Calling all Dr. Brassard girls

[lpfix2009]

How was your experience, even if it was at the old recovery house in the past and for all new ones

Was brassard indepth? Or vague? about answering your questions.

Was brassard around post op just to see if you were ok?

Any extra input positive or negative would greatly be appreciated!

[pkmvancouver]

The experience was great, the staff is amazing. If you need to talk or a shoulder to cry on they are there for you. Between Allan's goofiness and Carol saying "poo poo pills" in her  heavy french accent.

Brassard was very good with answering any questions I had, even the nurses were good.

Brassard was there every other day checking up on people. On my last day he did a checkup and I ended up crying and he sat down and talked me. He is a very humble man.

Only complaint I had was they knew I was diabetic but the food options at time were not overly diabetic friendly. I later found out that if I paid extra I could have had custom meals.

Overall it was a good experience...like family.

[lpfix2009]

The experience was great, the staff is amazing. If you need to talk or a shoulder to cry on they are there for you. Between Allan's goofiness and Carol saying "poo poo pills" in her  heavy french accent.

Brassard was very good with answering any questions I had, even the nurses were good.

Brassard was there every other day checking up on people. On my last day he did a checkup and I ended up crying and he sat down and talked me. He is a very humble man.

Only complaint I had was they knew I was diabetic but the food options at time were not overly diabetic friendly. I later found out that if I paid extra I could have had custom meals.

Overall it was a good experience...like family.

lol I really wanna meet this "Allan" guy!

Did they have guys holding you up on your first walk, or wheel chair transfer vs weak girls?

[pkmvancouver]

I was sick the first few days. But if I recall my first walking attempt was stand up and almost faint, there was 2 people helping me up and holding me. My second attempt there was 2 once again, but once I got walking and holding onto the IV stand I was fine. When they wheeled me back to the recovery house (the guy was cute, Chris is his name). Allan followed me up the stairs in case I needed help up the stairs.

Allan rocks! he sings and dances and has an uncanny ability to put smiles on peoples faces.

[lpfix2009]

I was sick the first few days. But if I recall my first walking attempt was stand up and almost faint, there was 2 people helping me up and holding me. My second attempt there was 2 once again, but once I got walking and holding onto the IV stand I was fine. When they wheeled me back to the recovery house (the guy was cute, Chris is his name). Allan followed me up the stairs in case I needed help up the stairs.

Allan rocks! he sings and dances and has an uncanny ability to put smiles on peoples faces.

lol i dont want my stitches to split if he makes me laugh to hard!

[pkmvancouver]

laughing isn't too bad, it's those random sneezes that sneak up on you, OUCH!!!!

[Wendy1974]

Allan isn't there anymore, other than that I can only echo the other ladies comments.

Wendy

[pkmvancouver]

Allan isn't there anymore, that is a shame. He created such a good vibe there.

[lpfix2009]

Allan isn't there anymore, that is a shame. He created such a good vibe there.

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

lol oh wells I speak french so ill make them Joke around

[cher_m]

Hi Sara... My surgery was when they still had the recovery house.  Staff was great... food was great... all good.

Surgery was less than satisfactory.  I understand they don't require electrolysis anymore.  I strongly urge you to have electrolysis anyway.  I didn't and I now regret that decision.  Use your imagination as to the results.

Good luck.

[lpfix2009]

Hi Sara... My surgery was when they still had the recovery house.  Staff was great... food was great... all good.

Surgery was less than satisfactory.  I understand they don't require electrolysis anymore.  I strongly urge you to have electrolysis anyway.  I didn't and I now regret that decision.  Use your imagination as to the results.

Good luck.

how long ago was that, they have a new recovery house right beside the hospital now.

[cher_m]

how long ago was that, they have a new recovery house right beside the hospital now.

2004.  Yes, I've heard about the new place.  When I went, the recovery was in a 10 bedroom mansion on a small island shared with another house with a single lane bridge to the mainland.

I have some other problems too, but may have something to do with my own physiology.  So there's no mistake, I like Dr. B.  He's an artist, for sure.  A couple months after coming home, I had to see a urologist (pretty common uti after srs).  That initial consultation was interesting.  I told the doctor I was trans and he said, "You mean you want to be a man?"  lol.  His reaction to seeing my vagina was, and I quote, "It's beautiful!"

