It was not easy. I though SRS would be the most painful one, but messing at the same time with both eyes, nose and throat is not a good recipe. Even if I had had all the money, I would still have divided it in two stages.

Yesterday I was really depressed, but today I am starting to see my old face. I still need to put Ice packs constantly, but the worst parr is the unnecessary catether I have to carry until Monday. I already made a good mess, and while I don't get this removed, I can't wash my clothes or do better cooking.

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Hey Juilia

Considering what you've had done, you're looking quite good!  I know how it feels to see yourself all battered and bruised, but be patient and in around 2 weeks you'll be astounded by the results. 

I admire you for doing this on your own - that takes real strength!

Hugs
Julia

Can't wait to see the beauty unfold as the swelling starts to come down. Keep following the directions to the tee and you'll be good to go. It takes a long time to see your old face again, too, so try to keep your mind out of there. After my FFS procedures I discovered I have quite terrible post-op anxiety. Take it from me, having that anxiety is not worth it. Just try to relax and trust your decision, it will help you heal faster being happy and looking forward to seeing the results really start to appear.

So happy for you Julia Keep us updated on your progress!

Thanks girls. The worst for me now is the oitchinea I can't scratch. Also, I want to talk to the other girls but I can't abuse my throat after the teach shave.

Tomorrow the nurses will come to remove the catether and maybe give me a good facial cleaning, or let me do it. I know the cast won't come put in at least seven days, but I really want to take put the headband and do my hair

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Hey!

Your going to be seeing improvement a little bit each day for a long time. Enjoy that part of this. Congrats and I'm glad your OK.

Hugs

Jen

Hello Julia. I'm happy to see you are fine. You will look incredible sweetie, don't be hard with yourself. You should  wait a few days to see your new face. Take it easy and enjoy your post-op. 

Xx

Stay strong you will be fine! Cant wait to see more progress!!

Day #03:


Les swollen, but still impossible to know what do I really look like Let's hope I don't end looking even more assymetrical...

Did you ask your doctor how long for the full recovery?   Mine is 6 to 8 months.   And he is actually correct.  Give it time.

Hugs

Jen

Hi Julia,

I was a bit frightened by the first pics especially your eyes because my surgery is on Saturday and they will be playing with my eyes a lot along with my nose.  Your day 3 pics show a huge change.  Thanks so much for posting them as it shows how you just have to chill for a while and let the healing process work.  I also get a lot from the replies as there is much wisdom and experience being shared.

Take care

Love Emma

Quote from: Julia (Apple-Whatever) on November 16, 2014, 10:25:23 PM
Day #03:


Les swollen, but still impossible to know what do I really look like Let's hope I don't end looking even more assymetrical...

Hi Julia,
     Good show sweetheart! I'll bet my paycheck on a pretty looking face and a marvelous recovery!

Post-op Day #04



Swelling seems to be moving to the lower part. I'm still not allowed to remove the headband or wash my hair until next Friday, which would be when I am also allowed to leave the hotel. I hope they remove some of the stitches by then...

Only problem is that now that I have killed the most malelike features and can start seeing myself as a woman... THen I have genuine genital dysphoria. Not about sex, but about being whole as a woman.

It will be still two years before that next surgery, so I hope the incoming boobjob lifts up my mood a bit.

Hello Julia!. You will look beautiful girl! In 2 approx weeks you will can appreciate your new face. 

Not a lot going on, six days later. On friday they remove the stitches on my nose / lip, and by monday the headband comes out and I can wash my hair. 9 friggin days.


So I am thinking, this is not enough. I have changed what could be changed of my body(the face), plus the small bonus that will be breast augmentation in the next month (nothing outrageous). But there are still two things I haven't handled about being a woman yet:

- The first one is hair. I need to visit a hair stylist who can find something that can work to favor my face, and not require me to use heat every day. in the last year I've simple straightened it daily. I need to discover how to treat its frizzynes and arrange its natural curls. Also, it needs to work with my loss of density and shorter hair in the top scalp. TO add insult to injury, I've lost truckloads of hair between stopping E, Minoxidil (I can't start using it again until one month post-op, and all the anxiety.

- Second issue is what to wear. Even if I have a female face now, my body is still male. Long torso, broad shoulders, wider ribcage. I neef to create and style of clothes to wear, more femenine and that works into diminishing my worst male characteristics. It's too bad I don't have a female friend who can work into finding me clothes on a shpping day.

