Laura Castillo7 said:I don't know how old you guys are, but I have no clue how I'd tell my family I'm getting surgery. I'm 23 and paying for it myself, but I still know there's gonna be a fight about it. Anyone got advice on how to make this less painful? My parents are just gonna freak out, you know how old people get about this stuff.
Look, I'm 24 and I paid my own way too... my folks actually took it pretty well because they knew my nose has always been an "eyesore" (well, more like an eyesore to everyone else, haha). Anyway, just like most parents, they told me I didn't need it and that the whole process is such a headache (my mom actually had surgery for a deviated septum once), but if it's something I truly want, then go for it... though they did warn me not to stop there, like, don't end up wanting breast implants or lip fillers or whatever next... but seriously, my advice? Just tell them you've done your homework, looked into the procedure, and that it's not some huge scary thing. Maybe suggest your mom comes along to the consultation with you (mine came with me), and just explain that this is something you really, really want. Tell them it would make you happy. Like, you know it won't fundamentally change your entire life or anything, but it'll make you feel better and more confident in your own skin...
So I finally peeled off the bandages, and honestly? I feel totally weird about myself!!! Like, from the profile view, everything looks fine, but when I look at myself head-on... I don't even know... it just doesn't feel like me. It's super strange. And okay, maybe a tiny bit—just a tiny bit—but I look a little piggish. (Just to be clear, my surgeon told me the tip would drop, and one of my girlfriends actually agreed with him.)
Yeah, okay, so my upper lip isn't actually swollen, nor is the bottom one, but I seriously can't even smile normally right now—mostly because I still can't move my nose at all... I'm just not sure if it’s because of these medical tapes or if it's just gone totally numb.......can you guys even move your noses? Like, do you actually feel them, or can you even manage a normal smile??
As for the "aftercare," they just told me to rinse the inside with some cold chamomile tea using a Q-tip.......but is there any point in doing chamomile compresses on the outside too?? Is that supposed to make the swelling go down faster or something?
So I finally went in today to get the molds taken off, but they ended up putting these bandages on me for another two days, so I basically only caught a glimpse of my nose for like a split second from the front... I mean, whatever, I can still see the shape now since the bandages are stuck right onto my nose, so I guess I'm getting my fix. Anyway, I’m kind of tripping out—I really thought the tip would drop once they took the mold off, but nope. They told me they always aim to lift the tip slightly because it naturally settles down after a while... and there I am, just standing there looking like an idiot, not even asking how long "a while" actually is. The top part of my nose looks fine, but the bottom? The tip? It feels way too big and wide right now. But honestly, it’s probably just the swelling, right? Like, how long is this gonna take to go down??
lonemason10 said:It’s a little swollen, nothing crazy... it hurts if I touch it, just a bit more intense... and I have to massage it a few times a day until it hurts.. otherwise, it doesn't hurt at all. Like, my nose actually doesn't hurt one bit, zero, yet I'm constantly mentally bracing myself thinking the pain is about to hit.. but honestly, when it isn't there, it just isn't there.🙏:
I’ve got some bruising, but again, nothing major.. it passes quickly. The worst part was day 3 or 4 after the surgery; now it’s turning greenish instead of blue.
I went to a specialist in Miami, Dr. Miller, an ENT and facial surgeon, cost me 1500 bucks.. it was both cosmetic and functional because I couldn't breathe through my nose. So far, I'm beyond happy. It’ll feel weird when they take the splint off, the nose is a bit wider than how it’ll actually look, and everything is so soft, you can literally feel exactly where the bone ends and the cartilage begins.. but it looks great, it's natural, not "piggy," which I hate. Those pig noses are just awful.
Yeah, mine didn't really hurt either, which blows my mind, especially since I was totally prepping myself for agony just like you were.🙂)
As for the bruising—I don't even know if I'm too wrapped up to see them or if I actually don't have any....... I just have this tiny bruise on the inner corner of my right eye (on the eyelid) and a little yellowing under my eyes, that's literally all I can see right now........
Ugh, that sounds so gross when you say everything is soft and you can feel that transition from bone to cartilage—are you even allowed to touch it at all?? Obviously yes, since you're out here saying you want to massage it....... because I have this feeling like I won't even be allowed to tap my nose, like I'll mess something up.......
Yeah, and I think pig noses are hideous too....... I was terrified mine would look like that because right now it feels kind of pulled upward inside the splint, but they told me that's normal and it'll drop once they take the thing off—did it feel like that for you??
And hey, tell me, can you breathe normally?? They took my packing out on Friday and that day my nose was super clear and I could breathe entirely through my nose.... however, by the second day, it's getting more and more stuffed up every single day, so now I'm breathing through a combo of my mouth and nose.......
lonemason10 said:Trust me, smoking is gonna be the absolute last thing on your mind when you're hitting a sharp turn and you can't even catch your breath through your nose.🤷 So, they finally took the cast off. Honestly? It feels perfect. Everything’s looking great, though I’ve got this one super weird sensation... the cartilage is still kind of soft. You can literally feel that exact spot where the bone meets the cartilage, but I guess that’s just how it goes, right? Normal stuff, probably. Now I’m just sitting here waiting to see how things actually hold up once we get into the functional side of the surgery. Fingers crossed. 🙂
Don't even start with me about how smoking is gonna be the last thing on my mind when I'm spinning out in a car wreck. Seriously? I’ve already been there, done that, got the scars to prove it. But honestly, ever since they pulled my tampon out on Friday, I've just been sitting here spiraling and thinking way too much about these stupid cigarettes... ugh. Whatever. That’s probably a conversation for some dedicated quitting subreddit or something. Not here.
They’re taking the cast off tomorrow and I am seriously losing my mind waiting to see how this looks... like, finally. Anyway, glad you're happy with everything! So, does that mean your nose isn't super swollen? Is it actually hurting? Any bruising popping up yet? Also, which surgeon did you end up going with?
Sophia Hill22 said:jadecrane3, seriously, don't even go there. This is the perfect excuse to quit once and for all, right? I was reading on some American health site that you can smoke, technically, but they say it's a bad idea like two weeks before or after surgery So, how are you feeling about the nose job?
Yeah, I'm gonna try to quit, really. It's the perfect time, just like you said... I honestly don't know how I feel about the nose yet because they haven't taken the splint off. I guess I just have to wait until Tuesday... I'll let you guys know how it looks then...
So I finally lit up for the first time since my surgery back on Monday. I took like three drags and just put it out—honestly, it didn't even feel right, which is a huge relief to me🙂 because after having that tampon removed yesterday (literally the worst thing ever), I started craving a cigarette like crazy, but I still couldn't bring myself to do it🙂. And look, if I'm wrong, then I'm wrong, but I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that smoking actually slows down the healing process, not just for nose jobs but for any kind of surgery, right?
Laura Castillo7 said:Wait, tell me something—did you have to stop smoking for a few days before surgery? I was reading online that it messes with the anesthesia... I really don't want to kick the bucket right on the operating table...
Nah, I didn't quit for a few days beforehand...... my last cigarette was about 13 hours before they put me under....... and honestly, the anesthesia was totally fine.....
Quick question for anyone who’s gone through surgery and happens to be a smoker—how long did you wait before lighting up again?? I'm assuming smoking messes with the healing process for those nasal incisions, right? Or am I just overthinking it?
Laura Castillo7 said:Has anyone here actually gone through surgery? And seriously, does smoking have anything to do with how the surgery goes or the anesthesia part?
I’m a smoker, personally, though I haven't been touching them these last few days... so yeah, you can go into surgery even if you smoke...
Did you guys feel like you had to sneeze constantly when you had those nasal tampons and bandages in?? My nose runs all the time, and man, it is so awkward. Sometimes I just can't hold it back and I just have to sneeze...
Oh, and—about the sleeping thing—why on earth do we have to sleep on our backs?? I slept on my side last night, but like, with my head propped up high and my arm tucked under me... basically, I was trying to be careful with my nose, but I stayed on my side and actually slept pretty well, unlike the night before, because sleeping on my back is honestly the worst...
