I travelled back down to the London clinic today for the first time since my procedure to see my surgeon, Dr.Giannitrapani. I met so many girls in the waiting room who were having their first consultations with Dr.Giannitrapani for rhinoplasty and it was great to be able to share my experience with them and answer their questions from someone who's had the procedure. I was so happy when I saw Dr.Giannitrapani as the first thing he said to me was 'You look really good', I knew he was as happy with my results as I was. He reminded me that I still have another ten months of swelling to get through before I see the final result and even though I am extremely happy with my results now, I know it can only get better. He has discharged me as he was happy with my recovery and the results of my 12 weeks post op assessment. I am still yet to experience a sneeze through my nose, I am so apprehensive about it that I've continued sneezing through my mouth. I am literally so protective over my nose. I have become so much more confident over the past twelve weeks, I cant stop smiling when I see my nose in the mirror and I definitely don't stop talking about it to everyone. I've had such positive feedback about how my nose looks from my friends and family and I am so grateful for all their support since I made the decision to book a consultation back in January. I literally couldn't have asked for a more positive overall experience at Mya. Open septo rhinoplasty and alar base reduction at Mya with Dr.Giannitrapani was the best decision I have ever made!
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I had my six week post op check up with a nurse at the Chelmsford clinic today. She said it looks like I'm healing well but because I had so much done during surgery it may take 8-12 weeks post op for my nose to recover properly, this is when I should have minimal swelling and the shape of my nose will form. I'm allowed to go back to the gym now, which is what I have been waiting to hear for ages, however I have to return as if I'm a beginner as no major heaving lifting straight away. Finally I can sleep normally too, I've been sleeping upright for six weeks which has been really uncomfortable but I am so excited to be able to sleep lying down tonight, I'm just not allowed to sleep on my front yet as it's too much strain on the nose. I wear glasses for long distance and I haven't been able to wear these throughout my recovery process but the nurse advised me today I need to wait until at least 8 weeks post op to wear these again as it could dent the bridge on my nose. I forgot to ask if I could start sneezing through my nose rather than my mouth, but after googling the answer I think I will hold off for a while as I read it could bleed if its not healed. I'm also starting to see the difference in my nostrils, the more the swelling goes down the more even my nostrils are becoming which is really helping my breathing to improve. I had more post op photos taken as my nose has decreased so much in swelling since my last photos when I had my cast off. I also had my appointment made for the end of September to see my surgeon, Dr. Giannitrapani in London.
Today was my first day back at work. As a flight attendant I needed to take four weeks off work after my surgery due to the pressure of flying. I was extremely apprehensive about flying as I was convinced my nose would be swollen by the end of the flight or I would have pain, however I experienced neither. It's so nice to finally be back to reality and a routine. Tonight was also my first night out since surgery, I haven't had a drink since before the operation as I had read that alcohol also increases the chances of swelling. I was sensible and didn't drink too much and protected my nose walking and dancing in crowds. Normally when I take pictures on a night out with friends I spend hours editing my nose to make it look straight but I can't explain how happy I was to just look at a photo of myself and be happy at what I saw, I felt so much more confident. The swelling is gradually decreasing, although it feels like it goes up and down on a daily basis depending on my activities that day. Although my breathing ability through my nose has increased it still looks like my nostrils are uneven in size, I'm hoping I will be reassured at my next post op appointment that it's still just the swelling and it will eventually even itself out. The other issue I'm experiencing now is how dry my nose is, I attempted to put make up on my nose for the first time today since surgery but it was flaking off straight away. I'm hoping with a little help from moisturiser that I can start wearing foundation on my nose over the next couple of days.
After embracing my new confidence with my rhinoplasty results I uploaded my first 'selfie' which Mya posted on their website and social media accounts as Mya girl of the week. I was so happy that my results had been seen positively and extremely thankful to Dr.Giannitrapani and all the staff at Mya that have made my rhinoplasty journey extremely smooth and painless. Rhinoplasty at Mya was the best decision I have ever made. Throughout my journey I had the help of so many other Mya rhinoplasty girls who answered all my questions and reassured me about the procedure. Now I love being able to help other girls who are in the position I was in six months ago considering rhinoplasty. I now have just under four weeks until my next post op check up at Mya in Chelmsford.
