Hi ladies! I am Missy and I am 8 days post. I had Dr. Bowers for my surgery. I hate I didn't research more prior to surgery because I would be better equipped on what to expect. I was told by Dr.
Bowers that I had MININMAL bleeding and the nurses that came to check my dressings said it was amazing how my bleeding was almost non-existent. I had more pressure than pain. i have never really had pain so I am not a good judge. I assumed I would be in pain like a woman in labor but baby let me tell you, it was almost non-existent also. The procedure went by so quickly, all I remember is asking, "did everyone wash their hands". The ONLY problem I had was the 2nd night. I became stir crazy around 2 in the morning and I started losing my mind. This is the first time I actually pressed the button for the nurse. I hadn't had ANY pain meds at all but they came in and changed my position, comforted me and STRONGLY suggested that I take the percocet. I did and baby what a relief. It calmed me and put me to sleep. Now SLEEP, I didnt get much due to the checking of the vitals all through the night. I had NO BRUISING AT ALL! Well I am a sista and i dont know if that had anything to do with it. Every nurse who came in was totally surprised at how mine looked. They said I had minimal swelling, being compared to most (of course I was swollen), NO bruising and my dressing was never changed, they just took it off the next day and they showed me how to put on a pad and they gave me some pantyhose like panties. I had NEVA been pampered like that in my life. The nurses were superb and attentive. My baby was Deb. I was sleeping and when i woke up, she was rubbing my forehead. Dr. Bowers told me that she was able to give me 6 1/2 inches and she said that mine was some of her better work because I had A LOT of scrotal skin. I was afraid that she was going to have to do a skin graft because I didnt have a big (you know what). I thought she was just bragging about the 6 1/2 because I thought I wasnt going to get more than 4 1/2. Well when I was first dilated, I actually WAS 6 1/2.
I went to the MAH in Trinidad the day before surgery and opted to get my own hotel room for recovery. Don't get me wrong, everyone there was very wonderful but the setup was too OPEN for my liking and the place was TOO personalized for recovery to me. It had pictures and personal trinkets of the owner EVERYWHERE and it was too BUSY looking for me. My hotel room was big, decorated just like my home, view of the mountains etc. I stayed at the BEST WESTERN there and they gave me a 20 dollar discount just for saying I was Dr. Bowers patient. They had a FULL FREE BREAKFAST every morning. 4 juices, boiled eggs, sausage, bread, waffle maker, coffee, teas, cocoas, milks, cereals etc.
I was able to drive myself away from the hospital and I went directly to WALMART there and got food, water, popcorn and a raised toilet seat. I am 6ft and when i went to sit on the toilet, even in the hospital, my perineum area felt like it was going tear due to my having to spread my legs too wide to sit down so the hospital bought me that chair that goes over the toilet. I wasn't able to have a bowel movement until my release due to the height of the toilet.
I got used to my pee bag and had no problems with it nor did I feel the packing in me. Now i felt the catheter but it wasn't bad but I was glad when it was removed 6 days later. The ONLY concern I had was that my clitoral area felt as if it were a uncircumcised penis getting erect and trying to break through the skin of the penis but couldn't. I couldn't sit up straight. Now laying down and standing was fine but sitting was non existent. I was assured that it was going to get better but I was afraid that the clitoris was trying to break through but it couldn't and I didn't want to get home to find that i would NEVER be able to sit up again.
I am leaving for home today and I will give an update when arriving.
Thanks for accepting me in the group and if there are any questions on Trinidad and Dr. Bowers, I would be more than happy to answer and help.
Thanks,
Missy
PS. I had my name legally changed over 20yrs ago and when I went to the SS office there, they said it already said female, so all I did was add a middle name. I had been living as a female TOTALLY since 1984 and I am 46 now. I had to lose 30 lbs before surgery but I didnt know that until 2 mths ago. I was 238 then and I weighed in at 206 the day of admittance. I also have been eating organically since 1995 and have been a vegetarian since FEB of 2008. I also walked on the treadmill twice daily, 1 mile each, so I was in perfect health and Dr. Bowers said, ALL of my remarkable outcome was due to that.
THAT IS THE BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE TO GIVE TO ANYONE HAVING SURGERY, GET YOURSELF IN SHAPE AND WATCH WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR MOUTH BECAUSE WE ARE WHAT WE EAT.
