"Choosing the correct plastic surgeon is the one factor that a patient must get right when considering having a rhinoplasty," stresses Breslow. Therefore, doing your research is imperative.
YOUR CONSULTATION IS IMPORTANT
Bringing your plastic surgeon reference photos is not just something you see on TV. Little did I know (oops!), you should really come into a rhinoplasty consultation with an idea of what you want your ~future~ nose to look like. If you voice the changes that you want, it will make your doctor’s life much easier. Plus, you’re more likely to have a better end result—one that you’re actually happy with. Luckily, my doctor was able to give recommendations and guide me through the process. I wanted to still feel like myself, so instead of modeling my nose after someone else’s, we used a computer model to make small adjustments to my “problem” areas. Besides straightening the interior deviation of my nose, we decided to 1) fix the bump on the bridge of my nose, 2) bring the tip of the nose up a little, and 3) even out the nostrils to make my nose more symmetrical as a whole.
THE PAIN REALLY ISN’T THAT BAD
Weirdly enough, the most painful memories I have from my surgery are getting the IV inserted pre-op and getting my stitches plucked out post-op. This probably has to do with the fact that I was under anesthesia for the almost three-hour-long procedure and then on hardcore prescription painkillers afterward. With all of the medication I was given post-op, my pain ended up feeling duller than expected. So although my face looked like I had gone to hell and back, there wasn’t any intense suffering. The main issues were extreme weakness and sleepiness as a side effect from the drugs I was taking. For the first few days, I was so weak that I couldn’t walk or go to the bathroom without assistance. I had to constantly ice my face so that the bruises and swelling went away, and I couldn’t eat solid foods for a while. I was forced to sleep on my back with my head elevated at night, which was very uncomfortable. I also had crazy dreams and was groggy for most of the day.
THE Rhinoplasty RECOVERY PROCESS IS SHORTER THAN YOU THINK
As this was one of my first major surgeries (the other was getting my wisdom teeth removed), I was a complete wreck beforehand. After heavily researching and staying up late at night watching YouTube videos, I figured that my recovery would take about three weeks. I was pleasantly surprised when my bruises disappeared about six days later. Two days later I had my stitches and the splint on my nose removed and finally looked like a normal human again. My face was still slightly swollen, and my nose was tender with visible marks from where the stitches were removed, but none of that was a major hindrance. However, most people don’t realize that your nose takes up to a whole year to strengthen and re-form after surgery. According to my doctor, I was not allowed to do any physical exercise for a few weeks and needed to avoid all contact sports (that was a no-duh, thanks to Clueless). I couldn’t blow my nose (unless I blew it one nostril at a time), had to refrain from wearing glasses, and had to make sure I wasn’t slipping and falling on the icy winter streets of New York. Any blunt force could cause some serious damage, as the nose is still sensitive and flexible. To retain the new shape of my nose, being especially careful was a must.
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