Rhinoplasty recovery: What to expect?

Hey, Jerry Torres7!
I find your posts incredibly helpful, so please keep us posted on your recovery—let us know when you’re feeling up to heading out in public again or if there are any big updates regarding your progress...

By the way, those talking noses are actually pretty cute. I’ve always had a soft spot for Mary-Louise Parker’s nose—you know, the lead actress from the show *Weeds*—so I’m definitely not going to let anyone tell me otherwise! Besides, it’s just standard human anatomy anyway.

Grace Cruz87 said:It might be a long read, but it’s honestly so helpful! :-))) Thank you so much for sharing your experience; I already have a specific surgeon in mind, though I have to admit, I'm getting those little nervous chills just thinking about it... but I'm sure everything will turn out fine.

Don't let the fear get to you—just try to focus on how beautiful your new nose is going to look...😁

Hey everyone, so I went under the knife today for nose surgery with Dr. Glumicic. And let me tell you, what a disaster. 🙄 Honestly, the days leading up to the procedure were the absolute worst—just constant confusion, anxiety, and those nagging thoughts of, "Why am I even doing this? I have a little girl to think about..." To make sure I didn't chicken out at the last second, I decided to chat with some women who had been through it already. One was waiting for her turn and another was already recovering. By the way, there were three nose jobs and one breast augmentation scheduled today. They gave me a "party favor" (apaurin) and suddenly I couldn't care less about anything. Now *that* is the real deal! 👍 Word on the street is I was being a bit of a terror when I started coming out of general anesthesia. Apparently, my body woke up before my brain did 😁. I kept dreaming about photo shoots—which is my actual job—but really, of all things? 🙄 Breathing through your mouth isn't exactly a luxury, but you just have to suck it up and accept it; it makes the process easier. I look pretty swollen and bruised right now, but I don't mind at all. It’ll pass. So, yeah, that’s the update.

Laura Castillo7 said:And if I want to stay, how much does it cost? Have you actually stayed there yet, or are you still waiting?

Laura, you could always crash at Glumicic's place for a few days. A full day—breakfast, lunch, and dinner included—runs about $80. But you really ought to give them a heads-up first. From what I can tell, they don't have a ton of extra beds, and they get quite a crowd coming in from the street.

Maria Diaz79 said:Linda, you could always crash at the Glumicics' place for a few days. A full day—breakfast, lunch, and dinner included—runs about $80, but make sure you give them a heads-up first. From what I can tell, they don't have an endless supply of beds, and they get a lot of visitors dropping by from out of town.

Thanks for the tip. By the way, how did your surgery go? Please, let me know how it went!! I realize you probably aren't up to typing much yet, but as soon as you find some strength, reach out!!!! I’m really hoping everything went smoothly!

Sophia Hill22 said:Hey, Jerry Torres74!
I find your posts incredibly helpful. Please keep us posted on your recovery—let us know when you’re feeling up to heading out in public again and any other major updates.

Talking noses is actually pretty cute; I’ve always loved Mary-Louise Parker’s nose—the lead actress from *The Grass*—I wouldn't change it for anything! Besides, it's just standard human anatomy.

I completely agree with you; it gives them so much character. I also think if it’s ever possible to change, it would definitely alter a person's smile.
So, I took the mold off today. My nasal bridge is incredibly swollen; I honestly look like something out of a sci-fi movie right now. They told me the swelling is a bit more intense than what they usually see in their patients, but considering the bleeding and the bone fracture, I guess it makes sense. By the way, after getting the sedative shot in my hip, I started hyperventilating, and then I just broke down crying during the surgery itself. Apparently, even sedatives can't help when you're genuinely terrified. All those posts about potential complications really got to me, so my only thought before the procedure was worrying about everything going wrong... I've always been a bit of a worrier, so I shouldn't be surprised, but I still feel a little uneasy. On the bright side, my nose looks great from the front—it looks almost exactly like how it did when I was a kid. The profile isn't quite there yet; the tip sticks out a bit, but I'll chalk that up to the swelling. Now, I'm just counting down the minutes until my partner sees me...

Hey ladies, one more thing. Does anyone know the deal with those bandages?
They just took my mold off and didn't put any bandages on me... I also noticed some people are cleaning up with saline and stuff, while others are actually massaging their noses. My doctor told me not to touch anything, but now I'm torn—should I be a good little patient, or should I try some DIY therapy to speed up the healing process?

Thanks for the updates, Jerry Torres7. You’re honestly keeping us from spiraling into a total panic here 🙂 .....so you're saying the root is really swollen? Hmm... I guess that's what they told me might happen after my collarbone fractured 🙂

Hey girls, did you keep using cold compresses through the second day? I’m finally getting my stitches removed tomorrow (thank God), but I have this nagging feeling that everything inside still feels pretty raw. Does anyone else experience nosebleeds once those tampons are out?

Excuse me, I’m not pulling out ends, I'm using a swab.

Hey ladies—what kind of medical screenings or tests should I be getting done before undergoing surgery?

Maria Diaz79 said:hey girls, did you keep using cold compresses on the second day too? I’m finally getting my stitches out tomorrow (thank god) but I feel like everything inside still feels super raw... does it bleed from the nose once they pull the tampons out?

Maybe just a tiny little drop might come out right when they pull those things out, but the doctor usually cleans it up immediately, so you probably won't even notice... after that? Nah. At least not for me. Everything went totally normal....

Laura Castillo7 said:Hey ladies, what kind of tests should I get done before surgery?

When I went through it, I did a full blood panel and a urinalysis, then checked my blood type along with some other minor stuff at the transfusion lab (I can't quite recall everything the doctor ordered there 🙂), followed by a chest X-ray for my heart and lungs. After that, I took all those results to an internist so they could run an EKG and write up a formal clearance... I guess I hope I didn't miss anything important 😁

jadecrane3 said:Maybe at the exact moment she pulls the tampons out, there could be a tiny drop of blood that he wipes away instantly, so you don't even notice... but after that? No. At least not for me. Everything was perfectly normal.

I am absolutely swollen—my nose bridge and my eyelids are just puffed up. I've been kissing them all day. It's honestly embarrassing to even step outside because I look like a total monster. 😍 Courtney, have any of you dealt with this on your second day post-op?

Maria Diaz79 said:I’m incredibly swollen (around my nose bridge and eyelids) and I feel like kissing myself on those spots. It’s actually embarrassing to go out in public because I look like a monster. 😍 Ladies, has anyone else dealt with this on day two after surgery?

You know what, don't worry about it too much. Some people feel pain during the procedure, some don't; some people get massive swelling and bruising across their whole face, while others barely notice anything. It seems to be highly individual. The main thing is that you aren't still looking blue after 10 days—from what I can see, that's rare unless someone had much more extensive work done.
Jesse Taylor7, don't stress. Sometimes you just have to laugh at how much of a caricature you look like; you won't look like this forever. On my second day, I actually went to a flower shop near a local farmer's market. I was bundled up in scarves, looking like some sort of wicked mythical creature. My boyfriend had to lead me by the hand because I couldn't see anything in front of me, and the guy at the florist actually started apologizing to me because of all the sniffing. I just laughed and told him, "You're apologizing to me? Have you seen what I look like?" He laughed and said I was right, but added that my nose would end up looking perfect. Later on, I realized I didn't care at all. I don't need a nose to be happy, I was just a bit high on the meds.

Laura Castillo7 said:Hey ladies, what kind of tests do I need to get done before surgery?

If you’re going under general anesthesia, expect blood work, an EKG, a urine sample, an internal medicine consult, and so on—someone already mentioned most of that. But if it's just local anesthesia, you really just need basic blood work... much simpler and way cheaper.

Maria Diaz79 said:Ladies, did you keep using cold compresses on the second day too? I’m getting my stitches removed tomorrow (can't wait), but I feel like everything inside is still super tender. Does the nose bleed once they take the tampons out?

Forgot to mention—there's no harm in keeping the compresses on until they remove the splint. Just make sure to change them frequently and don't leave them on too long, otherwise you might risk a sinus infection.

Ladies, thank you all so much for the advice—you’ve been incredibly helpful! I have my consultation this coming 28th, and if everything goes well, I’ll be scheduling the surgery right after. Honestly, I feel like I’m running out of questions to ask the doctor—between reading these threads and doing my own research, I feel like an expert already. I suppose I’ll have to dig deep to find some fresh concerns before then! Thanks again! Please keep me posted on your own progress!

Grace Hernandez66 said:I forgot to mention—keep those compresses on. As long as they haven't removed the mold yet, you should be fine. Just make sure you change them frequently; don't leave them on too long or you'll end up with a sinus infection.

Thanks, Jerry Torres74. I actually just called an acquaintance of mine who went through the surgery, and she told me she couldn't see a thing for two or three days after. Honestly, hearing that makes me feel a bit better. Did you deal with any lingering spotting or light bleeding for a long time afterward?

Michelle Kelly76 said:It’s probably 18, or you need parental consent if you're younger than that.

Yeah, I'm thinking the same thing, like you gotta be 18 or have a parent sign off on it, or whatever the legal term is for having a guardian...😕🙂😉😲