27 posts shown.
Taylor Miller10 said:Hey there!
So, it’s been exactly 15 days since the surgery... and 8 days since they took the cast off.
My nose looks a little different now, and honestly, I wouldn't go so far as to say it's better.
I thought it would turn out a bit narrower, but it really hasn't.
It feels kind of upturned too, which I'm not exactly loving... does it eventually settle down?
And the bridge area seems wide or maybe just swollen, though I can't even tell myself.
Please, tell me, is this the final look or is the swelling still going to subside?
How long did it take for you guys?
Oh, and that little bump is still there—you can only see it from my right profile, and I definitely didn't have that before.
Plus, I still can't quite take a deep breath properly... like, a full one.
THANKS so much for the replies...
Well, for that obvious swelling, you're looking at about two months, and for the whole thing to reach its permanent shape? You're talking 6 to 12 months... just stay chill and be patient. 15 days is basically nothing. There are stitches inside and everything... don't panic (seriously, all of us who've had this done!) right away. Sometimes it takes a week or two just for the scabs near the nostrils to clear up—you did just have surgery, after all! Just take it easy, things will settle where they should.🙂
I had my procedure about a month and a half ago and my nose still feels a bit wooden at the tip, hard and peeling, and it's swollen at the tip and on the sides (way less than when I started, obviously, but you can still tell there's some lingering swelling)... but yeah, slow and steady, it doesn't happen overnight.
coastalscout18 said:Does anyone happen to know what the waitlist looks like for nose surgery at Mount Sinai?
So, I went in for my consultation back at the start of October, and when I actually called to book the date, they told me they had an opening toward the end of November... so basically about two months, though I guess it really just depends on how busy things get, right?😉
stormycyclist9 said:I honestly can't wrap my head around why everyone who gets surgery at the local public hospitals ends up having such a nightmare experience, while people going to private clinics report zero pain? I know from my own experience—not during, not after, and hardly any blood either. When they pulled the tampon out, there was basically zero blood, just a tiny bit for maybe two minutes. It’s kind of ridiculous, isn't it? :S
Yeah, seriously... what surprised me most was how little blood there was when they removed the packing. My nurse just pulled the gauze right out of my nose, and all I saw was just some white mucus. 😂
It doesn't mean it's like that at every single hospital, but 99% of the stories I've heard involve a lot more pain than that. Every single time I hear about someone else's ordeal, I just thank God we chose Mayo Clinic. 😍
brightotter21 said:Lisa Edwards yeah, just driving all the way back to his office? that is like, waaaaay too far for me😢
so how long did it take for your stitches to start falling out?? like, does anyone actually know roughly how many sutures they put in a nose? I've had 4 fall out so far, which is about a month and a half post-op. I still have two threads stuck right in the corner of my nose tip that are holding on for dear life, and I can tell they'll be there for a while, plus I probably have more buried in the middle since everything from the right nostril popped out and only one little guy is left on the left side.
I could see maybe 2 or 3 stitches from the outside and felt another couple inside with my fingers... but once three weeks hit, I couldn't feel a single one left. They just vanished, honestly, I have no clue when or how. Maybe I just blew them out because I've been dealing with this cold and constantly blowing my nose? 😁
And that part that divides the nostrils—the cartilage or the septum or whatever you call it 😉—was pretty swollen at first, so I couldn't even really poke around inside to see what was going on :P but now that it's been a month, the swelling is down and everything feels totally smooth inside again.. 😍
steelangler88 said:Man, I really hope so, otherwise I might just throw myself off the table the second this itching starts up, and that definitely wouldn't be pretty. Fingers crossed.
Don't even sweat it... you know how to take care of yourself, let alone handle whatever this does... seriously, don't worry about it.🙂
So, quick question for the group—is it okay to use Afrin nasal spray? I had my surgery about three and a half weeks ago...?!?
I caught a cold and now my nose is just constantly running and stuffed up, and I can't even blow it properly without feeling weird about it :P Can I at least use some spray just to clear things out?😁
steelangler88 said:Hey, so, do they actually give you anything for calming down or getting some sleep, or what? I had this procedure on my chin way back when—they had to remove some kind of tiny stone or something.🙄 I was at the local clinic, and honestly, it wasn't even the pain that got to me—it was that sound, you know? That sickening scraping against the bone and everything just creaking... I’m not gonna lie, I pretty much lost it right there. I have zero desire to go through that again, especially since this recovery is going to drag on forever. Do they at least give you something to numb the sensation? And how do they even know you aren't going to flinch? Good grief.😲 I can already tell this whole thing is going to be a total tragicomedy...
