I am seriously losing my mind over these damn hematomas 😢! Look, the swelling on my nose is one thing—honestly, I can live with that, and I’m fine with my face looking a bit wonky for now—but how on earth am I supposed to hide this disgusting purple bruising? Is there even a way? My breathing is perfect, I feel healthy, and I've got plenty of energy to get back to my life, but walking around looking like a bruised blueberry is driving me insane. If I have to stay isolated because of this, I’m actually going to lose it 🙂
Me 🙂 And I made a conscious effort to stay off the forums for a few days, just trying my absolute best to stay out of that whole mess 🙂 Maybe that’s why I hit such a massive wall that night after the surgery—it was like this sudden, jarring realization 😉, but hey, at least it didn't last too long
So, I’ve got everything lined up with Dr. Munitić... surgery is this Saturday.. He explained everything so clearly.. both him and his surgical assistant...
Now we just wait and see how it goes.. I'll let you guys know if I make it out alive.. 😉) I haven't slept properly in days... and ughhh, nobody ever talks about what happens right before the actual surgery starts.. the prep and all that... Your mind can play tricks on you, but mine? Mine is clearly just looking for trouble.. aaaaaaa 🙂) I'm dreaming about that nose.. or rather, I'm having literal nightmares.. aaaaa
Crazy 😁
People say you need to brace yourself for the "big stuff," but honestly, they don't give enough weight to the mental game. That's actually the easiest part! You shouldn't really stress about the prep, the surgery itself, or even the immediate aftermath. What actually sucks is the grind afterward—dealing with the packing, the bruising, and for me, the absolute terror of having the splint removed because I had no idea what kind of mess I was going to see or if I'd actually like the result. I stayed up all night right before they took the cast off, and those four days dealing with those gross nasal packs were brutal. But hey, it's not the end of the world; it passes. It's been 10 days since my procedure now and I am stoked because everything turned out perfect. Honestly, I'd go through the whole thing again just for these results. The surgery itself is over in a blink and, seriously, it doesn't even hurt that much.
Sarah White79 said:I finally got my cast off this morning, but honestly? I’m nowhere near as happy about it as you are... I knew there'd be swelling, but man, this is next level. I don't even recognize myself right now; my face is just a swollen mess. So, let me ask you—when did they tell you you'd actually start looking like a human again? And what was the deal with the nose "cleaning"? They told me basically to leave it alone and just dab at it, but I have to actually exist in the real world—walking to class, going to work... I can't exactly wander around with stuff leaking out of my nose. These scabs are absolutely gross, but since I've got stitches inside, I'm terrified to touch anything for fear of messing up the whole thing. It's pretty terrifying, so if you were given any tips on how to clean things up enough to actually function in public, please let me know... 😢
If it makes you feel any better, I look like a total wreck too. Between the swelling, the puffiness, the dark circles under my eyes, and a nasal bridge so wide it's basically squished my eyes shut, I'm a disaster. But hey, I'm staying positive because I can already see that the nose itself looks amazing.
goldencobra92 is absolute perfection!!!! 🙂 But honestly? I’m on a completely different wavelength right now. I can’t stop staring at myself in the mirror—my profile looks incredible, but my face is currently a disaster zone of hematomas and swelling, especially around the base and tip. I just have to be patient and wait for the dust to settle to see the final results, though even now, the nose itself looks clearly amazing. I really think people are going to notice the difference; I look like a totally different person. Man, you wouldn't believe how much anxiety I went through, but hey, looking at this, it was totally worth it. Now, it's a mad dash to CVS to grab the strongest concealer possible and start the war against this purple bruising...
So, I’m taking the cast off tomorrow, and honestly? I’m spiraling a little tonight. Just hit by this massive wave of depression and pure anxiety. I don't even know if I’ll be able to look myself in the mirror immediately after... after reading all those horror stories on here, I have zero clue what to expect 😢. And yeah, my bruises are still hanging around, looking absolutely massive. Ever since they pulled the packing out, I’ve been rinsing my nose with saline and a syringe constantly. Breathing is totally fine, but what is up with this smell coming from my nose? Is that normal? It’s not like anything is draining or blocked, but there's definitely an odor. I’m going to ask my doctor tomorrow about maybe needing some antibiotic drops—who knows what kind of bacteria is festering in there, maybe that’s the culprit. Anyone else dealing with this?
Drew Perez11 said:I don't know... my cast looks like a pretty standard size to me, but hey, what do I know, right? 😉 I was actually supposed to get my tampons out today, but my doctor wasn't around, so they told me I'd have to wait until tomorrow.. 🙂 If you really want to see, I can send over a photo of how mine looks right now.. 🙂
Honestly, you look great! Man, look at me—I’ve got these massive purple bags under my eyes, it’s a total disaster compared to you 😢. I noticed they were putting patches on your upper and lower eyelids at the start, but they didn't do that for me; maybe that's why my bruising just kept spreading forever .
Oh yeah, for anyone wondering, getting the tampons out was actually pretty painless. It’s a weird, uncomfortable sensation, sure, but honestly? Not worth making a big deal about... and it's over before you know it. Plus, I finally feel like I can breathe again now that my nose isn't completely blocked! 🙂
Drew Perez11 said:I don't know... my cast feels like a totally normal size to me, but hey, what do I know? 😉 I was supposed to get my tampons removed today too, but my doctor wasn't in, so they told me to just wait until tomorrow. 🙂 If you want, I can send you a photo of how mine looks right now... 🙂
Send it over! 🙂 Man, I would have absolutely lost my mind if I hadn't gotten mine out today. I was literally counting down the minutes.
