Posts by Rebecca Gomez37

driftingpuma26 said:I went to see Tončić... I had my initial consultation with the younger Tončić—he did the exam, walked me through the whole surgery process, etc. It really won me over right away because they’re just so approachable. Plus, the clinic looks top-tier, like something out of a high-end magazine! And honestly, if someone invests that much into their facility, they have to be good at what they do.
The older Tončić was actually the one who performed the surgery, and man, he is phenomenal. He completely calmed my nerves beforehand—we chatted, he cracked jokes to get me to relax, the whole nine yards. The nurses were wonderful too; they even gave me a direct number so I could reach them 24/7 after the procedure. Post-op, I wasn't in any pain, and there was zero bruising. I am just totally thrilled!
I'll post a front-facing photo this afternoon... 😁

And yeah, I haven't become a different person... I just have way more confidence now!! And I'm sooo much happier!! I know the swelling still needs to go down a bit, but even now... it's already perfect!

Did he actually touch the tip—like, narrow the nose?......???
Or did you just move the bump and shorten it...
Seriously though, it looks stunning on you.😉

driftingpuma26 said:hey... here's before
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._6729537_n.jpg

and after..

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._1450079_n.jpg

didn't want to spam everyone with a PM 😁

oh my godddddddd😲
this looks incredible!!! Seriously, you had such a huge nose—tell me, do you feel like a whole new person now, or just a better version of yourself??!! That’s actually what scares me most—the idea that I might end up looking unrecognizable. Even though we can only see part of your face here, I wouldn't even be able to match this person to the one in the top photo... Your nose is perfect

👍

driftingpuma26 said:just took the mold off....
and......
our noses are basically redesigned!!!!!!! It’s still a bit swollen.. but..... man...
I can’t even believe it.... 😁 😁 😁 I am beyond thrilled 😁

It’s honestly so nice to read this😉)))
Seriously, please DM me a photo😉
I get it—it's still swollen, but I really want to see... I have my own surgery coming up soon, so I'm totally obsessing over this stuff.

Kate Thompson45 said:So, who on earth did that Photoshop job for you?

Well, I actually went down to this local photo studio—they do all sorts of high-end wedding stuff and standard IDs—and I specifically asked them to shoot me from both profiles plus straight on.
I sat there with him for a solid hour while they messed around with my nose settings.😂
I was literally screaming "nooooooo" when he narrowed it—it was a total disaster. I was so convinced it would make me look better; I have a long face, big eyes, full lips... and then a tiny nose? Absolute horror movie material.!!!!

Nicole Nguyen34 said:Honestly, looking back with a bit of perspective, I have to admit my expectations were way too high. There’s certain "nose architecture" you just can't mess with if you want to stay functional. For me, it's those tiny bumps on the tip—they're caused by the alar cartilages, and you can't just slice those away without risking necrosis. Same goes for the septum; if a surgeon takes too much, the whole thing can collapse (which is exactly what happened to George Robinson58, if I remember correctly)!
None of us were born with these flawless, movie-star noses, so let's be real—perfection isn't happening. What I have now is about 99% of what I actually wanted, and I need to just accept that. At the end of the day, my nose looks a hundred times better than it did before. Who actually cares about two little bumps that only bother me? NOBODY else even notices them!
😁

I'm with you on this!!!👍
Things seem to work out differently here in the States, so hopefully I'll end up as happy as you are.🙄
The only thing I told the doc was that a "piggy" look is absolutely off the table. I told him no narrowing the nostrils because I don't want to end up looking like a synchronized swimmer—especially after seeing how weird I looked with that nasal dilator in my Photoshop edits.😂

Nicole Nguyen34 said:Look, you can't just have one guy doing everything—it’s a team effort. A surgeon isn't going anywhere without an anesthesiologist and a scrub nurse, at the very least. In my case, my doctor even has his own surgical assistant helping him out.
I dropped ten grand on the surgery.

