Posts by rustygardener172

rowdyfalcon35 said:Guys, I am freaking out, please help. After they finished the procedure, this huge crater formed right at the base of my nose where the bone was cleared. The doctor told me I need to massage it, and if that doesn't work, he'll take some fat from my knee and graft it into my nose. Has anyone actually gone through this???

Ugh, man, you really got the short end of the stick on this one. 😢

I’ve done some facial massage myself before... but nothing nearly as intense as what you're dealing with. You definitely need to keep massaging that area so the skin doesn't just "shrink-wrap" itself directly onto the bone...

Kimberly Thompson75 said:...P.S. Just a little unsolicited advice from yours truly: take it with a grain of salt, but you really might want to listen. Cut the crap. Just stop talking. Honestly, I’ve been bouncing from one specialist to the next because nothing about this whole situation makes any damn sense... it's just total chaos. But hey, if there's one silver lining in this mess, it's that consultations over at Dr. Smith's office don't cost a dime. That’s a massive win in my book. +++

Honestly, this doesn't even sound like you're sharing your own experience... it feels like you’re straight-up trying to dictate someone else's life by telling them what to do or what not to do. If you had just said, "Hey, I think it's totally stupid to bounce from one specialist to another," that would be fine—just your opinion, right? Personally, I wouldn't even bother responding; there are all kinds of people on these forums. But you aren't just venting here; you're handing out "advice" that, if you ask me, is actually pretty terrible.

Kimberly Thompson75 said:Look, I’m just here to lay out my own experience and give you my two cents. At the end of the day, we’re all adults here—grown people capable of making our own decisions—so everyone should be free to speak their mind without anyone else jumping in to police them. Make up your mind already! Seriously, just pick a side and go for it. As for me... and honestly, I’m just not one of those people who... I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. You only typed "če"—looks like you might have hit send before you were finished! What's on your mind? Give me the full story. Honestly, bouncing from one clinic to another is driving me absolutely insane. It’s so freaking confusing because every single place seems to be running their own little empire with completely different rules and nonsense policies. It’s like nobody can agree on anything! And look, I’m just going to say it again: I didn't do anything wrong here. I'm not looking for trouble, I'm just trying to get through this without losing my mind. Yeah, right. As if. I am seriously feeling so incredibly happy and fulfilled right now! Honestly, I can't even describe it. It’s one of those rare moments where everything just clicks, you know? Just feeling totally complete.

I can see that you’re still feeling a bit tripped up by this one. Honestly, I get it—it's just that classic case of professional deformation kicking in. Once you spend enough time staring at the same patterns every day, your brain starts seeing ghosts everywhere. It's a curse, really. 😁
But seriously, I am genuinely happy to hear that your OP went so well. Truly. I mean it.
Look, I wasn't exactly running from specialist to specialist like some kind of medical tourist. I only saw two doctors total. Honestly, if that first one had just clicked with me, I would’ve signed the papers and gone under the knife right then and there. But it just didn't feel right, you know? Sometimes you just don't vibe with them. I honestly envy the people who can just make that call immediately and move forward without a second thought—but let's be real, not everyone is wired that way. It's not that simple for all of us.
P.S. Let’s be real—not everyone hanging out in this thread is actually an adult. Honestly, if you bother to scroll back through just a handful of posts, it becomes pretty obvious. Though, whatever, that doesn't even really change the point we're arguing about...

Ashley Wells16 said:rustygardener172, my bad! I totally misread your message in the rush and didn't realize until after I hit send. Could you please let me know if it's better to start applying the cream right away or if I should wait a bit?

😁 As soon as you get it:
The day after I had my tampon removed over at Glušac's clinic, I practically sprinted to CVS for some pads and then ducked into a pharmacy for the cream... honestly, nobody even gave me a second glance. I guess people are just used to seeing folks dealing with stuff like this out here in San Francisco hahahaha😁

stormyharbor2 said:You totally forgot about the cartilage 😬

😕 I honestly had no idea we even had cartilage on the outside of the nose...

I actually got my ear pierced right through the cartilage up top... so if you're worried, I can tell you from experience that even that doesn't hurt that bad. 😂

stormyharbor2 said:There is zero chance I’d let them go at it with an ear piercing gun!😱 Look, I get that everything else might not be that bad, but I just can't wrap my head around how a nose wouldn't hurt like hell after surgery.😳 Honestly, I have this nagging feeling the whole thing is just going to split open right where they stitched it up and just fall off like Michael Jackson's nose. 😳

Oh, please... there's nothing to worry about. It's just skin.

