Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Just a little over four weeks left before going under the knife for the 4th time in three years:

-   Upper face FFS July 2011
-   Lower face FFS August 2012
-   Face Lift October 2013
-   GRS & BA surgery August 2014

The first three operations already represents a total of 19-20 hours of surgery with another long and very invasive intervention ,  ~ 7  hours, to come.

I would be lying if I said it has been anything but grueling and yet, as I realize what these surgeries have allowed me to achieve, there are no regrets.

I am already living full time as the woman I always felt I should have been and in spite of some problems with work, I would have to say that I have had a very smooth transition so far. Even workwise, while my present fixed term contract is coming to end very shortly and has not been renewed, I have every reason to believe that I should be able to rebound successfully once I have the last operations behind me.  Actually, without this interruption in work, it would have been impossible to do GRS.  So, looking at it from that angle, it is even a blessing in disguise.

As indicated in the title to this thread, for GRS & BA I'm going to Dr Chettawut in Bangkok, a choice based on reputation and availability in a time frame that met my requirements. I have to admit that his prices also look very attractive compared to others, 10k€ (~ 13,5k$) for GRS and BA using cohesive gel implants.

With the memory of the other surgeries still very present, particularly coming around after a long anesthesia, sleepless nights, vomiting  etc.. I am already very apprehensive about the surgery itself. However, I am deeply happy that I can finally take this step and since I'm a nonsmoker and  in excellent health so far, I am as confident as one can be that I should have a reasonably trouble free recovery.

As with some of the other major steps in my late transition, I also find myself wondering if I'm really doing all of this or if it's not some crazy dream that just seems to go on and on. End of the day, I guess that given how crazy the whole notion of life is, this is not any crazier than any of the rest...  :)

Assuming it is not a dream, since I also recently got a date for the court hearing for my Civil Identity Change, 12th September (also my birthday!), I can hope to be able to pursue my life from this autumn onwards with all the boxes finally ticked: a face and a body I'm at last happy with, accepted as a woman by everyone who really counts in my life and all of my official documents also attesting to the fact that I'm a woman.

It's a journey that will have taken me 57 years which, among others,  took me to a seminary, saw me run away from home and country aged 18, saw me serve 5 years in an elite paratroop regiment, go back to school for 6 years, got me into a disastrous first marriage (apart from the kids who I love like my life) but also  a beautiful second marriage and quite a lot of other places. In many ways, several lives already crammed into one and now finally the hope of finding some of the peace that has eluded me so far. I can see the next few months being just a little bit emotional but hopefully, mostly very positive emotions.

I'm staying at the Rama, arriving 15th August, surgery 20th August , flight home 11th September and if anyone else is around, I'd be very happy to link up.

Otherwise, like others before me, I will certainly write up my experience with Chett and his team.
Hugs
Donna

The dream is real. As much as reality can ever be real. And you have come so far - and so well - that the icing on the cake is likely to be full of diamonds.

I'll try to get to the Rama cottages before I leave (21.08) - but am sure you will recover well. Although I'm not sure about rollerblading In Bangkok....

Hugs
Melissa

Hi Melissa,
I suspect it will be me visiting you at the Dusit before my own surgery. I know you're off in just a few days and will be thinking of you very, very much on the 28th.
Wishing you a pleasant few days in Bangkok when you arrive and will no doubt be in touch before the big day.
Hugs
Donna

Only suggestion i have is bring something along with you to help hold the dilators in.

Having a BA the reaching to hold the dilator might be a little on the hard side.

Not sure what you could use? Maybe a towel cut in half.

I so wish you the best and fast healing.

Isabell

Quote from: mind is quiet now on July 19, 2014, 09:30:24 AM
Only suggestion i have is bring something along with you to help hold the dilators in.

Having a BA the reaching to hold the dilator might be a little on the hard side.

Not sure what you could use? Maybe a towel cut in half.

I so wish you the best and fast healing.

Isabell

Thanks Isabell,
I hadn't thought of that but I'm sure I'll find a way. I have been assured by Chett's assistant, Jittada, that there is no major problem doing BA along with GRS and after your post, rechecked the lenght of my arms to try imagine the mechanics of dilating with reduced mobility. There seems to be plenty of clearance but I guess the proof of the pudding is in the eating...

I don't plan on having big implants either, more likely the smallest as it happens, just enough to have a full B cup, a result I obtain today using an external 100 cc silicon insert. Since the smallest implants are 200cc, I'm thinking I won't be going any further than that, even if I have heard Chett likes to go for larger boobs...  :)


Bises
Donna

Just a quick thought / question:
Clothes for the clinic and first week. Longer terms It's clear to wear loose fitting garments - one size larger knickers and I bought a few darker coloured full length skirts for that. However what about the first week post op- should I sacrifice a couple of extra large T-shirts or does the clinic provide deliciously sexy gowns?

Thanks Melissa the Packing Monkey

Hi Melissa,
I assume we have gowns while in the clinic and I am bringing cotton kimonos for the stay in the hotel as they are very comfortable and very easy to put on and take off. If you're not doing BA surgery, large cotton tee-shirts sound like an equally  good option.

Afterwards, I think it will be all loose fitting cotton or linen dresses but am open to any other suggestions...?

Hugs
Donna

How many cc's did you decide on for the breast implants Donna? I am so very happy for you achieving all of this! I can't wait for the day I can look forward to My Grs date too.

Quote from: calicarly on July 19, 2014, 12:03:27 PM
How many cc's did you decide on for the breast implants Donna? I am so very happy for you achieving all of this! I can't wait for the day I can look forward to My Grs date too.

