Posts by Taylor Miller10

Who performed your surgery? Was it a private specialist or through your insurance provider? Thanks.

Look, I didn't go to some random private clinic for my nose job; I had the procedure done at Mercury under Dr. MacArthur...

Hello everyone.
Well, I suppose it’s time for me to weigh in after all this time.
Those of you who have been following this forum know exactly what kind of hell I've been through, both during and after my surgery.
It has been one year and four months since the procedure.
I underwent septorhinoplasty.
Because of chronic sinus infections, I originally sought surgery for functional reasons, but I let the surgeon talk me into a little "aesthetic enhancement" as well—which ended up completely disfiguring my nose.
My primary care physician actually told me I look like I just stepped out of a boxing match.
So, yes, you can imagine exactly how I look right now. 😢
A month ago, I went to the Mayo Clinic to get a second opinion and to potentially discuss a corrective procedure.
I have to say, the doctor there, carić, was incredibly kind. He told me that regarding the septoplasty, he would perform it immediately because the first surgeon didn't fix the underlying issue at all. However, when it came to the cosmetic reconstruction, he flatly refused; he won't touch work that someone else has already botched, and he confirmed that my appearance has indeed been ruined.
I showed him my before photos, and then he looked at me...
And now, I am truly at a loss.
I can't even look at myself in the mirror. My self-confidence is nonexistent... I feel ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE.
I don't have the funds for private specialists because I've recently lost my job.
I feel like I want to crawl out of my own skin because of how reckless I was; I foolishly trusted a doctor who promised me I would be even happier with my nose.
Looking back at my old photos, my nose was actually perfect compared to what I have now! 😢(((((

Please, if anyone knows a surgeon willing to perform corrective work covered by insurance, let me know...
I am beyond desperate. I even entered that giveaway for plastic nose surgery, and I didn't win.😢
I will pay handsomely! 😢((((((

Greetings, everyone! 🙂
It has been a very long time since my last update.
By November, it will mark exactly one year since my surgery.
For those of you who have been following my journey, you already know the absolute nightmare I’ve endured both during and after this procedure.
(I have no desire to recount the whole ordeal, so if anyone is curious about the specifics, please just go back and read my previous posts.)
The bottom line is this: I kept hoping that, with enough time, my nose would settle and look better. It did NOT.
When I compare my old photos to how I look now, it isn't just a case of a surgeon doing a catastrophic job—it is an utter disaster!
I used to be unhappy because my nose was fleshy and wide, but now, on top of being shorter, it looks like a "boxer's nose."
To make matters worse, he tilted it, leaving me with a "charming" indentation deep enough to fit a fingertip into.
I have told myself a thousand times: why on earth did I ever agree to this?
I didn't have the budget at the time (and honestly, I don't have it now since I lost my job in the meantime), so I went to Mercury. There, I was treated like nothing more than a product on a conveyor belt.
And just like that, I ended up as defective merchandise.
So, there it is... just a little venting.

Anyway, Betty Edwards22, I am asking you: could you please recommend a specialist I should see for a consultation at a major hospital to get a professional opinion on this catastrophe and whether a revision is even possible?
As for the revision itself, I am terrified of the potential consequences, yet at the same time, I can't bear to look at myself in the mirror like this. 😢((

Thank you so much for any help. To the rest of you, I strongly urge you to do your research thoroughly before you let anyone touch you with a scalpel!

GOOD LUCK!

Hello everyone.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted.
To be honest, I was too incredibly disappointed to even bother showing up here. 😢

Anyone who follows my posts knows I recently underwent surgery, and let me tell you, the whole thing has been an absolute disaster.
I went in for a follow-up, but predictably, my surgeon wasn't there, and the other doctor refused to step up and help his colleague.

My nose is crooked now—it definitely wasn't before. It looks wider than it ever was, it's incredibly hard, and one side is noticeably thicker than the other.
On that thicker side, I can feel an internal lump that wasn't there previously, and it's extremely uncomfortable.
The specialist claims it's just a polyp, which sent my primary care physician into a frenzy; he argued that if it actually is a polyp, they could only have pushed it inside my nose using instruments.

I've been on a course of dexamethasone injections for nearly 20 days because I ended up looking like a heavyweight boxer.
At the check-up, the doctor insisted everything still needs time to "settle," but my GP insists that by this stage, my nose should already look perfect.

If I had known this would happen, I NEVER would have gone through with this surgery!!!!
!
When I see my actual surgeon at the next appointment, I am going to make quite a scene.

I truly did not expect my nose to look worse after surgery than it did before!