It’s nothing like that typical local vibe you get when you're, I don't know, heading into a hospital to get some sewing done or whatever... I can't even tell you exactly what they gave me, but I do know my sister injected something into my IV around 9:30, and then I just drifted off until I woke up somewhere around noon. 🙂
So, during my first consultation, the doctor mentioned they’d give me some local anesthesia along with a little something to make sure I have total amnesia about the whole thing... honestly, if you ask me, whatever they decide to pump into you is probably worth it just to skip the memory of it all, right? 🙂
Honestly, I felt the exact same way when I was out on general anesthesia; I just drifted off and then woke up a while later like nothing happened, so there's really nothing to worry about. 😁
steelangler88 said:I am seriously dreading getting surgery under local anesthesia...!!! 😱
🙂
Can someone please just lie to me and tell me I won't see, hear, or feel a single thing? Like, convince me I won't even know where I am or what they're doing to me. Just lie to me if you have to 🙂
Look, I actually had my surgery done by Tony while I was under local anesthesia, and it was exactly like that last sentence you wrote... and I'm not even kidding.. 😁
I went into detail about the whole procedure in some of my older posts if you want to check them out... honestly, it's not as bad as it sounds! 🙂
I’m keeping an eye on it too, but honestly, my liver is giving me hell because even a tiny bit of pressure makes it ache... so yeah, looks like we'll just have to settle for a platonic relationship next month.. hahhah.. 😉))))
I’ve got something else on my mind... nobody’s really asked this yet (from what I can tell), so I guess I'll just be the first one to jump in and get specific.. 😉 after how much time passed, when did things actually start feeling like a real, normal relationship? 😁 honestly, the poor guy seems terrified of even touching me.. every single time he leans in, it’s like he thinks I’m made of glass or something, like he’s scared he might just break me if he gets too close.. 🤣
brightotter21 said:How are you guys dealing with the skin peeling on your nose after taking off the splint? 🤔
It’s been a month since my surgery and my nose is just constantly flaking, plus I'm dealing with all these blackheads. I really need to get a facial, but honestly, I'm terrified to go. If I could give her one piece of advice, it would be "don't you dare touch my nose." 🤔
When is it actually safe to touch my face without causing damage—like, when can I finally get a facial or have some acne squeezed? And more importantly, when can I stop worrying about someone accidentally bumping into my nose? (I'm asking because I'm around little kids all day, which is its own kind of chaos.)
I'm right there with you on all of that...
I actually had a run-in where my nephew accidentally bumped my nose—poor kid felt terrible because he thought he'd actually hurt me—but honestly, nothing even happened, it wasn't even a hard hit...
And I'm also wondering when these internal stitches and scabs are finally going to clear up so I can just wash my face like a normal person again.. 🤣
rustygardener172 said:Way to go, Tončić!! Your nose is seriously adorable now! It’s completely transformed your profile... in the best way possible! Your face looks so much softer and more gentle, whereas before it felt kind of harsh.
You can tell the tip is still pretty swollen, especially in that profile shot. Just imagine how it's going to look once that little "bump" finally settles down—it'll be perfection 😍
I'm totally loving it too.. 😁
yeah, the tip is definitely puffy, but even like this, my nose feels narrower than it used to be... so once all the swelling goes away, it could only get better.. 🙂
man, Rajko is the absolute best!!! 😉 😍
darkhawk10 said:wanderingcrane21, this change is honestly amazing, I’m loving it, and since everything is still so new, just imagine how good it'll look in a month once the swelling finally settles down! 😲
Also, you look so refreshed—what happened to those blue and green bruises around your eyes like someone else had? Seriously, props to you 🙂
Thanks, thanks so much.. 😍
Yeah, totally.. I can't wait for Christmas.. by then it'll be exactly two months since the surgery, so all this visible swelling should have pretty much vanished.. 😁
As for the bruising—well, obviously I used a little concealer for the photo, haha.. 🤣
But honestly, my bruising wasn't even that bad..
Day 1 (the day of the surgery)—absolutely nothing!!!!! at least when I was well-rested and feeling fresh.
Days 2 and 3—just some slightly darker brownish circles under my eyes and a tiny bit of puffiness
From Day 4 onwards—the under-eye area just turned yellow, nothing special. It'll probably be gone in another day or two. Once I put on some makeup (just a normal amount, nothing crazy), you can't even tell..
I really lucked out with the swelling and the bruising and everything, seriously, thank God! 🙂
darkhawk10 said:wanderingcrane21, I am seriously so happy for you 🙂 that hammer thing was hilarious 😁
if your nose ends up looking a little flat after this, would you mind please sending me some before and after shots? 🙂
hehe.. 😉
I can definitely send those pics over, though things will probably settle down to normal in maybe a month or two... so if you want them, just shoot me an email address where I can send the photos now, and then just imagine them being a tiny bit smaller than they are currently.. 😉
So, I figured I’d jump in and share my own take on how things went once the whole process finally started wrapping up...
Honestly, all I can say is—I'm absolutely loving this!
So, a buddy of mine was just telling me about his recent hospital stay after surgery, and honestly, it sounds like a total nightmare—he had to deal with packing for five straight days while stuck in a hospital bed, no catheter or anything to make it easier, just constant pain and popping pills every four hours on the dot... I mean, when you compare that to my own experience, it’s basically night and day, isn't it? 😁
So, I finally bit the bullet and went in for my surgery at Mayo Clinic... Dr. Tončić And honestly, I haven't regretted a single second of it. 👍
So I finally went in for my consultation—had my nose poked and prodded, told the doctor exactly what was bothering me, and he walked me through all the possible fixes. I gave them a call a few days later to get everything scheduled, and by the time the actual appointment rolled around right before the surgery, I was a complete nervous wreck, honestly. It felt less like a medical procedure and more like I was getting ready for a first date or something. 😉 So, you get this little pre-op chat with the doctor where you can lay out exactly what you’re hoping for, and he basically gives you the reality check on whether those wishes are actually doable or just wishful thinking, right?
They injected something into my vein a little later on and honestly, I can’t recall about 99% of the actual surgery. All I really remember is that weird moment when the doctor tapped me with the reflex hammer, but I couldn't even tell you how it felt—I just know it happened, nothing crazy or anything... 😁
I headed home around 2:00 PM, and honestly, I didn't feel a single bit of pain in my nose. Nothing at all. My head had been aching for those three days, but that was really just because my nose felt totally stuffed up, you know? It was that exact kind of dull ache you get when you're dealing with a nasty head cold, nothing more than that. I spent three days just keeping warm compresses on my neck, then they pulled out the packing—which wasn't exactly some groundbreaking medical procedure, let's be real. They just pulled the gauze out of my nose... though I guess if you've got the stomach for it, you could probably try to imagine what that feels like at home, if you're really curious to see what the deal is. It wasn't anything special. After that, I wore the mold for five more days, and once they finally took it off, there it was: a brand new, beautiful nose. 🙂
I’m honestly pretty stoked with how things are looking; it’s lean, firm, and tight, and since there’s still some swelling to go down, I can only imagine how much better it’s going to get... 😍
Honestly, I can't recommend Dr. Tončić enough. They handled everything perfectly—super professional, polite, and honestly way faster and easier than I expected. Huge thanks to them for making the whole thing painless. 😍
Karen Grant80 said:So, when are you actually taking that thing off? Any chance you could slide me some before and after shots in a DM?
I'm getting rid of it tomorrow, so I'll send those pics over then.. 😉
So, my profile was narrowed... but honestly, that wasn't even the main reason I went under the knife. They lifted it, slimmed it down, and reduced the profile too, so since I’m still dealing with the swelling and everything, I won't actually know what the final look is going to be until things settle down... 😁
I actually gave my hair a good wash right before the surgery, so I didn't have to touch it for three whole days while I was dealing with those tampons (mostly because I was terrified of slipping in the shower, and apparently you're supposed to keep your head tilted a certain way, blah blah blah... so yeah, I survived those three days). Now, my mom is basically giving me a salon treatment over the sink—you know, where she tilts my head down just like a stylist would—so I don't get any of the bandages wet. 🙂I am honestly counting down the minutes until I can take this mold off to see my new nose, but mostly I just want to be able to wash my hair normally again! 😁
stormycyclist9 said:Well, I guess the big day is finally here, huh? Everything’s packed and ready to go, though everything feels a little swollen right now. Before I dive into the actual recovery process, I wanted to check in with anyone here who’s already been through nose surgery. Did you get that weird sensation where your nose feels way too wide, specifically around that bridge area between your eyes? It felt pretty inflamed to me. If you did deal with that, how long did it actually take for the swelling in that spot to finally chill out? Thanks.
...
So, I just got back from having my blood drawn... what can I even say? Honestly, watching that needle go in was such a trip that I swear I was changing colors like a chameleon every few seconds, haha. But hey, everything went totally fine in the end.
So, I finally went in for those consultations... and honestly? Everything went surprisingly smooth. The doctors were actually incredibly polite, just really decent people who took the time to sit down and actually talk to me instead of rushing out the door. We even managed to get everything squared away and settled. Is it too much to ask for a seamless experience like that? It was actually pretty nice.
So, the surgery is officially on... I still have a few consultations lined up with both of them, then I just fill out the paperwork and it’s straight to the operating table, haha.
Did they seriously tie my hands back for the sedation? Haha, they were all like, "Don't worry, you'll feel a little woozy and then you'll just drift right off." I've read online that everyone supposedly passes out in like ten seconds flat, but honestly, it took me at least a full minute—maybe even longer, if we're being real. I actually found myself asking the nurse if I was definitely going to fall asleep, just kind of stressing out a bit about it, you know? 😁 lol.
I still have these random flashes from surgery coming back to me—like when Dr. Tončić was applying some kind of medicated ointment inside my nose, and then I suddenly sneezed a few times? Or that weird head twitch I had, probably just because he was working on a bone or something, though honestly, I didn't feel a thing at the time. There were a bunch of other tiny details too, but they're all slipping my mind right now. And man, do I remember waking up... just total sensory overload with ice packs everywhere, like, one on my forehead and another tucked under my neck. Hehehe. 😁 Honestly, nothing hurts quite like this, you know? My sister propped my bed up just a little bit and turned on the TV so I could finally relax, and then they showed up to come get me.
I think I might have messed up a little bit since I barely ate anything yesterday besides a tiny late-night snack.
I just spent the whole day lounging around, and honestly, there wasn't any swelling or bruising to speak of. That pressure in my head? It felt exactly like that dull ache you get when you're coming down with a common cold—nothing too intense, just that slight, nagging discomfort.
It’s actually kind of wild, but I haven't felt even a hint of pain all week. I mean, sure, there’s been a little bit of twitching in my hips here and there, but that’s really about it. So, honestly, there's absolutely nothing to worry about.
So, day two hit and I started getting some nosebleeds, probably because I wasn't keeping my head iced down enough during the procedure. By the third day, things were running a bit more frequently than I liked, which actually had me a little worried. I ended up giving the folks at the Mayo Clinic a call just to check in, but they basically told me there was nothing to stress about and that this is all pretty standard. Honestly, once they cleared me, I stopped sweating it—just tucked a little wad of Kleenex under the bandage and called it a day, haha.
Removing a tampon... I know a lot of people always talk about how uncomfortable that part is and they get all worked up about it, but honestly? I didn't feel a thing. The nurse was so smooth with it that it felt like it was over before I even realized what was happening. Once she pulled it out and everything finally had some breathing room, I swear it felt like being born all over again, haha.
Man, those days waiting to get the hardware removed were something else—just pure, unadulterated suspense. It was like a slow burn where I felt better and better every single day, just counting down the minutes. So, I finally got everything taken off this morning, and honestly? I’m pretty stoked with how things look overall. Everything feels great, except for that one spot right at the bridge of my nose, between my eyes. That specific part is still sticking out more than I expected, almost like there's some lingering swelling there. I actually have some old photos to compare it to, so I know it's not just in my head. Does anyone else here deal with that same kind of thing after their procedure?
Ugh, honestly, we’re basically in the exact same boat here. I just hit day two of having these nasal tampons shoved up there, and it's quite the experience. I'm just sitting here crossing my fingers and hoping that the rest of my recovery goes as smoothly as yours did... wouldn't that be something? 🙂
At the end of the day, I just want them to get those swabs out of my nose so I can actually breathe again, talk normally, and laugh without feeling like I'm about to choke... honestly, my family back home has already started calling me Hannibal Lecter because of this damn nasal cannula, haha. 😂
stormycyclist9 said:How am I even supposed to tell you this so that you’ll actually believe me? 😁 Heh.
Honestly, I was kind of surprised by how little it actually hurt, which is pretty wild to me. There was absolutely nothing—zero pain during the procedure or even once I was recovering. The only thing that really bothered me was this weird pressure in my head after the surgery, mostly because those nasal tampons make you feel like you’ve got a massive head cold or a sinus infection. It’s that annoying, stuffed-up feeling where your head just feels heavy, but honestly? You just pop an Advil or something and the whole problem basically disappears. 😁
Oh, that’s awesome! 🙂 So, here I am, back home with nasal tampons stuffed up my nose... it feels absolutely ridiculous, honestly, but whatever, I’ll get used to it eventually. At least nothing actually hurts, which is a relief because people have been trying to freak me out about this for the last two days. A friend of mine had surgery at the Mayo Clinic recently and told me he was in absolute agony, basically living on painkillers for days afterward. I much prefer the version I'm dealing with, especially since you're seeing Dr. Točić, so I think I'll just stick with that approach and call it a win. 🙂
Thanks for the reply... 😉