I went back to the Chelmsford clinic today to have my inside stitches removed, I was really worried about this as I had been told that they are more painful than the removal of the outside stitches. It wasn't as painful as I expected, although apparently the surgeon had put in more stitches that normal. The nurse said the increased swelling on one side of my nose was normal and that it will eventually go down. I'm not allowed to touch my nose for another four weeks, no make up on my nose, no glasses, no heaving lifting and continue to sleep upright. When I saw my nose with the final stitches removed I was so happy with the minimal scaring. All the dried blood and mucous from my nose has finally cleared and I am starting to breath normally again through my nose, such a relief as it was so uncomfortable. I can't believe that considering the procedure that has been done on my nose that I haven't experienced any pain throughout the whole process, only slight discomfort. My main concern at the moment is waiting for the swelling of my nostrils to go down as they appear to be uneven. I can't wait to watch how my nose changes over the next 12 months to get to the final result. As I work as a flight attendant I have been signed off work for 4 weeks due to the pressure of flying, so I still have another three weeks of recovery. My next post op appointment will be August 23rd.
I managed to wash my hair and have a shower - its literally the cleanest I have felt all week! Today is cast off day at the Chelmsford clinic and I am extremely excited to see my results. The weather was so hot the cast came off really easily. I also had the outside stitches removed but the nurse couldn't get to them all because of the dried blood and mucous. The stitches being removed didn't hurt at all, I just felt a slight pull. She was unable to clear my nose out as she couldn't disturb my nose so I literally just have to sit and wait for it all to come out naturally which is really irritating me now. I looked in the mirror and I couldn't believe how straight my nose was. Obviously I was still majorly swollen and it could take up to 12 months for the swelling to go down, but its so straight and I am so happy. My first thought was 'Why didn't I get this done sooner?'. I cant wait for the swelling to go down to see the final result but I was always aware it would be a long process. The nurse took my post op photos and compared them to the photos I had taken at my pre op assessment, I cant get over the difference. I feel like my face looks so different but I'm putting that down to all the swelling at the moment. I spent the whole day looking at my nose from every angle. I am slightly more swollen on one side so it's hard to see the results from my alar base reduction at the moment. Overall, even though I am currently looking through the swelling, I am extremely happy with the results from my surgery. I am so thankful to my surgeon, Dr.Giannitrapani, my nose is exactly how I've always wanted it to be - straight!
My bruising is mainly yellow today, but I've been so shocked at how little pain I've had throughout the whole process. The only thing I have to complain about is how uncomfortable my blocked nose is, I really hope the nurse will clear it all out tomorrow when I have my cast taken off. The bottom of my nose looks so unattractive, all I want to do is clear my nose out as I'm breathing through my mouth again and I constantly have a dry throat. I took some profile photos today and I am so happy already, even though the cast is still on I can see I no longer have a droopy tip. I can't help but wonder what my nose looks like underneath, I hope I'm as happy with the rest of the results. I tried to sleep in my bed for the first time as I have spent the last week upright on my sofa but it was too uncomfortable, I was back on the sofa by 3am. Tomorrow I am getting my cast off and I actually cannot wait!!
This morning I called the nurse at Mya. My nose has been blocked with dried blood and mucous since having the packing out and I was worried it would affect the shape of my nose. The nurse said it was normal but to not touch it and let it fall out by itself, after surgery your nose is washed out so it was just a build up of fluid. Its so uncomfortable it really effects breathing through my nose. Hopefully it all falls out soon. It felt like the hottest day of the year and I've been stuck inside as I'm not allowed any sun exposure, I'm feeling majorly sorry for myself today. Appetite still hasn't come back properly and I am literally living off strawberry milkshake through a straw.
