Tracy's Rhinoplasty Blog

Few More Tid Bits

2009-02-06T12:10:00.001-08:00

The picture below of my best friend, Stevie, and I was taken on New Yrs Eve. I hate the way my nose photographed....looks really gross. Also, if you take a good look, on the 3/4 views, the right side has a big bump as the left side if smooth. From a complete side view, as the one with the white hat on, it's pretty smooth and straight.

Almost 10 months out

2009-02-06T11:56:00.000-08:00

Well, I am at almost 10 months post op. I had originally planned on having revision rhinoplasty by now, but the timing hasn't been right. Also, the surgeon that I am interested in, Dr. Naderi in Northern VA, requires that you be one yr post op. Additionally, I am planning on doing a figure competition in Richmond, Va on May 16. If I win, my husbands says he'll pay for the revision without balking. :))...as of now, he doesn't really see the need for a revision. Also, I'm training and don't want to be put out by a nose job recovery. So, hopefully, I'll be having a revision in June. My goal is to have the surgeon make the right side of my nose be symmetrical to the left (up near the nasal bridge)by shaving down that big bump, bring my deviated septum to center, and maybe decrease the size of the tip. Not so concerned about the tip as it looks ok to me. Here are some pics from last week...my before pics can be seen in the archived blogs from april 2008.

6 months out

2008-10-22T00:08:00.000-07:00

6 months into it and I am convinced that a revision (small tweak) will smooth out this bump on the right side of my nose. I plan on doing that in Jan or Feb. Here are some recent pics.

2 months out

2008-06-18T05:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some 2 month pics. Still have a bump on the right side of my nose, but a flat, smooth surface on the left. Also, septum is really deviated. I am meeting with my PS this Friday to discuss a revision-just to shave the small bump on the right. I know, trivial....but a pretty nose is what I asked for....and we're almost there!! Needs a little tweaking. :)

3 right views-day 20 and bump!!

2008-05-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some XL views of the bump which is only one the right side of my nose.

19 days post op and kinda bummed

2008-05-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

Hey!! Well, after a week and a half of nasal exercises religiously and icing afterwards, I have a bigger bump on the right side of my nose. :( Saw my PS today and he was disappointed. He felt bad that the bump is there. He told me to maybe do one more week of nasal exercises...after that, it won't make a difference. Also, he'll see me back in 6 weeks and if it's still there and the septum is still deviated, he'll schedule me for a revision-ugghhhh-more brutal surgery.

I love the tip and the he fixed my "saddle deformity" (aka dip) in the middle of my bridge, but I got this big ole bum now. What bothers me is the asymmetry-if I'm gonna have a bump, I'd rather it be on both sides than just one.

Anyhow, any comments, tips, advice would be greatly appreciated. :)

Wed, April 30-post op day 12

2008-04-30T06:26:00.000-07:00

Well, here's the latest. Swelling has gone down. Still have bruise under left eye-going away slowly, but surely!! Went to my PS yesterday and he has me doing "nasal exercises" which consist of pressing (kinda hard-it hurts!!) on the right side of my nose as there is a small bump in the bone. He says this will smooth it out. 5 min a day, 5 times a day for a few weeks. I can barely see the bump, but can feel it. Overall, I am very pleased!! :) Off to NY to visit my husband's parents for the week! Thanks again to those who took the time to read my blog and offer words of encouragement!! :)

Day 7 First attempt at putting on makeup to spruce up!!

2008-04-25T13:12:00.001-07:00

Ran around a little this afternoon-attempted to put on make up-realized it fruitless to try and cover the black eye-looks way cheesy with gobs of makeup on. So I left it alone. :)

Befores and afters (afters being 7 days post op)

2008-04-25T00:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some comparisons pictures.

Day 7 post op

2008-04-25T00:03:00.001-07:00

Hesitant to post these pics-I know I am only one week out, but I am still highly insecure about the width of the bridge between my eyes. I feel "neandrathal!!" My doc is awesome and he did exactly what we talked about. My bump is gone, tip looks nice and symmetric....the whole nose is just so daggone big right now!! Looking forward to seeing what it will look like when all the swelling subsides. Any tips for decreasing the swelling at this point??

2 hours until the unveiling!

2008-04-24T04:40:00.000-07:00

Well, 2 hours and I get this splint off-it's driving me crazy, plus the swelling at the tip of my bridge (above the splint) has seemed more painful and more swollen in past 24 hours...I'm taking it as it's ready to come off! :) Pictures to come this evening!

Day Three Post-Op

2008-04-21T14:52:00.000-07:00

Well, woke up yesterday with 2 big swollen black eyes. I would've taken pics, but my husband had the camera in Baltimore. Anyhow, took some pics today. Believe it or not, I bumped my nose today!! Right into the bathroom wall-so painful. I iced it for about 30 min-I hoping no damage was done. I doubled up on my arnica doses and have been putting the arnica gel on the bruises and bridge every hour. Here's the latest pics!! 2 more days in the house, then I get the cast off---yahoooo!!

Day one post-op!!

2008-04-19T02:21:00.001-07:00

Well, it's 5 am and I'm up for the fifth time, so I decided to update my blog. Can't sleep for long periods of time-must be b/c I'm in the recliner. Also, been icing every time I wake up, so I guess that's good. I did well-surgery was good (except they told me after that my heartrate dropped into the 40's-that's nutty)-no cpr needed :) I recovered with a bolus of iv fluids.

Anyhow, I get 2 sponges removed today-then I have no packing, so that's good. If you notice in my pics, he has 2 black strings attached to the sponges and they're pulling on my nostrils pretty good. I think the "pug" look I have going on right now can be attributed to that. If not, I now have a new nose resembling a pig.

Also, so far the only bruising is on the bridge of my nose, none around my eyes yet-still wondering if that will show up in a day or two? (Sorry that there's 2 of the smae pic-I have no clue how to delete that image-even went to help options and can't do it-any suggestions? )

Thanks, again, for all your support-you guys have been awesome! :)

Family Pics

2008-04-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

Here's my adorable family....Husband, Andrew...Children Jacob and Layla. Luvs of my life.

Last View

2008-04-07T06:04:00.001-07:00

OK, I've got my camera to work, so here are the last pre-op pics I'd like to post. I see my PS this Thursday for the final pre-op visit, then off to surgery on April 18. My best friend, Stevie, is coming over the morning of surgery and we're going to get manis and pedis before surgery so at least my nail and toes will look good in the operating room. :) No, really it's so I can relax. :) I'm throwing in a pic of Stevie with me the night before my breast augmentation and also us in NYC this past FEB...she so graciously also excorted me to my breast augmentation 2 years ago-such a trooper. :)

P.S. I look dead in these pics as I did them in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep-gotta love makeup......it does a face good.

Another view

2008-03-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

Here's more pics of my pre-op nose. I'd like the round tip to be smaller, the bridge to be a little higher, thinner, and more defined, and to be able to breathe through both nostrils at the same time. :) Thus, the nasal goals. 15 days until surgery!

20 Days until surgery

2008-03-29T01:47:00.000-07:00

I am a 33 yr old, mother of 2, wife of handsome sweetie for the past 9 years, and am very excited to be having rhinoplasty/septoplasty....April 19. I will go to Dr. Gates, ENT. I had sinus surgery 8 yrs ago d/t blocked sinuses...now I am repeating that procedure, plus correcting a deviated septum and decreasing the size of my broad nasal bridge/small bump. I've posted a front view (with my husband)-as you can tell, my nose is not an attractive part of my face. Looking forward to toning it down a bit. :)

2008-03-29T01:45:00.001-07:00