Hi Carly,
I answered that question in an earlier post, probably the smallest or close to smallest size available ie. 200 - 250cc. This is because I have quite a small frame, have already had reasonable natural breast growth and have never been a fan of really big breasts. It should also make recovery that much easier... :)

I noticed that we'll both be having surgery around the same time and since you're going to Dr VdV, I'll have a special thought for you on the 26th. Give him my best regards.

Hugs
Donna

Awe thank you so much Donna!!  I will send a little bit of good energy and a little prayer for your op to go great on the 20th, I will think of you too. You're brave but also caring, as sharing your experiences helps others get through theirs,  and I can tell that's why you like to share as much as possible about your journey, to help.

I will let Dr Bart know Hun x

Carly

Another week closer  to the big day and the exchanges with Melissa before she set off brought the subject even more to the fore.

It's actually great for me that she went out first as I get to benefit from fresh first hand feedback on the whole Chettawut experience.

When he asks me what my expectations regarding surgery are I will however have to come up with something different to the 15" deep vagina as it just might just start to suffer a bit from over use. I'm going to have to give the subject some thought though as for now, apart from having something that looks cute, is very sensate and ideally allows me to pee fairly straight (or at least not pee all over myself) , I haven't a clue what I would answer to such a question.

Since I still have some time in front of me, it might actually be worth while starting a thread on how people would describe their ideal vagina; a real brain storming, out of the box thinking session ie. designer vaginas for the deranged!  I know that in certain Bangkok bars, vaginas are used for projecting ping-pong balls but personally would prefer one that could play the flute, the oboe or an equally elegant wind instrument.. 

Now that I think of it, Stephaniec, who has asked more "transexistentiel" questions than the rest of us put together over the last few months, would almost certainly jump at the opportunity to follow up on that idea... :)

Other than that, just back from a very energetic two hour cycle followed by a very relaxing bath, my thoughts were very much on the episode to come: how long a recovery before I'll again be able to experience the same pleasure in making my muscles work hard, how much I expect to enjoy what I see when I look down at my body while lying in a bath? Strangely, even while cycling, at one stage I was fighting back tears that welled up out of nowhere, tears of regret for all the years I waited, tears of relief or joy at what's to come? I don't really know but what I do know is that this is certainly one of the biggest decisions I will have made in all my life, leaving no possibility of ever, ever going back.

It makes me very glad that I allowed myself a lot of time to decide as today, while I do have lots of fears about the surgery itself , I can really say with as much certainty as anyone can have on such a question before actually living the experience, this is something I really want.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to enjoy the few weeks that are left as much as possible before the long convalescence to be expected afterwards. While I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm living every day as though it were my last, knowing that Sept-Nov will be one long dilation, I'm definitely indulging both my wife and myself a bit more than usual. 

Hugs
Donna

P.S. My surgery is in August 2014 not 1014  :). I have a love affaire with 1014, the year Brian Boru beat the Vikings at the battle of Clontarf, at last pushing them out of Ireland for good. For us Irish, apart from finally pushing out the Brits in 1921 after 700 very long years, it is pretty well the only notable military victory we can get our teeth into... :)

To answer the question of clothing - a few old t shirts to feel good in. And a dark coloured skirt to go back to hotel in...

Finding peace before the operation is important and your experience mirrors mine fairly well - crying whilst doing sports - something we both love. But you will be fine - I suspect our expectations of how we should react feel stronger than they need to be. Actually you are a strong lady - although it is important to give yourself "me time" before you go...

I often had difficulty visualising that I would be here. Yet here I am and happy. I'm positive it will be the same for you... And those others reading - we are all different but finding your inner peace; and working to picture / visualize life afterwards is very important.

Prepare well - your Irish blood will keep you strong!

Quote from: Donna E on July 19, 2014, 11:26:11 AM
Thanks Isabell,
I hadn't thought of that but I'm sure I'll find a way. I have been assured by Chett's assistant, Jittada, that there is no major problem doing BA along with GRS and after your post, rechecked the lenght of my arms to try imagine the mechanics of dilating with reduced mobility. There seems to be plenty of clearance but I guess the proof of the pudding is in the eating...

I don't plan on having big implants either, more likely the smallest as it happens, just enough to have a full B cup, a result I obtain today using an external 100 cc silicon insert. Since the smallest implants are 200cc, I'm thinking I won't be going any further than that, even if I have heard Chett likes to go for larger boobs...  :)


Bises
Donna

Just wanted you to think about a plan b if reaching hurts. I know when I had mine reaching was no picnic.

I so wish you the very best and waiting for you in the sisterhood. Will send my healing energy.

Oh lots of pillows behind you could help.

Quote from: mind is quiet now on July 26, 2014, 10:45:15 PM
Just wanted you to think about a plan b if reaching hurts. I know when I had mine reaching was no picnic.

I so wish you the very best and waiting for you in the sisterhood. Will send my healing energy.

Oh lots of pillows behind you could help.

Hi Isabell,
I really appreciate the input but am not sure what I can do in terms of a plan B. I'm sure I'll have lots of pillows so that shouldn't be an issue but otherwise I'll just have to hope that I can handle whatever condition I'm in post surgery bearing in mind that dilation doesn't start until about 7 days after the operation. The fact is, I do have pretty long arms ( maybe a consequence of about 20 years of serious rowing, starting age 12.. :) ) with lots of clearance compared to my nether regions!
Hugs
Donna

