Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

steelangler88 said:Honestly, I’m at my wit's end!
He was actually my top choice from the start...!!! I have no idea why I second-guessed myself at the last minute, and now look where I am.
But fine. Whatever.
I've still got this lump on one side after the surgery, so I'll have to go back in because that thing just won't budge.

steelangler88, do you think this lump is a medical oversight or just a stroke of bad luck?

jadecrane3 said:I went right after taking the bandage off—it had been eleven days by then because I was heading in for a job screening... and then I went again the very next day because I had another interview scheduled......

Great. I'll be doing the same tomorrow.

Emily Campbell36 said:I’m finally scheduled for surgery soon myself. Does anyone have experience with Dr. Lightman over at Mercy Hospital?

In my case, the nose job didn't actually solve the functional issues; I'm still dealing with constant drainage and partial congestion. I can't tell if that's down to the surgeon's work or just my own faulty anatomy... who knows.😁
The only real win was the aesthetic improvement, which I requested on the side (essentially just smoothing out a bump on the bridge).

Hey ladies, hope you're all doing well! 😁 I have a quick question for the group... has anyone here ever had septoplasty done at Mount Sinai? I'm trying to figure out which surgeon to go with and what the overall experience is like. My doctor there is Dr. Boduen; he seems absolutely fantastic on paper, but I haven't been able to find any actual feedback or firsthand accounts regarding his surgical results specifically. I'd love to hear some real stories if you have them. Thanks so much in advance!! 😁

I'm looking for someone from the Chicago area—what's the quickest way to get to the theater district from Union Station?

Maria Diaz79 said:steelangler88, do you think this lump is medical malpractice or just a fluke?

I honestly don't know what to make of this.
My doctor flat-out refuses to explain what's going on—why it happened or how. In fact, he's basically gaslighting me, claiming I'm making the whole thing up and that there's nothing there at all!! 😲
And believe me, it IS there. It definitely is. And it shouldn't be.
Between his "there is no problem, you're just imagining things" attitude, his refusal to even suggest what it might be or how to fix it, and the way he dodges the subject every single time I bring it up—I'm convinced he made a mistake and knows it.
I'm not the type to file lawsuits or cause a scene; I just want the job done right. But I won't be getting it done here.
I'm going to wait until my one-year follow-up (to see if I'm still "imagining" this lump) and then I'm finding a new doctor to fix this. Hopefully, that will be the last time I have to deal with this and I can finally just have a normal nose.

steelangler88 said:I honestly don't know what to make of this.
But my doctor flat-out refuses to explain what is happening, why this occurred, or how. In fact, he insists I am just imagining things—that there is nothing there at all!! 😲
And believe me, there IS. There absolutely is. And there shouldn't be.
Because of his "there is no problem, you're just making it up" approach, because he refuses to even discuss what might be wrong or how to fix it, and because he dodges the subject every single time I bring it up, I assume he knows he made a mistake and is fully aware of it.
I am not the type to file a lawsuit or drag someone through court; I just want the job done right. And I am certainly not getting it done here.
I am going to wait until my one-year follow-up (just to see if I am still "imagining" this lump) and then I am finding a different doctor to fix this. I hope this will be the last time and that I can finally have a normal nose.

That is terrible.😢

Which doctor were you seeing???

I spent the entire day yesterday outdoors—day 12 of this whole ordeal—and now there is some swelling right under my left eye. Earlier, the area felt red and somewhat warm to the touch. I woke up this morning to find the swelling has actually gotten worse. Is it even normal for an inflammation like this to flare up so aggressively again?

Amanda Miller69 said:He performed my surgery, and honestly, the nose job didn't do much for me at all; I'm still dealing with constant drainage and it feels half-blocked. I can't quite tell if it was his technique or just my own broken nose... who knows, I guess.😁
The only real upside is that it looks a bit better—which was something I asked for on the side (or maybe just straightening out that bump on the bridge).

Does he focus strictly on the functional stuff and just tack this on as an afterthought, or what?

Maria Diaz79 said:I was out all day yesterday (day 12), and there’s some swelling under my left eye. It felt red and warm earlier in the morning, but I woke up today and the swelling has actually gotten worse. Is it normal for the swelling to flare up like this again?

Hey, I don't think it's anything serious since it's only been 12 days. You need to take it slow.
I think we all tend to be far too casual about this—personally, I try to act like nothing happened, but then I just hit a wall and get exhausted immediately.
Just rest; it's only been 12 days!🍿

Hey Carol Peterson71, I just got back from a massive shopping spree in Vienna (yesterday was the final day of the clearance sales), and let me tell you, my feet are absolutely killing me. Maybe it’s just the exhaustion from all that walking. Anyway, is your face looking a bit flushed to you too?