That’s just my take on how the whole team works—because I know that's how it goes when you're dealing with general surgery. Now, since I’ve only worked under local anesthesia, I can't say for sure how they handle it there, but my guess is that in some operating rooms, the nurses are right there assisting the surgeon during the procedure. In my experience, it was always two surgeons plus the rest of the crew.🙂
All in all—Summa, you definitely came out on top here, Anja. As for me? I got absolutely fleeced on the price. LOL.
A. Ostojic is sitting at about a thousand bucks cheaper than Glumicic... why? Who knows.😕I mean, look—both of them have their own strengths. You’re always going to find a massive crowd of happy fans, sure, but you'll also inevitably run into that handful of critics who were just as miserable under the first guy as they are now. It's just how it goes.
Good luck—and if I can offer one bit of advice, just be direct. Don't beat around the bush when you're making decisions. You need to tell the doctor exactly what's going on, plain and simple. What is it you actually want? I think you might have cut off there—you only sent "i". What was it you were going to say? I'm all ears, though I can't promise much enthusiasm. What is it you guys actually want?No matter what he says about the whole thing—it doesn't really change anything—because I've finally realized that, at the end of the day, those girls are never going to be fully satisfied anyway.
It’s always the same story—me wanting more of this, less of that.
Look, you’re basically just a walking example of what most people would be fine with—if they were in your shoes, they wouldn't lift a finger either. Even someone like a doctor might share that same "just let it be" mindset, but you? You actually have a vision here. Don't be afraid to speak up and say it out loud.
I’m even suggesting you just use Photoshop—you can pull that off anywhere—and bring the edited version straight to your doctor.

Kimberly Baker13 said:Anyone else? I feel like I saw some info floating around this forum saying the price is around $2,000, but that seems way too high compared to what Smith is charging—around $10,000-$$3833.

With Glumicic, you’re looking at $2,000 for sure,👍
That's just your standard baseline, really...
Then you've got the pricey options—Zambelli, Zgaljardic... mine was actually $2,200 with a specialist in St.
If that number from Ostojicev is even remotely accurate, it's wild!🤷
Keep in mind, they all work together—you've got the surgeon, plus the anesthesiologist, the techs, the assistants... so I'm guessing that's where the total bill gets inflated.

Donna Castillo7 said:He didn't give me a single receipt or even a discharge summary. During the interview, he was all like, "Yeah, yeah, you'll get your itemized bill just fine," but now they’re playing dumb until you practically beg for it. I'm calling them tomorrow—I can't believe I let this slip through the cracks. As for the discharge papers, I asked my sister before the surgery and she said they usually don't bother writing those up.

Does anyone know if I can use that receipt on my tax return to get some money back? I'm thinking if I list it as a septuplets birth or maybe some health-related necessity?

Look

Here's the deal—ask for the bill, but you don't need to report anything over $12,000 because for tax purposes, it doesn't matter if it's $12 or $30.
The main thing is what you already mentioned—that procedure has to be documented as strictly medically necessary.
The refund for that would be about 1 $67,
it's worth it👍

Donna Castillo7 said:Thanks for the reply..

Regarding open surgery—it might sound a bit out there, but if you look at the footage from the red folder when Dr. Smith was operating on Ava Karabeg, that was an open procedure. Personally, I don't know anyone who's had nose surgery, but from what I can see, Ava doesn't even have a scar, and she was already out there posing for photos just a week later.
The thing is, an open approach isn't just reserved for the extreme cases; sometimes it’s just the method that gives the surgeon a much better view of the nasal anatomy—especially if you've already had work done before.

I watched it...
It all looks pretty gross when you watch those clips... I did a little Googling and found explanations saying they usually do that for major deformities or revision surgeries.
I just really hope my scar isn't visible.🙂🙂

Nicole Nguyen34 said:Hey, so I just had my nose revision a few days ago—it’s wild how much less it hurt this time around. They did the exact same thing as the first time, though, a full osteotomy and all. Plus, the bruising is way less intense than last time, which actually caught me off guard! Now if I can just get rid of this cast...🙂

Wait, am I losing my mind? Between fasting and everything else, I honestly can't remember who said what anymore.
I don't recall you being unhappy with the first one—if I remember right, you were actually the one comforting me.🙂
So what happened—did they have to redo everything???
It's only been a month for me since my procedure and I'm still freaking out...

Donna Castillo7 said:Zachary Nguyen29, sounds like that's the perfect choice for you then..

I've got a question for anyone who’s actually gone through the molding process—based on what you've seen, how much does the nose really change? Does it just shrink, or has it actually grown for anyone else?

