This nose is still very swollen, doc says in about 1 month swelling will go down about 60%, and at 3 months will be down 80%. Even so, it looks so amazing and I can't believe i don't have any hump! I am so excited and happy with the look, I can tell what my nose will look like when the swelling is down and I can't believe it. I'm pretty sure my doctor is a hero!
Here are the photos from today:
Doc says I still need to keep the inside super moist with vaseline and when i'm at home and sleeping to tape it, which helps keep the swelling down. But if i venture out in the world I can go without tape on, and makup and my new nose! I will probably lay low and stay at home another week until the bruising is gone. But so far I am more than satisfied. I feel like i have a "normal" nose now!
Congestion is getting much better, now the challenge is to fi my uber chapped lips from all the mouth breatheing. They are way dry and chapped, but thank the lord I can breathe out the nose again hooray! Appetite is back in effect, had my first coffee today, sushi lunch, and spaghetti dinner.
My toddler luna came home from daycare and looked at me and pointed at my nose, and said "nose". Translation "you got your splint removed, great!". haha.
Why is it taking you 6 days to get this off?
ReplyDeleteI had double procedures done and I'm getting my cast off 4 days after the surgery....
Yours seems to be ridiculously extensive.....
So because yours was taken off 4 days after surgery everyone else should be the same? Wrong.
DeleteThere are cases where casts have been taken off 7-12 days down the track or as little as 4-5 days after, it just depends on the surgeon, the patient, the procedure/s that were done and the healing process, everyone heals differently.
Who knows, everybody is different right? Just happy to be done with it long ago!
ReplyDeleteI highly doubt you still reply to this thing but worth a try, im 5 days post op when will I get my taste/smell back im dying! Lol
ReplyDeleteMy wife just had her rhinoplasty done on Mar 14th.
ReplyDeleteSaw surgeon today to get cast off, but largest issue is still the saline spray for nose has NOT cleared anything out & she is having intense pressure.
Anyone have any other ideas - last night was worst... She felt like tearing cast off before today's appointment.
Surgeon just says to keep saline spraying & eventually the crusted blood etc will get out & provide air flow. Right now still very frustrating.
gabz919 - sorry for the delay responding! i'm guessing you are still pretty congested. I remember the first month of recovery being unbearable, but after a couple weeks it was much better. but realistically, the first 3-4 weeks are really rough, and it takes about a month until you really start feeling like yourself again. Swelling does go down quickly though, if that's any silver lining!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous -- one thing you might ask your wife's doc about, is neti pot. i found that helped relieve some congestion especially in the first month, as well as flush out all the dried up crusty stuff up there. :) but you do need to wait until some of the stitches heal up (salt will make it bleed otherwise, so be sure to ask your doc).
Hi Marie
DeleteThank you for reply I should have specified that she is using the neilmed spray bottle rather than the neti pot. It seems here in Canada that is recommended over their neti pot.
Just has been a hard first 6 days... With the pressure in sinus area , and the tightness along the nose and face.... And of course the numbness and hopefully temporary loss of smell & taste.
And here we are at 10 days post op & wife has caught one heck of a cold....
DeleteAny advice as.this morning she was starting to feel clear & then got hit with the cold.
Tried neocitrin but did not help......
OH no, i'm so sorry to hear that she has a cold! The very same thing happened to me, started to heal and clear up, then suddenly i got a horrible cold and was totally blocked up again. I'm so sorry to say, but if I recall, there's unfortunately not much you can do. I used saline spray like crazy, i think that's when i started using the neti pot also. But honestly, you just have to wait it out. I may have also asked my doc for more valium too (not recommending that to you, but it surely helped me avoid panic attacks!!)
DeleteSorry I know this doesn't help much, but really there's not much else to do than to wait it out. :( Good luck, I know how horrible she must feel. One good thing, I do recall things clearing up pretty quickly, when the cold finally did go away, if that's any consolation.
Marie
DeleteThank you for continuing to check this 3 yr old blog.
She definitely hopes it will clear up soon. She is using the saline rinse about 6 times per day - yesterday was first day that some dried blood / inner nose taping finally came out - quite a relief - lessened some pressure.
Today is 11 days post op & her chipmunk cheeks have gone away & her normal chin and facial area are getting back to normal.
But she is back on another round of antibiotics...
The one thing concerning her is as you had that dark bruise under left eye - she has as well but even larger and it is one part of bruising that does not seem to be going away.
I have read a number of people get steroids to help with healing but that does not seem to be an option.
The biggest thing for my wife is going back to office at beginning of April as no one is aware of surgery she had.... And the fear of what people may think.
The emotional aspect to me as her spouse seems to be the largest side of this type of change to a person that does not seem to be discussed before a surgeon agrees to do this type of external alteration to a person.
Marie thanks again!
Hi Anony - You are most welcome, i know how hard it is to find info out there, so i am glad you find this blog helpful!
DeleteI do recall the bruising stayed around longer than I thought it would, but it wasn't painful. Just had to put extra makeup on that area. That part is probably different for each person, depending on your body and how you heal, etc. So i wouldn't worry about it, but if it's bothering her or hurts, definitely ask your doc. I think the bruising is a result of breaking the nose? Not positive.
The idea of steroids to help healing scares me. The healing process wasn't painful or unbearable, just extremely slooooow and for someone like me with claustrophobia, was mentally challenging. But honestly, i know it's SO hard now, but it really is just a matter of time. The first month was most difficult (mostly emotionally & mentally). After that you start to see the payoff. But if i remember it was close to 6 months before i felt 100% like my own self agan (with a better nose!).
If you could talk to my husband, he would have plenty to say about being the support person! He remembers very clearly how hard it was in the beginning, and especially as the support person trying to do & say the right thing. Nothing helps, it just takes time. Sounds like you are being a wonderful support too, keep it up, just being there for emotional support I think is the best thing you can do. The first month is the hardest, but after that it gets noticeably better every single day.
Hope your wife is doing better, and tell her it will all be worth it! I'm so glad i went through the process, don't regret it one bit. :)
Oh -- and going back to work, it's so funny people don't notice exactly what is different. Nobody has ever told me "hey you got a nose job". Actually nobody has ever really commented on it at all (except family). It's hard for other people to single out what changed, so she shouldn't worry about, most people are oblivious to this sort of thing. As long as she is happy about it that's the only thing that matters.
Hi Marie
DeleteDay 18. She has got over the cold & 2nd round antibiotics.
Smell & taste are very slowly returning here & there.
Her healing is taking longer so is not returning to office until Apr 10 but Is still not looking forward to going back.
Anyway I think she is liking result more each day, but still wonders what others will think. Bruising is still quite apparent
It has been close to 11 months since my operation and my nose has healed beautifully. It is still a little asymmetrical when you look at it from underneath as I appear to have more scar tissue above one nostril than the other but that should change with time.
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