Maria Diaz79 said:Hey Carol Peterson71, I actually headed over to Vienna for some shopping yesterday—it was the final day of the sales—and let me tell you, the amount of walking I did was exhausting. Maybe it’s just from all that physical exertion. Is your face still looking swollen?

The swelling is still slightly visible, though I can see it more clearly than anyone else can. There is also some lingering discoloration under my eyes. However, the most frustrating part is that my upper lip feels numb and lacks mobility; I have a desperate urge to laugh, yet I find myself unable to do so.🙄
How are things progressing on your end?

steelangler88, what kind of bump are we talking about here? Like, where is it exactly?
I’ve got this weird lump on the top left side of my head, feels like some massive subcutaneous cyst or something, but honestly, I’m just sitting here hoping it’s just some swelling that'll eventually clear up...

Carol Peterson71 said:I can still see a bit of swelling—well, I see the area around it anyway—and there's still some purple discoloration under my eyes. But honestly, the most annoying part is that my upper lip feels numb and won't move right. I have this desperate urge to laugh, but I just can't. 🙄
How are things on your end?

I’ve got swelling right under my right eye. Some slight discoloration under both eyes, too. My cheeks are all red, especially on the right side—maybe it's just the bruising settling in? 🤷 My lip feels fine, but I can't even smile properly. It feels like something is going to shift out of place, which is incredibly unsettling. Can you imagine? Just the other day, I actually pulled a stitch out of my left nostril. I called the clinic, and the nurse had the nerve to tell me it was perfectly normal and that if it were too early, it wouldn't have come loose. Unbelievable. Are you planning on getting drainage done?

Maria Diaz79 said:I have swelling right under my right eye. There is some discoloration beneath both eyes. My cheekbones are red—more so on the right side (perhaps the hematoma is settling down 🤷). My pupil looks fine, but I can't even smile naturally; I have this unsettling sensation that something might shift out of place. Can you imagine? Just the day before yesterday, I actually pulled a suture out of my left nostril. I called the clinic, and the nurse told me it was perfectly normal and that the stitch wouldn't have come loose if it weren't ready. Are you planning on going in for drainage?

I don't have any redness, but my nose is peeling a bit (nothing major)! I was actually just about to ask about the sutures—did they hurt? So far, I haven't felt a thing!
There isn't even a drainage facility in my city—it's terrible 😵
When are you heading in?

Hey everyone—does anyone have a rough idea of how many days I should realistically take off work after surgery? Is one week enough?

I know it’s a bit subjective depending on the situation, but I’m just looking for a baseline minimum... I don't deal with customers or people face-to-face anyway, which helps, I suppose.

Carol Peterson71 said:I’m not seeing any redness, but my nose is definitely feeling a bit swollen (it isn't a huge deal though)! I was actually just wondering about the stitches—did they hurt? For me, nothing has felt painful yet!
There aren't any drainage clinics in my town—it's terrible.😵
When are you heading in?

The stitches just fall out on their own, and then you can easily pick them up with a Q-tip while you're cleaning everything up (it doesn't hurt at all). I'll be going in for my drainage appointment tomorrow or the day after, so I'll let you know how it goes.

Adam Johnson said:How many days should I realistically take off work after surgery? Is one week enough?

I realize it’s subjective, but I need a baseline. I don't work in customer service, so there's no one to deal with while I recover.

I would recommend 10 days. I haven't had to take 15, but 10 is a solid amount of time.

jadecrane3 said:steelangler88, where exactly is this bump located?
I have this weird lump on the tip of my nose on the left side—it feels like a large subcutaneous cyst—but I’m worried it might just be swelling that isn't going away...

It's on the left side, right in the middle of my nose. Actually, my whole nose (the bone itself) seems tilted to one side, and there's this hard bump about a centimeter wide and 2 mm high. It's EXTREMELY noticeable from a profile view. Because of it, my nose looks like it's drooping downwards.
It showed up three or four weeks after surgery (specifically, once the initial swelling went down, this became obvious—like everything else subsided except for this hard part). Right where the main bridge of my nose—which really should be straight from the root to the tip—veers off to the left. From the front, it looks like a "C" shape; it curves out and then back toward the center at the tip. And right there in the middle, on the left, is this stupid bump... something was left behind, and honestly, I'm starting to lose faith in my doctor.

So, what am I supposed to do now? 🙄

steelangler88 said:to break the peace just a little...

I really need some audit recommendations.🙄

Just don't go to the same firm. I'm heading into an audit myself soon.