5 Weeks Post Op: The Weather Forecasting Nose?

I feel like healing is going slow. I don't feel much different from last week to this week. I have been getting some shooting pains and more tingling in my nose. I hope that's the nerves healing. There is still a fair amount of crud in my problem nostril (the left) that impedes air flow by at least half. I've been blowing my nose and taking hot showers to keep the crud away but this just takes time.

I'm pretty sure a storm is coming to Denver because my nose/sinuses feel different today. There is more pressure in my sinuses and my left nostril has a dull ache. Maybe it can tell if a low pressure is coming. I hope this is only a healing problem and I'm not 80 telling my grand-kids, "My nose is aching! Believe-you-me youngsters but a storms a-comin'! I've got a weather forecasting nose!!" (Insert cackling and pounding of my wooden leg on the floor)

Here is this week's photo.Ugh the left side is still so biggggg... just decrease already!!

30 Days Post-Op: Cleared for all nose related activites!!

I've been cleared for all nose related activities! Hurray! I tried to blow my nose for the first time in a month and the sides of my nose are still sensitive. I just started wearing sunglasses a few days ago but only for short periods of time. The bridge of my nose does get sore. Yawning too much also will make my nose hurt. I'm pretty sure when it snowed the other day, the low pressure gave me a sinus headache. 

Every week I feel better. My nose isn't congested anymore and if it is, a hot shower will remedy it. I've already noticed my quality of life improving. I sleep better and I don't snore as much or as loud. Before I could have been a baby chainsaw but now it's soft snores or heavy breathing. I notice that my mouth isn't crazy dry in the mornings anymore from all the mouth breathing I would do.

I still sneeze out of my mouth and I hold the bridge of my nose because it's tender. I haven't received all the feeling in my nose and I hope there isn't permanent nerve damage. Who cares if it doesn't? What does my nose actually feel on a normal basis?

Here's how it's looking! The left side is still kind of pronounced. :(

Day 21: Slow Recovery

It's been 3 weeks since surgery. Everything is starting to feel like they're normal but they're not. I'm sneezing with my mouth open, my nose hurts too much to wear sunglasses, and my sleep isn't totally normal. My nose is still tingly and a little numb.

Two accidents have occurred that I don't recommend doing:
1) A few days ago I went to rub the sleep out of my eyes when my alarm went off and I accidentally whacked myself in the nose. It was so painful I had to just lie there and let the pain subside for about 10 minutes.
2) I accidentally sneezed with my mouth shut. I pretty much saw little stars circling around my head as my eyes watered up and I just cried for a minute from the pain.

There is still debris in my nose. I'm not allowed to blow it yet but only do gentle sniffs in. Hot showers help most with loosening it up so it can leave. Some days both passages are blocked, sometimes it's one or the other. Today the debris from my left (the trouble passage) nostril cleared and it has so much air flow! Still a great decision getting this surgery done.

Here's today's picture! Looks about the same. The left side is kind of larger still... makes me a little concerned but I know it'll take months to look just right again. Sigh.

Day 14: 2 Weeks Since Surgery

Things are going great!! I can breathe out of both nasal passages. Sometimes I just hold my hand up and block a passage at a time just to feel the air flow out of each. This surgery was one of the best decisions I've made.

I'm healing and I realize that, so my nasal passages get plugged with mucus and blood (gross I know). There is still debris in them and I'm not allowed to blow my nose yet. I drink about 5 cups of hot tea a day, take a hot showers, and keep my house humid (I live in Colorado aka no humidity) to keep my passages open.

My bruising is gone! My swelling decreases little by little every day. The tip of my nose is still sensitive and it tingles when I touch it. Also, since my nose was re-broken, the bridge is sore. I can't wear sunglasses or glasses yet but that's okay. Sometimes I instinctively try to wrinkle my nose (at a weird smell or whatever) and it's pretty painful. I have some sinus pressure and headaches but that can usually be treated with aspirin.

The left side is a little more swollen than the right but it's going down to the normal size. You can see the definition of my nostrils coming back and the rest of my face looks normal. Look how straight it is!!! I look in the mirror a lot (makes me feel vain) but I can't believe how good it looks and how I can breathe!

Day 8: Splints Removed!

My splints were removed and my sutures taken out this morning. It was an uncomfortable feeling to have 2 giant plastic things taken from my nostrils. I didn't know but apparently they're sutured into place. This is really, really gross I know, but here's what they look like. You can see how big they are compared to my nose guard (it's on the right with the tape still on it). Ew!!

The sutures that were holding my nose together were removed after that. I think there were 5 or 6 of them. It was a little pinchy but not that painful. Here's what it looks like now!

Since the splints were removed, my nose looks smaller. I talked to the doctors and it will take a few weeks (or months) to determine how my nose it will look in the end. During surgery they over-corrected my septum to the right because it tends to try and heal back in the same direction it was. It sure looks straight to me! Look I can smile again!!

Here is the photo on my first post the day before surgery. Notice how my straight my nose is after! Now the swelling just needs to decrease.

I am breathing entirely out of BOTH passages. It's a weird but amazing feeling. The surgery was totally worth it. Also, I was able to taste most of everything at lunch!

I'm only going to be posting weekly photos on Tuesdays to show the progression of swelling for the first month or so. All the exciting stuff has already happened.

I'm truly thankful to Dr. Ramakrishnan, his team at ENT, and University Colorado Hospital for making my nose A) straight and B) usable. I wouldn't want to go through this again but I am 100% glad that I underwent this surgery.

Day 7: One Full Week Since Surgery

I never thought that I'd finally reach an entire week post-surgery. Midway through I was convinced I'd never feel better. Everyday I get stronger and healthier. I feels like the splint in my left nostril shifted during the night. I can't get the saline spray into that nostril anymore but it gets removed tomorrow morning.

I still get fatigued when I leave the house for too long. I don't get too tired while doing light chores or cooking but I'm not sure how tomorrow is going to go. I go to work after getting the splint removed. I'm looking forward to no more bag-face showers.

Swelling and bruising is decreasing. I think the black and blue under my eyes is just about gone. Ugh, my nose is still bulbous though! Luckily the swelling is starting to even out. If you look at day 5 or 6 photos vs this one, my left side is going down! Hurray!

Day 6: I Sneezed Today... Ow and Ew

I have been lucky enough not to sneeze, until today. It's painful and you get very concerned that it might harm your nose. Sneeze with your mouth open but of course, there is nose involvement. It ached for awhile after but I don't think there will be lasting damage!

After about a half hour I begin to have a smell... a gross sort of rotten smell. I couldn't place it until it reminded me of the Coroner's Office. I have been a volunteer/intern for our local office for 2 years. Great, the sneeze dislodged some tissue or blood that's been sitting around, and now I smell the morgue all the time. Thank God I'm used to that smell but I don't like that it's emanating from the inside of my nose! If you haven't been around the dead much it has this sickly-sweet, harsh smell. Ugh. I hope it goes away soon.

Sleep was hard last night. My nose feels best when I'm lying on my back but I'm typically a side sleeper and my back hates it. It must have taken at least 2 hours to fall asleep. Oh the sleeping problems.

Swelling and bruising is still decreasing! My nose still looks huge and a little lopsided. This is as big as my smile gets; the swelling keeps me from doing my full smile!