Tampons are finally out, and honestly, the relief is unreal 🙂... I’ve spent the entire day actually breathing through my nose without feeling like my sinuses are being crushed. Fingers crossed I can finally get some decent sleep tonight. And yeah, looking at myself, things look pretty swollen too—I’m low-key terrified of what the results are going to look like once this cast comes off, especially after reading all the horror stories on here. But right now? The Hematoma is what’s killing me. I don't even recognize myself in the mirror. I’m supposed to be back on my feet and functional in just a few days, but let’s be real... I have no idea how this much bruising is just going to vanish overnight.
velvetmoose9 said:The part in bold right there? That’s the absolute crux of the issue. Just picture the rivers across America lately—that sudden snowmelt from the last few weeks combined with the torrential downpours we've had over the past couple of days. Total flooding. It's especially risky if you're prone to Hematomas. Honestly, once you get settled, it would be a smart move to touch base with your primary doctor about this. They can figure out if you actually need to go see an internist or a hematologist (sometimes people even ask transfusion specialists for their take). It's not an emergency, so don't freak out 😉 By the way, when you take Aspirin, have you ever noticed that even a tiny, insignificant bump causes an insanely huge bruise to pop up?
I don't really take much Aspirin, but I haven't noticed any link between medication and my bruising, mostly because I don't take them that often anyway. For the most part, I've always just chalked it up to genetics or maybe just the structure of my tissue—like, my blood vessel walls just seem to give way easily. My blood work comes back fine, at least the basic stuff related to clotting.
velvetmoose9 said:Hematoma exists for a reason; it has its own logic and timing. If a doctor hasn't explicitly told you to use heparin gel or cream after reviewing your medical records and clinical status—ideally the surgeon who did the work, or at least someone in the same field—using it could actually backfire. It’s not exactly rare to see people taking matters into their own hands and smearing heparin products all over their face after nose surgery, only to have their entire nose swell up way too fast and too hard, leading to a frantic scramble to save the nose from collapsing (trust me, gangrene isn't exactly a fun time). So, look, if the tip of your nose (or the nose itself) starts hurting intensely, throbbing, or pulsing, and feels significantly hotter than it was before, those can be red flags that you need an urgent consultation with your surgeon or an ENT... Bottom line: post-op heparin should ONLY & EXCLUSIVELY be used after consulting with a doctor.
Thanks so much for the reply. I wasn't going overboard with the application; I only did it twice a day in a thin layer without rubbing it in aggressively. I didn't even get near my eye—just the very bottom of the under-eye area, a tiny spot where the bruising is actually darkest, nowhere near the nose. I really hope I haven't caused any major damage; the swelling has stopped spreading, but the color is just a disaster right now and I don't know how to help myself. I know time heals everything, but since I'm naturally prone to hematomas that linger forever, I'm a little worried about how long this is going to last. I hope your advice serves as a warning to others. Thanks again.
Honestly, I’ll eat pretty much anything, as long as I chop it up small enough so I don't have to go through the whole ordeal of heavy chewing. The only thing I’m really missing is actually being able to smell the food.🙂
Alright, so today marks day four for me, and I’m planning to pull the tampon out tomorrow. Honestly, I was freaking out about the damn thing because I feel like I can't even breathe through my mouth. Seriously, that’s become my absolute biggest struggle right now. On the first day, I had a total mental breakdown—I genuinely thought I wasn't going to make it and I almost just ripped everything out myself. I was right on the edge, no joke. That first day is the absolute worst, but somehow, I managed to get used to it. I’ve been slamming water all day just to keep my mouth from feeling like a desert. I never actually thought a human being could adapt to this, but hey, here I am, and it's getting a little easier. Nights are still a bit rough, though—waking up constantly because of the dry mouth—but during the day, it’s manageable enough to actually live life. Right now, though, I’m struggling with these Hematomas; I’ve been slathering on heparin gel, but they just seem to be getting more prominent and larger
And look, I didn't have any ear pressure at all, and I don't see any reason why my throat should be swollen either—it's just dry, that's all. And what do you mean gas in the stomach?! I haven't had any nausea whatsoever. In fact, the only real issues I'm dealing with are the tampons, the Hematomas, and a dull ache in that specific part of my head
Donna Johnson16 said:Yeah, specifically for the skin right around the eyes.
Look, tissue needs actual time to recover from trauma—you can't just fast-track biology, you know? Messing around too much with the under-eye area can actually pop capillaries and end up doing way more damage than any good it might do.
...
Is there anything at all that actually helps? Like, maybe cold compresses?
Hey, I need some advice from the pros here—what’s the best way to deal with a Hematoma around the eyes? What actually works to get rid of them, and how much longer am I going to be looking like a bruised mess? It’s currently day 4 since my surgery
I can't exactly go poking around because I've got a tampon in, and honestly, it's only day three. Ugh, I would give anything just to be able to use a bidet or something. I'm still stuck in the "bloody" phase—nothing has turned yellow or green yet 🙂