Ashley Wells16 said:rustygardener172,
So, regarding that heparin cream... does that mean I’m going to have to go see my primary care doctor and get a prescription first?🙂

I already mentioned that I... Nah. Man, I was actually looking for a recipe myself just the other day. It’s funny how you can spend hours scrolling through those overly polished food blogs where you have to read a ten-page essay about someone's childhood summer in Maine just to find out how much salt to put in the pasta. Total waste of time, right? Anyway, if you're hunting for something specific, let me know what you've got in mind. I'm always down to swap ideas, especially if it involves something actually worth cooking. 🙂

stormyharbor2 said:Yeah, a piercing. Does it hurt? Everyone told me the exact opposite—that it hurts just as much as this (more than my tragus)—so I'm honestly a little nervous because of my nose surgery 🤷

Honestly, it didn't hurt for me at all... and I actually went to a jeweler to get it done. They used one of those ear piercing guns on my nose... I wore a medical stud for a day and then just popped in a regular earring hahahahahhaha. Some of my friends have actually tried doing it themselves... using ice and a needle. I totally chickened out and went to the jeweler instead 😁 But that was ages ago... back before there was a piercing studio on every single street corner 😁
I got my navel pierced in Prague, and my beard in Washington, D.C.... and yeah, those definitely weren't things you take to a jeweler 😂
And nothing really hurt, to be honest. I was just being reckless... youth and all that nonsense... now the only one I've still got is my belly button ring 🙂

Kimberly Thompson75 said:P.S.: MY ADVICE IS DON'T GO RUNNING FROM DOCTOR TO DOCTOR BECAUSE IT JUST GETS CONFUSING... AND DON'T FORGET THAT CONSULTATIONS WITH DR. SMITH ARE FREE, WHICH IS ANOTHER HUGE PLUS!

No offense intended... but honestly, that is probably the worst advice you could possibly give someone who is trying to pick a surgeon.
It’s actually the exact opposite. Any decent doctor will tell you straight up that it’s ideal to sit down for consultations with at least three different specialists before you pull the trigger. We aren't all built the same, and neither are the surgeons. Everyone is going to give you a slightly different take on things, and trust me... in this business, those tiny nuances make all the difference.

Even my guy, Glušac, didn't charge me for the consultations... so Ashley Wells16 there you go, you've already got two doctors on your shortlist. Just kidding... obviously. That couple hundred bucks isn't worth anything compared to finding a doctor you actually vibe with—someone who's going to craft a nose that actually looks right on you.
When I had my surgery about a year and a half ago, I didn't even need a prescription for the heparin... I don't know if the rules have changed since then.

stormyharbor2 I'm here 🙂 I might not be posting as much as I used to, but I still read everything. 🙂 What do you mean by "broke" a nose? Like a piercing? If that's what you mean... I've had mine pierced since way before my surgery... now I don't even bother wearing the earring anymore... just got bored of it. 🙂 It doesn't hurt one bit!

Adam Patel98 said:... Man, if anyone is actually reading this, we must be totally losing our minds...

I sent those photos over to your email...

Trust me, plenty of people are lurking here reading your posts 😁

So, can I get those photos too?

rowdyfalcon35 said:Can anyone who's had nose surgery please help me out here? Has anyone ever felt like they blew a literal piece of bone out of their nose while blowing it?

Nah, definitely not.

hiddenseal14 said:It’s been three years since my surgery with Dr. Glusac. Honestly, I can breathe perfectly now. Even after all this time, I still get a little bit of blood come out when I blow my nose every once in a while. It feels like the healing process is just incredibly slow for some people. Just hang in there and be patient.

I'm right there with you on that...

rowdyfalcon35 said:So, how’s the breathing going now?

Honestly, it's way better than before, man.😁

rowdyfalcon35 said:Honestly, reading your post actually gave me a bit of a scare because I’ve been struggling to breathe after my surgery too. Then again, it’s been two and a half months since mine, so maybe I don't know... I had my procedure done by him. For the first time ever, I can actually breathe through both nostrils, though the left side still feels a bit weak. The thing is, I don't feel that air hitting my upper sinuses like I used to. Everything just feels achy and inflamed, and the swelling is massive. He told me my nose basically fell apart during the surgery because of some heavy impact I took back when I was a kid, and that I won't really be breathing clear until summer once the mucosa heals—that next summer would be the sweet spot. 🤷 I just hope things aren't going south for me. I've realized he's the type who hates admitting when he messed up, which is just shitty.