The preparation for my coming GRS and BA surgery has entailed a couple of firsts, including my first chest X-Ray as a woman which I did on Friday morning. The experience was all the more interesting as all my ID's, including my medical insurance card on which there is an old (pre-FFS) photo, still say I'm a male.
However, as I'm fulltime,  I made my appointment as Donna and showed up as Donna.  The receptionist at the Medical Imaging center greeted me as Madame, took my medical insurance card and told me to take a seat in the waiting room.
Based on a couple of previous experiences I was a bit apprehensive about being called out as "Monsieur" in front of the other people who were waiting but when my turn came, happily I was called out as Madame.
Next step was removing my blouse and bra for the chest X-Ray,  exposing both my smallish breasts (the reason for my BA surgery) and a far more muscular upper body than would be typical for a woman my age. Nevertheless the Radiologist, a woman,  called me Madame from beginning to end which was really nice. Not only that, after I went back to the waiting room while the report was prepared, she came out and introduced herself as a neighbour, living just two houses down from where I live. She told me she had seen my address and we had a nice little chat about life on our street. She was probably close to my age, was very friendly and at the end of the exchange I was pretty sure she had actually perceived me as a woman. Either that or she was curious about me but nothing she said indicated that this was the case.
End of the day, having expected an awkward experience, it ended out being a very validating one putting me in excellent humour for the rest of the day.(souvenir photo below  ;D)

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi893.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac133%2Fdonnaoly%2FChestXRayC_zps65b83fa8.jpg&hash=48243dafd72ee0f65aba4b3c25f1c0a5f8729656) (http://s893.photobucket.com/user/donnaoly/media/ChestXRayC_zps65b83fa8.jpg.html)

Dear Donna

Excellent souvenir photo.  I really should have put up the panoramic IMAX-quality jaw shot on my FFS page ha ha!

I was just reflecting on the validation we receive in the Francophone countries through the use of "Madame", which is so very common.  On my last visit to Paris I was Madame'd everywhere except at our hotel where the manager doggedly insisted on Monsieur throughout.  It reminds me of that great expression in English : if it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's a duck.  I just don't think such expressions translate well into French :D, but I digress.  In Madrid people prefer to use the formal "Usted" although I do get Señora'd from time to time.  Not quite as validating but good enough I suppose.  But yes, it's always a bit stressful as you wait to have your name called in a doctor's waiting room and wonder whether you're about to be misgendered in front of a whole bunch of strangers!

As I sit here nursing my wounded face, I must confess that I am a little bit envious that you are so close to the end of your journey. Another bout of excellent knife work (sounds like a sushi chef) and you'll be there.  It must be a very special feeling to know how close you are now.

Interesting times...

Hugs from Marbella

Julia / A...

Thanks Julia,
I hope you received my "cheer-up' PM since yesterday , not that you needed it too much  :)

Talking about coming to the end of one's journey, I waited until both of my parents passed away before finally going for it. Maybe I'm wrong but I really don't believe they could have handled it.

Given my own feelings about this , it has always surprised me a bit to see the number of people whose mothers come along with them for GRS. In my own case, apart from the fact that she passed away 25 years ago, it's not an idea that I would have been comfortable with. Maybe I'm wronging her a bit (hopefully I am) but following a private  exchange with Melissa on the subject  over the weekend, I tried to imagine what a pre-surgery chat  with my mother might have been like. It came out looking like this: 

Mother: If God had wanted you to be a girl, you'd have been born a girl and not a boy.

Me:  Mum, with all due respects, when it suits you, you'd be the first to argue that God works in mysterious ways.

Mother: Don't be cheeky now, you're not too old to get a clip on the ear!

Me: Ah Mum, for God's sake, I'm almost 57 and you're no longer in any condition to give me a clip on the ear. You'd probably end out hurting yourself more than me.

Mother: I won't stay here and listen to you taking the Lord's name in vain! Have you talked to a priest about what you're about to do?

Me: Come on Mum, you've got to be kidding. Apart from christenings, weddings and funerals, I haven't been near a priest in the last  35 – 40 years and what on earth would a priest be able to say to me anyway?

Mother: I knew it, you have allowed yourself to stray from the one true catholic faith and this is the result. I just can't believe that you can do this, betraying both your family and your faith.  God only knows what the neighbours will think!

Me: Mum, I think the neighbours have mostly passed away and now that I think about it, those that were my age probably remember how much I enjoyed playing as a girl with the girls during my early childhood. If you think about it a bit, all the dots connect.

Mother:  If you continue with this rubbish, I warn you, it's not the dots that will connect, it's my hand with your ear...

Me: Mum, can't you remember all the time I spent playing with Christine O'G who you always considered to be a bit of a tomboy?  Well with her, and most of the others as it happens, I almost always played as a girl.

Mother: I knew it, Christine's mother was a Protestant and we all know what those people are like.  I should never have let you anywhere near those unbelievers. I'm sure it was they that lead you astray and perverted you!

Me: Mum, it was great talking to you but I have to go now, there're calling me to go down to the operating theatre.

Mother: Have you at least been to confession? If not, there's still time to call a priest for the last sacrament....

Me: Bye Mum, I really have to go!


Melissa, I dedicate this post to you and hope it raises a smile when you finally emerge from your post surgical fog.
Fond regards.
Donna
 

Oh my Donna, you know that I can't laugh at the moment with all this swelling!!!  So, your mother must have been quite a character, and by the sounds of it, very "traditionally" Irish.  Your little dialogue reminds me so much of the things Spike Milligan used to regale us with in his WW2 books, especially the first one!

Catholics, Jews, we're all part of a very strange little club of the guilty and matriarchal.  Although, as I comment to my friends, Catholics get their guilt from their priests, whereas Jews get it from our mothers :D   Either way, it takes us to a similar place we have to climb out of!

This said, I long ago shed any notions of guilt - nowdays I just say that I'm Jewish for sentimental reasons, which generally means getting together for some stodgy central-European food a few times a year!  Quite probably there are some equally stodgy items lurking about the Irish pantry!

