Donia’s Rhinoplasty Journey (Part 2)
Donia made up her mind. After spending years considering rhinoplasty, she decided she was finally ready to move forward with the surgery. But her decision came at a time when the world was changing drastically.
Everyone was swept into isolation to discourage the spread of COVID-19. Although this period of isolation was challenging, Donia also viewed it as an opportunity. She knew she’d have plenty of time to rest and allow her nose to heal. But having surgery performed under COVID restrictions also meant she had to build a particular amount of gumption.
Mind at Ease
Donia sat in her hospital room in June 2020, nervous about what the outcome of her surgery might be and anxious due to COVID-19.
“I was really nervous, especially because of COVID. I couldn’t have anyone in the hospital room with me, so I was freaking out,” Donia says.
When Dr. Younger stepped into her room, she shared her concerns.
“Am I going to be awake during the whole thing? What if I wake and I have a piggy nose?” she anxiously asked.
Donia isn’t the only patient to struggle with these kinds of fears. Having surgery of any kind requires a lot of faith in a surgeon, but it requires even more trust when the procedure is on the face. Undergoing surgery during a pandemic adds to any stress the patient might already be feeling about the operation. Thankfully, Dr. Younger is a personable and understanding surgeon, and Donia felt well cared for.
“When Dr. Younger came in, it was funny,” she says, “I let him know my worries. He uses humor a lot with his patients to put their minds at ease. After speaking with him, I went from being so nervous and freaking out to ‘ok, let’s do this.'”
Donia was ready to proceed. Utilizing general anesthesia, Dr. Younger put Donia to sleep and performed his magic, correcting her deviated septum and molding her nose into a more balanced and flattering shape. The goal of the procedure was to create harmony in her facial structure, allowing Donia to live her life with the confidence she always knew she possessed.
Donia felt anxious again after waking from her procedure, but Dr. Younger and his staff kept her mind at ease throughout the recovery process.
“Before and after my surgery, I was calling and emailing all the time because I was so nervous,” Donia laughs. “Heidi and Dr. Younger were really attentive. They were always answering my emails and every question I had. It was really nice.”
Humor and Assurance
A patient’s nose is wrapped and secured with a cast after rhinoplasty to ensure it’s protected from harm and sets into place properly. Because she doesn’t live close to Younger Facial Surgery Centre, Donia chose to have her cast removed at a local surgical centre. Unfortunately, the practitioner injured her nose a bit during it. Donia was hysterical. She feared her final results would be damaged and quickly called Younger Facial Surgery Centre’s offices.
“Dr. Younger made some jokes and made me laugh, keeping me calm and my spirits high,” Donia says. “He told me, ‘Everything is going to be completely fine.’ He assured me completely. That was the one thing that freaked me out, but everything turned out all good.”
Donia’s initial recovery process was smooth. A friend came over to help care for her, and she spent most of the time sleeping. The next challenge came when she got to see her nose unbandaged for the first time. It was still significantly swollen, and she worried that her final results might not be what she was hoping for.
“When you first look in the mirror, you think, this is crazy,” she says, regarding her initial thoughts about her surgery. “I was terrified because your nose isn’t going to look the way it will until the end of recovery. I saw myself in the mirror and thought, oh no, oh no, I hate it. But I kept remembering what Dr. Younger told me over and over again.”
Dr. Younger had warned Donia before her surgery that she may have these feelings. Rhinoplasty requires a significant amount of healing time for final results to be realized. Swelling can be substantial and resolves slowly, making it difficult to properly assess the outcome of the surgery. In fact, the nose can continue undergoing changes — some so subtle that only the patient and their surgeon notice them — for months before it settles into its final size and shape. Dr. Younger’s warnings about this before the procedure gave Donia the assurance she needed.
“He told me he’d gotten phone calls from patients telling him that he ruined their nose. So, he tells them to calm down and to wait a month to see their results come to form. I thought about that, and I was like, ‘ok, don’t call him. It’s going to be fine.’”
With the recognition that it takes time for rhinoplasty results to truly come to form, Donia remained patient. Her patience would pay off. Six months after her procedure, she now says she’s confident about her results and excited to see what her new nose looks like at the 12-month mark.
Part 3:
“I feel more confident. Dare I say, my ego maybe a little bit too high,” Donia laughs. “I look in the mirror, and I’m just like ‘oh my god, who is she?’ That cute little nose, I’m just obsessed with it. I’m obsessed with myself, frankly.”
Learn more about rhinoplasty and how Dr. Ritchie Younger of Younger Facial Surgery Centre can improve your image by contacting us at 604-738-3223 or visiting our contact page.