He told me the exact same thing.😂
But I actually went to the hospital to get a second opinion... and the doctor there told me the deviation is gone, but my mucosa is still super swollen and needs time to recover. I totally wrecked it with those nasal sprays... Look, we don't just breathe through our noses; the mucosa plays a huge role in how well you actually catch your breath. Even Glusac told me... after two liters of ocean air, sunshine, and sea breeze... that I’ll be breathing at my best. Still got one more summer to go before then, so we'll see.😁

Amy Richardson86 said:...
Man, humans are such complicated creatures. It’s honestly ridiculous. On one hand, we’re hyper-aware of every single flaw we have—like, we’ll obsess over our nose or some other feature and swear we want to fix it—but then, once that change actually happens? We freak out. We suddenly can't handle the reality of it. I was just sitting there on my forty-minute commute home, totally lost in thought about how much I need a Normabell, and I realized I was actually genuinely shocked by how much this whole psychological loop messes with us. We spend so much time chasing "better," only to realize we weren't actually ready for it.😂
...
Look, if you’re sitting there on the fence about getting a nose job, my two cents is this: go for it, but don't be an idiot about it. This isn't just some quick fix like getting a new pair of sneakers; we're talking about a total identity shift. You have to be mentally prepared for that. Honestly, you need to be mature enough—and tough enough, too—to handle looking in the mirror and seeing a different version of yourself every single day. If you aren't ready to fully own that change and be 100% happy with the result, then don't even bother. It’s a heavy move, so make sure your head is in the right place before you dive in.
Look, you’ve just gotta stop and actually think about this for a second. Seriously. Don't just react or dive headfirst into the chaos—take a beat and really weigh your options before you do something you're gonna regret.
Sending love to everyone!😍

I’m not gonna lie, the first few months were a total trip... I felt like a complete stranger to myself. It was weird. I spent so much time just spiraling, overthinking everything—honestly, I was even second-guessing my own face, wondering if I should just go out and get a nose job because I felt like I’d completely lost my identity. I just didn't recognize the person staring back at me in the mirror. But now? Now things have finally leveled out. I feel like the old me again. Back to normal. 😁 Honestly, I can’t tell if the swelling finally went down so my nose doesn't look so freakish anymore, or if I’ve just finally gotten used to seeing this version of myself staring back in the mirror. It’s one of those weird things where you don't realize how much your face has changed until you stop looking at it through a lens of panic. 🙂 Look, at the end of the day, it’s all just a reflection in the mirror. Everything we put out there? It’s just a projection of who we actually are on the inside—that part of us that stays hidden from view. And honestly, if you strip away all the noise and the posturing, we’re all cut from the exact same cloth. We've all got that same internal core, regardless of what we try to show the world.

brightotter21 said:So, here’s the deal: I had my nose job about four months ago—went all out on both the looks and the breathing function—but I’m still dealing with some weird stuff. Every time I blow my nose, I’m seeing blood, and honestly, it’s starting to freak me out a little. Plus, the right side feels constantly stuffed up, like there’s just a never-ending buildup of gunk or mucus sitting in there. I can't wrap my head around why it's happening, and frankly, I'm getting pretty worried that something went sideways with the surgery. Is this actually normal at this stage? 🤔

Honestly, don't even sweat it. It’s totally normal. Look, we don't just breathe through our nostrils; most of the heavy lifting is actually done by the mucous membranes. And since yours just went through surgery, they’re going to need some serious downtime to recover from all that irritation. I learned this the hard way. Between the surgery itself and the absolute hell I put my nose through using those over-the-counter decongestant sprays, my nasal passages were basically trashed. My doctor straight-up told me it would take about two years for things to fully settle back to normal. In the meantime, he gave me strict orders to stay far away from those nasal drops... and believe me, I am staying disciplined. Honestly though? I can feel myself breathing better with every single day that passes.

