Posts by Zachary Thompson21

slymarlin382 said:So, I just got back from having my molds removed and getting cleaned out. My doctor told me to clean my nose using cotton swabs dipped in saline solution. Just a little bit inside to pick up whatever I can 🙂 and I need to use drops too.

Jose James15, the cleaning itself didn't hurt too much, but then the doctor got caught up talking to my mom and forgot to tell me if he actually left a gauze pad in my nose... honestly, that terrified me. What does that mean? Am I walking around with a piece of gauze stuck somewhere in my nose? Anyway, when he did the cleaning the first time, he didn't see anything, but the second time he did... then he pulled it out... it freaked me out. What if there’s still more gauze tucked away somewhere he couldn't see?!!
Basically, it was an awful feeling because I was so incredibly spooked. The doctor told me it wouldn't matter anyway, and that the gauze is in there so things don't dry out or get coughed up, and that it can't go into my sinuses or my brain because the nose only connects to the throat, so I'd just end up coughing it up.

I'm a lot calmer now, but I still wanted to ask you all—if anyone knows, could you comfort me a bit? 😢 Like, even if there is a tiny bit of gauze left, nothing bad could happen to me, right? I mean, people snort chalk thinking it's cocaine 😁 and they turn out fine... surely a little gauze won't kill me :P (which I'm certain I don't have, but I am a total control freak 😛 ).

I'll just weigh in on the possibility of having a little gauze stuck in your nose. Having a wad of gauze acting like a plug? Everything seems fine. Then, the day after surgery, I catch a minor virus—probably brought it in with me to the hospital. I start straining, coughing, which is exactly what I'm not supposed to do. I'm thinking about how I'm going home tomorrow, when suddenly, out of nowhere, I vomit up my light lunch. And what do I see? Right there in my mouth, the edge of some gauze. I grab it with my hands and slowly pull it out through my mouth. About 27 inches of it. The nurse alerted the doctor, who rushed over as fast as he could. He handled it routinely, pulled out another piece of gauze, checked my mouth, and I took a few deep breaths, filling my lungs completely. And just like that, I was breathing through my nose again, something I hadn't done in years. I guess you have to endure a little something to enjoy the payoff. At least, that's how I see it. I forgot to mention, this was last Friday, and today I feel great.

Zachary Thompson21 said:It looks like everyone here knows the drill. Just like you mentioned, my surgeon said he’ll take cartilage from my ear to reinforce the nasal structure. He seems pretty confident about it—talks about the whole thing like it's just another routine day at the office. He told me I’d be staying at the hospital for two days and that’s about it. Honestly, I feel like I can trust him. I’m heading in for the appointment today, so I’ll check back in once I have some actual results. Cheers.

I made it back home yesterday. The surgery went fine. What can I say? The doctor was great, the nurses were great, and the hospital was clean—everyone just did their job. As for the procedure itself, there isn't much to report other than the fact that my nose is still a bit swollen. I'm on antibiotics, but I haven't even needed pain meds since the first day. There's nothing stuffed up in my nose; I can breathe through it and I've been cleaning it carefully. They took the cartilage from my ear and used it for the nasal reconstruction. My ears have already healed up quite a bit; they aren't bandaged, just applying some ointment. I have a follow-up in a few days. Before the surgery, my nose was slightly tilted to the left, but looking at it now, it looks straight. It’s probably too early to make any definitive judgments until everything has had time to settle, but the progress is visible hour by hour. That's all for now; I'll share more once I've recovered. If anyone wants specific details, I'm happy to answer.

wanderingmason86 said:Thanks for the reply!

Actually, I was just wondering about that because Bryan Reed4 mentioned getting that pre-medication, and then later—maybe half an hour or an hour after—she felt "really good" once she was actually on the operating table. It’s a bit confusing why those feel different, but it’s clearly just different components of the anesthesiologist's favorite cocktail being administered at different stages. 🙂>

Anyway, let me know if you hear anything more specific from the doctor once it's not too late (like how they actually perform it, what kind of anesthesia they use, how long the surgery lasts, or what the success rate looks like...).

I saw the anesthesiologist today. He spent about half an hour going through my charts, listening to my lungs and heart with a stethoscope, asking all the standard questions—smoking, drinking, etc. He was patient, explaining how they prepare me and how they'll look out for me. General anesthesia. After that, I went to see the ENT, and the nurse gave me a date for next week. Not sooner, not later. Pretty fast, honestly. I only saw the surgeon through the door. That’s all for now.

wanderingmason86 said:I can only say that I’m dealing with essentially the same issue—structural insufficiency where that "supportive" part of the pyramid collapses and blocks breathing. I need stabilization using cartilage from my septum or ear... So, that's why I'm here, trying to figure out who can actually pull this off, but it's been an uphill battle.

From what I gather, the procedure itself isn't anything extraordinary for the patient, but it’s a massive headache for the surgeon because it's basically like threading a needle (something these female "patients" should probably understand better 😁). My advice? Dig deep into who is performing the surgery and check their reputation. This kind of work demands a seasoned pro. Most ENT specialists can handle the septum part, but the structural stuff requires real skill.

One question for Bryan Reed4:

I'm not following you on that first "pre-medication" you mentioned. Was it just something to take the edge off? And then they "bulk it up" further right there on the operating table?
During my last septum job, they gave me an opioid via injection (I wasn't just relaxed; I was straight-up drugged), and they didn't even need to give me more because I was being a nuisance—actually telling the doctor exactly where to "cut" and things like that 🤣.

It looks like everyone here knows the drill. Just like you guys mentioned, my surgeon said he'll harvest cartilage from my ear to reinforce the nasal wings. He seems pretty confident, talking about the whole thing like it's just routine. He says I'll be in the hospital for two days and that's it. I feel like I can trust him. I'm heading to my appointment today, so I'll update you all on how it goes. Cheers.

Zachary Thompson21 said:Right now, I'm going through the pre-op routine—blood work, urine tests, EKG, and finally seeing the anesthesiologist. After that, I'll head back to the ENT to confirm the surgery date. For the last four months, I've been on Tafamلو. I'll be having the procedure at the local county hospital. The main issue we're tackling is nasal valve collapse, where the nostrils basically shut closed whenever I try to breathe in. My doctor says the plan is to harvest cartilage from my ear to use as grafts in my nose. So, I'm looking for anyone who has actually gone through this. What’s the experience like? I want to know every single detail. Cheers.

Can anyone spare a few words of advice?

Right now, I’m grinding through all the pre-op requirements—blood work, urine tests, EKG, and finally meeting with the anesthesiologist. Once that's cleared, I'll head back to the ENT to confirm my surgery date. For context, I was on Tafam لو therapy for about four months leading up to this. My procedure is scheduled at the local county hospital. The issue at hand is nasal valve collapse; basically, my nostrils cave in whenever I try to breathe in. The doctor says the plan is to harvest cartilage from my ear and use it to reconstruct the nose. I'm looking for anyone who has actually gone through this. What's the actual experience like? I want to know every single detail. Cheers.