In 2013, for my 21st birthday, I went under the knife to have polyps removed that were causing blockage in my nasal passages and giving me six to eight sinus infections a year. My parents got behind the decision for health reasons, while I was more interested in the aesthetics. I wanted my nose to be smaller, more delicate, more feminine. We found a doctor who was willing to remove the polyps and perform reconstructive surgery.The surgery took several hours, and the recovery took weeks. It was awful. My face was swollen, my eyes were black and blue, and I couldn’t breathe out of my nose due to the nasal packing. When the bandage came off a week after the operation, I was crushed. I didn’t look like myself at all; I was terrified of what I had done. My doctor and my family reassured me that the swelling would subside and I would love the final outcome. Unfortunately, I never did.I moved to New York in August 2015, taking the insecurity about my nose with me. I would see myself on camera and notice the placement of the tip of my nose. From the profile view, it looked like it was stubby and short. I hated it. I decided to make an appointment with a plastic surgeon in the hope that he would be able to ease my fixation and tell me it wasn't as bad as I imagined. Instead, he confirmed that what I saw was real — a miscalculation in the symmetry from the last surgery. Meaning, the last doctor overshot where the tip was meant to fall, and it had made my nose too small for my face.I left feeling defeated and angry. I called my mom hysterically crying and told her what the doctor had told me. She feared I was becoming obsessed with the idea of looking perfect, but I disagreed. To me, it was simple: After years of agony, insecurity, and pain, I just wanted my nose to look the way I had always envisioned it could.One of the biggest mistakes I made with the last surgery was rushing it. I had health issues that needed resolving, of course, but I was consumed by the excitement of how it would look on the other side. Now I realize that there are very few things, especially when you are emotional, that will be lost by taking a deep breath and a big step back. Research is vital to choosing the right surgeon, as is getting an understanding of the process your body will be going through. I had done neither.This time around, though, I was older and wiser. I was certain that this would be the final chapter in the saga of my nose. I started researching the best NYC surgeons. I read reviews, scrolled through before-and-after pictures, made phone calls, went in for consultations, and finally, was introduced to Andrew Jacono, MD. From the moment I met him, I felt comfortable and safe. He made me feel beautiful regardless of whether I got the rhinoplasty . “This speaks to a basic human need to feel confident in your appearance — everybody does it in their own way,” he says. In one short hour together, he removed the stigma in which I was so wrapped up. I made an appointment that day, and decided I would document my entire experience. (You can watch it in the video above.)