Great Distance Traveled for a Great Doctor. Worth the Wait - San Diego, CA

I saw Dr. Jaibaji and Genesis yesterday, a day earlier than scheduled, because I felt poorly due to the antibiotics I finished on Weds. He was very supportive and offered a number of options to help with the discomfort from the oral thrush. We ended up deciding to do an oral rinse for 7 days and Genesis called the prescription in to a pharmacy close to where I'm recovering for easy pick up on my way home. Also, she got me in with the Doctor right away when I arrived so I didn't have to wait in the waiting area with my cast on. I didn't mind either way, but I thought it was very considerate of her.

Dr. Jaibaji said I was healing very well, and related that my surgery had presented no issues. He said I have strong cartilage in my nose and that it was easy to work with. I remarked at how well I was breathing already from my left nostril and he confirmed the spreader graft and straightening had gone very well there and he thought I should see marked improvement. He asked me if I had been in any pain post surgery and I replied that besides the antibiotic issues, the only aggravation was pressure, but that pain was not really an issue.

The doctor said he was going to go ahead and take the cast off/stitches out and I had taken some Tylenol in case it hurt. Honestly, the cast removal didn't hurt at all, but the stitch removal was a bit uncomfortable. Dr. J was very gentle, but the inner nostril stitches were very small, and a little tough to get. That said, it was all forgotten when I got to see the initial result. I had prepared myself for huge swelling and just general unease when confronted by a nose I couldn't recognize. Imagine my relief when it still felt like "my" nose, only tailored. ;)

Dr. Jaibaji completely listened to my request not to look pointy or overdone. I didn't want a marked depression or slope. The soft looking curve of the tip is already visible, in spite of swelling, and the hump reduction was executed perfectly (for me). The doctor explained that I still had some swelling high on the bridge that raised it a bit, but honestly, even if it isn't perfectly straight I will be pleased because I think a small degree non-linearity makes it look more natural. Lastly, I also had some fear of significant difference in my nostrils given the work he did there. They are fine. Even with the swelling, they look like they belong together.

I'm going to sign off and recover but I will post pictures at appropriate intervals and would be happy to answer any questions others might have about my experience with Dr. Jaibaji. I haven't figured out how to update the price, but it was $9,500. I feel it was very well spent.

Still healing well, will have a visit with the doctor this afternoon. The pain, post op, was really nothing. The nausea from the pain meds was the only hiccup there. The last couple of days have been a little rough as I've finished my antibiotics. I started to have some gastrointestinal trouble (minor cramping/diarrhea) so I e-mailed the doctor--who replied right away and had me start probiotics since I was finished with the meds. He asked me to follow up immediately if things worsened and offered to see me the next day. I didn't think that was necessary but got the probiotics and started feeling a bit better.

I had been feeling a bit sore at the back of my tongue and inside of my cheeks/throat during the last couple of days as well. I thought it was from the intubation from surgery, that perhaps I just hadn't noticed. Unfortunately for me, when all my good gut bacteria was killed off by the antibiotics, I developed a bit of oral thrush in addition to the stomach ailments. I e-mailed the doctor again, because this was really uncomfortable, and he responded warmly that I should come in and he will take a look. In the meantime I'm continuing the probiotics, doing salt rinses, and pushing water.

I think that my diet just changed so much with the soft foods and lack of leafy greens/lean protein that I usually eat that the thrush was able to break out. I was relying on a lot of the squeezable applesauce, crackers, gatorade, gingerale, soft cheese/fruits for nutrients, but it's a lot more sugar that I normally eat, and usually I just drink water. I am doing better after just one day of probiotics, but the thrush still hurts and I'm thinking it's been the worst part of the process for me. I didn't see too much about the possibility of oral thrush from cephalaxen in my pre-surgery research, so I wasn't really looking for it or prepared. I was prepared for upset stomach, constipation, swelling, but this one was a bridge too far. lol. I'd say consult your doctor and maybe start on a probiotic right away or just try to watch your sugar intake post op if you're used to eating pretty clean.

I will post photos in a bit, swelling is way down and bruising has mostly turned to yellow. I'm excited and nervous to get the cast off, but I have faith in the process and am willing to be patient to see results once the tip swelling goes down. I can already tell the hump reduction was a success.

Here are a few pics of the before nose. The angle was masculine, the bump was obvious and the tip was a bit bulbous. I also had some difficulty breathing out of my left nostril. Hopefully all of that was addressed. I'm going to try really hard not to follow my own progress by the day once I get out of the immediate healing phase. Happy healing, everyone!