Honestly, you're going to see a lot of changes—and I'm guessing they'll be for the better....
In my case, things went up—even Dr. Shaw admitted it to me. When everything was still swollen, you couldn't even see what I'm looking at now that it's hardened. It's been four months, and because of that, I'm heading back in for another surgery soon;((
For me, it just looks all distorted—that's just how the body reacts to the process. Now they're going to break the bone and do a full reconstruction.
Please, if anyone has experience with this or knows someone who does—specifically regarding OPEN surgery—let me know.
I keep reading that they only go that route for really severe cases because the reconstruction allows them total access to the cartilage and the bones...........

I’m curious—has anyone here actually gone through an open rhinoplasty?
If you have, can you walk me through the experience? Specifically, I’m wondering about the scar on the columella after a few months have passed...
For those who might not know, the columella is that little strip between the nostrils where they make the incision and lift the skin—you end up with a couple of stitches right there. I just want to know if the scarring stays super obvious.
Let me know what you think.👋

"Here’s the deal—the right side of my nose didn't heal quite right. It basically slumped, leaving this gap that feels like a crack. They took way too much cartilage that was supposed to be rebuilt with an implant, and the bridge just didn't settle where it should have... "

Honestly, I think the doctor messed up one specific part here. Regarding what you said about them removing too much cartilage—well, the other two issues aren't necessarily the surgeon's fault. At the end of the day, it's your body; your nose reacted the way it did. That doesn't mean it can't be fixed with a different procedure down the line.
The real question is, were you actually bothered by how the nose looked, or were those other two things you mentioned just waiting for the healing phase to pass?
Maybe if that happened back then, the lack of cartilage wouldn't have been so glaringly obvious.

The only thing doctors at the hospital can actually guarantee you is that you won't be footing the bill for the surgery—everything else is a massive question mark. And honestly, that goes for specialists too; whether they work for the public system or private clinics, most of them are just doing the bare minimum.
None of us who went under the knife made that call overnight—and I doubt anyone found picking a surgeon easy, either. I spent ages scrolling through before-and-after photos before I finally felt confident enough to pull the trigger...
At the end of the day, regardless of what anyone says, everyone has their own unique story here—which, let’s face it, is always how it goes.
But if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't write off Ostojic. He can definitely fix the issue, even if he is a handful. What drives me crazy about all of them is how they try to talk you out of what you want until you're ready to lose your mind.
Once they realize they're dealing with someone who actually knows what they want for a second time, they'll pivot just to make sure you walk away happy—so don't back down.

gentlemaker46 said:Going to Ostojić sounds like a recipe for disaster—you'll probably end up worse off and pay through the nose for the privilege$3.75. I went to a different doctor for a second opinion, and here’s the reality: my right rib didn't heal right—it basically slumped—and now there's this gap like it cracked. They stripped away way too much cartilage that was supposed to be rebuilt with an implant, and the supports didn't settle correctly... long story short, I'm looking at another surgery costing about $3,000. So, what now? Every time the thought of another operation and that grueling recovery hits me, I wonder—will it actually be better this time? Anyone got any advice or even just some comfort?

Why don't you just go back to Ostojić, take a hard line, and demand he fixes the mess he made?
Lay out all those facts to him... honestly, if he tries to brush you off, I'd even bring up legal action.
We aren't just dolls they can play with using money they found lying around on the street!

Nicole Nguyen34 said:Hey George Robinson58—how’s the nose holding up? Did you finally go in to get it fixed?

Hey,

I've got my follow-up at the end of the first month—we'll see what Dr. Carić has to say then.
I can feel this weird little ridge right at the base of my nose—under my finger—but honestly, I have no clue if that’s actually linked to that issue I was having around the cartilage.
We'll see how things play out—but he did tell me straight up that you can't even think about doing this new surgery until at least four months have passed.
Don't worry—you can see I'm already on top of it... I'll keep you all posted.🙂
Look, I don't particularly care if I end up needing another surgery—I mean, it’s not like I’m thrilled about the idea—but whatever happens, happens. At the end of the day, I just want to get through it all and finally have a nose that actually looks decent and works properly.👍

Hannah Newman42 said:They didn't even give me any gauze, let alone tell me if I'm allowed to wrap anything up.😕

Do you ever have one of those moments where you've got a sterile gauze pad stuck right under your nose—like, actually taped over the bridge?
So, basically, you’d need a cast over the bridge of your nose—like a mold or something—and then underneath, you'd have this little strip of gauze covering your upper lip, held in place with some medical tape.
So, here’s the drill: you peel off the old bandage, take a look at the swab—maybe check for some scabs too—and then grab a cotton swab dipped in a bit of olive oil. Gently work that around the nostrils where things have started to crust up, and once that's done, just slap a fresh sterile patch right over the old adhesive.🙂
So, this basically means I’ve gone through about 20 tampons over the last three days—just waiting for the moment I finally get them out.
Afterward, I just went ahead and cleaned out my nostrils using a Q-tip dipped in some olive oil.

