Kira @ 9 days post-op

[kirakero]

My surgery was with Dr. McGinn.

I had a bleeding complication because my testosterone was so high.  Once under anesthesia the body responds with an erection, and my body pumped out tons of blood.  The complication was a mixture of other factors as well such as lots of erectile tissue.  It doesn't really happen much and it is rarely heard of...  Dr. McGinn made a new rule requiring patients to be on a certain amount of Spiro before surgery.

Dr. McGinn ordered 4 units of blood for me, and I had an additional operation.  She kept me one extra day in the hospital.

Quite amazingly, a lot of my skin survived the hematoma.  Dr. McGinn is seeing me on a near daily basis (I live 30 minutes away) and we have decided to keep the packing in a bit longer (as well as a catheter) since my swelling is still on its way down.  I am incredibly sensate and have been since the first time it was noticed (a few days after surgery).

My body was not big enough for more then a few inches of depth (which is what I figured).  A skin graft from the scrotal skin was not used as the penile tissue was long enough to go to the back, against my intestines.  This particularly pleased me since I know the healing will be so much better.

Everything is turning out just fine, I'm so glad I chose Dr. McGinn as I would have likely had this same complication with any other surgeon.

[NicholeW.]

Hooray, Kira!!!

Good to see you up and about on the board. So happy for you.

Hmmm, it looks and sounds like Dr. McGinn did pretty well with an unforeseen complication!! Maybe she's a whole lot better than some have apparently thought. *smile*

All the best to you.

Hugs,

Nichole

[Kate]

Scary! Well I'm sure glad to hear that everything is turning out fine in the end

And a BIG congratulations Kira!!!!!

~Kate~

[Buffy]

Glad to hear your OK Kira.

I have not heard of the complications you endured before.

Take it easy, recover and then enjoy your new status!

Buffy

[annajasmine]

Congrats on your surgery. Sound like you had bit of trouble with your surgery. I hope everything turns out fine and a speedy recovery.

Anna

[Ms.Behavin]

Wow Kira,  That sounds scary but I'm glad your ok and well, (Beni say's while swallowing a spiro pill.).  Hope you continue to rest and heal.  My day with Dr. McGinn is this comming Tuesday at DSI.

Take care and keep us updated on your progress.

Beni

[Beyond]

My surgery was with Dr. McGinn.

I had a bleeding complication because my testosterone was so high.  Once under anesthesia the body responds with an erection, and my body pumped out tons of blood.  The complication was a mixture of other factors as well such as lots of erectile tissue.  It doesn't really happen much and it is rarely heard of...  Dr. McGinn made a new rule requiring patients to be on a certain amount of Spiro before surgery.

Sounds like a priapism.  In a trauma situation where the spine is severed, it is not unusual for a male patient to present in the ER with an erection.  As a matter of fact that is usually an early indication that there is spinal damage.

I wonder if this whole situation may have been avoided if patients were allowed to stay on estrogen right through surgery.  Like Dr Bowers does with her patients.


Anywho, I'm glad everything has turned out well for you.

[kirakero]

Beni: I will try and stop by to visit you while you are there~  I want to bring the nurses cookies too!

Beyond: My issue was not so much the estradiol, but more so the fact that my body had a very resilient testosterone factory and also my Spiro prescription was rather lacking compared to what is being prescribed these days.

[NicholeW.]

Kira,

Do you mind saying how long you'd been on spiro?

Nichole

[Kate]

My issue was not so much the estradiol, but more so the fact that my body had a very resilient testosterone factory...

Now I'm scared (what else is new?), as my pre-HRT testosterone was something like 800. Not astronomically high, but still above average. And I'm supposed to stop everything (both E and spiro) three weeks before SRS. I wonder how long it takes for the T levels to return once off HRT? Doesn't long-term HRT permanently reduce T production? It'll be two years of HRT when I have SRS...

~Kate~

[kirakero]

I have been on HRT for 20 months.

[Hazumu]

Most interesting!

Congratulations! Kira

I don't think you'll have to worry about priapism any more ( > )

Get well!