Luckily my eyes were not as swollen today and not as itchy, but still red. I also
finally removed my drip pad so I was constantly inspecting the base of my nose. I had to hold back a lot of sneezing today, I was scared I would attempt to sneeze through my mouth but it would still come out of my nose. My nose felt extremely blocked today, like I was full of cold which made it difficult to breath again. I feel like my nose is completely full of dried blood and mucous, I'm resisting the urge to remove it myself as its so uncomfortable. My eyes were so swollen and itchy today. My bruising has started to turn yellow
so I'm hoping the last of it has come out now. I left my drip pad on as I still has blood and mucous draining from my nose so it was easier to leave it on and not worry about wiping up the base of my nose every five minutes. I had family visit today, but I felt drowsy the whole day - all I wanted to do was sleep. My nose is starting to look a lot clearer at the base so I was able to look up my nose without feeling feint. My nostrils are looking uneven in size however I am aware that's due to the swelling of my nose. I'm trying to be realistic throughout the whole process as I know it can take up to 12 months for your nose to heal. Luckily breathing was a lot easier today now that the packing has been removed, it was the major thing that was causing discomfort, still no pain though. I woke up to a swollen and bruised face, but I'm still yet to feel any pain, only discomfort. I managed to put my hair up before heading to the Chelmsford clinic to get my packing out, it felt like a major achievement. I took a pain killer before I got to the clinic as I was unaware what the pain would be like getting the packing taken out, however it wasn't painful at all. I felt like the packing was literally being pulled from the back of my head as there was so much to pull out, but I can finally breath! The nurse said the stitches were all healing well and bruising was minimal. I was so tired after leaving the clinic I slept all afternoon. I was up in the middle of the night though as I could feel my eyes swelling up and I had dried blood in the corner of my eyes, it was so itchy that I needed to ease it out before my eyes completely swelled up.
I woke up this morning with no pain but the bruising had started to come out around my nose and eyes. I was more aware of the packing up my nose and the difficulty of breathing. Brushing my teeth felt like a major task as it made me feel so feint looking at the packing. I had literally no appetite, all I was drinking was water and tea through a straw. I still felt drowsy from the medication so I was sleeping on and off all day. I was regulary changing the dressing as there was a lot of blood draining from my nose. I didn't take painkillers until the evening, but when I did they completely knocked me out for a few hours but the evening sleep was still irregular due to being uncomfortable and my dry throat. Breathing is so difficult, I can't wait to get the packing out tomorrow. Still no major pain, I'm starting to wonder when the pain is going to kick in.
I woke up this morning feeling surprisingly calm. My admission time was 12.30pm so I woke up early at 6am to eat breakfast, I wasn't hungry but I knew it would be a long day without food. My friend Gemma came with me to hospital and she did an amazing job at distracting me from feeling nervous throughout the day. I arrived at the hospital at 12 and was taken straight to my room which I was sharing with another girl who was in theatre when I got there. Once I had put on my gown and stockings the nerves really hit me. The nurses took my blood pressure and also took my height and weight measurements again, they were all amazing and made me laugh so much throughout the day. I was told that Dr.Giannitrapani was running late due to procedures from the day before so I was expecting to wait a while before I got called for surgery. Dr.Giannitrapani came in a few hours after I arrived and went through the procedure with me again and took more photos. He explained to me that he thinks I must have fractured my nose at some point and I was unaware. After his visit, the anethesist came in and I had more forms to sign. I was called for surgery at 4.15pm. I walked down to the theatre and laid on the bed. This was my major fear, being putting to sleep. A nurse laid a blanket over me and took my blood pressure again. Monitoring pads were placed on my chest and the anesthetic was injected through my hand. I felt my fingers go numb and a cold sensation through my arm. A nurse held my hand as she told me I looked really nervous and asked me to take breaths into a mask. The next thing I remember was waking up in a room I didn't recognise and asking for a quarter pound meal with cheese, I was clearly hungry. I asked what the time was and it was 7.20pm. I was taken to my room and waited for Gemma to arrive. I had a sore throat, dry lips and was extremely thirsty. My blood pressure slightly dropped so I was advised to keep drinking sips of water. I was so hungry I was brought tea and toast. I had to wait four hours post op before I could be discharged. I face timed my family who I think enjoyed how delirious I was because of the medication I had been given. Dr.Giannitrapani came in and said he was confident everything went well and that my surgery took 2 hours and I was in recovery for 1 hour. At 11pm I was discharged and given antibiotics and pain killers to take with me. My drip pad was changed before I left and was given spares to take with me. I was feeling no pain but was apprehensive about when the pain would kick in. I arrived home about 1am and my dressing already needed changing. I barely slept as I struggled breathing. I had such a sore and dry throat because I was having to breath through my mouth that I was waking up every 15 minutes to drink water and sleeping up right was extremely uncomfortable. I was worried that the pain medication would wear off and I would wake up in pain. I cant believe I've finally had it done, seven days until the big reveal of my new nose.
