Posts by Donna Bennett73

slydriver56 said:At least they'll cover my top, but what about downstairs? What am I supposed to wear on the bottom—just some sweatpants or maybe the bottoms of my pajamas?

Well, when I went in for my surgery at the hospital under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I just wore my pajama bottoms and a camisole, though I did slide the straps down so the nurses could easily pull it down while they were setting up all those monitors and gadgets before covering me back up...🙂)
but honestly, it really just comes down to the specific nurses and how the hospital handles things... in my experience, that was usually how it went...

slydriver56 said:I have a quick question, if anyone wouldn't mind helping me out—I've gone through this entire thread, but I can't seem to find any mention of how long the typical wait time is for surgery at Holy Spirit...

In my experience, I was waiting for about a month, though you have to consider that the holiday season with Christmas and New Year's was right in the middle of it all...

Alex Evans10 said:Hey everyone, quick question again... maybe someone here knows... when you go in for nose surgery, you usually have to show up at the hospital the morning before, right? But I was wondering—if anyone happens to know—do you actually have to stay overnight that day, or do they let you head home?... assuming all the pre-op tests are already finished.

Well, it really just comes down to whether they have an available bed for you... personally, when I went in for my procedure, I checked in and they told me to just head home and wait for their call, which was supposed to be within two or three days... though I did pull a few strings, so they actually ended up calling me back that very same day...🙂 so, I guess you won't truly know until you arrive that morning and see what they tell you...😉

Alex Evans10 said:Hey everyone... I've got nose surgery coming up soon at the hospital. Since I need to get all my preliminary tests done first (I already have my referrals), I was wondering if anyone knows whether you meet with the anesthesiologist for a consultation before arriving at the hospital, or if you just bring your referral with you to the facility and they check you out there?...🤷

Hvalaaaa😉

You usually head in for a consultation beforehand... 😉 and best of luck with the surgery!!

Hu

stormylynx8 said:I was at the clinic near Washington, D.C. today, and they diagnosed me with a deviated septum and chronic rhinosinusitis. The doctor asked if the bump bothers me, and I told him it definitely does 😁 so he suggested a Rhinoplasty and told me to reach out in a few months once I turn 18. I'm wondering if there's a cost for this kind of procedure? I asked another doctor later, but his answer was a bit vague; he just mentioned that if I have supplemental insurance, it might be covered. What was your experience like? 🙂

If you have supplemental insurance, you won't end up paying a single cent, which is exactly how it worked out for me...😁

driftingbadger12 said:So, I really need someone to talk me down right now! I just had Rhinoplasty because my nose tip was honestly way too large... but now, only two weeks out from surgery, instead of finally slimming down, it looks twice as big as it did before! 🙂 Naturally, I’m starting to panic that it’ll never actually shrink, because it looks absolutely terrible and there seems to be zero progress as the days go by. It just refuses to get smaller—or even return to its original size, which would actually make me happy at this point. On top of that, everything feels so swollen and stiff, though I wouldn't mind the stiffness if it wasn't so much bigger than before, especially since the whole goal was to slim it down! Please, can someone tell me that things will eventually look better????? 😕😕😕

Please don't worry... it's completely normal for the swelling to be intense when you're only two weeks post-op... I went through the exact same thing where my nose tip looked massive, but now that I'm three months out, it looks wonderful... just try to stay patient, and everything will settle into place exactly how it should...😉

restlessfox3 said:Has anyone else felt a little bump near their eye on the nasal bone after surgery???
Both sides feel so uneven to me now—one side is perfectly flat while the other slopes down like a slide, and it’s honestly driving me crazy....??

I actually had one on the right side of my nose too, but after about two months, it just smoothed itself out completely... you couldn't see it near the eye, but I could definitely feel it under my finger, though thank God it's gone now...🙂)

Chloe Gray5 said:Hey everyone!
My sister has a deviated septum and is scheduled for surgery soon. I was wondering what kind of foods worked best for you during that time, and how long you had to stick to a specific diet?
She’s a little nervous about the whole thing—both the procedure and the recovery—so I really want to do everything I can to make things easier for her, even if it's just through nutrition...
I would be so incredibly grateful for any advice!