It looks thicker, wider, and completely asymmetrical... 😢((((((((((((

redcrane59 said:It’s people like this—I'm actually prepping for nose surgery again... for the second time...

I had a hump and a pretty large nose, plus a massive deviation to one side, so I went to the Mayo Clinic. The doctor promised he'd fix everything. I specifically asked if he could get rid of the hump, and he said, "Sure, no problem." Well, he ended up giving me a brutal saddle nose right in the middle. My nose is still crooked. It doesn't look terrible from certain angles, but when you take a photo from the front... pffft... it looks like someone hit me with a scraper. Honestly, I feel like going back to the Mayo Clinic just to start a protest line...

So, here I am, hunting for a new surgeon :-D looking at options... it can't get any worse than this :-)

Welcome to the club! 😢
They made those empty promises to me, too...
And then lied after the surgery, claiming they narrowed the nose and straightened the bone.
I have my follow-up tomorrow—it's been a month since the surgery, and I'm going to give him hell!

Yeah, he smoothed out some of the side bone protrusions for me, but now the hump is bigger than it ever was and my nose is completely slanted!!!!
It wasn't even slanted before; it was straight.

On top of giving me a crooked nose, they gave me way too much anesthesia. I ended up on injections, developed anemia, and now I have to take iron supplements because of abnormally high blood pressure and impossible bleeding during the procedure.

My doctor explained that they definitely overdosed me on the anesthesia, and he was absolutely livid with them!
When I confronted them, they just played dumb!

And yeah... the surgery was at the local hospital.

ADVICE: Do NOT go there under any circumstances!!!!

Amy Bailey4 said:Hey everyone,
I have a question regarding nose surgery performed for medical reasons...
If someone undergoes surgery because they've been struggling with breathing issues for a long time, does that procedure also include shaving down the nasal bone (the bumps)? In other words, do they straighten the bone if there are protrusions?

It’s included, but you have to make it VERY clear that you want it done.
They’ll perform the procedure, but then they’ll just write down in your records that they straightened it because you had a fracture.

Jamie Fowler26 said:People have absolutely lost their minds.🙂 I pulled out a piece of dried morel mushroom, and now there’s a literal hole in my septum. When I plug one nostril, air just flows straight through the other.🙂

Stop pulling at those wrinkles! You can just dissolve them away with some saline solution.

That’s complete nonsense. Honestly, I think you’re just talking out of your ass.
It’s been exactly a month since my surgery, and honestly, this sensation is just as bizarre as it was on day one. It feels like there's some strange current running through the air around me, and to make matters worse, the pain is actually more intense now than it was immediately following the procedure.
That’s great news, Doctor. It looks like it's finally healing up.

By the way, I am completely dissatisfied...
They've gone behind our backs and pulled a fast one on us.
I have my follow-up appointment at the Mayo Clinic tomorrow, so they’re finally going to have to listen to me!

Hey there!

It’s been exactly 15 days since my surgery... and 8 days since they took the cast off.
My nose looks a bit different now, and honestly, I wouldn't go so far as to say it looks better.
I thought it might look a little narrower, but it hasn't really changed.
The tip seems slightly upturned too, which I’m really not liking... does it eventually settle back down?
Plus, the base feels wide or maybe just swollen; I can't quite tell myself.
Please, can anyone tell me if this is the final result or if the swelling is still going to subside?
How long did it take for you all to see real results?

Also, there's a small bump that's still visible when looking at my right profile—something I definitely didn't have before.

And I'm still struggling to breathe properly through my nose... like, fully.

THANK YOU for the replies....

Rachel Martinez94 said:I went for a consultation with Tončić yesterday, feeling so optimistic. I honestly thought, "Finally, I can fix this nose of mine." But they don't think I actually need surgery.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/16/nosicz.jpg/

They don't think so? 😢

Oh, they couldn't be more wrong. ;(
They told me they were worried about whether I'd actually be happy with the outcome, since they'd only be making minimal corrections that wouldn't even be noticeable in the end. They also mentioned the risks are just too high. So I argued that I just want a smaller nose in general, even if it might not sit perfectly on my face—since the one I have now doesn't fit perfectly either.

What do you all think? Should I go get a second opinion? 😢

Lily!

Don't do it—your nose is absolutely beautiful and perfectly proportioned.🙂

You're just overthinking it; they gave you sound advice. You'll just be putting yourself through unnecessary surgery for nothing.
Honestly, plenty of people would kill for a nose like yours! 😍

Man...

Thanks to everyone for the kind words...

