The big day

[CJ]

So I am all checked into the hospital ready for my forearm phalloplasty with the London team tomorrow morning. So excited but nervous! Will try and keep a diary of my thoughts/recovery to help anyone who might be considering this!! Here we go!!!!!

[mrs izzy]

Congrats and good luck on the phallo surgery and healing.

My hubby had his Dec 1 st. So i know what is involved.

Here is a few hugs for the first few days.

OOOO

[Bimmer Guy]

Awesome, CJ!  Good luck!  I hope your Dad is right there with you! 

[G]

Huge congrats! Good luck

[Mackan]

Good luck! Hope all goes well

[CJ]

Thanks guys! Recovery has been rather difficult but will be out of hospital tomorrow!! Operation was a success and it is fantastic to be able to look down now at myself, they did a fantastic job 

[Eiahn]

Gratz CJ!

I am sorry to hear that the recovery has been rather rough so far and am hoping that it only gets better from here on out!

[Bimmer Guy]

Hey, CJ, can we get an update?  Hope things are going well for you.

[CJ]

Been meaning to do an update for a while! Everytime I go to do it I am hit with something else!!

So my experiences:

I woke up after surgery a little dazed and well and truly out of it in the shock room. I was told that the operation was a complete success  🙂 Cant really remember much from then but all I know is that I couldn't keep water down at all for the first 24 hours while the anaesthetic wore off. I seemed to react badly to pretty much everything they threw at me. Had to come off morphine after a day as it was making me ridiculously itchy! Coming off that the second day was horrible, you don't appreciate what it is doing for you until you're off it. I was sleeping most of the time in hospital and was there for 7 days.
Luckily I had a strong pulse in my phallus so that was all I really cared about if I'm honest. The drains and catheter came out after a few days (the catheter wasn't pleasant) but I could move a lot easier after they were removed. After 5 days, I hadn't opened my bowels so had to have the dreaded enema. Think I screamed every name under the sun at the nurse administrating it haha. Having gone through this, I now feel confident that I could get through anything!!!
On day 7 I was discharged and made my way home. A few days later I got an infection on my backside so was back on the antibiotics, that cleared up quite quickly and now is healing perfectly. The underside of my penis is healing a little slower but  this is very common and not a huge concern. Im struggling to straighten my arm atm but sure that will come. That is also healing well but getting a little painful.
I saw Sara (the surgeon's nurse) yesterday and had the catheter pulled through. She also found a hematoma in the penis that she squeezed out (OUCH) and showed me how to flush water through until my next stage. The arm dressing is off but uncomfortable!!
Hopefully I'm over the worst and back to uni soon!!!

[Eiahn]

Just went through this all in December, so although I may not have all the answers, if I can help in any ways, let me know.  Be patient with yourself and listen to your body while it heals!

Take care!

[CJ]

Thanks a lot mate! I will personal message you when I get in if that is ok? Hope you're healing well

[Eiahn]

Not sure if I got access to PMs with only 19 msg, but if so, write away:) it will be my pleasure!

[mm]

great to hear you recovery, there are always little things that happen when you have complex surgery.  You have yo flush water through the urethral your penis to keep it open and clean until you get it connected?  Keep us updated as I want all the infor I can have so I know what to expect when I have mine done.

[CJ]

Not sure if I got access to PMs with only 19 msg, but if so, write away:) it will be my pleasure!

Cheers mate, I will ask on here 🙂 How long was it until you got decent movement in your arm? I'm struggling a little bit with it.

great to hear you recovery, there are always little things that happen when you have complex surgery.  You have yo flush water through the urethral your penis to keep it open and clean until you get it connected?  Keep us updated as I want all the infor I can have so I know what to expect when I have mine done.

Exactly, as long as everything works in the end, I don't mind these little setbacks. I have just started flushing and there is nothing to it at all. Actually feels kind of nice if I'm honest! Got a little infection in the phallus but going to go on antibiotics so that should clear up soon 🙂 Saltwater baths are brilliant by the way for when you have yours!!!

[Eiahn]

Cheers mate, I will ask on here 🙂 How long was it until you got decent movement in your arm? I'm struggling a little bit with it.

Yeah, that is a tough one.  Extending the arm did not take too long but took conscious efforts on my part.  I had a ball in my hand at all time to hold and squeeze, which helped with "waking up" the fingers and muscles of my hand. (FYI, I still have a ball in my hand several times a day.)  As for the wrist, it is a longer haul thing... I have a bit more motion now, but it is still limited as far as bending and turning the wrist. 

Even if for very small things, try to use your hand and arm a bit.  It gets it back into what it normally does. 

It is very frustrating, trust me I understand.  Got issues with mine that prevents me from going back to work still after three months.  But I do see improvements and I try to make a conscious effort to list the things that improve, to remind myself of it.

Hang in there bud:)!

PS, looks like I got the little icon under my name that says you can send me private messages, so if you ever need/want to, you should be good to go.

[CJ]

Just a quick update:

Got a bit more movement in my arm and wrist which has put my mind at rest. Scabs are continuing to fall off the arm too so I'm seeing a lot more skin coming through.

Regarding the penis, the infection has gone away and it is healing well now. Very itchy down there which is uncomfortable but a sign of nerve healing so I'd rather it be itchy than not. Got full sensation in the testicle and the other side so I'm hopeful, sensation is slowly coming back around the penis. None in the penis yet but not expecting that for a while.

Everything is a lot more comfortable now, the incisions at the back aren't as tight and easy to manage.

I'm over the worst now!!! Still flushing the penis through 🙂

[mm]

CJ, good to hear you are doing better and starting to get more feeling and sensation back in the surgery area in general. I know  itching is a good sign that feeling is improving.  What is involved in flushing the urethra?

[CJ]

CJ, good to hear you are doing better and starting to get more feeling and sensation back in the surgery area in general. I know  itching is a good sign that feeling is improving.  What is involved in flushing the urethra?

Thanks 🙂 as they have created the tube for the urethra, they need to ensure that it remains open and ready for the hook-up. I have been given a syringe and I have to flush water through the tip of the penis everyday. You literally just push the water down the tip and it comes out at the end where the urethra tube ends. I am really squeamish so didn't know if it would be weird but there is nothing to it at all. It's really an easy thing to do and I time it just before I have a saltwater bath so doesn't put me out to do it

[cindianna_jones]

Your's is the only first hand account I've read of anyone having a phalloplasty. I can't imagine what you've gone through, but I've read every word with great interest. I hope everything turns out just the way you want. And for what it is worth, I admire your bravery (of course, I understand the drive).

[CJ]

Your's is the only first hand account I've read of anyone having a phalloplasty. I can't imagine what you've gone through, but I've read every word with great interest. I hope everything turns out just the way you want. And for what it is worth, I admire your bravery (of course, I understand the drive).

That is really refreshing to hear Cindi, thank you.

Back to university tomorrow so hoping my recovery speeds up as I return to the real world!