So, I paid Kincel $1,800... and now I’ve got this nagging question for anyone who’s actually gone through surgery before. Okay, so when I change my dressings, I can see the base of my nose—like where the nostrils start—and the whole bottom part looks kind of... tight? Like, the tip feels way too upturned, which was the one thing I explicitly told them I didn't want. Now I'm spiraling a bit, wondering if it's just the splint doing that. Like, once they finally take the mold off, will the tip drop down a bit naturally? What do you guys think??
So, I had my nose surgery yesterday and figured I’d hop on here to share how it actually went... it was a septorhinoplasty. I rolled into the clinic around 11:00, got changed, and they gave me some sort of sedative pill pretty much right away. Then around 2:00 PM, they came to get me and wheeled me off to the OR. They put me under anesthesia—honestly, I have zero clue when I actually passed out—and then suddenly I’m just waking up in a recovery room. And honestly? I handled it way better than I expected. I woke up around 4:30 PM and immediately knew exactly where I was and what was going on. I wasn't one of those people who wakes up totally loopy and babbling nonsense, you know? I just grabbed my phone and texted my husband right away. The nurse saw I was doing fine too, but they kept me there until 7:00 PM before letting me head home. Oh, and the pain? It doesn't even hurt that much. It's just super awkward trying to breathe through it all. I slept like crap last night, though. Every time I finally drifted off, maybe ten minutes later, I’d snap awake. Just over and over. I noticed some bruising around my eyes and eyelids, too. Probably more than what I can see since I'm wrapped up in all this bandages and stuff.
I’m totally with Blankin on this one... honestly, that's exactly what keeps me up at night. Like, her nose looks killer from the side, but when you look at her head-on? All I see are two massive nostrils—looks like a piglet. Trust me, I am definitely not trying to end up looking like that.😢(
So, I’ve finally decided to go through with nose surgery... I actually went in for a consultation with Dr. Miller today. Does anyone here have experience working with him?? Actually, wait, that’s not even what I’m really trying to ask. What I’m actually freaking out about is the aftermath. I’m terrified that once everything heals, my nose is going to look totally fake—like one of those overdone, plastic looks you see on reality TV stars from *The Real Housewives*. That is definitely NOT the vibe I'm going for. What do you guys think?? Is it possible to get that "operated on" look?
So, I started taking Cinderella birth control, and I just wrapped up my fourth pack. Honestly, I was feeling pretty proud of myself because I thought I wasn't dealing with any side effects at all🙂 but yeah, that was a total lie. Before I ever touched these pills, I didn't have a single urological or gynecological issue to my name, and now? It’s just one thing after another. First, I caught a yeast infection, but I didn't even bother treating it because it wasn't a huge deal and I was like, "I don't have time for this," thinking it would just go away on its own. And sure, it would settle down for a bit, but then—right before my period hits—boom, there they are again. Then I dealt with a bladder infection and had to take some antibiotics for that. And of course, the yeast is back. So I hit up the drugstore and grabbed some Monistat (the 3-pack with the vaginal suppositories). I've still got one left to use and I am seriously praying it actually works. Has anyone else dealt with this? Like, did it actually get rid of the damn things for good, or am I just waiting for them to crawl back? Does birth control really make you more prone to yeast infections? Am I just stuck with this crap forever as long as I'm on the pill??😕
Oops, my bad. It actually says there's sediment in the urine on the lab report. I'm totally new to this whole medical thing, so... 🙂 I gotta say, you guys really helped calm my nerves, especially since I'm not even feeling any symptoms. Even my OBGYN didn't seem super worried when she was going over the results—she just mentioned I should probably get a culture done—but I totally spiraled. I just froze up like an idiot and couldn't bring myself to ask anything else. The report shows leukocytes at 7-12. Honestly, these results feel weirdly vague, like they're giving me more qualitative vibes than actual hard numbers, whatever.
So, I went in for a urine test the other day, right? And they come back saying my white blood cell count is up, there's a little bit of bacteria, a ton of mucus, and way too many epithelial cells... honestly, I have zero clue what any of this actually means. Like, what am I even looking at here??? My regular blood work came back totally normal though...