1 Year Post-Op Update!

Okey dokey. Sorry for the massive delay in updating, but finally I have a 1 year post op update!!

It's actually been 1 year 5 months now. My last follow up with Dr Naficy was 3 months ago, he wanted to be sure to give my nose plenty of time to heal before deciding if the bump caused any damage.

First, here's a profile view taken today, and front view taken last week:

AFTER: 1-1/2 years post op, profile view

AFTER: 1-1/2 years post op, front view

And... ready for this? Here's a reminder of what is used to look like, can you believe it?!?

BEFORE: Yuck!

Wow, that is one fugly hump on the nose! I'm SO happy with my new nose, even if the hit did mess things up a bit.

So... the hit to my nose did cause some damage to the healing process. As you can see in the top photo, there's still a very very slight hump, and from the front view, some of the cartilege did shift when my nose got bumped, and pushed upward causing a wider area at the top, and thinner below. It's hard to tell from the photo, but believe me I see it when I look in the mirror. Of course i'm totally obsessed and look at it all the time, so it might not be as bad as I think. Regardless, there is in fact permanent damange from the hit to my nose 1 month post-op. Huge freakin' bummer!

Here's what the doc said.... He said there's no damage to the bone which is great, that all of this is just cartiledge that was pushed up when my nose was bumped, and can easily be moved around. He said it's looking good, and it's pretty much 90% perfect, and the last 10% to fix the injury is a very very easy fix that would get it to 100% (as it would have been, had I not been injured). Apparantly recovery is similar to before, but he said about 70% of the swelling/bruising since we don't need to shave down the bone. Still, it's the whole thing all over again, split for a couple weeks, can't breathe out the nose, swelling, 1-2 weeks off work, 1 year of healing, etc.

Doc's recommendation is to do a revision. However the way he's recommending it, is to keep the width at the top, and fill the area where it gets thinner so it's more of a natural subtle line. What I worry about, is that my whole nose will be wide, which it wasn't before, so then the new "fixed" version won't be what I wanted to begin with. I mean, I know what I've got now, and it's 90% there and I'm really happy with the improvement, so is it worth messing with it again, not sure what the result will be?

I'm SO torn as to what to do! Here are the pros & cons as I see it:

PROS:

- Free / no expense to me, to get a revision

- I won't be looking in the mirror every day staring at my nose thinking "why the #$&% did that hit have to happen, and what should I do?"

CONS:

- I have to go thru recovery ALL OVER AGAIN. Splint, swelling, 1 year recovery time. UGH!

- I'm worried the revision will make it look different but not necessarily better. I know what I have now which is pretty good, and I worry messing with it more will cause more problems or that I won't actually like it better.

So anyway, there you have it.

I will say this for those of you considering rhinoplasty, or who have just undergone surgery, this is one of the best things i've done and i don't regret it one bit!! I look at old photos of myself and can't believe I waited so long. Even with the hit that messed up the healing, i'm still SUPER happy with the results and feel much more confident and happy with things overall. Again, I highly recommend Dr. Naficy. I'm proof that the service is quality high-end, and well worth every penny. As you can see he's actually suggesting I do a revision free of charge to me, and I can wait as long as I want to decide. So that is comforting.

I'm so undecided on whether or not I'll do the revision, as you can see it's been 3 months since that last follow-up appointment, and I still haven't decided what to do! I'd love to hear what you all think, what you would do in this situation, it's such a hard call. But I'm a happy camper nonetheless! Will post another update if/when I decide what to do about the revisions. I welcome any comments or advice. :)

Recovery: 6 weeks Post-Op

It's been 2 weeks since my last update, let me tell you a lot happened.

First off, I caught the worst cold ever, which turned into a sinus infection. I felt like the first week after surgery, tons of pressure and couldn't breathe at all through my nose. How frustrating! I ended up getting anti-biotics and it blew out the infection after about 10 days. I now finally feel better, but of course I caught a new cold. This one is just a normal cold though so hopefully no return of sinus infection. I'm doing the neti pot daily to keep my nose clean and clear. It helps a lot and gets a tone of the mucous out, and after I can breathe extremely well! At this point I'm feeling great, and have excellent flow through my nasal airways, feels like a normal nose again which is awesome.

