A Nose by Any Other Name

Back to painkillers and antibiotics.

I got up at 4 a.m. today to get to the doctor's office in the Valley on time. The wound has finally healed enough that I underwent microderm abrasion with the hope that it would reduce the scars on my nose somewhat. I have to say that I can't believe people submit to this procedure willingly. It's incredibly painful once the numbing starts to wear off. I feel like my nose is on fire now. And it looks pretty awful too, red and angry--at least, it looked that way before the nurse bandaged it up tight. I kind of look like a toucan at this point (although my beak is not so colorful).

I stand by my previous assertion that the shots that you get in your nose to numb it are the worst part of the procedure, especially if you have to have a series of them. They are remarkably painful; avoid them at all costs if you can. The second worst part is having to look in the mirror to see what your face looks like after the procedure is done. I do understand that the doctor wants me to be able to talk about how I look and how I'm feeling about how I look. It's just a bit of a shock to see yourself this way. I didn't feel like crying today (which is somewhat unusual), but my heart did sink a bit.

So three weeks more of bandages, at least. By that point, I'll have spent almost four full months under wraps. I know it's only temporary and that I will be healed soon, but I will be so very grateful when this is all finished. I don't know if anyone will recognize me without some sort of bandage on my nose.

Do you really need me to warn you to wear sunscreen now?