I have always been very self concious about my "ethnic nose," being half Italian. I always wanted a classic, straight profile much like Natalie Portman. I booked a consultation with Dr. Roxanne Guy (the President of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons) in August of 2005. She has been on Good Morning America, as well as a plethora of other talk shows giving advice on choosing a plastic surgeon.
This is my rhinoplasty doctor's site:
http://plasticsurgery.org/md/roxyguy.htm
I brought profile and head shot photographs of Natalie Portman to illustrate exactly what I wanted done. She made me feel very comfortable and listened to what I had to say, and asked me questions about what I did and did not want my nose to look like. Lastly, she asked why I wanted the procedure done (all plastic surgeons should ask this, it's important). I explained it has taken a toll on my self confidence and personality. The procedure was performed in December of 2005. It took four hours in the operating room and I underwent full anesthesia. It cost a total of $9,000, which was paid up front before the surgery, with no financing.
Dr. Guy straightened my bridge, took the "hook" out of the tip of my nose, and widened my breathing passages/sinuses (I no longer suffer from frequent migraines anymore). The healing process took over a year, as the non-noticable swelling remained until just a few weeks ago. The feeling has not totally returned to the tip of my nose, because of the cartilage that was inserted. It will probably be another year before it's totally healed.
The worst part of the procedure was my sore throat from the breathing tube. I could not breathe through my nose the first few days because of the packing inside, so I had to breathe through my mouth. This made my sore throat worse, but I used much chloraseptic spray to numb the pain. The first few nights are tough, but they prescribe good, effective pain killers.
People ask me if it was worth it. Because of my reasons for the surgery, I tell them I would have gone through this surgery a thousand times if it meant feeling and looking the way I do now. I love my new confidence and charisma! Most people don't really notice I had work done, but they say "You look really good, did you lose weight? Something is different." Most of the time I just say I had my nose done because I figured they'd find out later anyway.