On the downside... one week ago a scary thing happened. I was playing with my adorable 1 1/2 year old Luna, and she head-butted my nose (by accident of course). She was below me and kind of jumped up really fast, and her little head directly hit the tip of my nose, in an upward direction. Ouch! It hurt really bad for about 30 minutes, but didn't bleed. But then it instantly swelled up, and i saw a hump on my nose, ACK! I freaked out and called my doc asap. He said to wait a few days for the swelling to go down, then come in so he could take a look.

Here's a pic of me one week after the "hit", frustrated and mad that I wasn't more careful:


Thankfully no bones were broken, but he did say that sometimes when that happens cartilage could shift and essentially create a small bump. BUT he seemed to think it could be fixed pretty easily. He said we won't know for sure what happened - if anything - until my 3 month checkup. So worst case scenario is that the cartilage shifted, i have a small bump, and have to get that fixed. I don't know the details of "getting it fixed", but he said it definitely would not require full on surgery again. So that's good news.

Of course i'm totally obsessed checking my nose all the time. The swelling from the hit seems to finally have gone down, but I swear it feels a little different, and I can see a very small bump that wasn't there before. My hubby thinks it's all in my head, and he can't tell any difference. But I'm so worried that all my doc's wonderful work was ruined. The hardest part is that there is nothing to do except wait for my 3 month checkup! So another test to my patience. And there is also the chance that everything is fine, and it's just healing like normal. Who knows! Will update again next week.

Recovery: 1 Month Post-Op (photos)

It's been exactly 1 month since my surgery date, and feeling pretty good! Here are photos from today:

I had a little challenge/set-back the past 2 weeks. I got a really bad sinus infection (Not fun at all after a rhinoplasty!). For the first week I was totally congested again, and because of that my nose puffed back up a little and got more swollen. But the past 1 week my sinus infection is clearing up a lot, and now I can breathe really well! Get to sleep with my mouth closed, it's so great. The swelling is also getting better, and looking good.

You can see there is still a very slight hump on the profile, which the doc warned me would be there for a while. But i still am amazed and really happy with how things are looking. My nose overall is feeling a lot more "normal", and finally feels like it's my nose again. The tip is still numb and feels a little strange, but the rest feels really good!

I've stopped taping the nose at night, and the last of my stitches came out last week.

One side note... i think using a neti pot is essential to recovery, as well as just normal health. It helped a ton while i was sick, and it's amazing all the junk that comes out of your nose when you are sick!

Recovery: 15 days post-op (photos)

Here I am today, makeup on, and loving the new nose as it is revealed each day, it's pretty amazing to see the bump gone:


At this point, all the bruising is gone, and i think the swelling on my face is pretty much gone. So now i'm left with some congestion which will last a couple months, and nose swelling, which takes 1 year to go down all the way.

Today I decided to try the Neti Pot again. Since I have a cold the congestion got a little worse and i'm getting frustrated. So gave it a go, and it worked so great! No bleeding, whew. And after my nose felt much better. So i'm going back to my neti pot regime, and will probably do morning and night. It should also help keep the colds away.

The nose is feeling good. The bridge where they removed the hump is the most tender part, still tender to the touch. The ball of my nose is totally numb which is fine, and still pretty swollen. Because of that when I smile i look a little funny since that area is still swollen and feels kind of tight when i smile. I can smile fine though, just not my normal smile. I'm thinking that will be back to normal after 2 months, i can tell it's a touch better every day.

Still doing lots of vaseline inside the nose, and saline spray. It feels like stitches are out on the right side, but maybe some left on the left side. Who knows, maybe i'll ask Andy my hubby to look up in there with a flashlight.

More soon!

Recovery: 2 Weeks Post-Op

Pain = none
Congestion = worse, because i caught a cold, boo!
Swelling = improved a tiny bit
Bruising = all gone, hooray!