My pre op assessment was with a Nurse at the Chelmsford Clinic. She measured my height and weight and I was tested for MRSA. Pre op photos were also taken of my nose. I was given ALOT of reading material regarding all the do's and dont's leading up to and after the procedure and the nurse discussed all these with me in detail. On the day of my procedure I have to stop eating six hours before my admission time and I can only have sips of water two hours prior to my admission time. All my post op appointments were also made to have my packing, cast and stitches removed. The next time I will be at the clinic is when I'm post op with my new nose. I think todays appointment hit me that this is really happening. I am unbelievably excited but I am waiting for the nerves to kick in.
I made a decision to go ahead with the procedure. It's something I have always wanted and I don't want to regret not having it done. I'm confident I will get the results I want with Dr.Giannitrapani. I paid my deposit today and my procedure date has been confirmed for July 14th at Mya Fitzroy Hospital in London. I was unsure at first whether this date would be confirmed for me as my surgeon only wanted minor cases on this date but I'm classed as a major case, luckily he has agreed to do my procedure on this date too. I can't believe that after wanting this procedure done for so many years that I'm actually getting it done. Its all becoming very real.
Today I travelled down to the London Mya clinic to meet with Dr.Giannitrapani. The consultation went so much better than expected, after having doubts after my previous consultation. I felt like he knew what I wanted before I even spoke. I felt so reassured he would give me the results I wanted. He confirmed that I would need open septo rhinoplasty and alar base reduction. I needed septoplasty because I have a deviated septum and the alar base reduction for my uneven nostrils. I felt extremely positive after my consultation however I was still unsure how I felt about needing open rhino. He told me the surgery would take approximetley 1 hour and 15 minutes. I spoke with my patient co-ordinator afterwards who reassured me about the open rhino procedure and I started to become more comfortable with the idea, I would be asleep anyway so its not like I would be aware of what is going on. I have a massive decision to make.
My surgical consultation today with Dr.Fratti didn't go as I had expected it too. He asked if I had an accident which could have affected the shape of my nose, however as far as I can remember I have never injured my nose. After looking at my nose in depth and asking questions about what I wanted he believed he couldn't give me the results that I wanted and referred me to another surgeon, Dr.Giannitrapani who is based at the London clinic. I was a little disheartened as I was starting to believe it was impossible to fix my nose. I met with my patient co-ordinator afterwards who advised me that Dr.Giannitrapani would only do open rhino procedures which was not the news I wanted. My next surgical consultation will be at the end of February, enough time to research about open rhino further.
I met with my patient co-ordinator today at the Chelmsford clinic. It was a massive eye opener for me as I was unaware there was two different types of rhinoplasty procedures, open or closed. I'm really hoping I wont need open rhino and that the surgeon will go ahead with closed rhino on me. At this stage I'm unsure whether I will go ahead with the procedure if I have to have open rhino. I have been referred to a surgeon, Dr. Fratti in four weeks time. My first experience of Mya was amazing, my patient co-ordinator was lovely and I immediately felt in safe hands at Mya.
I have always been conscious of my nose. I hated pictures taken of me from certain angles and I was obsessed with editing my nose. I would compare my nose to others and was jealous of how perfect other people's noses looked. It's my biggest insecurity, right in the middle of my face. My friends and family have always tried to tell me that I don't need a nose job, they tried to convince me it's fine the way it is and you can only see the bumps when I point it out. I'm the one who has to look at it and live with it every day and I dislike how it makes me look. I never thought I'd be that girl who would consider cosmetic surgery but I hated how unhappy it was making me. Today I made a consultation at Mya for rhinoplasty. I will be meeting my patient co-ordinator at the Chelmsford Clinic on Monday 4th January.
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