I have been very lucky with my parents.  They come from a slightly weird almost-hippy period and have always been exceptionally supportive, sometimes too much.  In fact, when I came out to them as transgender just two months ago they were highly indignant.  Not because I was trans, but because they never knew and considered it to be a huge breakdown in the very communicative relationship we've always had.  And yesterday, I had my mother giggling and crying simultaneously when she said that she'd always wanted another girl to dress up, and I told her that she now had her chance and was doing pretty well at it :D

So now you know why I look a little like Barbera Streisand :)

Quote from: Donna E on July 26, 2014, 11:45:30 AM
Since I still have some time in front of me, it might actually be worth while starting a thread on how people would describe their ideal vagina; a real brain storming, out of the box thinking session ie. designer vaginas for the deranged! 

This is a brilliant idea xD

Everybody has different ideas on what they would love in their own designer lady parts, it would be interesting to see how we all vary on the subject ^^;

Good luck with the big day! <3

Quote from: Danniella on July 28, 2014, 05:59:24 AM
This is a brilliant idea xD

Everybody has different ideas on what they would love in their own designer lady parts, it would be interesting to see how we all vary on the subject ^^;

Good luck with the big day! <3

Danniella,
You put me up to it. It is done and I am awaiting contributions...

The more I think about it, the more I love the idea of arriving in Chett's office and ,when asked what my expectations are regarding GRS, handing him a very detailed written"spec", sitting back and waiting for his reaction.  :)

Hugs
Donna

Quote from: Julia-Madrid on July 28, 2014, 05:08:00 AM
Oh my Donna, you know that I can't laugh at the moment with all this swelling!!!  So, your mother must have been quite a character, and by the sounds of it, very "traditionally" Irish.  Your little dialogue reminds me so much of the things Spike Milligan used to regale us with in his WW2 books, especially the first one!

Catholics, Jews, we're all part of a very strange little club of the guilty and matriarchal.  Although, as I comment to my friends, Catholics get their guilt from their priests, whereas Jews get it from our mothers :D   Either way, it takes us to a similar place we have to climb out of!

This said, I long ago shed any notions of guilt - nowdays I just say that I'm Jewish for sentimental reasons, which generally means getting together for some stodgy central-European food a few times a year!  Quite probably there are some equally stodgy items lurking about the Irish pantry!

I have been very lucky with my parents.  They come from a slightly weird almost-hippy period and have always been exceptionally supportive, sometimes too much.  In fact, when I came out to them as transgender just two months ago they were highly indignant.  Not because I was trans, but because they never knew and considered it to be a huge breakdown in the very communicative relationship we've always had.  And yesterday, I had my mother giggling and crying simultaneously when she said that she'd always wanted another girl to dress up, and I told her that she now had her chance and was doing pretty well at it :D

So now you know why I look a little like Barbera Streisand :)

Hi Julia,
My mother was actually pretty OK but she was very much in thrall to the teachings of the church at a time when Ireland could reasonably have been described as a theocracy, on par with places like Iran today (without the public executions but with plenty of other forms of nastiness). My Dad's critical faculties were far more developed and while he was also religious, he didn't tow the party line anything like the way my mother did.

Other than that, your parents reaction to your coming out reminded me of a reaction I got from one of my best friends when I came to him in 2012. While he was very supportive,  he was also quite upset that I had never said anything about my feelings before that, all the more so as we had known each other for 36 years.
BTW I also agreed fully that you have a very obvious ressemblance to Barbara Streisand. Can you sing like her too?
Hugs
Donna

Quote from: Donna E on July 28, 2014, 02:29:24 PM
Danniella,
You put me up to it. It is done and I am awaiting contributions...

The more I think about it, the more I love the idea of arriving in Chett's office and ,when asked what my expectations are regarding GRS, handing him a very detailed written"spec", sitting back and waiting for his reaction.  :)

This is gonna get quite surreal, I can tell...   

I don't know if any of you remember James Clavell's "Tai-Pan", set in Hong Kong, but one of the very secondary characters, if I remember correctly, is a man whom we know only as "Photographer Ng".  One of his sidelines is to track down beautiful women and photograph their intimate parts.  It was rumoured that he had this massive private collection of pictures of starlets and other ladies in public life which were carried about in a suitcase.  I seem to remember that this suitcase falls into the wrong hands, and there is much appreciation of the "delicacy" of certain ladies versus the "frilliness" of others and so on.  ;D

So what would we want from a "designa vagina" hmmm?? 

1)  First question is external appearance.  How do you dress?   Are you into lace or frills?  Do you like clean neat lines?  What about the curtains in your home?  Undulating velvet, Venetian blinds, voile?  Well, for purposes of harmony we'd want this to be consistent, I would imagine.

2)  I'm quite an olfactory person - I can almost shut my eyes and navigate by smell.   I don't think that bubble-gum is an elegant odour, but some folk might like it.  Yeasty, maybe, like a proper croissant, with its warm and welcoming notes.  Or maybe we want something traditional like clams, or if you prefer the "colour", mussles?  Gingerbread could be interesting too, or seaweed?

3)  I was thinking how we would deal with the tactile part, and maybe here the question is related to personality?  Are you combative?  Soft and yielding?   Playful?  Austere?  Let's explore....

- Combative:  you're not just gonna let any ol' joe in - he's going to have to work for his pleasure, so tightness is key.
- Austere:  I'm thinking of a fortress, but how do the gates feel... cold... metallic... dry...?  Urgh... shivers down my spine!
- Soft and yielding:  awww, this is just too cute...you've surely got a Hello Kitty t-shirt somewhere in your wardrobe!
- Playful:  well, this might need some twists and turns, and could be very interesting.  Not sure how it would be built, however!

So friends, as you can see, the results of too much medication are clearly taking their toll on me.  Don't shoot the messenger; go after Novartis or anyone else in Big Pharma!