Before I traveled to Montreal, I was concerned about not having enough time to adequately do 3 or 4 recommended scrotal electro sessions.  I really wanted the moved up date they offered and asked to speak to Dr. B before consenting to the new date.  He assured me, by phone, that the cauterization process he does on the skin in the or prior to surgery would prevent hair regrowth.  Clearly, it didn't work for me.  Trust me.... you DON'T want that.  Now, unless he's changed to an inverted penile procedure, I strongly urge you to have electro first.  Think of it as cheap insurance.

As for your original question though, I can't imagine anyone providing better after care in the 10 days following srs than what I received from Dr. Brassard's staff.

[lpfix2009]

I rather go without the electro session down there, I have enough of my face! lol they do indeed have a new recovery house right beside the hospital now! Ill post the most pics I can.

[Jessica.C]

He assured me, by phone, that the cauterization process he does on the skin in the or prior to surgery would prevent hair regrowth.  Clearly, it didn't work for me.  Trust me.... you DON'T want that.  Now, unless he's changed to an inverted penile procedure, I strongly urge you to have electro first

This concerns me! Ive had no eletro down there. Cher did you resole the issue if so was it hard to resolve??  Dr Brassard says hair removal isn't necessary but I DONT WANT HAIR IN MY VAGINA!

[Steph]

I'm a Brassard girl and as recommended I didn't have any electro in that area prior to surgery.  It's been almost 6 years now and there'd hasn't been any regrowth at all.

Steph

[Jessica.C]

I'm a Brassard girl and as recommended I didn't have any electro in that area prior to surgery.  It's been almost 6 years now and there'd hasn't been any regrowth at all.

Steph

OMG Thanks Steph!! This is good news.  Any others Brassard girl care to share their experience it would be appreciated.

[aubrey]

I'm a Brassard girl and as recommended I didn't have any electro in that area prior to surgery.  It's been almost 6 years now and there'd hasn't been any regrowth at all.

Steph

OMG Thanks Steph!! This is good news.  Any others Brassard girl care to share their experience it would be appreciated.

I'm really curious about this too. The info they sent says you need to be hair free for a year or something before surgery if you do get any work done down there, and I can't wait that long! I just sent my stuff in to them and hope to schedule asap.

[Jessica.C]

I'm really curious about this too. The info they sent says you need to be hair free for a year or something before surgery if you do get any work done down there, and I can't wait that long! I just sent my stuff in to them and hope to schedule asap.

Awe How EXCITING!!!

[Steph]

I'm really curious about this too. The info they sent says you need to be hair free for a year or something before surgery if you do get any work done down there, and I can't wait that long! I just sent my stuff in to them and hope to schedule asap.

That is curious.  He may have changed his procedure.  I just dug out the info package I received from his office back then to confirm, and this is what it said:

ELECTROLYSIS

Hair removal on external genitals before male to female reassignment surgery is debatable.

Hair baring skin on the penis shaft base with the one step technique stays outside the neo vagina.  The skin that will become the internal lining of the new female genital area is the rest of the penis skin, scrotal skin, and a small "perineal flap" (a one square inch of skin that is located one side above the anal margin on the midline).  If you want a perfect hair free vagina, you need to be sure that no regrowth of hair has occurred  on the area for at least one year after you have finished electrolysis or laser.  Even then this does not guaranty that no hair will ever grow.

The hair root are either killed or weaken by electrolysis or laser.  Those only weakened will regrow.  During surgery hair roots are killed with cauthery on the scrotal skin that is used as a graft (not on the "perineal flap").  During surgery, the hair roots that were only weakened are less visible because they are much smaller than those found in untreated areas and could be missed by the surgeon and regrow later.  For this reason, in our experience, expeditive laser or electrolysis treatments are worse than not having hair removal at all.  In fact, we can get most hair roots during surgery if they were not weakened.  Regrowth after our surgery is possible but very sparse.

If you want no regrowth at all, you will have to face hours of pain having hair removed and a one year none growth period.

At this time, we do not feel that hair removal is indicated.

AS I mentioned I have had no regrowth except in those areas where I wanted the hair to grow.

Steph

[juststarting]

I'm a Brassard girl Class of January 2010 and I havn't had any regrowth.Part of the reason I went to him was because he didn't reqiure hair removal.I had laser on my face and that was enough for me

Ashley