Karen

[NicholeW.]

My issue was not so much the estradiol, but more so the fact that my body had a very resilient testosterone factory...

Now I'm scared (what else is new?), as my pre-HRT testosterone was something like 800. Not astronomically high, but still above average. And I'm supposed to stop everything (both E and spiro) three weeks before SRS. I wonder how long it takes for the T levels to return once off HRT? Doesn't long-term HRT permanently reduce T production? It'll be two years of HRT when I have SRS...

~Kate~

Have you had a 'level' done lately, Kate?

And yes, the HRT spiro does indeed lower T, but the body also rebounds when one is off of it. And if the dosage is 'low' as Kira wrote about then there is some chance that the T might be high enough to cause what she wrote about.

And, as Beyond stated there may be reasons other than T. Thanks, Kira for the time.

Nichole

[Kate]

Have you had a 'level' done lately, Kate?

And yes, the HRT spiro does indeed lower T, but the body also rebounds when one is off of it. And if the dosage is 'low' as Kira wrote about then there is some chance that the T might be high enough to cause what she wrote about.

My T was 24 a few months into HRT. My doc hasn't checked my T or E levels since then (just the other concerns, like liver function, etc.), as my regimen hasn't changed at all since I started... and things certainly seemed to be "working," lol.

My spiro is the average dose, from what I've read and seen.

Sorry to hijack the thread a bit Kira, I'm just wondering if this is something all pre-ops should be worrying a bit about...?

~Kate~

[NicholeW.]

If you were down that low Kate I wouldn't worry much about it. By the time you have a significant rebound there will be nothing there to rebound.

In a year w/o Spiro I went from 17 to 73 blood T about a year ago.

N~

[gina]

Congratulations and to a quick recovery.

gina

[kirakero]

Thanks everyone ^^~

My last appointment was Friday.  I had the catheter removed and also had the packing removed.  Dr. McGinn decided it would be best to repack the vagina since there was some tissue that was trying to heal near the opening (that would have been likely harmed and killed if I started dilating right away).  The hematoma pretty much extended the healing time.

Urinating was the next thing.  I was unable to with the packing in, and we decided to remove it (again) to see if I could urinate.  My body had the ability to urinate, but the swelling was still so bad that I couldn't let out more then a couple tablespoons at a time (and it was quite painful).  I gave in eventually and had a catheter put back in.

I dilated for the first time in the office.  My depth is quite what I expected with my small frame and I am happy with it.  Dr. McGinn repacked the vaginal cavity and restitched it in.  It was so tight that it eventually came undone slightly in the following 24 hours.  In order to prevent the stitch from pulling apart my skin I had my girlfriend cut it where it crossed the opening.  I removed the packing that wouldn't go back in and pushed the remaining amounts in.  Currently I am using two ABD pads and two pairs of underwear to prevent it from coming loose.  I am seeing Dr. McGinn today for a checkup in a few hours.  We plan to dilate, though the catheter and packing is not 100% for sure.  It just depends on how much I've healed and how much the swelling has gone down.

On a side note, the nurses at DSI were wonderful.  One of them came in on her day off to keep an eye on me.  redfish as she is known on this board stopped in and gave me a super cute stuffed animal before she left the hospital~  I am quite happy for all the support I got.  Saturday I was kind of freaking out, but things turned out really well in the end, ne?

[Kt]

Sorry to hear about the complications, but great to hear you're doing OK
Hang in there, hang onto that blood, don't let it go anywhere.
Every day will be easier than the last.

[Ms.Behavin]

Glad your doing better Kari.  It does sound a little scary, but it sounds like you about over the hump.  Of course I meet Dr. McGinn Tomorrow moring at 6am

Take care

Beni

[Sandy]

Kira!

I'm so glad that everything is working out for you!  It sounds like you had a bit of a scary time, but it will all work out!

Keep us posted on your progress.

I too did not need the scrotal tissue for my procedure and I am pleased with the results.  That is a bit of an advantage in that you don't have to worry about making sure that you dilate past the scar tissue between the two grafts.

Take care, hon!

-Sandy