It's just a nose....Right?

I had another post-op follow-up this past week.
First of all, I need to affirm my doctor once again. Dr. Cooks-Norris from The Woodlands Skin Surgery Center is just amazing. Not only is he highly competent, but he is so personable and really takes the time to get to know his patients on an individual level.

He said that he is really happy with my progress. 
I am about 100 days out from my surgery and from his perspective, I am right where I should be in my healing.

Of course, I still have no feeling in the right side of my nose (which he said could last for 6 or 7 months), so when I am really cold and my nose is chilled, it's actually only 50% chilled. 


He did say that two pieces of my scars are in need of a little extra therapy. Yes, I do therapy on my nose-- twice a day, in fact. (Can you picture what nose therapy looks like?!)

Well, one section is rocking with the therapy, but 2 spots need a little more of my focus and intention. Dr. Cooks-Norris said that anyone just meeting me would never know the trauma my nose had been through, but he does validate that THIS IS MY FACE, so he taught me how to really get those scars doing what we want them to do so that my face is returned (as much as possible) to how it "used to be".

He then said that after my next post-op appt. in January, we could make the decision that if I am not satisfied with the progress, he could go back in and tweak those 2 spots. Yes, another surgery. And yes, more anesthesia, so more months of a numb nose. 

I just cocked my head looked at him when he said that.
And remember when I affirmed how much he KNOWS his patients?
He immediately responded with:
    "Kelli, you have never been one of those patients that is concerned with vanity or restoring things to 'how they were before the cancer', so another surgery is most likely not what you would want."

Uh, YEAH. He nailed it.

My response was pretty simple:
    "Even with the 2 not-so-perfect-scars, my nose is cancer-free and that is all I am concerned about. So I will work a little harder on those 2 areas and then the nose I get is the nose I get."

He smiled and nodded and said he already knew before he offered the second surgery what my response would be.

After all, it's just a nose, right?