Juliaaaaaaa

Brilliant contribution Julia,a very emphatic demonstration of the power of concurrent engineering. Also proves without any doubt that your brain is none the worse from the coronal incision you were subjected to on the 24th!  :)

However, since I started a specific thread on the ideal vagina design: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,170242.0.html  maybe you would like to copy paste your contribution over there?


You will immediately notice that you took a far more "arty" tack on the subject to us down to earth engineering types.. :)
Hugs
Donna

Done!   I must say that these drugs are doing interesting things to my imagination :D

Well this seems to have been a lively thread. Although so far the dialog with mum (post op) has been pretty much... I'll carry on rabbiting (talking) away and you just listen or sleep as you feel like. Which is pretty accurate.

In terms of clothing. Just a dark coloured skirt and too to travel back to the clinic in. Certainly won't want to be changing tops at all!

Donna -- Just to warn you, a friend of mine from another site by the name of Kathy is going to be one of your surgery mates over there. Hopefully you and Melissa will treat her right even though she is from Missouri here in the U.S.  She will be there early next week.  Good luck and you will do fine. 

You took my name in vain over in Melissa's thread along with Isabell's, and yes indeed, there will be things going on with you and your recovery that put you in a class of toughness and experience that only another Postie can completely wrap their mind around. This is not for the faint of heart in any way.  Do be ready for a few hours of good crying for any reason you can think of to do it.  I do not encourage people to seek out SRS as much as I used to, in fact now, I rarely do because I realize how deeply personal those first waking moments can be and how much really goes on in them that we cannot ever describe to others no matter how hard we try. Safe voyaging.

Quote from: Vicky on July 30, 2014, 06:23:30 PM
Donna -- Just to warn you, a friend of mine from another site by the name of Kathy is going to be one of your surgery mates over there. Hopefully you and Melissa will treat her right even though she is from Missouri here in the U.S.  She will be there early next week.  Good luck and you will do fine. 

You took my name in vain over in Melissa's thread along with Isabell's, and yes indeed, there will be things going on with you and your recovery that put you in a class of toughness and experience that only another Postie can completely wrap their mind around. This is not for the faint of heart in any way.  Do be ready for a few hours of good crying for any reason you can think of to do it.  I do not encourage people to seek out SRS as much as I used to, in fact now, I rarely do because I realize how deeply personal those first waking moments can be and how much really goes on in them that we cannot ever describe to others no matter how hard we try. Safe voyaging.

Hi Vicky,
When does she arrive and what day is her surgery scheduled? Also, do you know where she is staying, Rama Gardens or Dusit? I assume you're joking about treating her right even though she is from Missouri....unless of course there has also been an outbreak of Ebola down there in which case I 'll have to remember to pack my protective gown etc.. :)

Hugs
Donna

Hi Donna -- I made a good old fashioned goof here.  My friend is going to have her surgery done by Dr. Pichet,. which I erroneously wrote as Dr. Chett.  Different part of Bangkok, no danger of Ebola either way, the university hospital she retired from last Thursday has not had a patient with the stuff.  Over here in the U.S. we do kid a bit about our State of origin. 

By this time next week my surgeries will already be behind me and I have to admit that it's a strange thought. Deep down, I am happy to point of elation at the idea that I'm finally getting this done. However another part of my brain, which seems to acting like an external observer as I make my final preparations, keeps telling me that I can't possibly be doing this, that it as all just a crazy dream.

However, my suitcase is packed, my bank account was just debited for a little over 8000€ to the benefit of a certain Dr Chettawut,  I have received good luck messages from most of my family and friends and tomorrow I'm flying out to Bangkok where I expect to meet up with Melissa for lunch on Friday. Based on all of that, I suppose it has to be for real... ???

More seriously, I just never imagined that i would be so serene at this point in time. When I first started thinking seriously about GRS about a year ago, I really thought I would be terrified going into the final straight but in reality I'm just a little apprehensive.  I'll have to admit that all of the feedback provided by Melissa over the last couple of weeks helped me greatly as did the input from others like EB and MadelineB a little earlier.

Given that, even if I'm under no illusions about how uncomfortable the next few weeks are likely to be, I'm very confident about the end result and that should be enough to carry me through.

I'm travelling alone which could add an extra challenge compared to others but so far I have done this with all my surgeries and, barring a major problem, this  suits me best. Skype allows me to stay in touch with the people who count in my life and I am sure I can count on the local team if I'm really in a bind.

With that, next post is likely to be from Bangkok, notably some feedback on Dr Chettawuts reaction to my finely tuned vaginal requirements document!  :)

Hugs
Donna

 

Go well girl - we'll be thinking of ya!

xxx
J/A

Safe trip GF and enjoy the ride.

Keep us updated on the progress.

Hugs

Good luck and -enter desired deity here- speed!

Keep us updated!!! :D

Only in Bangkok since Friday morning but already feeling very much at home in a truely remarkable city. That being said I have a love affaire with Asia (including an Asian wife) loving the natural friendliness of the people I have met everywhere I have been so far, the food (except maybe Indonesia which is below par compared to the other places I have been before ie. China and Japan), the extraordinary cultural patrimony and just the energy you feel in all the big Asian cities. Actually, assuming the quality of the surgery is as good as elsewhere, something I believe to be true, it is worth coming here just to experience the place.

Friday, a little tired after a short night, I just settled in but still had time to have lunch with Melissa who looked in really good shape just two and half weeks post surgery and, after a two hour nap,  an excellent dinner with a friend from the company I was working for up until the end of July.