It's been exactly 2 weeks since surgery, hooray! I'm amazed how much the swelling has improved in the past week. I keep the tape on as much as possible. I can tell overall things are healing, when i bend down i don't "feel" my nose like i did before. And it's a tiny bit less tender each day on the bridge where they got rid of the hump.

Well, as I suspected a caught a cold and now i'm sick. Boo! I'm spending all day in bed and going to take a nap later. Mainly i'm just more congested, headache, and tired. Which is a bummer because i was starting to feel so good with the congestion improving! but hopefully all the ginger tea and rest will heal me quickly. I'm looking forward to clear nasal airways again!

A few more stiches came out the past couple days. I have no idea how many are up there, but I think i can feel a few more left, it's hard to tell. My nose is starting to feel a lot more normal and now it's just the tip that's numb (and also the most swollen part).

All that aside, i love the new profile as it emerges! For now back to nursing my cold, must get rid of this thing soon.

Recovery: 12 Days Post-Op

Pain = none
Congestion = same or a little worse than yesterday, wondering if i'm getting a cold, oh no
Swelling = seems about the same as yesterday
Bruising = improved, almost gone now, just a couple very light yellow spots on cheeks

Slept ok, woke up a few times, and seem more congested today, but still airways in both nostrils so that's good. My nose feels a lot more elastic and "normal" today, like it's slowly becoming part of my face. The numbness is only in the bottom tip of the nose and that's supposed to stick around for a year or so. It's feeling a little less tender overall. Smiling is much easier like normal now!

Been doing the saline spray & vaseline combo a lot, it loosens things up and if i can gently blow it out i can breathe so well for a bit.

Looking forward to no more mouth breathing, but i feel like i'm still a week or so away from that, it's ok though, the congestion is slowly getting a lot better.

The results improve day to day and i'm really appreciating the new nose more and more as it's revealed. The doc said there will be a slight hump where my big hump used to be for a little while. That has gone down a lot, still very very slight but i can see it all evening out. I think it takes some time for the skin to "redrape" as well, over the new nose shape stay there.

Will take more pics for the next update!

Recovery: 11 Days Post-Op

SUMMARY:
Pain = none
Congestion = much better than a few days ago, it feels like about 50% back to normal nose breathing
Swelling = still a tiny bit on the cheeks, swelling on the nose seems noticeably better than yesterday which is cool
Bruising = some faint yellow on my cheeks, can mostly cover with makeup, though I think my face overall has a yellow tint now? or maybe it's my imagination. Either way i need new foundation.

Today feeling like things have improved pretty noticeably. If I remember correctly, when I woke up, my mouth was closed! This is amazing. It means in my sleep i was able to breathe through the nose like normal, and not sleep with my mouth open for the first time since surgery. We'll see how things go tonight, but overall the congestion is better. Both nostrils have air coming through, feels like 50% congested compared to normal.

I still feel kind of strange touching my nose. I doesn't hurt, a little tender but no pain. Mainly it just feels like it's not my nose, like someone glued it onto my face. This is probably due to the numbness, overall tenderness, and also stitches are still in there, so there is some tightness. But a couple stitches came out today! They should all be out by week 4. When the stitches come out they look like little tiny yellow boogers, and it's very satisfying, haha.

I probably look at my nost as often as I used to, the only difference is now I am thrilled with how it's shaping up, whereas before i would always imagine how it could look without the hump.

As far as daily ritual goes, i've got a system down that seems to be working well. I tape the nose as much of the day as possible, and all night during sleep. It's great that I work from home, so most days I'm only a few hours without tape. The tape acts like a light version of a nose cast, and helps keep the swelling & congestion down. I can tell it really does help, when i take it off you can see a tiny indent where the edge was. Also since it's only been 11 days, it helps me feel more secure and less fragile with the new nose, especially with a very active toddler around. I've never used so many q-tips and vaseline in my life. Already gone through 2 huge boxes of q-tips and the big size of vaseline. Seems like you can't do enough of the vaseline in the nose.

