I am feeling SO much better.
Monday morning, I got my cast off and splints out. Getting the splints out was the opposite of fun, but the cast removal was pretty easy, and my doctor was as gentle as possible.
My nose is still swollen, of course, so this is not the final way my face will look. And the inside is swollen too, so I can't get a good idea of how much breathing improvement I have.
But I'd say that so far, my breathing is better than it was before the surgery, even with the swelling.
And I can smell things again, after a week of not smelling anything!
I actually feel like life is much more full of aromas than I did before surgery, probably because before surgery, I wasn't doing much breathing thru my nose as I went about my days.
My nose is still pretty frozen and numb, which means I can't smile my usual toothy smile. But it's getting better every day.
It will take a whole year for my nose to completely settle in and lose all the swelling, but a lot of it will go away in the next month or two.
And in the next couple of months, the nerves in my nose will regenerate, and the feeling will come back.
I am relieved that my nose doesn't looks super crazy different than it did before, and I think that will be more and more true as the swelling goes down. I didn't really want a new nose; I just wanted to breathe!
I'm still supposed to take things a little easy for the next week or two so that my nose doesn't swell right back up again, but I can get back to doing normal household stuff at least. It's nice to not be so tired and out of it now. Yay!
So.
I think the worst is behind me, and my nose will function better and better as the days go by.
And I think I will finally get around to writing about something besides my nose on this here blog. 😉 Thanks for bearing with me during the nose-centric interlude of the last week or so.
P.S. A lot of you asked if I planned to put my nose ring back in again. The hole is already closed in, and even if it wasn't, the inside of my new nose doesn't match up with the outside the same way it did before, so there's no way the piercing would have remained intact. If I decide I want to pierce it again, I can, but not until some months down the road because my nose needs to heal. So I have plenty of time to think about it. 😉
Hooray for the new nose. A word of caution: for at least a year after I broke mine, I had unexpected nosebleeds. Seriously, the least bump or even a good sneeze could result in a gusher. Keep a handkerchief handy for at least the next few weeks until you can ascertain if this will happen to you.
Random thought: You rarely post photos of yourself where you are not smiling. You also post photos of your kids snapped while they're otherwise engaged and not necessarily smiling for the camera. In viewing the non-smiling shots of you, I was struck by how much of you I see in your children's faces. This sounds weird, but is really a compliment. I hope your kids will grow up to be as much like you in the inside as well.
Ooh, good to know! I'll keep supplies handy in case of nose emergencies.
That's so interesting about the photos...you're right, there aren't many candid shots of me because I'm the one behind the camera for candid shots. And it's always interesting to hear other people's opinions about who looks like who. I think it's such a hard thing to see when you're in a family. People outside the family almost always have a more accurate idea about family resemblances!
Ugh, typo. "On" the inside, not "in" the inside. Since I'm back again so soon, please allow me to wish you a happy Thanksgiving as well!
I want to thank you for your post on "lice treatment" some time back. I read your blog daily and when my sister's family had a lice episode last week I googled your post and sent her the link about your treatment. She was so thankful to not have to use those harsh chemicals on their hair. She has since subscribed to your blog. Thanks again.
Yay! So glad that was helpful to you guys.
So glad you are on the mend. You look great!
Wow, who knew reconstructive surgery was so involved. Glad you are feeling better.
Congrats on everything (so far) being normal and here's to a swift and relatively easy recovery in the months ahead.
Glad you are doing better. Please don't be surprised if that nerve regeneration is surprisingly painful. Haven't had a nose done, but nerve regeneration post finger surgery was rough. The good news is that it calms right down after the nerves reconnect.
So glad all went well and the worst is behind you. Just remember not to overdo it! My son in law had the same surgery just over 4 weeks ago. After a couple of weeks he felt so much better he started doing everything again - like lifting toddlers and babies! A day or so later he had major nose bleeds, so bad he had to go to Emergency at the hospital. They told him not to do ANY lifting for another week. So don't be tempted into picking up your old lifestyle until you have been given the clearance by your surgeon. Its not worth it. 🙂
So no lifting heavy turkeys or pots of mashed potatoes! Happy Thanksgiving.
I like the pink hair streak!
Thank you! 🙂
Kristen--You did so well! I am another one who didn't want her nose to be altered,just, as you say, to breathe. God to know there is another natural person who wants her face left alone. Doesn't it feel great to shed the splints? You look great; Happy Thanksgiving. Keep up the good work of recovery. Eat chocolate.
I feel you! My nose was a little wonky before, but it was my nose, I was used to it, and it didn't bother me except for the fact that I couldn't breathe.
And yes...the cast is nice to be rid of, but mainly the splints!
You look absolutely great! Happy Thanksgiving to you and the whole family.
Congrats! Lookin' good! Hopefully you can take it a little eaay this Thanksgiving, too!
Very nice!
Happy recovery & Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Molly!
Glad to see the mending continuing apace. From your photo I can see that one, your nose is still swollen and two, it's straight. Here's to good breathing and successful surgeries!
Yup...the swelling is getting better teensy bit by teensy bit. And my nose and lip are getting slightly less frozen every day too. Progress...just slow progress!