Grace Williams19 said:I don't get it... did you actually feel anything during the surgery or not?
I'm out of the loop—was this through private insurance or at a public hospital using Medicare?
Oh my God..
Yeah, yeah, just post it so I can see what it looks like afterward.
So, look, first off, everyone here clearly knows I’m a total worrier, but today was actually different. I didn't panic because I was too busy thinking about my new nose. I woke up feeling super excited and showed up at the clinic with a smile on my face! 🙂 I went through a private specialist.
And one more thing, I really don't want to scare anyone, seriously. You guys have seen that there are thousands of people out there with a thousand different experiences! Everyone's journey is unique... so yours doesn't have to be like mine.😉
I got there and finally had my consultation with Rajko. Dinko was there too... he explained everything beautifully—what can be done, what can't, and what he's going to try. I told him it was great; honestly, the tip isn't as important to me as the hump. We worked it all out, and he told me not to worry about the hump.
Then I went into that little room, changed, lay down on the bed, and the nurse gave me an injection (in the thigh, just above the butt).
Then I moved to the operating table. I laid down and my veins started acting up, so they couldn't get the sedative in. It took four tries, and Rajko had to do it himself; usually, the nurses handle that, but they couldn't make it work. Then I started feeling a bit lightheaded and I was actually laughing.🙂
And so... then they waited and things got crazy! They were administering the anesthesia directly into the cartilage—kind of a deeper poke in each spot. It hurt so, so much. My hands were tied, and one nurse was holding my shoulders while another held my head, all while I was "dazed." Then I felt them cutting inside my nostril along the edge, but that didn't hurt at all. Then came the hammering (super uncomfortable but bearable, such an indescribable sensation 🙂) followed by the spreading (which was actually the best part of it all 😁), and it just cycled back and forth... hammer, spread, hammer, spread. And then, I have no idea what he was doing or with what (I'm curious, I'll ask him next time if I see him! I asked Dinko afterward, but he said he wasn't in the OR), but it hurt like hell. Again, they were holding me—one for the shoulders, one for the head—and of course, my hands were tied. Even though he was using some kind of thin, blunt drill, he was driving it in right at the top of the bone and making a mess; I don't know how to explain it to you, but it was awful. I know I spent the whole time thinking about when it would be over, praying I could endure it. My cap was soaked, and my eyelashes were wet from tears and crying. Then they trimmed the tip, which didn't hurt. Then a bit of repositioning the nose, which isn't pleasant and does hurt, but compared to the other part and the anesthesia, it's nothing. Then the packing and the molds—they put them in the left nostril first, then the right. A bit gross! 🙂
So, that's it. That's what I told Dinko when he came to see me afterward—that I remember everything, that it hurt incredibly much, and that the nurses had to hold me down. He just stayed silent and said, "Well, yeah—that administering the anesthesia hurts a little!" A little?! 😕
Once I was finished and they were putting the packing in, they kept commenting on how great my nose looked. Yeah, we'll see about that! 🙂 A nurse told me, "Alright, you're all set," helped me up, and walked me back to my bed. It was in a room with a curtain and two beds. They covered me up, bundled me in, and placed the dressing on my head and under the pad. I didn't sleep a wink. Maybe a tiny bit while they were switching out tools and stuff, but I don't even know how long the surgery actually took because we ended up sitting around like idiots in the waiting area just waiting for everyone to show up.
They put me in a room with that divider curtain, and there were three or four nurses in there sorting through paperwork. Each one was on her own side of the room, shouting back and forth to each other the entire time! They have private rooms, too, so I don't get why they didn't just put me in one of those. My nose was hurting so much that I simply couldn't fall asleep with all their noise. Then blood started trickling through the gaps, and I could barely manage to call someone over. She came and changed it for me. After that, I texted my dad to come pick me up immediately, and he showed up right away. As for the doctor, he just headed straight home. Not a word from him. The only person who stopped by was young Rajko Tončić, who wasn't even part of my surgery. He didn't really have anything to tell me, just that I'd probably have some bruising tomorrow or the day after.
They only gave me two pills and two gauze pads to use if the bleeding starts again.
So, that’s my experience. My conclusion? Don't bother paying for the anesthesiologist!
Personally, I am never going through an operation like this again without general anesthesia, even if I end up bleeding for three days straight, losing sleep, and feeling like garbage. The one thing I was actually afraid of turned out to be true—I ended up stitching myself up. 😁
But the worst part is over. I asked about getting the packing removed, which was supposed to be Saturday, but after thinking about it for a minute, he told me to just come in on Monday instead. 🙄
A guy was scheduled before me to have his staples removed, and he was in the room right next to mine. The doors were open, and he mentioned that I was making a scene. I don't remember it that way. Honestly, I was struggling the whole time because of the pain and talking, but I thought I was doing all that internally. Maybe I wasn't, and the nurses kept telling me, "Almost done, hang in there, just a little longer..."
I don't look too bad right now, and I don't have any massive bruising. I didn't have much today, just a tiny bit near the corner of my nose, but it was mostly hidden by the cast. Now, though, it looks like it might be spreading toward the other side this evening.
So yeah, that's the deal. These packs are annoying, and it hurts to laugh because the tape pushes them up into my nose. Plus, I'm constantly miserable because of the blood tickling inside, breathing through my mouth, and all that usual stuff.
If anyone asks if I would do it this way again, the answer is a hard NO. Only with general anesthesia next time!!
My boyfriend emailed me some pictures since they're on his computer, but he won't open one of them, so you'll just have to settle for this one for now:
If you have any questions, just ask!