The swelling has gone down a bit.
Honestly, I think my issue is just having naturally "thick" skin on my nose. 😢
But I swear, looking at it now, it actually looks more prominent than before; it’s like the sides were filed down (creating two little bumps), but they didn't touch the one on the top at all.
And it's still leaning to one side...😲 😢 😢

At least I CAN BREATHE!

I just really hope that once the swelling finally subsides, if nothing else, it doesn't look worse than it did originally.

When I go in for my follow-up, I am going to tell the doctor absolutely everything—from how dissatisfied I am with the initial consultation to the surgery itself, and all those blunt, useless answers I got.
Regardless of whether I went through my primary insurance or paid out of pocket, I have a right to be treated fairly.
I mean, I'm paying for this through my health insurance AND my supplemental coverage!!!!

It's not like I'm asking to be treated like royalty; I just want to be treated like a human being....

Ugh... I know I'm being a nuisance to God, the devil, and all of you...😕

I try to avoid mirrors, but I can't help myself..
And every single time I catch a glimpse, I see this damn swollen nose!!!! 😢 😢 😢 😢 😢
It definitely wasn't like this before...
Even when I had the cast on, it already looked crooked to me...
Is it actually going to slim down any further????
Because if it stays like this, I might as well embrace the nickname Miss Piggy..............

I just woke up... the swelling has gone down a bit...
My nose looks like an absolute disaster; it actually looks worse than it did before, and what’s even more infuriating is that the hump on my nose looks BIGGER than it was previously.
Basically, this is a total CATASTROPHE, and I am honestly sitting here wondering what on earth the surgeon actually did during the procedure????!!!!!!
He was supposed to reshape the nasal pyramid and narrow the bridge, but I don't see any results at all!!!!

For those of you who had your nasal hump flattened, did it actually look smooth immediately after surgery, or was it still bumpy?
HELP me out here.😕😕😕

steelangler88 said:Don't even look in the mirror right now. Seriously. I was absolutely devastated when my cast finally came off—it was a total disaster. My nose looked massive, completely disproportionate, with this weird indentation on one side and a huge bump on the other. It was a complete mess. I know exactly what you're going through; I spent an entire week just crying my eyes out over it.😲🙂
Wait, what? Is that really all you have to say? Just "but"? That’s hardly a contribution to the conversation. If you're going to challenge a point, at least have the decency to back it up with some actual substance. Don't just throw out a single word and expect everyone to jump through hoops to figure out what you meant. It's lazy, and frankly, it's a waste of everyone's time. If you want to argue, make an actual argument. Things will get better with every passing day. Even if you didn't hit the jackpot with your initial results, your nose is going to improve significantly. I consider myself incredibly lucky because my experience was actually a disaster—there were constant errors, the functionality was subpar, and my surgeon was beyond unprofessional. Yet, even with that absolute nightmare of a nose, it looked better every single day following the procedure. I know it sounds impossible, but there is no point in stressing out; you will see a massive difference from one day to the next. It’s rare to find people who are thrilled with their results immediately. Most of the time, the nose just looks heavily and asymmetrically swollen. You have to remain patient and stay optimistic. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything turns out exactly the way you wanted.🙂

Someone actually asked me about this earlier—I had my surgery over at Mount Sinai.

Thanks a million! I really appreciate it. 😛

I honestly can't put into words just how much your support means to me right now.
I’m basically in a coma right now... I am being absolutely terrible to myself!
And don't even get me started on how much I'm losing my mind here, simply because I have absolutely no idea what exactly was done!🙂

Here I am...
The cast is finally off. I asked my surgeon how everything looks, and he just gives me the usual "it's fine" routine—says there’s still swelling, but everything is supposedly on track.
Then I ask if the nose actually looks narrower, and he just nods and tells me to come back for a follow-up in a month.
When I bring up the stitches, he brushes it off, saying they’ll just dissolve on their own.
So, I go to the mirror (which took me a minute to even find), and honestly? My nose looks absolutely disastrous. It’s swollen beyond belief and looks like it’s leaning heavily to the right.
And as for those stitches? I don't see a single one, whether inside or out.
Now I’m sitting here wondering if my doctor lied to my face or if he even performed any narrowing at all! How is that even possible?!!!!!!!
I’ve been scouring the internet, and from what I can gather, if you undergo rhinoplasty for narrowing, there are supposed to be visible external stitches.

I am beyond disappointed and just completely devastated....😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

Does anyone here actually know anything about this whole damn nasal narrowing process?!!!!?

That was the entire point of this surgery for me... just to get it to look a little slimmer.......