Personally, I just stuck to my usual diet and didn't run into any issues at all, though I know everyone's experience can be quite different...

Kimberly Sanchez said:My doctor suggested I come back for a follow-up in about 20 days, or sooner if needed, but if my breathing doesn't clear up within a few days, I'll definitely head back in for an exam...

Wait, you're waiting twenty whole days??? In my case, I was going in for check-ups every single week... now, once things settled down, I only go maybe once or twice a month...

Kimberly Sanchez said:They took my Tampon out almost immediately on the second day, but even though it’s been four days since the surgery, I still can't breathe quite right... My doctor mentioned that scabs will be forming and there are still internal stitches, so I'm assuming this is all pretty standard. I have to keep rinsing my nose, so hopefully, I'll finally be able to breathe clearly once those scabs clear up and the stitches dissolve... 🤷

I'm not sure, because I had those same stitches and scabs too, yet I was able to breathe normally... occasionally things would get a bit blocked, but I went in for my follow-ups regularly and the doctor kept everything cleaned out for me...

Kimberly Sanchez said:Does anyone know how many days it typically takes before you can breathe normally again after a septoplasty?...

For me, once they finally removed my Tampon, I could breathe perfectly fine... I had them in for about five days, and then suddenly, it felt like I was taking in the freshest air in the Rockies...🤣

urbanlynx23 said:Hey everyone! 🙂

1. I’ve been reading everywhere, including here, that it takes about a full year for the nose to truly settle, and that everyone ends up with a bit of a "piggy" look during that time... so, what I’m really wondering is... during that whole year while it's finding its shape, does it actually stay prettier than it was before, or does it just get worse, like looking even wider or more upturned than it originally was?
2. How long do the bruises usually last? I'm asking because of work, so I need to know how much time I'll have to take off...
3. When they narrow the nose, do they have to break the bone?
4. Since I understand the narrowing is done through an external incision (at least, that's my understanding, unless I'm wrong), does that scar really become invisible, or can you still see it? And how long does it take before it fades away?
5. Also... I actually have a deviated septum (I didn't even realize it until now), so I was wondering if having that might make things cheaper? You know, since I have breathing issues and all that... (please don't tear me apart for suggesting this, but I know people use it as a way to lower the cost, so it crossed my mind—why shouldn't I? I know there are plenty of people who genuinely suffer from it, and I know many others, like myself, don't really have major issues)... anyway, regarding that, if I go in under that diagnosis... would I have to go to a hospital, or could I go to a private clinic and have insurance cover part of it? And if I do go to a hospital, do I still have to pay a portion out of pocket or something?
6. Has anyone had their nose done in Cincinnati? What were your experiences like? (Feel free to DM me 🙂)

Thanks!!! 🙂

Well, I'll try to answer based on my own experience...🙂
1. My nose looks sooo much better than it did before surgery... honestly, it's gorgeous right now, and it's only been three weeks since the procedure... my tip is still a little swollen, but the doctor mentioned that will be the very last thing to subside... but overall, it is just stunning...
2. The bruising lasted me about a week and a half... though I tried everything to speed things up, like putting potato slices, bananas, or chamomile on my eyes... it's fine now, though I still have some dark circles, but once you apply concealer, you can't even tell...🙂 There's a link on the forum to my photos so you can see exactly what I looked like before...🙂))
3. I'm not entirely sure about this one, but I think they do... they narrowed my nose and definitely worked on the bone, but then again, I had a prominent hump to deal with as well...
4. I have external incisions, and I can tell you that they are visible... it's not terrible, but I can see them, though over time they should pull together—I've been using a certain gel... basically, I have one small incision on each side, one near the bridge and one down by the nostrils on that middle part (I'm not sure what the technical term is...🙂))
5. I had a deviated septum and all sorts of breathing issues too... and I made sure to tell them right away that I wanted the septum fixed as well... I had my surgery at the Mayo Clinic and I truly cannot recommend them enough... and I didn't have to pay anything extra afterward... my supplemental insurance covered everything... so if you decide to go the hospital route, I think it's quite easy to work out with the doctor...