Hannah Newman42 said:I'm not at the hospital—I'm back home. I only went under the knife for some cosmetic work at a private clinic. Honestly, the nose they gave me was just way too much for my face in every sense of the word—humped, with a wide tip, and just plain too long.

That’s pretty standard, honestly—I had surgery three months ago and I've been dealing with this constant, light bleeding mixed with mucus coming out of my nose ever since.
So, my doctor gave me some small sterile gauze pads—you know, the kind you can actually DIY if you're in a pinch—which I was constantly swapping out under my nose.
They’d probably just soak through everything within two hours and then you'd be stuck swapping them out constantly... what a mess.
Don't sweat it too much—once you get that swab out, things will start looking up. Just clear everything out using the nose-to-mouth method and spit it out. Whatever you do, don't try to blow it out through your nose—you'll just end up feeling like there’s way too much pressure building up to actually push anything out, and honestly, it's just not worth the hassle.
Hang in there... this will all pass pretty quickly.👍

George Ramos11 said:Look, let's not waste time on basic newbie questions about entertainment or picking out which doctor is best for your "funny little organs." What I actually want to know—since it's been 2.5 months since my surgery—is whether the tip of my nose is going to return to how it used to be. The upper part where the bump was has already "sunk" quite a bit, but the skin on the tip feels incredibly thick, and on top of that, I've developed these little black spots on it... Before the surgery, I had a sharp, thin tip; now it’s kind of lifted slightly, but the skin still feels thick and greasy... what exactly is that?

I actually had my surgery on the exact same day as you—pretty wild how differently things turn out for everyone, isn't it?
My tip went right back to its original shape, but that area where the bump was removed keeps changing constantly—I mean, it shifts from morning to night... it's swollen in the morning, then settles down nicely by evening. It's like the bone is setting itself🙂
Honestly, I think our tips can only keep dropping more and more over time. A friend of mine looked like Miss Piggy right after hers, but within four months, everything completely dropped into place—though it didn't get thinner, it just settled lower.
So, I have no idea why yours feels thicker right now.
Is it possible the shape changed enough that it's just playing tricks on your perception?🤷
Personally, mine looks better every single day... and you really have to believe that time does its thing. That period when we're most obsessed with our noses—right after surgery—isn't even close to the final reality. You just have to wait and wait!
Patience is everything here—provided, of course, that the surgeon actually did a good job.😉

George Ramos11 said:Look, let's not waste time on rookie questions about entertainment or picking out "doll doctors" for your silly little organs. What I actually care about—since it's been 2.5 months since my surgery—is whether the tip of my nose is going to return to how it originally looked. The upper part where the bump used to be has kind of "sunk" now, and the skin on the tip feels incredibly thick. Plus, I've developed these little black dots on it... before the surgery, I had a sharp, thin tip, and this procedure lifted it a bit, but the skin still feels thick and greasy... what is that actually?

I actually had my surgery on the exact same day as you—pretty wild how differently things turn out for everyone, right?
For me, the tip went back to its original shape, but that area where the bump was removed keeps changing constantly—I’m talking changes from morning to night. It’ll be swollen in the morning, then settle down by evening. It's like the bone is finally setting itself.🙂
In my experience, the tip can really only go one way: sagging further down. A friend of mine ended up looking like Miss Piggy for a while, but within four months, it completely dropped—though it didn't get thinner, it just sagged.
So, I have no idea why yours feels thicker right now.
Is it possible the shape changed enough that it just *feels* different to you?🤷
Personally, mine looks better every single day... and you seriously have to believe that time does its thing. When we're most obsessed with our noses—right after surgery—what we see isn't even a realistic reflection of the final result. You just have to wait and wait!
Patience is everything here—assuming, of course, that the surgeon actually did their job properly.😉