Sophia Harris96 said:Honestly, massive respect to everyone who started this thread or is even considering jumping in. 😁

.....and if you ask me,
you should just be grateful you have a nose at all, regardless of what it looks like. 😁

Haha, you really cracked me up, though I can't even laugh out loud right now! 🤣

I wasn't actually that unhappy with my nose initially, but the more I looked into getting surgery to fix my deviated septum, the more I started obsessing over its cosmetic flaws and looking for an aesthetic fix.
I'm hoping they actually went through with it—mostly because I want to know if it was narrowed, since nobody is giving me any straight answers....

placidcobra842 said:Does anyone have a rough idea of the current wait times for rib surgery? Also, if they're already doing the septoplasty, will their surgeons be willing to perform aesthetic rhinoplasty (covered by insurance)? I’m specifically looking to have a bump removed.

From what I've heard, you might be waiting several months for rib procedures. When I went for my consultation and surgery at Mercy Hospital (Zajčeva), I was actually scheduled within just a month.

And yes, they will handle the cosmetic part, but you absolutely HAVE to insist on it!

Megan Wright39 said:Taylor Miller10, of course the swelling is going to go down... don't stress yourself out over it. Honestly, it's just too soon. You're barely even at the stage where your skin has settled back into place, let alone dealt with all that subcutaneous fluid you're still holding onto. Just relax and give it at least a few weeks. I'm telling you from personal experience.😛

Thanks, Megan Wright39! I am sincerely hoping that's the case and that once my doctor removes this cast tomorrow, my nose will actually be straight.

Plus, looking at it from the inside now that I've had the surgery, there are these bumps on my left nasal passage... I can only assume it'll all resolve itself eventually.

Well... here I am again.
Basically, after being discharged this past Friday, I started feeling terrible and ended up back in the hospital.
My blood pressure was through the roof, but of course, nobody bothered to check it again or even give me an explanation afterward.
As for the bleeding on the tampons, they just brushed it off and said it’s perfectly normal. 😕
So, yeah, I’ve been stuck here until today.
They removed the tampons today—there was a little spotting—and tomorrow I have to go back in to get my cast removed.
It feels way too soon to me, but the doctor insists it's fine.
The surgery was Wednesday, and now I'm getting the cast off tomorrow.
Do you all think that’s actually okay?
I look like Miss Piggy right now, so I am seriously praying this all settles down and I at least get a slightly narrower nose than I had before, because looking in the mirror right now is a total DISASTER!!!

I am incredibly disappointed by how slow the responses are on this forum...😢😢😢

Here I go too...

The pain has started, and it’s hitting me hard.😢
It’s everywhere—my forehead, my teeth, even my face feels like it’s being gripped in a permanent spasm.
I’m changing through pads, and they are absolutely soaked.
Is this actually normal?
I’m starting to panic a little; my surgery was just this past Wednesday, but the bleeding just won't stop...😲

Listen up, everyone!

I’m finally back home...
I had my surgery on Wednesday, but because I was bleeding quite heavily during the procedure, they wouldn't clear me for discharge early.
The staff were all a bit frantic and kept questioning me about it, especially since I don't typically have issues with bleeding.
My mother has this issue, so clearly, it's hereditary.
I ended up throwing up after the anesthesia wore off, and I felt pretty miserable.
The swelling is significant, but honestly, it DOESN'T hurt! It feels more like that dull ache you get when you accidentally clip a fingernail a little too short.
I ran a slight fever, though the nurses assured me that's perfectly normal.
To be honest, nobody gave me much information right after the surgery, but considering I'm stuck in a cast, I suppose my nasal congestion isn't helping matters.
Right before the operation, the surgeon told me in the OR that he had done everything possible, and I am sincerely hoping he's telling the truth.
I go back on Sunday to have the packing removed, but for now, I've been instructed to change the gauze pads under my nose.
Frankly, I look terrible—all I see is a massive nose stuffed with packing, and the septum seems pushed to the left. I really hope that's just due to the packing and not how things are permanently settled.
Bottom line: the surgery itself and the recovery regarding pain levels have been more than satisfactory!
And yes, I actually met Lisa Edwards!!!! 🙂)))))

Oh, one more thing...
I see people are posting about blood draining down the throat...
Yes, it happens, and it is incredibly unpleasant. To top it off, I even dealt with diarrhea while at the hospital.
I panicked a little bit (sorry for sharing this, but just in case anyone else experiences it) because the color was a dark green!
Then the nurse reassured me that it's completely normal because I swallowed some blood during the surgery, and it simply has to pass through the system.
So, there you have it.