Kelly Kozyra before (left) and after (right) daily cocaine use caused her nose to deteriorate.Photo:Kennedy News and Media (2)
Kennedy News and Media (2)
A Chicago woman is sharing how her dailycocainehabit caused her septum to deteriorate, leaving her with a “hole on the outside of my face.”
Kelly Kozyra first started snortingcocaineafter a night out with friends in 2017 — and says she quickly became addicted to the narcotic.
“I didn’t think I was doing that much, but it was a hell of a lot,' Kozyra, now 38, says, according toThe Daily Mail. She spent nearly $80,000 on the drug in less than two years — and says the physical impact of her habit was nearly immediate.
“After three months of almost daily use, I started experiencing bleeding in my nose and was blowing out chunks of skin,” she said. “I noticed the septum was deteriorating, but I thought it would just heal itself so I still continued snorting.”
Kelly Kozyra says she began using cocaine daily in 2017.Kennedy News and Media
Kennedy News and Media
As she continued to usecocaine, she says her septum — the thin wall of bone and cartilage that separates the nostrils — “completely deteriorated.” The damage continued, she said, as she developed “a hole on the outside of my face, which grew to the size of a dime.”
But Kozyra said the “gaping hole” didn’t stop her from doing cocaine; Instead, she adjusted how she used to drug to accommodate the wounds: “Eventually I had to shove my pinky up my nose to hold all the cocaine up there so I didn’t lose it out the hole.”
A deteriorated septum is just one of the physical impacts of snorting the narcotic,American Addiction Centerssays. Cocaine can cause sinus inflammation and infection, as well as necrosis.
Kelly Kozyra has undergone 15 surgeries to rebuild her nose.Kennedy News and Media
“I think being open about it helps me and other people,” says Kozyra, who has undergone 15 surgeries to reconstruct her nose.
She plans to become a substance abuse counselor, saying, “Cocaine destroyed everything in my life, including my nose.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP
source: people.com