Well, I truly hope that my response managed to provide you with at least a little bit of clarity...😉

rowdyfalcon35 said:I can breathe through both sides now, but it feels a bit strange, almost muffled, and there’s this slight wheezing sound when I inhale... is that normal? Tomorrow marks my second week since the surgery.

I honestly can't give you a perfect answer because shortly after they discharged me from the hospital, maybe on the second or third day, I caught a cold and everything felt a little congested, though I didn't have any wheezing... tomorrow makes three weeks for me and everything is (knock on wood) going perfectly fine...🙂 but I suspect once everything settles down and heals properly, that wheezing sensation will eventually fade away...🙂

rowdyfalcon35 As stated by...
Does it feel like you're breathing any differently now than you did before the surgery... or does everything just feel back to normal again?

No, I’m actually breathing so much better since the surgery... One side of my nose was always completely blocked, but now that both sides are open, it’s like I'm breathing in the crisp air of the Rocky Mountains...🙂

rowdyfalcon35 said:Hey everyone, how long did it take before you were finally allowed to blow your nose after surgery?

My doctor told me I could go back to blowing my nose normally once two weeks had passed since the procedure... so I just followed those instructions and everything turned out perfectly fine...🙂

Amy Richardson86 As stated by...
Did you just go through with a simple reduction, or did you actually trim it down a bit more than that...?🙂

They've gone ahead and tapered the edges, giving the top a bit more of an elevated lift...😍

Amy Richardson86 said:Oh, I really hope everything turns out fine, and I know deep down I just need to be patient;
I've been dealing with that nasal congestion too, and both sides of my nose still feel quite swollen and tender, so I'm just crossing my fingers that it all settles down soon.
How is your nose looking? Are you happy with the results?

Oh, I completely understand how you feel because I'm going through the exact same congestion issues... I actually had a follow-up appointment today, and they found a little bump on my right side... the doctor mentioned that if it bothers me, he can smooth it out during my six-month checkup, but since it doesn't hurt and isn't visible—you can only feel it if you touch it—I'm still deciding... :/ if I'm already heading back in, I might just have him take care of it then.🙂 And by the way, the tip of my nose is still pretty swollen, and the doctor told me the tip is usually the very last part to settle down...🙂 which means I probably won't see the final result for anywhere from six months to a full year... cheers to that...🙂)))))) But honestly, overall, I am incredibly happy with everything... now I just have to find the patience to let everything fall into place naturally...🙂

Amy Richardson86 said:Hey everyone, just wanted to check in for a second...
I have a quick question, does the tip of the nose tend to drop a little bit over time for everyone?
It’s been three weeks since my surgery, and I still feel like I look a bit off, almost as if the bridge is slightly too long... I really have that nagging fear of looking like a pig or a mouse.
Honestly, I am just crossing my fingers that this is all just a temporary phase... 😢

Haha, well, my doctors mentioned that things might settle down a bit, but three weeks is such a short amount of time... it really takes months for everything to finally settle into its permanent place, so please don't worry, everything will eventually find its way back to normal...😉

So, here’s a look at my nasal structure just two weeks after the surgery...😁

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/850/profo182.jpg/

I went in for my second follow-up today, and they finally cleared everything off my nose, and I am just sooooo incredibly happy with the results... there's still a bit of swelling left, but once that goes down, I know it’s going to look absolutely stunning... honestly, I can't find enough words to express how wonderful Dr. John Raguz at the Mayo Clinic is!!! :clapping: