A small nose update
If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that on Monday, I had my nose surgery.
(You can read more about why I had the surgery in this post.)
(I took some selfies of my old nose before my surgery so I can compare after I'm healed up!)
The pain was pretty bad yesterday, and I barely slept at all Monday night, so I was feeling pretty discouraged.
I did sleep last night, mercifully, and today the pain is slightly better but I am very puffy and black eyes are beginning to creep in.
So, I don't feel fabulous (and I certainly don't look fabulous), but compared to how I felt after I had my tonsils out, this is pretty tolerable.
I can eat and drink and swallow without much pain, and that cannot be said about tonsillectomy recovery! And being able to swallow makes it much easier to down pain meds and antibiotics.
I have a cast on my nose and silicone nasal splints in my nostrils until next Monday. Once those are out, I should feel a whole lot better.
My doctor said I wouldn't be able to taste much because the splints are blocking my sense of smell, but I honestly haven't noticed a difference. Which makes me wonder if I haven't been smelling well for a long time, due to not breathing thru my nose. Maybe food will be super flavorful once I'm all recuperated!
Unlike a tonsillectomy recovery, this one is supposed to just get better and better every day (after having your tonsils removed, you actually go downhill for a period of time!).
So, hopefully I will see improvement every day.
My surgeon and his team were so kind to me, and Mr. FG and the kids have all been super nice to me too. They've been taking care of all the housework, and Joshua's been handling driving his sisters when they need to be somewhere.
Plus, people have been kindly bringing meals for my family.
You guys, I feel so loved, I could cry happy tears. Except I won't because crying is too painful right now.
You will be pleased to know that I have been behaving myself and resting like a boss, so, gold stars for me!
(Goodbye, dear bent nose. I hope you work better after all of this.)
Oh, I have to tell you something kind of funny before I close this out. Being a plastic surgery patient has been kind of odd...the whole experience is swankier than what I'm used to.
For example, they have a dedicated med driver who delivered the pain meds/antibiotics to my front door in a box tied with a bow!
And when I opened the box and pulled back the tissue paper, there were two Lindt truffles tucked in with the meds.
I'm not gonna lie, those truffles did numb the pain slightly yesterday. And I now think all prescriptions should come with chocolate. 😉
I don't know how much I'll be blogging the rest of this week...it'll just depend on how I'm feeling. But I should be back in the saddle next week.
Oh my gosh, what a boutique experience for a surgery, hahaha! Sorry to hear that you weren't/aren't feeling well. Hopefully the recovery will be swift and you'll be back to your new and improved self in no time!
Let us know about the taste/smell thing, too! I'm curious to see if food will taste even more awesome now. 🙂 Mr. Picky Pincher needs to have his adenoids removed, so that'll be interesting to see how that goes once he ponies up and gets it done.
Feel better!
Yeah, I'm very curious to see how things are after I recover on a lot of levels. I'm pretty sure I'll breathe better, but will I also sleep better? taste better? be able to exercise better?
Right now, everything is in a temporary state of worse-than-before-surgery. 😉 And I find myself looking back rather longingly at my pain-free nose in these pictures!
So happy to hear that you are on the mend!
Feel better fast! <3
"And I now think all prescriptions should come with chocolate..." Oh, yes! This is my quote of the day! 🙂
Glad to hear you are on the mend, and that everyone is taking such good care of you. It's nice to feel loved, isn't it?
It is so nice. 🙂 I don't love being in pain, but it IS sweet to be reminded that I'm loved.
Glad to hear you're on the upswing! 🙂
Prayers for your recuperation! Personally, I think you should take a break from blogging and let yourself heal. We will still be here next week when you're feeling better. 🙂
Yeah, I'm not putting any pressure on myself! I wrote Monday and Tuesday's posts ahead of time and scheduled them, so the post today is the only one I've actually written this week.
Hope you're feeling better soon! And I've never noticed the nose ring! You go, girl!!! 🙂
I've had my nose pierced for about 4-5 years now. I had a stud until this spring, when I got a hoop. But both the hoop and the stud were pretty small, so they didn't show up that well in photos...so you are not crazy for not having noticed it!
Buuuut...the nose ring is gone now. My nose is now so rearranged, the old inside of my nose no longer matches up with the outside, so there's no way the old piercing will work again. I can get it repierced in a few months if I want to, but right now the idea of more nose pain sounds terrible. We'll see how I feel in a few months!
Best of health to you, and a rapid, painless, chocolate-filled recovery. Man, that chocolate thing sounds good. I wonder if they take requests, in case a patient doesn't like chocolate?
I wonder if your cooking will change after your recovery. You'll likely be tasting more accurately; you may find your food is over-seasoned compared to pre-surgery.
My other thought - the first one I had, actually - was that I did ~not~ expect you to have a nose ring. I'm still a bit boggled by that. Will you be able to use it again or will you need to get re-pierced?
I've had it pierced for 4 years, and yeah, I'll have to get it repierced a few months down the road if I want to have it again. Right now, I'm unsure, largely because I'm unexcited about more nose pain. I may need a nice long break from anyone messing with my nose!
They had a dark chocolate truffle AND a milk chocolate one, to cover both preferences.
(I prefer dark chocolate but bravely suffered thru the milk chocolate truffle too. 😉 )
Oh, wait...did you mean you were surprised I had a hoop instead of the stud I initially had? I switch the stud out for a hoop just this past spring, so that IS relatively new.
Surprised about the ring. It seems so rad. You might ruin your rep as a gently-spoken homeschooling Christian wife and mom of 4. ;-P (Can you tell I'm in favor of it?)
Another perspective is that around now is the time to get the new piercing, when you're going to be in pain anyway.
Haha, ok...it's a good kind of surprised reaction from you! Someone recently saw it and was the disapproving kind of surprised.
(Would it also surprise you to know that I currently have hot pink highlights? 😉 )
I actually am not allowed to get it re-pierced for several months...doctor's orders! They want my nose to be completely healed before anyone messes with it. So, the decision is out of my hands for a while.
Kristen, I kid you not- I had a dreM about you and your surgery Sunday night!! You were definately on my mind!
So glad it's behind you.
I know it's hard to rest when you are someone who is always "on". It actually does help with wound healing. So sit down, grab a treat an relax!
Hugs!!
Oh, that is funny! I sometimes have dreams with bloggers in them too.
I am doing my very best to rest...I've done pretty much nothing but sit since Monday, except for necessary walking around. And I'm not doing ANY chores. If I even get myself a drink, my kids are upset with me..."we can get that, Mom!" So yes, I am resting. They are making sure of it!
Yay, I'm glad the procedure went well! I hope you recover quickly, which I'm assuming you will because it sounds like you are in excellent hands 🙂
Hope your recovery goes smoothly and your new nose works wonderfully! How nice to have such great, independent kids.
Now you have me nervous as my daughter is having her adenoids, and possibly her tonsils out tomorrow. She is a tough girl though as this will be her 12th surgery in her 7.5 years of life.
I bet she will do great! Tonsillectomies just get really hard to recover from once you're an adolescent and older...7.5 sounds like a GREAT age to get it done, and I imagine she'll be up and running in pretty short order.
My parents wanted to get mine out when I was a kid because they were just so huge and in the way, but I didn't have strep enough times in a single year for the doctors to be willing to pull the trigger. So, I had to do it as an adult. Much harder that way!
Wishing you a speedy recovery! The way your family is stepping up put a smile on my face today!
Me too. All the love almost makes the surgery pain worth it. <3
Hello! I am glad you are doing okay. IN FULL DISCLOSURE, I HAD THIS SURGERY 8 YEARS AGO and it was awful having my nose packed and not being able to breathe. I also was very uncomfortable for five days after... I decided not to share this with you before hand because.....WHY? Also, in full disclosure.....I can breathe now and have not had one single sinus infection ( not one) since the surgery)......YAY
Hang tough K!!!
It is pretty uncomfortable. BUT, the nice thing is that I had my tonsils out as an adult, and thus far, this feels way, way easier than that. So, by comparison, I feel like this is quite tolerable.
Isn't it fortunate I had my surgeries in this order and not the reverse??
So glad to hear that your surgery results were positive. Hoping the same for myself.
Still got my tonsils!!! so....WHEW ......take care.....xoxox
And if they are not causing problems, I say keep them! Getting them out is a lot of trouble and pain, and only worth it if the tonsils are a terrible nuisance.
Can I just say, I love that you have a nose ring! Wishing you a speedy recovery and can't wait to see the "after" pics!
Aww, thank you!
I'm a posting newbie here. Wanted to wish you a speedy recovery and compliment you on your blog (maybe that will help a little in the recovery!). I've been looking around at several different frugal oriented blogs and for the most part have been disappointed. Yours has been a refreshing change. For example, one site apparently tries to promote frugality via being a non-consumer but it seems half the blog is just showing the person's addiction to thrift store shopping to flip for a profit. Another brags on how much they make via affiliate links and conveniently will sale you a copy of their how-to guide. It is so nice to see just the story of one family that isn't taking advantage of someone else to meet their goals and sharing tips along the way. And also staying out of politics! Good job!
