An Adelaide Girls VFS surgery

[JudiBlueEyes]

Best wishes to you Liz!  Here's to a healthy outcome.  Cheers.

[LizK]

About 20minutes from surgery..all gowned up in the waiting room ready to go through...feeling really nervous...definitely more so than my GCS... go figure lol should be back in the land of the living about 11am

Liz


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[Northern Star Girl]

About 20minutes from surgery..all gowned up in the waiting room ready to go through...feeling really nervous...definitely more so than my GCS... go figure lol should be back in the land of the living about 11am

Liz

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@LizK
Dear Liz:
On your behalf, I have my fingers and my toes crossed you ...
...wishing you a very successful outcome. 

I will eagerly be looking for your followup reports

Now, if I could just cross my eyes for you too !!! 

Hugs and my best wishes to you.
Danielle

[Jessica]

Big hugs girl!  You'll do great!

[LizK]

All done sitting up on the ward...Throat is sore when I swallow (expected) but drinking fine and may even go home this afternoon. Will be reviewed this afternoon.


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[LizK]

Big hugs girl!  You'll do great!

Thanks Jessica appreciate your kind words [emoji8]


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[LizK]

@LizK
Dear Liz:
On your behalf, I have my fingers and my toes crossed you ...
...wishing you a very successful outcome. 

I will eagerly be looking for your followup reports

Now, if I could just cross my eyes for you too !!! 

Hugs and my best wishes to you.
Danielle

Thanks Danielle everything is progressing nicely as far as I can tell.  Sitting up drinking keeping quiet lol [emoji23]


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[LizK]

discharged from hospital in the next half hour....apparently I am a "tough old bird"...received instructions from Iffy(GCS surgeons nurse) to  "REST PROPERLY" for the weekend...along with strict instructions of no talking till Monday afternoon and then only 10 minutes per hour for the rest of the week...not allowed to use my mobile phone to talk from Monday afternoon till Saturday afternoon

Voice surgeon said he was really pleased with the surgery and I had the biggest larynx he had ever seen.

All in all really good.

Liz

[Jessica]

discharged from hospital in the next half hour....apparently I am a "tough old bird"...received instructions from Iffy(GCS surgeons nurse) to  "REST PROPERLY" for the weekend...along with strict instructions of no talking till Monday afternoon and then only 10 minutes per hour for the rest of the week...not allowed to use my mobile phone to talk from Monday afternoon till Saturday afternoon

Voice surgeon said he was really pleased with the surgery and I had the biggest larynx he had ever seen.

All in all really good.

Liz

Wonderful news Liz!   You are a tough old bird, but soon you'll be singing like a robin.

[Laurie]

 Great news Liz. Michelle and I were out and about today but I had reminders set so we knew just when you were supposed to be getting the surgery going. Glad it went well and glad you get to go home. Behave yourself and follow the nurse's and doc's instructions.

Hugs,
  Laurie

[LizK]

I did behave myself and was discharged yesterday after about a 30 minute wait.

Throat has been a little sore but nothing of any great problem a bit like when you have a bad cold and you throat gets scratchy. Needed some Endone last night but today had some Panadol early when I got up but have been fine since.


I can't wait to see how my voice sounds the early indications from the my coughing etc makes me think I will easily be within female range...but will get to test my voice on Monday afternoon. I did a couple of recordings on Thursday as a baseline comparison which I will post on Monday after my first talking session.

I have muttered a few words without thinking however nothing of any consequence and I am sure it won't do me any harm...normal talk reflexes are hard to stop. But I am aware of it.

I asked the Dr why I  have to be quiet for 3 days instead of 2 weeks and whether taking some extra time will be beneficial  but he told me that after about 3 days of not talking the muscles begin to become weak and damaged which prolongs the amount of treatment required...so as I suspected he has refined his technique and aftercare

Will update again on Monday

Liz

[LizK]

Day 3 Post op

Today is talk day. I will get to hear what my voice sounds like if only briefly.

Sunday's pain was worse than Saturday, with more pain and scratchiness than Saturday. Almost felt like I had taken a step backwards. I don't really know why yesterday was worse as i was pretty careful on Saturday but today(Monday) it is better again.

The surgeon Suggested that late this afternoon I can speak softly. I am home on my own so get to hear it privately. I am quite apprehensive as to how it will sound. I did almost speak on a couple of occasions on Saturday and once on Sunday (more of a whisper )...it sounded quite high pitched to me but to be honest it was very hard to tell from the one of two fleeting partial words that slipped out. Tomorrow I will post audio of my old voice alongside my new after I have seen my HRT Dr.

I doubt I will be able to say that much anyway as my throat is still a little sore so until tomorrow afternoon.

Take care

Liz

[LizK]

I couldn't wait any longer and had a go at talking

OMG...I couldn't say anything nothing...then slowly I found how to get my voice working and over the period of about 10 -15 minutes I tried a few different things and I have a voice...

It appears to be piching somewhere in the 250's and as high as the 350 but its all very hard to tell


When I finally relaxed and stopped panicking I was able to make a recoding of my voice which sounds pretty high piched to me but then again I am used to my 147 average. Its only a few days and I am sure with time and therapy it will settle down a bit. When I first tried to speak it was as I always have and that just doesn't work anymore. When I heard the higher pitch I naturally tried to to bring it down which of course didn't work. I also need to be well lubricated in order for it to work.


Its all alearning curve and now I have to be quiet for the next hour LOL I can feel the small amount that I have said already.


As I said will post some recordings tomorrow

Liz

[NatalieRene]

Soon you will be chirping right along. I'm Interested in hearing your difference but make sure that you don't over do it and hurt yourself.

[Rachel]

Hi Liz, after my surgery my HZ was in the 350 HZ range. I am 210 to 230 HZ base range now. It took about 6 months for the HZ to come down. I am settled now and it is not lowering. I am still not use to my new voice. It sounds so different in my head.

Good luck and remember recovery takes time. I found that cold water helps with the pain.

[KayXo]

My average range was deemed just below androgynous at around 140-150 and yet, I always pass as female on the phone because my resonance is female due to the way I use muscles when speaking.

[LizK]

Hi Liz, after my surgery my HZ was in the 350 HZ range. I am 210 to 230 HZ base range now. It took about 6 months for the HZ to come down. I am settled now and it is not lowering. I am still not use to my new voice. It sounds so different in my head.

Good luck and remember recovery takes time. I found that cold water helps with the pain.

Thanks @Rachael

I was hoping that was the case and I can hear how "squeeky" I am at the moment. I am glad to hear it all settle down and after my little "test" Monday I have settled in a very quiet routine. I see the Dr on Wednesday and will post a further update then. I can actually squeak out an audible reply now but have tended to try and rest my voice as much as possible keeping in mind the Dr's instructions about doing some speaking to keep all the muscles exercised.

[LizK]

My average range was deemed just below androgynous at around 140-150 and yet, I always pass as female on the phone because my resonance is female due to the way I use muscles when speaking.

That is great outcome for you. I was always gendered correctly but that was due mainly to being able to use my "trained voice correctly combined with politeness by the other end but in a face to face situation I would drop out of my trained voice so easily when I forgot. My speech therapist is a lovely woman who will not pull any punches when it comes to being honest about how you sound. After my final session with her she agreed with my need for surgery to achieve the goal I wanted which was to fall consistently within female range even when I become emotional.

[LizK]

Saw my surgeon today

He said I am about 50% healed and everything is looking great...he gave me these images that he took during the operation. This is not everything that he did but a good idea

[Michelle_P]

Good news, then.  And wow!  Welded that tissue right up!  That'll surely change things.