Congestion still being my main issue, I obsessively put vaseline in the nose like the doc said, and alternate that with tons of Ocean saline spray (non addictive). It does help keep the nose moist, and as I read on a few other helpful blogs, it can make any mucous stuck up there soft enough to gently blow out, thus clearing your nose more. Helps me feel like i'm getting stuff out. So basically doing this all day, all night long, and will continue for the next month. I'm anxious to get back to my neti pot rinse daily, but i'm going to wait another week so i'm sure there won't be a repeat nose bleed gushing out.

Hoping my yellowish jaundice tint goes away soon, and also looking forward to each day, as there really is significant improvement overall day-to-day, it's pretty exciting.

Recovery: 10 Days Post-Op (photos)

Summary:
Pain = none
Congestion = plenty, but getting some air thru both nostrils finally
Swelling = tiny bit left on the cheeks and face, obviously tons left on the nose (80%)
Bruising = some yellow patches still on my cheeks, can mostly cover with makeup.

Congestion is getting teeny bit better each day. Took a nap today for 2 hours which was fantastic, and woke up with just a sorta dry mouth, not desert dry like usual, so that's great!



First day i put on makeup today. It's funny, when i put on makeup I can tell my face still has some swelling on it, feels a little different than usual. I'm guessing probably 10% left on the face before my cheeks are back to normal, little more volume there than usual and also below my eyes. Even though the nose still is swollen, to me it's already a huge improvement and i'm so very happy with the results already! I can see a glimpse of what it will look like. Just to run my finger over my nose and feel no hump is AMAZING and i'm so happy. :)

As you can see from the pics, the swelling in the nose is mostly in the width (front view). From the side it's looking really good, that will also go down a bit, but wow, i am loving the profile.

Still have to mouth breath but sometimes can breathe thru the nose only! but just for a few seconds, it feels good. i have forgotten by now what it feels like to breathe normally through your nose with your mouth closed, i'm so used to walking around with my mouth open. I hope that doesn't become a habit, haha.

Recovery: Days 8 & 9 (photos)

Summary of recovery:
Pain = none, once in a while very slight headache that's it
Congestion = tons, driving me insane
Bruising = almost gone, all yellow now
Swelling = only on the nose now

So, one nice thing, I can actually see and feel improvement day to day. The facial swelling seems to be gone, so just swelling on the nose now which will take 1 full year to go away and see the final results. Bruising is 90% gone, a few yellowish patches on my cheeks but i don't look beat up anymore! Cover up with makeup easily, but I must say it's a good time to be working from home. I can tape the nose most of the time which helps keep swelling down, and also i don't need to worry about makeup or going out in public for a while.



Last night, wow what a rough night of sleep. Woke up about every hour with a massive dry mouth and stuffed nose. Honestly the only thing so far that is challenging in any way is the congestion. Pain, bruising, etc, all that is really minor and super easy to deal with. But the congestion is my worst enemy!

Before surgery, i've been using the neti pot daily to keep the sick away, so I called the doc office with a few questions, one of them asking when I can resume using neti pot. She said usually wait 14 days, but really it should be fine if healing seems to be going well. Nurse also said that it should help with my congestion, which is still pretty bad. So... i decided to give it a try.

Get the neti pot ready and pour half of it down one nostril, and it feels great! i can actually start to feel things opening up, when all of a sudden i get a big ol' bloody nose gusher out of one nostril. OOPS. Didn't really panic because I was so focused on trying to get the stupid bleeding to stop, which I couldn't. 10 mins later called nurse again and she said to pinch the nose for 3-5 mins to stop bleeding, then put tons of vaseline up there again as usual. She said to wait a few more days before trying again, but I think i'll wait a week or so. But i can tell that when i'm ready it will help a ton. It was crazy! Now, things are back on track, and (knock on wood) i do believe the congestion has improved a teeny tiny bit. But tonight's sleep will be the true test. Probably will pop ye old valium tonight so i get more than an hour of continuous sleep.

