Part One: Patient Perspective – My Rhinoplasty

I was born with my father's nose. Literally. As a baby and toddler, I had a man-sized, male shaped nose. My parents hoped my face would grow into it. It didn’t.
 

I lived with this larger-than-average, nose through adolescence and well into adulthood. I tried to forget the teasing I endured as a preteen and teenager. I avoided cameras and having pictures taken and I NEVER let anyone see my profile.
 

I told myself that my nose gave my face character. It was my father’s nose and having it meant that I always had a part of him with me. But secretly I hated the way it looked.
 

Aside from the obvious aesthetic issues with my nose, there were more physical problems. I could never breathe from my left side. I had sinus chronic headaches and sinus pain that left me feeling miserable most days. Even with all of these nose-related issues, I had always found a way to talk myself out of having a “nose job”.
 

Whether it was my concern over general anesthesia, the recovery or my reluctance to admit I secretly hated my nose, there was always a reason.