When you have to go to surgery alone

[SWNID]

So I am having a surgery in the near future but I will not have anyone to go with me.
I am not worried about travelling and recovery stuff because I am very confident that I will be able to take very good care of myself.
But I don't think they will let me go back to my hotel by myself and will require a friend/family member to pick me up.
I can't seem to find something like the New Beginning in that area I am going, and I don't want to stay in one of these places either.

Has anyone had any experience on getting surgery alone? Or knows how to convince the surgery center staff to let you go?
Thanks!

[littleredrobinhood]

Is there really no one who could go with you??

I think it'd be a good idea to have at least one person with you, because from what I've heard from other people, you'll definitely need the assistance.

[aleon515]

You won't be able to convince a surgery center to allow this. I went alone, but I did stay at New Beginnings so I had a person to pick me up and so on. That's what they need. You could hire a home care person for one day or something. That's one alternative. Another is to pick a surgeon who will hospitalize you for 1-2 days. That's another. Dr Garramone and staying at New Beginnings is a third. (I know you said the surgeon you chose, well it was one reason I chose him.) Still a fourth is to find someone you could pay to stay for a day or so. You would need to pay them for 2-3 days.

But a surgery center won't do this. Believe me you will NOT be competent after surgery. There is no way whatsoever. That's the reason they won't let you go.

The other thing, I did not need a lot of help but people are all different. And it is unlikely you will need no help whatsoever.


--Jay

[SWNID]

ok guys, thanks for the input.
I really don't have anyone. I will see how it goes.

[aleon515]

You could contact the surgeon's office, see if they have any ideas. I am pretty sure that any surgery center will need someone to pick you up at the very least.

--Jay

ok guys, thanks for the input.
I really don't have anyone. I will see how it goes.

[Alexthecat]

Before they would even check me into surgery they had to see that I had someone to pick me up.

[sbx]

Have you already scheduled your surgery? Perhaps the surgeons office could  point you in the direction of a private nursing agency you could hire.

Pretty sure most surgeons require you to have someone there with you for the first 24 hours. I know the surgery center (I went to Garramone) called me a week before my surgery and asked who would be giving me a ride home. If I recall correctly, it said in his the pre-op instructions that if someone wasn't there with you, your surgery would be cancelled.

I stayed a New Beginnings in September and went alone. They'll drive you back and forth to your appointments, but otherwise you have a lot of privacy. There were two other guys I met who were also staying there by themselves, so I guess that's something that's pretty typical for people who stay there.

[Bimmer Guy]

Same!

And a third (that makes three different docs)

[SWNID]

And a third (that makes three different docs)

lol interesting, when I got my first surgery nobody was with me and I just gave the nurse my friend's number; and for my second surgery, they did not even require that and I just called someone to pick me up when I was ready to be discharged.
Interesting to see how different ASC's and hospitals are different.
I guess I will just end up hiring someone, people go to surgeries and don't want others to know all the time, there must be a way.

[LordKAT]

Some places are really stupid about that. I had dental surgery. Hours after arranging for a ride home and getting to my appointment early, I was told they were cancelling the surgery because my ride had not arrived yet. They expected her to get a babysitter and sit for 2 hours in a waiting room until I would be released, not to mention paying this sitter for the early drive time. They would not even accept a call to or from her to verify that she would be there.

[Amadeus]

I don't know where you live, but it might be worth checking with local trans* groups or maybe see if there's a chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence nearby.  The trans* guys might help you out and will know from their own experiences how best to help you.  The SoPI are dedicated to helping LGBTs, so one or two of them might be able to help you for a couple days.

[aleon515]

If you somehow were able to get your surgery without question,  I don't know how you'd get yourself back after top surgery, unless you are one fo those people who can have an hour and a half surgery and then get up and walk around as if nothing happened to you.

--Jay

lol interesting, when I got my first surgery nobody was with me and I just gave the nurse my friend's number; and for my second surgery, they did not even require that and I just called someone to pick me up when I was ready to be discharged.
Interesting to see how different ASC's and hospitals are different.
I guess I will just end up hiring someone, people go to surgeries and don't want others to know all the time, there must be a way.

[mrs izzy]

Can you hire a nurse for a day or so?

[SWNID]

If you somehow were able to get your surgery without question,  I don't know how you'd get yourself back after top surgery, unless you are one fo those people who can have an hour and a half surgery and then get up and walk around as if nothing happened to you.

--Jay

lol I was actually jumping around because I was too excited, but I have found that I wouldn't do as well if I had the ear patches on, which would make me feel sleepy for 2 hours after the surgery. I have been volunteering at a hospital and it is really amazing to see how people react so differently after surgery.

[SWNID]

Can you hire a nurse for a day or so?

I guess, I am searching for some of the services and start calling to find out, thanks for the advice!

[SWNID]

I don't know where you live, but it might be worth checking with local trans* groups or maybe see if there's a chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence nearby.  The trans* guys might help you out and will know from their own experiences how best to help you.  The SoPI are dedicated to helping LGBTs, so one or two of them might be able to help you for a couple days.

Thanks for the advice! I will see if I can find anyone.

[SWNID]

Some places are really stupid about that. I had dental surgery. Hours after arranging for a ride home and getting to my appointment early, I was told they were cancelling the surgery because my ride had not arrived yet. They expected her to get a babysitter and sit for 2 hours in a waiting room until I would be released, not to mention paying this sitter for the early drive time. They would not even accept a call to or from her to verify that she would be there.

lol exactly but it is hard to blame them, for they do have the responsibility. Once I was picking up my friend after his top surgery and had a really hard time convincing the nurse that I was over 18 lol.

[Alexthecat]

Who are you going to?

[Lucaas]

Every surgery is different, so there's really no telling how competent you'll be after the anesthesia, pain meds, and discomfort. Ive heard of some surgeons letting people call a taxi or use a hospital transportation service after non-invasive surgeries, but top surgery is invasive, unfortunately. Hospitals are to allowed to let you go home alone if you were put to sleep (under general anesthesia).

[Lucaas]

Oh I've also heard of people turning to the Internet to find other trans people in the area to help them out.
I was asking my mom for an answer to this and she even said that she'd help someone out if they were alone. You wouldn't happen to be in Ohio, would you? Haha.