Careful Lacy, you might be referring to people who are FG's friends!
Kristen, I'm guessing that the silicone nasal splints have replaced gauze packing. If so, glory be. Having the gauze packing removed was the worst! I broke my nose when I was in high school (hint: a very long time ago), and I still remember how weird it felt. Squick!
Here's to a full and speedy recovery.
While we're kinda on the subject, I've always wondered what happens when a person with a pierced nose sneezes. Do germs spread more easily? I think my vote is to let your lovely new nose be the star for a good long while. No need to risk a piercing infection until you are very well healed.
Yes, I do think this seems to be a replacement for gauze. Gauze sounds more uncomfortable both because it wouldn't let air thru and also because it seems like it would be SO drying.
I'm a little nervous about having the splints removed, but hopefully it won't be too awful.
I don't think germs spread more with a nasal piercing...the stud or hoop fills the pierced hole almost entirely, so it's not like much could possibly get out thru the hole, you know?
And don't worry...I won't do a thing to my nose until my doctor says it's ok. I haven't even decided if I will repierce it, but if I do, I'll follow doctor's orders to a T. And then some. 😉
Diane, well we all probably have friends with behaviors we don't mimic ourselves! If that's the case here, then hooray for not picking up all the traits of those you hang out with. Meant truly to be a compliment!
I had quite similar surgery (well, surgeries - took three tries to get the chronic fungal infection out of the furthest sinuses from my nostrils), and my nose is SO much happier with life now!
I did have a strange side effect afterwards - for a time, everything randomly smelled like ammonia for no apparent reason. Just a weird phantom smell. On the other hand, I can smell a lot more now than I ever could before the surgeries. I don't notice any difference in how my food tastes, and I've always liked my food flavored really strongly. The brain is amazing and strange in how it processes data!! I am sitting here, just appreciating how I can breathe through my nose! I still get excited over that.
All the best to you as you heal!! It's so wonderful your kids are being so very supportive. Go you for giving them the skills to be able to be helpful!
That is really interesting! I wonder why that happened.
I'm so sorry that you had to have three surgeries. Your poor nose!
So glad the surgery went well and is behind you! Best wishes for a swift recovery!
Thank you!
I had nasal surgery a few years ago that was not as complicated as yours, but now I can scarcely remember what it was like afterward. I remember the first night I hardly slept. What I am getting at is you will probably forget (block?) most of what you are going through as time goes by.
Heal well and speedily. It sounds uncomfortable and I remember pulling yards of packing tape out of noses when I nursed. Those poor people. DO let me know if the silicon is easier to remove. God bless.
Kristen,
Glad the surgery is behind you. I'm praying that you'll have a speedy and full recovery!1
Blessings!
Cheryl
Oh my goodness. You are brave! Two of my adult daughters need to have this same surgery done, and they are putting it off do to the cost, and a little bit of fear obviously. 🙂 I will share your story with them to encourage them. And I hope you are back up to speed soon. But in the meantime, enjoy those pain meds and chocolate and getting some much needed (I am sure) rest. 🙂
Yeah, I put it off for a LONG time. Luckily, the cost of this wasn't too terrible, given that we'd already met our deductible from Lisey's tonsil saga. So, it was a good year finances wise to get it done.
Have they tried using the Breathe Right strips? Once I tried those, that really encouraged me to get this done because it gave me a taste of what it could be like to breathe properly!
Praying for a full and 'fast as possible' recovery for you, Kristen! I do hope you have a tastebud awakening. Wouldn't that be a wonderful bonus !? Wow! I've never heard of meds delivered in a gift box. I'm glad you're receiving a bit of pampering after your surgery. Here's to laughing and crying without any pain in the near future! And breathing easier!!
Isn't modern medicine wonderful? Speedy recovery to you, Kristen, along with wishes for vastly improved sleeping, smelling & maybe even tasting in your very near future.
P.S. A nose ring and pink highlights? Wow! Your kids gotta think that you're pretty cool. 🙂
Ha...Lisey does say that I am a cool mom. Her co-workers this summer thought I was her big sister, so that has to be kind of a compliment! 😉
My husband had surgery last week. He is very jealous of your "prescription chocolates." (I'm jealous of the delivery service!)
Here's to a speedier-than-expected recovery and a flavorful Thanksgiving!
I know, right? It was so handy to have that errand crossed off my list.