Oy, big update... I just pulled out the biggest bloody muscous goober out of my nose, and I can breathe better, amazing! i wonder how many more of those are stuck in there? I washed my face, and the same nostril started bleeding again, pinched to stop it, and then a big old bloddy goober started coming out, it was like 1 1/2" long! sorry for the gross detail but i'm kinda psyched because the congestion is a little better, yay. hope that means a better night sleep tonight.

Recovery: 7 Days Post-Op

Feeling great now with the cast off, and stitches between the nostrils gone. Still congested but I can at least breathe and it's slowly improving. But since I can't smell anything, that means I also can't really taste anything. So it's kinda weird, but i'm still eating, just can't really enjoy food like usual. Sleeping way better now, only woke up twice last night from dry mouth. Energy level is good, about 90%. I can tell if i do too much i need to rest though, I cleaned the house and that wiped me out! Or maybe i'm just a wimp and out of shape. Either way, i'm going to rest a lot all week long.

Still very happy with the results, my chipmunk cheeks are nearly gone, and bruising is all yellow now. I think it'll be completely gone in a few days.

Recovery: 6 Days Post-Op, Cast Removal!! (photos)

Today is a very exciting day! I went in for my 11am appointment to get the cast off, and stitches under my nose removed. It was a quick appointment, and i'm so thrilled with the results!

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.

Recovery: 5 Days Post-Op (photos)

Woke up and swelling has improved a lot. Still have chipmunk cheeks but they continue to move lower and lower. Bruising is turning yellow, some red around my eyes but looking much better. The best news of all, is that I finally can breathe out of my nose!!! It's just the tiniest little airway you can imagine, but for me mentally it makes a huge difference. This is the one thing i've been waiting for since surgery day. I've started using saline spray and keep putting lots of vaseline in the nostrils to keep it moist. I'm still major congested, but at least i have a tiny airway that i can breathe through, it makes things much better and probably won't need valium except at night now.

Here I am today, you can see my lower half of my face is still wider than usual and swollen, and i look like i have jaundice from the yellow bruising, but overall not too bad!


Went out in public to the drugstore today for the first time in 6 days. It's weird because i'm still moving kind of slow, and it feels like everyone is going SO fast. But it was good to get some fresh air and get out of the condo.

I obviously can't smell or anything, but my appetite is slowly coming back. Though i know i need to eat more. Staying on the Tylenol, just to help with the very light headache, and so far no valium today. I can see why people like valium though, it makes you feel really really really good. I'm going to try to wait until after dinner to take one so I can sleep well tonight.

I'm really excited right now because tomorrow is my 1 week post-op appt where they remove the nost cast, and i get to see my new "hump-less" nose! I still feel like i have my old nose since I can't see anything but swelling and a white cast. I'm prepared to see a very wide Neanderthal looking swollen nose from the front, but the profile should look pretty good, and the very least straight nose without a big ugly hump. Then i'll know it's for real, i still can't imagine looking in the mirror to see the hump is gone. Now i'm trying to find a good movie to watch tonight.

Recovery: 4 Days Post-Op (photos)

Today Chipmunk cheesks have moved down, so even more chipmunk like. But the swelling between my eyes is much better and bruising is getting lighter. I still can't breathe thru the nose at all. It's my nemesis! I guess my body just takes longer for the nose swelling to go down. At night i can use Afrin which helps but doc says not to use it more than 4 days otherwise it gets addicting. Here I am today, my face shape is weird and wide at the bottom, funny eh?
Starting to get an appetite, but nothing sound or tastes that good. Sticking to pudding, ice cream and cream o wheat for now. My energy is a lot better, but i still am moving pretty slowly. Talking better according to my hubby and mom, they said they can understand me better now, i guess i was sluring before like when you are drunk, haha.

Today is Saturday, on monday i get to have the cast and everything removed! I'm so excited for monday. just need to make it thru two more nights, and i pray (even though i'm not religious) that my congestion starts to improve. It's my biggest challenge through all of this. Trying to find more movies to watch, but it's getting harder to find good ones. catching up a lot on trashy daytime tv.

Recovery: 3 Days Post-Op (photos)

Can you say Chipmunk Cheeks?!?

