What Household Tasks Can I Do After Rhinoplasty?
Though you won't likely be in pain after your surgery (most rhinoplasty patients simply experience some fatigue and slight discomfort following their nose job), you will be expected to stay off your feet (with your head propped up) and avoid doing much activity in the first hours after your procedure (hence the importance of securing a responsible caretaker ahead of time!). As you progress in your recovery, you'll be able to resume more and more activities around the house. Our ''Household Activities Timeline'' can help you pinpoint what you can - and shouldn't - do after your nose job.
Day 1: Before Your Surgery
Before your caretaker drives you to surgery (be sure to arrive at least one hour prior to your scheduled time), feel free to finish up whatever household activities you want or need to do (grocery shopping, cleaning, cooking - chores you won't want/be able to do in the first hours after surgery). Just be sure to avoid time-sensitive tasks (the day of your surgery is likely not the best time to start painting your bathroom or installing a new furnace), as well as activities that pose the risk of injury - particularly to your nose (you may need to postpone rearranging your living-room furniture for a few weeks).
Day 1: After Your Surgery
As mentioned, it's unlikely you'll be in pain after your surgery. At most, you'll be tired and, possibly, feel some slight discomfort due to swelling/bruising on your face. It's important, however, to keep your blood pressure down and to stay off your feet in the first 12 hours after rhinoplasty surgery, so you'll need to refrain from doing much activity around your home at all (again, it's important to choose a caretaker who can pick up the slack for you while you get the rest you need during this critical time).
Day 2
On the day after surgery, once you've had a good night's sleep, taken your prescriptions (as needed) and eaten something, you'll likely feel rested enough to get out of bed and do some VERY light activity around the house. Preparing a snack and doing a small load laundry are OK; just be sure to avoid any task that could put your nose at risk (rough-housing with small children, stepping on a chair to get an item that's high out of reach, etc.) or that could elevate your blood pressure (bending down to lift a heavy bag of groceries). Ask a family member or friend to help you instead.
Week 1
Listen to your body and only do as much as you feel capable of during this time. As you find yourself feeling better and stronger in the days after surgery, you'll likely be able to return to more of your regular household activities - cooking and tidying up, as well as slapping on a hat and some sunglasses and heading out to walk the dog or get some groceries. Blood pressure is still an issue, so avoid bending down or doing any heavy lifting. Heavy-duty activities that put your nose at risk of injury should also be avoided, as should driving while taking any pain medication - if something desperately needs to be done, don't be afraid to ask a friend or family member to help.
Week 2
Once your cast has been removed and most of your bruising/swelling has subsided, you'll likely be ready to get back to many of the activities you were doing prior to your nose job. While most regular household chores are perfectly safe to do at this point in time (cooking, laundry, dusting, tidying up), we highly recommend you save the heavy lifting - trimming the hedges, cleaning out the gutters and retiling the tub - for the future. Any activity that can potentially injure your nose is something you'll want to avoid.
Weeks 3 & 4
By this time you'll likely be able to return to all your normal activities around the house - as long as Dr. Buonassisi has given you permission to do so. While such DIY projects as replacing the drywall and gutting your basement should be saved for several months down the road (or for a professional!), you'll be back to feeling like your old self by now - with a beautiful new nose! As long as you continue to take care of your nose and keep it out of harm's way, you should be good to go as far as running your home are concerned; if there's any activity you're unsure about, please don't hesitate to contact 8 West and ask!