Rachel Lopez5 said:I honestly think how much you get used to the new look just depends on how much work they actually did on the nose. =) For me, it wasn't some massive overhaul, so I’m holding out hope that once all this swelling finally dies down, I’ll be happy with it. It really varies from person to person, though. Personally, I bet when you finally get that cast off, the nose might actually look even more swollen because it's been compressed under there for so long. Don't stress too much—I was freaking out about the end result more than anything, and so far, I’m thrilled. Sure, my tip looks a bit like a green lightbulb right now, but those bumps on the sides that used to drive me crazy are totally gone. Plus, for the first time ever, I can actually breathe through my nose while I sleep, which was my main goal... honestly, I don't care what anyone else thinks. ☕

The tip is the absolute worst part 😁 It stays swollen longer than anything else because that area gets hit the hardest... especially if your surgeon does it closed. But it'll pass. Mine finally "settled" into its permanent shape after about 6 months.
I'm in the exact same boat as you... it wasn't a huge reconstruction, I just needed to be able to breathe again.

Amy Richardson86 said:Rachel Lopez5, I am seriously so stoked you’re happy with how your surgery turned out! Honestly, I’m getting my cast removed tomorrow, and I have to say, the whole rhinoplasty journey hasn't been nearly as traumatic as I expected. But man, I am low-key freaking out right now about whether my nose is actually going to look good once this thing is finally off.🙂
Guys, what was that first moment like for you when you saw your face in the mirror after the cast came off? Were you just staring in pure shock and disbelief, or were you totally obsessed with the results?
How long did it take before you actually got used to seeing your own face again???

Look, at the exact moment they pull that cast off, how your nose looks doesn't even matter. You’re gonna look weird. Seriously. It’ll look piggish, thick, wide—we're talking massive nostrils...
So, if you hear someone saying, "I took my cast off and my nose is perfection," just forget it. That’s not reality.
And another thing... try your absolute hardest not to obsess over it in the mirror. Trust me on this: you won't actually see the real result until the six-month mark hits.
I know that sounds like forever... but your nose literally takes months to settle into its final shape. My own nose (it's been over a year now) looks completely different than it did right after surgery, or even after a month... honestly, even after four months, it wasn't settled.
I've known girls who were head-over-heels in love with their noses at first... but as time went on, they just became more and more unhappy. They'd realize the tip dropped too much, or little bumps appeared once the swelling finally went down, and stuff like that...
Just hang in there. Have some patience.

You really need to make sure you mention to the anesthesiologist if you're on birth control pills, just so they know what's up 😁

Laura Booth56 said:I had my surgery with Dr. Glušac back in July, and honestly, I’m still waiting for things to actually settle down. It’s been months, and it feels like my bones haven't even fully found their place yet. My nose still looks crooked from certain angles, and that little bump right on the tip? It hasn't flattened out at all. Just feels like I'm stuck in this weird middle ground where nothing is quite right. 🙄

Anyone else going through this right now? Honestly, I'm just trying to figure out when the hell things are actually going to get back to normal. 😕

Man, my nasal tip was swollen for what felt like an eternity... honestly, I don't think the swelling finally died down until about six months post-op. And the whole nose area in general? Just... ugh. It was a mess. Now, looking back, it’s been a year and four months since the surgery, and I’m finally feeling like, "Okay, this is it. This is the final result." I am genuinely so much happier with how everything turned out now.

Ethan Carter23 said:Hey rustygardener172, can I get a pic of your nose?

Sure thing... just sent it. 😁 Now I'm sitting here waiting on yours. 😉

Kenneth Walker15 said:So, did you actually go through with the deviated septum surgery? I'd love for you to share what it was really like... how bad is the recovery? Does it hurt like hell when they pull the packing out? And what about the anesthesia? Honestly, I feel like 90% of the stories I hear about this surgery are horror stories—people saying it didn't even fix anything... so now I'm seriously second-guessing things.

Yeah, I did. Twice, actually. The first time was a total bust, but the second time worked perfectly. I’m not really going to go into a whole novel about it here since I’ve already vented quite a bit on this topic in my other threads... so if you’re looking for the deep dive, just dig through my old posts. Long story short: nothing hurts. Seriously. Pulling the packing out isn't painful, it’s just... weird. It’s a super uncomfortable sensation, but it lasts maybe a second, so you can definitely power through it. As for the anesthesia, I had zero issues with it, though honestly, that mostly just comes down to whether you get a good anesthesiologist or not.