Today woke up and swelling in the eyes is much improved. Still a little puffy, but better. The swelling now has moved down to my cheeks. I have chipmunk cheeks! it's kinda weird and i look funny and strange, but glad the swelling is slowing getting better. Here i am Day 4 looking like a little kid or a big chipmunk:


Nose is still totally congested 100%. It's got to get better soon, please oh please! i hope today is the worst, and that tomorrow it gets better. Getting more of an appetite, but mostly for ice cream, pudding, and cream of wheat, and mashed potatoes. The thought of anything else is not appealing. Just resting and watching more daytime tv. Pain is pretty much non-existent, just a very very minor headache. Still taking valium to help with anxiety until I can breathe thru the nose.

Finally took a shower, which felt good after 3 days, being very careful not to get the nose cast wet. Still kinda slow and sloppy, keep dropping things and talking slow, but feeling good. Stuffiness has not gone down, i pray that tomorrow it gets better. Time for some mindless tv and ice cream again. Hoping i can sleep well tonight.

Recovery: 2 Days Post-Op (photos)

Woke up and was major puffy in the eyes and cheeks, but still minimal bruising which made me happy. Also good news the dripping bloody goop has stopped. Now it's just clear stuff dripping out sometimes. Here I am on Day 3:


I continued to iced all morning, then took a 3 hour nap waking up with the dryest mouth and throat in the world. But the nap felt really good. By afternoon the swelling went down a tiny bit, and still no pain. Very cool that there is not any pain!

Still taking Tylenol though, just because I can. Not much appetite, and drinking water like crazy, polishing off several big bottles of water a day. The congestion has reach 100%, cannot breathe at all out the nose, it's maddening but the doc says by tomorrow it should slowly start improving. I'm praying that this is the peak, and it will go down from here. Going to keep icing today in hope to reduce the swelling more. I need to be able to breathe out the nose so badly!

Otherwise, my energy level is better, feels like i'm just really tired and have a cold, and need lots of rest, but don't feel too bad. When i get up I do need to walk slow, also i'm paranoid about bumping the nose, so It's best to be stationary watching TV or taking a nap.

By night time the puffyness in the eyes has gone down a tiny bit. Time to try and sleep. Pop valium and can sleep, waking up about every 1-2 hours for water, mouth is so terribly dry. But getting a better sleep than before, yay!

Recovery: 1 Day Post-Op (photos)

Apparently days 2 & 3 are the worst days. My congestion is much worse, nose is nearly completely stuffed. Called the doc to get a refill on valium because i'm starting to have freak out panic attacks from not being able to breath. Doc said i can use the Afrin nose spray they gave me, but use it very sparingly. I tried one spray in each nostril and it relieves congestion a tiny bit, enough to not freak out.

Today I also get some more bruising and swelling, but it's not as bad as I expected. I have really puffy eyes, lots of swelling between the eyes, and upper cheeks. Here's a photo from day 2 (with hubby in the background, haha). But as you can see bruising is minimal, hooray!

Going to try to take a nap, and stay on the Tylenol + Valium routine, seems to work for me. I wish i can blow my nose so bad, but i have to wait for 2 weeks. Instead they told me to clean it out if i feel like i need to blow my nose. I end up cleaning it out a LOT. Not much appetite. Physically i feel good, pretty exhausted, but able to get around ok, just very slowly. I just wish i can sleep more than 15 minutes at a time. Luckily my mom is here to help, and hubby is taking care of our little toddler Luna, who seems unphased by the stuff on my nose, it's cute.

I'm really hoping that day 3 tomorrow starts to get better. It's the congestion that is driving me insane.

Surgery Day (photos)

Surgery Day

Slept pretty well, and up at 6am. Super nervous, popped another valium. My appointment was at 8:30am, we got there a few minutes early and they were all ready for me. They had me take off my shirt, kept everything else on, and put on the softest robe i've even felt in my life, i didn't want to give that up! Went into the operating room, and lay down on the table. She inserted the IV, asked me about my sweet Luna, what I do for work, and that's the last thing i remember.

