My nose will be more symmetrical and feminine - Rhinoplasty - Seattle, WA

I hope that after Rhinoplasty, my nose will be more symmetrical and feminine. I have a bump on my bridge and a section of cartilage on one side that doesn't match the other. Dr. Portuese explained that technique that he will use to address my concerns. My understanding is that he will take a cartilage graft from another part of my nose and use this to fill in that area on my bridge that appears to have underdeveloped bone/cartilage. My initial consultation was approx. 5 months ago, so I look forward to talking with Dr. Portuese again before surgery.

Today is day 4 post surgery and I am feeling good! The surgery went very well, It was a smooth process and I felt like I was in good hands. The team of people taking care of me during surgery were so friendly, kind and calming which really dissolved my anxiety. I felt very loopy right after the surgery and rested for most of the day. I had a good appetite, but couldn't taste anything!! I should have eaten spinach or some other health food that I don't like the taste of, because i wouldn't have noticed! :)

The last few days and today, I am very swollen, particularly on the side of my face where the graft was done. I have some under eye bruising as well, but this is to be expected.
When I looked at myself in the mirror for the first time a few hours after the surgery, I was happy to see that my face still looked like me!What a relief. From the front view, my upper lip is slightly lifted, exposing my top teeth, but I am certain that this will go down as the swelling subsides. I am trying not to worry too much about the outcome until the swelling comes down.I get my nose bandage removed tomorrow! I am excited to see what my bridge looks like without the bump.

All in all, I feel good about the outcome. I have read enough reviews to know that its better not to get too excited about how things look so soon after surgery, while I'm so swollen. But from what I can see so far, I am happy that I have undergone this procedure.

I feel that enough time has passed post-surgery that I can confidently say that my new nose has exceeded my expectations and I feel absolutely no regret for going through with Rhinoplasty. I am actually amazed at the improvement to my nose and how this was even possible to achieve.
The swelling has come down substantially and I can really see the difference that this surgery has made to the shape of my nose and how it fits with my other facial features. The bump is gone, there is symmetry and my features are much softer.
I recently visited with friends who didn't know about my surgery and they didn't notice a difference, which is precisely the reaction I was hoping for. I still look like myself, only feeling much more confident knowing that my nose is no longer dominating my facial features. I no longer cringe when I see myself in pictures at different angles.

I was nervous to go through with this procedure for the same reasons as many people on this forum. I spent hours researching and reviewing other peoples experiences to try to calm my nerves.

The bottom line is that I am so glad that I went with Dr. Portuese and would recommend him to anyone looking to undergo this complicated surgery. The whole process was smooth and comfortable and worth every penny. He is experienced and talented and his staff are top notch.

The first 3 weeks after surgery were scary and quite unsettling during the major swelling and I will say that I had moments where I was terrified when I looked in the mirror, wondering if I had made a mistake. It really is a game of patience. You have to be patient for the result, but also for the general recovery. It is uncomfortable to breath, sleep, talk, etc. But after 2 weeks, the bulk to the discomfort goes away. The way my face looks now when compared to 4 weeks ago is drastically different and this is all due to swelling and healing. I really want to stress the importance of not making any judgements until the 3 week mark ( at least) I wish this was stressed to me more before going through this, because I would have spent less time obsessing!

I will eventually post before and after photos after 6 months once everything is completely settled.