Rhinoplasty Experience: Tracy's New Nose!

Why did I have rhinoplasty?
I am now 32 years old, and ever since I was a teenager, I've always hated my nose. It was long, with a small bump on the bridge, and the tip drooped. A friend of mine was so kind as to point out it was a very ‘Roman' nose. That was NOT a compliment, in my opinion. From then on I disliked my nose. I always felt it didn't match the rest of my body. I am 5'2", with a very tiny frame, with a very not-cute nose. Apparently I had the ‘family' proboscis. Yippee….This wasn't something that I overtly obsessed over, however it was always in the back of my mind, which I know greatly affected my self-esteem.

Then, last November, I saw myself on video. I caught a brief glimpse of my profile and cringed. That was it. I wanted to see what could be done about it, and started looking into rhinoplasty.

How did I choose my surgeon?
Thank God for the Internet! What a wealth of information! I found a website that listed Canadian Plastic Surgeons and jotted down 3 from my area. Three felt like a reasonable number, and if no one appealed to me, I could always continue my search.

The first doctor had a computer imaging program and was able to show me what he thought would look good. I was not impressed at all. I told him what I wanted done…the bump removed, a cute curve, and some of the length taken off. He didn't agree with me about the curve and I didn't agree with him. And his prices turned out to be $2000 more than the other two surgeons I met with.

The second surgeon drew a picture of what he wanted to do, I liked it, and he agreed with me about adding a bit of a curve, but unfortunately, he wasn't able to get me in during the summer; the only time I would be off work.

The third surgeon was a ‘charm'! We agreed upon everything and he had an opening in July. However, he wanted to do one more thing with my nose, that no one up to that point had mentioned; bring my tip up from an acute angle to an obtuse angle. He said that my tip actually hung off of the end of my nose, and he wanted to bring it up and attach it to the cartilage. I was surprised to hear that, and wasn't sure I agreed (until I started asking my friends about their noses. Was their tip actually attached to their nose? It was! How odd that I never realized that before!) Also, I saw some before and after photos, felt comfortable with him, and decided to go for it! I had to put down a deposit well beforehand and the rest was due 2 weeks before the surgery. I was booked for July 26, 2001.

Who did I tell about the surgery?
I told my parents, and a few close friends. I told no one at work.
My parents were 100% supportive, as were my friends. Of course there were those who told me that there was nothing wrong with my nose, but I gently reminded them that THEY didn't have to live with it everyday, and it is MY opinion that matters. Ultimately, everyone respected and supported my decision. I decided not to tell anyone at work because I wanted to see what kind of a reaction I would get, if any.

How did I feel and what did I do leading up to the surgery?
I felt confident that I had made the right decision to go ahead with the surgery. I was not nervous in the least, nor apprehensive. The only time I started feeling anxious/excited was the night before and the day of the surgery. I wanted to be absolutely sure that my surgeon and I understood each other and what was going to be done, so I had pictures of my profile scanned, enlarged, and printed. I then used overhead transparencies to trace my profile, each time adding a different nose. Believe you me, I am NO artist, and this seemed to work out quite well! I took these in to show him, along with a few pictures I had found on the Internet of the ‘cute curve' that I wanted. Thanks, Courtney Cox-Arquette! Two-weeks pre-op was now upon me, and time to pay the remainder. With out hesitation, I handed over the rest of the money (and thanks go here to Visa!). At about this time, I also started attending a couple of rhinoplasty message boards on the internet. I have to add here that I have found such wonderful support, advice and encouragement from everyone on these boards! They have been a godsend for me! I also made arrangements for my friends and parents to take turns staying with me. (I had thought I would need help for the first day or two, but I ended up having someone with me for the first week. I just felt so yucky and tired during that time.). I also started drinking 3 large glasses of pineapple juice three days before my surgery and continued drinking it for three weeks after. I had heard of Bromelain supplements but since it is naturally occurring in pineapples, I opted for the juice! Bromelain is an anti-inflammatory.

What did I do the night before?
I went through my checklist. I set out everything I would need, at waist level so there would be no bending or reaching. All my Rx's were filled; bandaging bought; soft foods in the cupboard, and frozen dinners a-plenty! I had 8 cans of pineapple juice in the fridge. I stopped eating and drinking after 9pm.