Next thing I know someone is talking to me waking me up. I don't remember anything she said except for "there was very minimal bruising". What a great thing to hear right out of surgery! Apparently I asked her the same question 4 times... "How far to put the q-tip in to clean my nose?". I don't remember any of that, don't remember seeing my hubby, don't remember getting in the car or driving home. Suddenly I was at home in bed.

Recovery: Day 1

We are home in a flash (it's a 20-30 minute drive), and I'm in bed feeling pretty good. So good that i get up to walk around and watch TV, check email, chit chat with my hubby and mom. Took percocet and antibiotic, not much appetite, and my face looks remarkably normal, here's a pic of me an hour after surgery:

I started icing immediately alternating sides so i could watch tv. After 4 hours, take 2 percocet, and here's where things go south. Feeling extremely nauseous, and feeling lots of anxiety and panic. Tried to sleep and it's impossible. Mouth breathing sucks and woke me up every time i was about to fall asleep.

Feeling really nauseous from the Percocet, and eventually I vomit like the exorcist... over and over and over. BUT i feel much better after that. So I ate some cream o wheat and bagel, then switched to Tylenol extra strength and a valium. I like the valium a lot, it really helps panic attacks and anxiety. I can see why people get hooked!

Surprisingly the pain is very minimal. It's like a dull headache in your head, and your nose, but it doesn't hurt one bit. I probably don't even need the Tylenol, but i'm taking is just in case. What i need more than anything is valium to prevent panic attacks. I don't do well with total congestion and loss of control. Finally fall alseep at 4am and wake up at 6:30am.

Days Before Surgery

After my consultation with Dr Naficy, I was convinced I wanted to go ahead. So I made the appointment, figured out how to pay, and started preparing mentally. Leading up to the surgery I was really excited and couldn't wait... until the 2 days before. Then I went through all the classic emotions of doubt, being scared of the surgery and recovery, worried about how my body will react. I wasn't at all concerned about the result, I trusted Dr. Naficy 100%. But i don't do well with meds, or loss of control (for example I freaked out during my 27 hour labor with the epidural that numbed my whole body). But then every time i looked in the mirror, or my reflection in the car window, i saw that awful hump, and desperately wanted it gone. I had to suck it up, and just be brave and go through with it.

The Night Before

Freaking out, time to take a valium, and boy that does the trick. Packed my bag with the drugs and papers they gave me. Took out all my supplies, and took care of emails and work. Went to bed at 10pm, feeling super anxious now.

Decided to Get Rid of the Hump! (simulation pics)

I thought i'd document my rhinoplasty journey. I found when i was researching and deciding if I wanted to get the procedure done, it helped so much to read what other people went though, and also helped me prepare myself for the reality of recovery. So here we go!

Why did I do it?

I've had this ugly hump on my nose since college, and I swear it's gotten larger as I've grown older, and especially after my daughter was born. It could all be in my head, by it really has gotten more pronounced the past few years. I've been considering doing this for about 5 years, and the for 6 months before surgery have been more serious about it, and reseraching every day. I decided it's something I need to fix. Every time i pass a mirror i look at my bumpy nose and image how much better it would look without the bump. I know it's very vain thing, but i know it will boost my self-esteem and make me a little bit happier. Plus i'm young enough (34) that i have a long way to go with this nose, so it's time to fix it!

Picking a Doctor

I reserched obsessively for about 3 months, looked at all the plastic surgeons in the area. One thing i learned is that you need to find a specialist in rhinoplasty for the best results. Look for a doctor that only does faces. Do not go to a general surgeon. This is really obvious when you look at each doctors before & after photos. I knew without a doubt that Dr. Naficy was above and beyond the best for rhinoplasty, it seemed to be his specialty and he even wrote a book that is used in UW medical school for rhinoplasty procedures. His work looks so natural and not over-done. I found out this also meant the cost was significantly more, but this is not something I was going to save money on! Let me tell you, it is worth every penny.

Here are the pics taken at my consultation before, humpy nose, and the simulation of what my nose will look like after:

BEFORE MY UGLY HUMP:

SIMULATION DONE BY DR. NAFICY OF NEW NOSE: