A WOMAN has issued a stark cocaine warning after snorting so much her nose collapsed – leaving a gaping hole in her face.
Kelly Kozyra was on a night out in 2017 when she was offered a line of cocaine by a friend.
Kelly Kozyra was first offered cocaine on a night out with friends in 2017[/caption]
Within a matter of months she was using the class-A drug day and night[/caption]
Kelly’s septum completely deteriorated and she got a hole on the outside of her face which grew to the size of a dime[/caption]
Within a matter of months, the 38-year-old said she was using the class-A drug day and night – swapping out eating and sleeping to fuel her drug habit.
Kelly, who lives in Chicago, Illinois, US, soon began experiencing bleeding within her nose and was even blowing out chunks of skin from her nostrils.
Convinced the injury would heal itself, Kelly continued to snort cocaine daily, forking out a mammoth $80,000 (around £63,200) over 19 months on the party drug.
Shocking photos reveal the state of Kelly’s eroded nasal septum, which had formed one large hole and deformed the shape of her nose.
Kelly compared the look of her nose to that of reality star Daniella Westbrook whose long-term drug addiction led to the rotting of her septum.
After interventions from friends and family, Kelly decided to live a sober life in 2021 and has since undergone 15 surgeries to help reconstruct her damaged nose.
Kelly, who plans on becoming a substance abuse counsellor, hopes her story inspires other users struggling with addiction.
Kelly said: “I met back with some old friends and ended up using cocaine with someone there.
“I began using cocaine day and night. I wasn’t eating, I wasn’t sleeping. I was holding a job but eventually I had to quit.
“I’d been using cocaine for three months daily when I started experiencing bleeding in my nose and was blowing out chunks of skin, then noticed the septum was deteriorating.
“I thought this couldn’t happen to me and I wasn’t doing that much but I was doing a hell of a lot.
“I thought it would just heal itself, but I still continued snorting. The septum completely deteriorated. Then I got a hole on the outside of my face, which grew to the size of a dime.
“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.
“My nose looked similar to Daniella Westbrook. I got lucky that it was during Covid and everyone was wearing masks so no one could see my face.
“I kept telling people I had a sinus infection and was lying my way through it. I was horrified by the way it looked.
It destroyed everything in my life, including my nose
Kelly Kozyra
“It destroyed everything in my life, including my nose.”
Kelly has since undergone 15 reconstructive surgeries to help restore her nose, including moving skin from her forehead to create a new tip and taking an artery from her arm to rebuild the blood supply from her cheek to her nose.
Kelly said: “It looks like a nose now. This entire experience has taught me so much. Now I live day by day, that’s how we’re taught to live through the programme.
“I don’t have any plans of relapsing or using. I think being open about it helps me and other people. The more we talk about drug use, the less stigmatised it becomes.”
Are you addicted to cocaine?
The UK Addiction Treatment Centres says if you’re worried you or someone you know may be addicted to cocaine, there are some questions to ask yourself:
- Are you using cocaine more frequently or in larger amounts than you intended?
- Do you feel unable to stop taking cocaine even though you want to?
- Have your personal relationships suffered as a result of your cocaine use?
- Have you been lying to friends or family about your cocaine use?
- Do you continue to take cocaine even though it’s causing problems in your life?
- Do you experience physical or mental health issues such as anxiety, depression or paranoia as a result of your cocaine use?
- Do you experience cocaine withdrawal if you haven’t used it for a while?
- Have you lost interest in activities that don’t involve cocaine?
If you answered yes to any of the questions, you may be exhibiting signs of cocaine addiction and you should seek immediate help.
GETTING HELP:
If you think that you have a drug addiction then please contact your GP.
You can also visit FRANK for honest information about drugs and to find local treatment services.
If you are having trouble finding the right help, call the FRANK drugs helpline on 03001236600
Or click here to visit the NHS website for more advice and support
Kelly compared her nose to Daniella Westbrook’s[/caption]
She would cover her nose up wearing a face mask and lied to everyone saying she had a sinus infection[/caption]
Kelly says she doesn’t have any plans of relapsing or using and hopes to become a substance abuse counsellor[/caption]