Yesterday morning I had my pre-op appointment and like Melissa, was told I will need  a skin graft to insure the target depth of at least 6". I hesitated about that as I'm not sure I'm ever going to need that sort of depth but, once I better understood the principle, I accepted. Dr Chett explained that the skin for the graft is taken from the thigh in the zone adjacent to the scrotal tissue and adds little to no extra scarring. On that basis and since it should allow me to keep all options open, I decided I might as well go with it rather than experience eventual buyers regret later..   :)

He also sold me on 350cc low profile implants ie. wide base to cover chest but low forward projection. I was clear that I wanted no bigger than B cups and he insisted this would work but I've been thinking about it since and am not totally convinced so I'm going to revisit the subject tomorrow.  In part, having seen quite a lot of trans women who, to me, have boobs that look too big compared to lower body size, I would definitely  prefer to err on the too small rather than too big size.

Other than that, I found the first contact with the team here frankly delightful and came away from the appointment feeling very comfortable with my choice. Given that, I have been using the time since yesterday to enjoy Bangkok as much as possible. It rained very heavily yesterday afternoon so that limited the possibilities but I still got a good feel for the place and quickly found my bearings in a city that is fairly easy to get around by any means of transport except car. From what I can gather, there are more or less permanent traffic jams here, 24/7, on the main arteries going west out of the center. So while taxis are really cheap, when you set out on a journey, you have absolutely no idea how long it will take you to get from point A to point B.

The best option by far is public transport. From the Bangkok Rama where I am staying, it is a 15 min walk to an Airport Rapid Link station (Hua Mak) which will take you into the center of Bangkok in about 15min for 30TBH ie. about 1$. Only problems are the heat and getting across across Srinakarin Rd  road to the station. The latter requires some pretty hairy jay walking reserved for those who have no problem facing down 2 x 4 lanes of constant trafic.  That being said, when you see a cute little Thai lady doing it, you quickly find the necessary moral fiber   :)

Of course, for those who wish to avoid walking you can always take a taxi, about 40TBH for the run from the hotel to the station. The only risks taking a taxi are that you will take considerably longer than 15min and/or that the taxi will get lost. Yes, yes, many of the Bangkok taxi drivers cannot read a map and when you can't explain in detail where you want to go (their English is no better than your Thai), imagining you will arrive at any distant destination requires another act of faith. Happily though, anyone who is doing GRS is using to placing their trust in higher authorities...  :)

The way this post is panning out, it could quickly become a book so I'll probably leave it at that for this evening except for one final remark. Choice between the Dusit Princess and the Rama. Haven seen both, I prefer the Rama. It is not as modern and clean as the Dusit but the rooms are considerably bigger and I would personally far prefer to begin my recovery strolling around in the greenery here at the Rama than at the Seacom shopping mall beside the Dusit.  The staff are probably equally nice and accomodating in both places because that just seems to be the Thai way!

More tomorrow but now time for bed hoping I'll sleep in spite of all the rumbling in my stomach. I walked about 5 hours today and have had nothing to eat since breakfast apart from some liquid food as specified in the preparation instructions.

Hugs from Bangkok!
Donna   
   

Wow Donna, you're right there good luck sweetie!  :icon_bunch:

Good luck, the best for you!

Hi Donna, as I'm on my last preparations and check ups to leave for Belgium I remembered your GRS was around the same time as my FFS, so I came around to this side of the forum looking for your thread and I am pleasantly surprised to read you are there already. My best wishes for your GRS and your BA.

Oh on a side note 350cc will definitely take u over a B cup, particularly on a slim frame like yours, I wouldn't be surprised if that left you more like a D, although the low projection is a good idea, and makes them less porn star looking. I went for the big look, I had 460 which is only 110 cc's more and I ended up with an E cup... I would think maybe 300 cc's also low profile max to get the look you want. I am sure dr Chet just doesn't get a lot of request for girls that want to be conservative so he may have a hard time understanding what you really want here... It definitely would be worth talking about again.

I can only say that I am really happy for you and I wish you the best of the best on this life changing trip. May you feel a wonderful re-birth like most ladies talk about. And thank you for giving those of us anxiously waiting out turn, that glimmer of hope in the horizon to see that day in the distance reflected from your experience.

Good luck my dear !

Quote from: calicarly on August 18, 2014, 06:27:27 AM

Oh on a side note 350cc will definitely take u over a B cup, particularly on a slim frame like yours, I wouldn't be surprised if that left you more like a D, although the low projection is a good idea, and makes them less porn star looking. I went for the big look, I had 460 which is only 110 cc's more and I ended up with an E cup... I would think maybe 300 cc's also low profile max to get the look you want. I am sure dr Chet just doesn't get a lot of request for girls that want to be conservative so he may have a hard time understanding what you really want here... It definitely would be worth talking about again.

I can only say that I am really happy for you and I wish you the best of the best on this life changing trip. May you feel a wonderful re-birth like most ladies talk about. And thank you for giving those of us anxiously waiting out turn, that glimmer of hope in the horizon to see that day in the distance reflected from your experience.

Good luck my dear !

Thanks Carly, Shantel and Angelats!
One day closer and still very relaxed and in excellent form, this in spite of the on-going rumblings from my stomach! Hard to feel full on a diet of liquid yoghurt, clear soup and green tea.  :) That being said, it's not as difficult as I imagined and, as I knew this was coming, I had deliberately put on a bit of extra weight over the last month so I'll get over it.

Other than that, it seems like Dr Chett read your mind Carly as, after some push back from me this morning, he suggested 320cc would probably work OK. Apparently how you massage afterwards also has a lot of impact on final appearance so between dilation and breast massaging, it looks like I'll be a busy lady for the next couple of months. Based on your input, I may push him to go down to 300cc so thanks for that.

Other than that, today was just a little shopping and relaxing with a book beside the swimming pool, conviently located about 15m from my cottage. On that score, it's worth mentioning that the Rama is a very peaceful place to be but at the same time, there is a big Tesco supermarket about 500m from the hotel and on the street outside there are loads of restaurants catering for the locals that I am just dying to try. Hopefully that will start from the end of August.

