My nose bridge is really low and it’s a small nose with a rounded shape. Even during the consultation, the director kept touching it this way and that and said there was almost no cartilage, it was tiny... So as support, I decided to use autologous costal cartilage (my own choice), and for the tip, ear cartilage, and for the bridge, silicone. It was probably 5 mm.
Right after, same day Because of the anesthesia, it didn’t hurt at all. Breathing through my mouth was fine too. Eating was really uncomfortable. My rib area kept getting more and more painful. My face kept getting more and more swollen.
Day 2 The area around my eyes started swelling and turning into red bruises. My rib really hurt. My philtrum was ridiculously long. When I looked in the mirror, there was a monkey in there. I felt like I had lost weight, probably just an illusion. They said I should eat well, but it was so, so uncomfortable that I forced the food down.
Day 3 By now, my mouth and throat get so dry when I sleep that they crack and feel parched. Since I’m covered in dark bruises, I’m so tired and have no energy. My emotions suddenly became very unstable. My rib hurts way too much. Even the ear that was blocked is starting to feel stuffy.
Day 4 I hit my limit. I held out by telling myself I’d get it removed tomorrow. I was going through the day like I had the worst thing stuck on my forehead... The lips look like Angelina Jolie. My eyes turned yellow too. The swelling moved down to the lower part of my cheeks, so I looked like Luffy. I washed my hair that day with my mom’s help.
Day 5 The day to go remove the packing. I stopped thinking about everything. Removing the packing felt like... ...taking a dump through my nose. The stitches stung too. The ear and rib stitches were okay though. But it still hurts. They put gauze in and said to leave it in for one day. The feeling of putting it in was the worst. Still better than the packing. Once the ear was opened up and breathing got better, I felt much more comfortable.
Day 6 As soon as I woke up, I removed the gauze. So this is what nostrils are.... this is where I should breathe.... I didn’t know then. I had no idea they’d get blocked again. More and more scabs kept building up. And there was another hidden problem: inside the splint was so itchy. I almost screamed in the middle of the night because of it. My philtrum felt stiff. I couldn’t open my mouth fully.
Day 7 My eyes looked too close together. My whole face was puffy too, so it looked kind of funny. I really want to take the splint off quickly. I’m going crazy from the itchiness. The inside of my nose is hard because of the crusts. When I smile, my mouth looks really cramped. Still, the monkey phase is over.
Day 8 I’m starting to get used to it. The splint feels like my skin now. The post-op slump came back. I ate whatever I wanted. The bruises are not fading at all. The double-eyelid line is deep purple, like I did smoky makeup.
Day 9 With my mom’s help, I washed my hair really thoroughly. I’m so excited thinking about taking off the splint tomorrow and washing my face. I looked in the mirror and wondered if the eye area was getting better, then saw photos from the rear camera and got hit by that post-op slump again. The rib area still hurts. It feels like the skin over the surgical site is dangling while pressing on a bruised area? Maybe because of the belly fat? And when I lie on my side, my nose feels like it shifts, plus maybe because of the splint my bridge hurts, and because of the rib I still can’t lie down comfortably and sleep.
Tomorrow I finally get the splint off... I don’t even know what to think. I just want the stuffy nostrils and to wash my face...