- Third issue is health and body. Although I am not fat, I'm quite flabby and look terrible I need to start going frequently to the gym or doing exercise at home. My body, specially from the waist down looks like a deflated ballon. I need good thights, and to develop a butt, something only exercise will give me.

Thanks for sharing your journey through FFS Julia. It helps us girls who are planning the same journey. Sounds like a couple of weeks and you'll be seeing the fruits of your labour. I'm sure your going to look fabulous.

Hugs,
Bree

Sadly, today I have discovered that I have ended with a disaster. The thing I feared the most.

Today I just noticed that my septum now has bent to one side, blocking my left nasal cavity.

How has this happened? I had an assimetrycal face with a smaller left side. So my mouth is diagonal. When he did the lip lift and, he tilted the base of the nose so that it would align with my mouth. If it is what I believe, now my nose tilts at the lower part, and that's why the septum bends.

Basically, this required an ENT surgeon. Now it seems like I need a septoplasty. Sigh. When I had turbinate surgery they deemed it as not enough deviation to correct. So I hope they can change it now.

I'm lamenting this surgery alreay. At first I was happy to finally remove my male features, but now the price is having to breath from the mouth. It was a very hard face to work with, and that's why I feared something like this could happen that would increase my assimetry.

Oh honey, that sounds like more surgery. Youve been through enough. I hope the can get you breathing through your nose without too much effort. Take care girlfriend, hope you can at least put your feet up.


Bree

Basically, I have two theories about my nose :
-the septum was deviated during major rhinoplasty

- I had a slightly deviated septum in a nose that was big, long and wide, so much that when I has my consult action for turbinate surgery they deemed it as not enough to operate. But what happens when you put the same deviation in a nose not shorter, smaller and thinner? That you have a big deviation.

That's the problem with surgeons: they always have an Achilles heel. Chett is a cosmetic surgeon, not an ENT surgeon (Cardenas actually have one). I am apple-less now despite having massive prominence ( just my prominent trachea remains), my forehead is incredibly round now and my eyes not only look bigger, but fully symmetrical.

In fact, just by showing my photo to a friend without telling what I had done, he went straight to the lips. "I don't know what has changed, but your mouth is completely feminine now".

Lesson of the day: If you have a Special nose that is going to require functional work, look for a surgeon that can do more than just rhinoplasty.  Basically my septum was not altered, and it should have been corrected at the same time.

I'm considering starting my E tomorrow. It's been a week since surgery and I'm getting into post-op depression territory. I don't think I have to worry about clotting now.

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Hi Julia,

I am very sorry that your nose is going to need further work. 

I think I am lucky as my septum deviation is a known!  That's why I am in Guadalajara now needing an ENT to be involved.  Hindsight is a fine thing but if I hadn't had a nose op 5 weeks ago to remove a bunch of polyps,  I wouldn't have known the extent of the problem.  Dr Cardenas' wife is an ENT and is used to doing these repairs as part of FFS.  I could just as easily have picked a surgeon who doesn't have an ENT readily available as I booked well before I knew the extent of the problem.

That all said, with my propensity to grow polyps, I now know I will be back at the ENT in Melbourne getting more removed in the next year or so.  I just accept my nose is going to be high maintenance.  Unfortunately, it sounds like yours is too.

All the best with your recovery. 

Emma

P.S. I like your attitude to the other areas to improve.  Even though my FFS is tomorrow, it is good to look forward and not look at this as a magic pill.  It is but one component of a complex journey.  Thanks for the reminder.

Hi Julia

Permit me to observe that you might be reacting a little too fast, sister.  It is natural for your nose breathing to be very strange at this time, so soon after surgery.

Rhinoplasty is very invasive and your breathing may not stabilise for at least 8 weeks.  In fact, it took the better part of 6 months for my nose to fully stabilise in terms of aesthetics and usability. 

Hermana, entiendo que has vivido con unas frustraciones enormes, per, mirando tus posts desde la cirugía, quiero que hagas todo lo posible para percibir lo positivo en tu mundo.  Acabas de arreglar tu cara, y seguramente saldrás estupenda.  Dentro de poco tendrás tus pechos también.  Es para celebrarlo, en mayusculas!!  Claro, todavía te queda trabajo, pero, jo**r, mira que salto has hecho.  En vez de ver cada cuesta como un obstaculo, yo hago lo máximo para tener en mente que, desde la cumbre de cada cuesta hay vistas espectaculares, y desde allá puedes ver cuánto has avanzado.   Smile and carry on!!