Hugs
Donna

If i do not to catch you before you head in let me say now i wish you the best in your surgeries.

I for sure will see you on the other side.

Hugs and have you in my thoughts.

You will be in my thoughts Donna, wishing for success, quick recovery and wonderful results!

Last day of waiting, more or less confined to barracks given the procedures to be followed. Happily I am now completely settled in, with a well stocked fridge in provision for my return from surgery next Sunday. After a few days of poor internet acces, that is now also fixed and with my VPN I have no difficulty accessing my inflight entertainment system, Netflix. I haven't used it much yet but expect I will be very happy to have it for first 10 days of post-surgery recovery when you can't really move very much. 

Otherwise, I'm really very hungry today and since tomorrow will be the fourth day in a row with no solid food, I expect I'll have some catching up to do next week. The fact is, I have noticed that those that arrive less in advance for their surgery get away with a shorter period of preparation. I understood it was already the case for EB who only arrived two days before surgery and this morning I met a young lady from Oregan who arrived yesterday and who will have her operation on Thursday, thus getting away with one day less dieting than me. 

However my push back on the breast implant size bore fruit and I will finally be getting 260cc low profile implants which should give me the sort of result I wanted ie. little extra forward projection compared to today but more volume across all the surface of my chest. I feel far more comfortable with that and am now pretty well raring to go, the happiness at finally being here largely overriding my apprehension about the surgery per se.

For those of you who are thinking of doing your surgery with Chett, it's worth mentioning that here at the Rama, we basically have a GRS alley ie. an alley of bungalows where pretty well everyone is either going to do GRS or has already done GRS. This means that even if you travel alone, there are always people to talk to. However,  I have also noticed that everyone is very respectful of everyone else so you socialize as much as you like...or not. 

That's sort of it and while I certainly would not say it's an anticlimax, I have been pleasantly surprised about how cool the whole experience has been since arriving here.

With that, time to share a few photos from my weekend:

1. Royal palace
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi893.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac133%2Fdonnaoly%2FRoyalPalace_zps7e0102ad.jpg&hash=381123a91776963570405655634864155ea7c74a) (http://s893.photobucket.com/user/donnaoly/media/RoyalPalace_zps7e0102ad.jpg.html)

2. Guardian of the temple
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi893.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac133%2Fdonnaoly%2FGuardianofthetemple_zpsf6c80b36.jpg&hash=70dd432c7721184136cffa79a0b723788aecf80f) (http://s893.photobucket.com/user/donnaoly/media/Guardianofthetemple_zpsf6c80b36.jpg.html)

3. Down by the riverside, down by the riverside...
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi893.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac133%2Fdonnaoly%2FRiversidec_zps37ff426c.jpg&hash=98e2da54f69523b44427fdae6aacacb262cef9d5) (http://s893.photobucket.com/user/donnaoly/media/Riversidec_zps37ff426c.jpg.html)


4.  Nerve fiber density à la thaîlandaise..  :)

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi893.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac133%2Fdonnaoly%2FSensitivity2c_zps691ac73c.jpg&hash=f016a50970373d621c01bc28dfd983ba7af0f9bd) (http://s893.photobucket.com/user/donnaoly/media/Sensitivity2c_zps691ac73c.jpg.html)

5. An ode to GRS à la thaïlandaise..  :)  :)

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi893.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac133%2Fdonnaoly%2FNeovaginasc_zps3f36b722.jpg&hash=9dc31001525dc32f61c6a9ee9491c224b2eeb548) (http://s893.photobucket.com/user/donnaoly/media/Neovaginasc_zps3f36b722.jpg.html)

WOW sweetie you're finally there. Wish you all the best my dear! All will be fine, you're in good hands! :)

It took me 57 years to get here but it is finally done . Apparently  it all went with out a glitch and this morning , apart from à lot of itchyness, I'm feeling very good.
More than anything,  I'm so so happy that I have been able to get this done.
Hugs from à very happy lady in Bangkok
Donna

Let me personally welcome you to the Sisterhood.

Congrats and i so wish you speed in your recovery.

Hugs

Congratulations Donna, you made it lady!

Am glad to hear it went well. Use the next few days to relax well; and speedy recovery

I'm so happy for you, Donna, truly!  Your speedy recovery is coming right up!  :D

Hugs
A/J

Yay!! Congrats Donna!! Hugs

Eeeeeee congrats Donna! :D

Lots of digital hugs and love from Scotland ^^

Oh Donna................I am so happy for you. You must be absolutely thrilled. It can be a long road for all transgender girls, and especially for we Irish girls, but you have now come out the end of it. I am so proud of you.
Congratulations and all my love.
Ciara.

Hi all,
Thank you all for you kind messages.  I'm already back at the hotel and in far better shape than I imaged I would be at this stage. I have had no bleeding at all being able to sit, stand, lie and walk  without any particular difficulty The only thing that is bothering me is a rash I got on my back which is very, itchy.
I think it is just a consequence of my thorax  being enclosed in very tight bandages for 3 days  plus rubbing, between my sweaty skin and sheets which ended out being quite damp from my sweat too, all the more so as they have rubber bed liners below the sheet.

Anyway, since the bandages came off last night and I am no longer in contact with anything sweaty, I can reasonably hope to see the  itching subside over the next couple of days.

Since yesterday evening I can see my breasts completely and am very glad that I insisted on staying with 250cc implants. To me they already look huge compared to before, more like C cups than B,  but apparently they will lose some forward projection if I do my massage exercises correctly. Needless to say, I'll be looking after them to get the best result possible.

I also got to see down under, not a pretty sight for now , but it looks like all the planned bits are there. Tomorrow the vaginal packing will be removed  which will no doubt give me a better feel for appearances. Based on what I have been able to  see, I don't think a skin graft was used but I'll check  up on that tomorrow with the nurse who comes around.

