if you have someone operating on your face, you want them to specialize in the face....not in butts, boobs, or otherwise. I must say, my surgeon did a fine job with the breast lift but my nose, well.... it could have been better. This surgeon was good at all surgeries but not "fantastic" at any one specific body part. Fast forward five years, which gave me plenty of time to let my nose "settle" to see the final result, I could tell it wasn't going in the direction I had hoped. It seemed actually more bulbous than my original God-given nose because the surgeon had thinned out the bridge but didn't do much with the tip. It had developed scar tissue which made it round... really it reminded me of a rubber bouncy ball in the tip of my nose. Not really the look I was going for...
So, at this point, I visited my original surgeon and he said he wouldn't want to do anything with it again... no real explaination given. I consulted with a second surgeon and he said he could try to help make it more asthetically pleasing but I didn't get the best vibe from him, so I kept on going. On my third surgeon interview, I met with Dr. Patel...pipe in the angels singing here!! Truthfully, I was a bit apprehensive since he was new to the area and there weren't a ton of reviews on him. When I met with him, right away I felt he was unpretentious, kind, and caring. He listened to my concerns, he was honest and realistic. He took simulated pictures that we both agreed would be very close to meeting my goals. I was pleased with the meeting, so I went home and thought about it and thought about it and thought about it.... :D
Well, as you can probably guess, I scheduled the surgery and was super excited! There was a small set-back because I developed a minor staph skin infection from (not anywhere near my nose) but I felt more comfortable letting that heal before we did the rhinoplasty. Dr. Patel was on board with my decision. The surgery was postponed another month. Bummer but better safe than sorry! Well, now, here I am six days post operation, and am truely pleased. There was such minimal pai, I only had to use one prescribed pain pill, and a couple of Tylenol but other than that, it was a breeze!
Yesterday, I was given permission to take off my splint since I was having an allergic reaction to the tape. I still have the stitches in until tomorrow. At this point, there is significant swelling (of course to be expected, especially since my nose has been worked on before!) but it's so much softer, feminine and prettier looking. I predict, once the swelling goes down, I'll still look myself, just better!! I can see such potential!!! Now is the waiting game.... dun dun dunnnnnn! :D
I also wanted to add, I've been sleeping in a recliner, icing, elevating, and following his post-op instructions to a T. That's another thing, Dr. Patel sends you home (at your pre-op appointment) with a folder of info with follow up steps that intially seem daunting but is very obtainable and easy to follow. I will keep you all updated with pictures and progress! The pictures aren't able to capture a significant change, but if you were to see me in person before and after, there is a transformation. Plus, I like that it looks natural and subtle, and not the infamous look of "oh, she's had work done... (snicker, snicker)." :D
I used Realself.com for so much research, I wanted to make sure I posted my story in hopes it helps anyone else out. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions. I'll be adding pictures shortly...

Just an update... I'm still thrilled with my results and it's only been about four weeks. Everyday the nose gets better and better. By better, I mean smaller, more narrow and more defined. I wish I would have gone ahead and done this sooner! I would recommend Dr. Patel to anyone considering having anything from having a little tweek to a full transformation. He is a truely skilled surgeon with a bedside manner of a good friend. Lastly, his staff was exceptional.... Keri would works at the front desk, was always up for answering questions and answered my emails promptly. They even sent me flowers the day after my surgery! What a nice touch.

I've been trying to post some updated recovery pics but I'm having a bit of trouble... so I'll keep trying. I apologize if I double-post.