I hope your husband is feeling well soon!
Praying for a speedy recovery!! Wonderful how everyone is stepping up to help : )
Kristen, hope your recovery is swift. You are rocking that nose ring! And pink highlights! Life is too short not to have fun! Rest up!
Silicon sounds somewhat more comfortable than what my co-worker complained about 10 years ago, having what he called "super tampons shoved up his nose" after surgery.
Do be careful, keep water out of your nose, and happy recovery! I can't wait to see the "after" pictures.
p.s., I had some plastic surgery one time, and the clinic gave me a nice big fluffy robe and cuddly socks to take home. Plastic surgeons seem to like to pamper the patients. As a chocoholic, though, I would have been supremely happy with just that, too.
Woohoo for a completed surgery!
Best wishes for a speedy recovery. I will include you in my loving kindness meditation tonight. Had my tonsils taken out when I was five, yeah it hurt, but the doctor saying I should eat ice cream to soothe my throat made it bearable, ; )
So lovely you got them out when you were young. It is significantly harder when you are an adult!
So glad it went well and you are on the mend! Love the chocolate Rx!!
Best wishes for a speedy recovery and I look forward to hearing from you again!!
I read your blog all the time, don't comment too much though! But I love your nose ring! And I actually came here to find some recipes for my thanksgiving dinner! Hope you have lots of help this year, just relax and let someone else do the cooking. Happy healing!
~ carrie
Glad to hear it went well and you're on the mend. Take care and continue to rest up!
Could you or anyone else tell mw how you went about finding a surgeon to do this operation? My son broke his nose several years ago and I didn't know anything then and just had the ENT fix it. It is now crooked and he has breathing problems. I'd like to get it fixed but I don't want to make the problem worse with an inexperienced doctor.
Any advice is welcome!
Well, I went to see the ENT who took Lisey's tonsils out, and then he referred me to his plastic surgeon/ENT partner.
We initially found the ENT based on our pediatrician's recommendation (and someone else recommended this particular doctor to us as well.)
Delurking to wish you well and a speedy, not-too-terrible recovery! Yay for your helpful family and friends and yay for the possibility of enhanced tasting -- best of luck to you!
Love reading your blog and following your IG pages. Glad you're healing nicely from the surgery. Seeing you with the cute little nose ring inspired me to finally get my nose pierced after so many years wanting it done. I realized my age was never a barrier, but my lack of desire and committment to follow my personal dream. My only regret was not doing it sooner. I always saw your cute little pierced nose not as symbol nor form of fashion/cultural expression, but one of your artistic flair appearing very feminine and inoffensively twinkling from your pretty face. The little hoop was subtle, but lovely as well.
Know you're a little unsure about re-piercing your nose, however, there is nothing wrong doing something at our age which makes us seem more beautiful. Certainly, your little nose stud and especially your little hoop was gorgeous on your face.
Now your surgery is over, your nose looks perfectly symmetrical and super cute. Only thing missing is a little sparkle to let your inner beauty, and creativity shine like a little beacon of light for others to see and admire!
Even when I'm not wearing a stitch of makeup and I take a look in the mirror, I smile because of that tiny bit of twinkle remains on my face after all of the makeup is gone. It' a tiny little change in appearance, but it brings a whole lot of happy to my face as I'm sure it did yours.
Now I smile even wider every time when someone compliments me on how cute my nose stud looks and look forward soon to the day when I can wear a cute nose hoop like you wore. Suspect you may now miss those moments appreciating how your cute little pierced nose had defined you and became such an integral and lovely part of you. Know from an earlier blog entry your husband loved it.
Finally getting my nose pierced at 35 was an epiphany of sorts. Something I've realized was how I loved the girls we used to be, but love even more how beautiful and feminine as women we've become with such a teeny, tiny, little diamond in my nose. Somehow it makes me feel a bit ethereal and magical like a tiny fairy ever-so-gently kissed my nose and left behind a small trace of glitter behind.
Thanks for all your suppport. Hope, I've been able to reciprocate a little reassurance in return about whether or not you decide to get your nose re-pierced when all the healing is complete.
Amy
amyswor1765@gmail.com
I'm leaning toward getting it repierced, especially because my nostrils are a better shape for piercing now that the surgery is done. They were kind of unusually narrow before, which made it hard to get the piercing to lay right.
But for now, I just have to be kind to my nose and let it alone for a while! It's been thru a lot this last week.
So glad you like your piercing, and yes, I think if you want your nose pierced, you should feel free to do it at whatever age you wish. 🙂