And, for the first time, I started to feel nervous. I took a couple of before photos, and videotaped myself. I thought I might keep a video diary to chart my progress (it was a nice thought, but I felt so icky that I couldn't have been bothered to keep it up).

What happened the day of the surgery?
I took a cab to the hospital and checked in at 8:30am, 2 hours before the surgery. After the usual paperwork, I then was escorted to the day surgery area and prepped. I had a few concerns and asked to speak to the surgeon beforehand. I had found out two weeks prior to my surgery that I have an allergy to latex. I had phoned my PS's office in a tizzy and I wanted to be SURE he knew about it. Apparently he did, because the nurse had duffel bag on my gurney that contained non-latex equipment. The other reason I wanted to speak to him was to make SURE that he didn't make me look like a pig! I know it sounds silly, but it was a concern of mine and I wanted to be sure I said it out loud to him. When I told him, he rolled his eyes, shook his head, informed me that ‘we are all the same' and promised me that he had no intention of making me look like Miss Piggy. I guess he hears that a lot! The anesthetic was an awful experience for me. I had spoken to the anesthesiologist beforehand, to let her know that I had severe vomiting after my last surgery and this was a concern of mine. As they wheeled me into the operating room, she informed me that she had a specially made cocktail for me with lots of anti-nausea medication in it, which she hoped would do the trick. She also said she would have my surgeon put a drip pad in the back of my throat to stop any blood from going into my stomach, which can also induce vomiting. I hated every second of being put-under, especially the feeling of loosing control, the taste in your mouth, and the smell. I then started coughing as though I couldn't catch my breath. Apparently this was happening because I was incredibly nervous. She encouraged me to breathe deeply. As I tried, I remember thinking, "Well, if I can't breathe, I guess this is a good place for it to happen!" and that's all I remember!

What happened when I woke up?
I remember hearing the nurse's voice coaxing me to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt like they were made of lead. It seemed to take forever for me to get them open (At this point it was 1pm. My surgery had been about two hours). Once they were open, I started shivering uncontrollably. They said that was partly due to the anesthetic and partly because my hair was wet, which was making me very cold. Apparently they used a solution to wash my face when they were done the surgery. It had soaked my hair and turned it into a damp, matted mess. The bonus was having blankets all around me that felt like they came straight out of the oven. It took about an hour for the shivering to subside.
My throat was sore, and my nose felt heavy.

Once the nurse was certain that I wasn't going to be sick (thank goodness) she allowed me small drinks of ginger ale, and a Popsicle. I didn't move a muscle for quite a while. I was afraid I would vomit. I never did, but still experienced quite a bit of dizziness. It continued on for about a week, but to a lesser degree. Finally, at 2:30pm I was deemed fit to go home! Luckily I had brought a hat to cover my damp matted mess…not that I really cared what I looked like or who saw me, when I left the hospital…I just wanted to go home.

My friend picked me up, brought me home, and stayed the night. I didn't realize how truly awful I looked until I saw pictures taken of me. I wish someone had cleaned me up a bit before I left the hospital!

After my friend took my picture, I decided that I needed to see what I looked like. It was shocking to see myself so beat-up looking. But the worst shock came when I took the drip pad off to change it. There, staring back at me, was PIG WOMAN! I can laugh now, but at the time, I was horrified! He had promised he wouldn't turn me into a pig, and he DID! My friend then kindly pointed out that my upper lip was swollen right up into my nose, and my nose was now at an angle that I wasn't used to. I could now plainly see my nostrils. I used to have to turn my head back to see them. This was truly bizarre. I knew what she was saying made sense, but I was still upset. Looking back, I don't know what I expected. I guess I just wish he had WARNED me that this would happen. For the rest of the day, I stayed in bed, watched a bit of TV. I consumed several Popsicles, a bit of soup, and ginger ale. I also iced everywhere but directly on my nose (I continued this for about two weeks).

How did the first week go?
The bruising and swelling increased and I reached my worst by Sat. (day 2). My eyes were swollen, red and purple; my cheeks were purple and green; the tip of my nose was purple and swollen; my upper lip was swollen; my forehead was green and sore; and my neck was swollen. I looked BE–U-TEE-FUL!I also had crusted blood around my nostrils because my surgeon told me NOT to pick at it. I looked disgusting, and when I see the photos, I wish I had done a little cleaning, at least (I wonder what the guy at the photo mat thought as he was developing them?!?)!Day 5 (Monday) I went back to the hospital to have my stitches removed. The Resident and student, who both had watched my surgery, were going on about how everyone in the operating room loved the results after my surgeon was finished, including the nurses. It was nice to hear, but it still didn't fully convince the PIG WOMAN that she wouldn't always look like this! Once the Resident was done removing the stitches, the surgeon then came in and reiterated the same thing. He was extremely pleased with the results, but informed me that he had quite a struggle getting the tip of my nose up and attached to the end of my nose. He also told me that I didn't look like a pig, and to just give myself time to heal and the swelling to go down. Everyone promised me that I would absolutely LOVE my nose. As time progressed, the facial swelling and bruising went down, my nose stopped dripping blood, and my tip went from purple, to a more normal red colour. I still had to eat soft foods as my upper teeth were sore, and I couldn't get my mouth open very far. On the Friday (day 8) I was allowed to take my splint off in a warm shower.

What happened when the splint came off?
My surgeon had said it would be easier if I took the splint off myself while standing in a warm shower. As I stood there, legs shaking, I gently worked at the splint. After about 2 min.'s it popped off. I was too scared to look immediately. I gently felt my nose. My skin was extremely tender to touch, but I could feel the curve that I wanted. The tip felt a little large. The skin also felt a little bumpy, as though there were ridges on it. I gently cleansed it, then got out of the shower. When I looked in the mirror, it was the weirdest thing; it was me, but it wasn't! It was completely different but exactly what I wanted. My curve was there. I was thrilled! No more ugly bump! The only thing was that darn piggy tip still staring at me. But inside I knew it would just take time for the swelling to go down, and for me to become used to the new angle. I took a look at the skin to see why it felt strange, and there were indents from the tape used under the splint. I assumed they'd go away in time, which they did. I loved my new nose!

By the end of the second week, my facial swelling and bruising had disappeared. The areas, which were still sore and swollen, were between my eyes, the bridge of my nose, my tip, and a bit of my upper lip. As time went on, the soreness dissipated, as did the swelling. By the 5th week, when I went back to work, only my tip was swollen and nose sore to touch. For those of you who haven't had rhinoplasty, I should clarify that the swelling isn't noticeable to others, unless you point it out.

How did everyone react?
My parents and close friends really like it. Although they haven't come right out and said it, I'm quite sure they think it's an improvement. My one friend said it seems to lighten up my face more, and my self-confidence is evident.

Going back to work was going to be interesting for me, since no one knew. My surgeon had warned me that normally he tells his patients that people won't notice that there is something different about them, but in my case, people will notice something is most definitely different, but may not be able to put their finger on it. And sure enough, that's what happened. Most people commented on my new haircut and thought it really flattered my face (hint: if you don't want anyone to know that you had rhinoplasty, just get a completely different haircut and ‘blame' your new "look" on the new "do"!)! Some people didn't recognize me; some knew there was something different, but didn’t know if they should ask me what it was; and some people were so upfront as to just say, "There is something really different about you! I know it's you, but what IS it?!?!" In all cases I did tell everyone what it was that really changed my appearance, and they were all supportive and complimentary!

So now what?
Well, I am now at 9 weeks post-op. The bridge of my nose it still slightly sore to the touch. My tip is still swollen, and intermittently lopsided looking because of this. There is still a pulling feeling when I curl my upper lip under my top teeth. There is still a red mark across the bottom of my nose from the open rhinoplasty incision. There is a slight bump on the side of the right side of the bridge bone (it was there before the surgery too). It's hardly noticeable and I am not bothered by it. All in all, I LOVE MY NEW NOSE! It looks exactly like the original picture that I had drawn and that my surgeon and I agreed upon. I don't cringe when I catch a glimpse of my profile either in a shadow or in the mirror. My chin looks in normal proportion to my nose. I feel so much better about myself now, and am so much happier! I wish I had done this sooner! And this is something that NO ONE can take away from me!