As for the surgery itself, I was picked up at 11h00, put to bed in the recovery room beside the operating theatre, shaved  and told that the intervention would probably begin sometime between 15h00 and 16h00 when the anesthesiologist arrived.

Believing  I was in for a long wait, I started to read a book on my Kindle but had only  just read a couple  of pages when I was told it was time to go. I guess it must have been 13h00 at the latest.  Dr Chett was in the room along  with the anesthesiologist and a couple of the nurses. They asked me to lie down on the very narrow operating bed and they next thing I was conscious of was   coming around about 01h00 the following morning, feeling much better than I did after my FFS surgeries.

I got through Thursday fine but slept very badly on Thursday night, awake pretty well all through the night which got me watching the only fare available on the TV, films like Alien, Predator etc.. all lightness and goodwill towards man.  :)  A bit oppressive to be frank, especially in a smallish room, with no window and with my thorax very constrained by the bandaging.  Friday was better though and I guess you could say I caught up on the lost sleep. I did however throw up a couple of times but again, nowhere nearly as bad as the vomiting I experienced after FFS, when it felt like I was throwing up my intestines along with everything else.

Getting out of bed and ready this morning was also a delicate moment with some dizziness and nausea but, end of the day, there were no problems and my condition has improved almost by the hour over the course of the day. I have no difficulty at all looking after myself and it was really nice to get back to a place where I can do everything my own way.

It is of course very early in the day to make any definitive judgments but I can certainly say, so far so good!"

Hugs
Donna

Donna,

Glad things are faring well so far for you.

Ya laying on ones back and sweating the first few days can cause things to be sore.

Ya it is not a pretty sight for a long time, but it does in time look like what it is supposed to.

Wish you well tomorrow on removal of the stent.

Dilation, what can i say. oh maintenance. That it.

Hugs Sis,
Isabell

Donna,
      Such a good report, glad things are running relatively smooth for you. Those rubberized under sheets are awful and reflect one's body heat right back, I would rather buy a new mattress if I had an accident than have one of those again.

Well now you are 100% girl mentally and physically, so going forward it's just a matter of smelling the roses and enjoying your life as a woman. I'm not surprised that you came through this so well without complications and undue drama, seems that your former life has prepared you to be a real survivor with a quick recovery from anything adverse which is commendable. From what a girl friend told me about her BA the breasts will settle down eventually but initially they look like rockets on one's chest. I think you showed good sense in not asking for oversized breasts like some do. I'm personally very happy for you Donna, you're really a quality human being and a nice lady in my estimation!

My best to you dear...Shan

3rd day back from the clinic and trying to get decent daily routines into place in spite of my  very erratic sleep patterns. This has been true since the second day post-surgery and  contrary to what many people report, I have sleeping little more than I normally would.

In the latest  example, I hardly slept at all yesterday, maybe an hour after my very light lunch, finally got to sleep at about 10:00pm, was woken with a start at midnight by my alarm as I have medication to take every 6 hours, got back to sleep shortly afterwards but woke up again at  04:30am.

I tried to get back to sleep but it just would not come and since I was due to wake up again at 06:00am for medication, I decided I may as well wait it out and make use of the time to do something else, in this case an episode of the series the L Word which is just about the right length to get through a 40 min breast massaging session.

On this subject, those considering BA along with  GRS (no regrets whatsoever, on the contrary), should be aware that this does add quite a lot of extra activity to your post-surgery routines.  To my considerable surprise, I was told I would need to do  4 x 40 mins of breast massaging a day for up to a year after the surgery. For practical reasons, this is very unlikely to happen but, while I am here and for the next two to three months, I will attempt to go by the recommendations.

After this morning's breast massage, a light breakfast and my medication I again tried to get back to sleep but no more successfully than earlier. Not up to a second episode of the L-Word, I then started to do some real work on a professional project I will be working on during my recovery. That finally did the trick, no doubt proving that the greater mental effort required compared to watching the L-Word, was enough to consume my remaining reserves of energy. :-) .   I must have dropped off about 07:00 am and didn't wake up again until 10:30am.

Getting back to the original subject, the daily medication and breast massaging schedule mean that I am busy for 1 hour every 6 hours. Tomorrow, when dilation will be starting, I will be busy for a good additional hour at 06:00am, 12:00am and 06:00pm. This definitely structures the day quite a lot but what happens in between depends a lot on when I have been able to sleep. I guess, best is to go with the flow and just adapt to whatever way things pan out.

Otherwise, I think it's worth reporting that I am suffering from no significant pain and have already cut back Tramadol intake to 2 a day. I'm waiting to see how the dilation session goes tomorrow before making any further changes, but have to admit to being very pleasantly surprised at how good I feel  compared to what I imaged beforehand. .

Removal of vaginal packing and first dilation tomorrow!
Hugs
Donna

So do relate.

Hugs and in all the schedule make some Donna time.

Sorry this is so late, I was on the other side of my continent for 5 days in a place without internet service in the building, but congratulations and Welcome To The OTHER SIDE.  I am so happy to hear you doing so well, and sounding so happy.

Yesterday was a big day with lots of firsts starting early in the morning with my first post-surgery bowel movement. Totally trouble free as were the others starting with:
•   first dilation right up to 7" creating the most extraordinary sensation  in my guts,  unlike anything I had ever experienced beforehand:  not clearly painful, definitely not pleasant but very, very, very....intense .
•   first totally female pee: not yet in spec but functional.
•   first post-surgery shower: pure delight and, in spite of the loss of a few unredeemable knots, it allowed me to get my hair back in to something like normal working order.
•   first proper meal in 11 days ie. since Sat 16th Aug.

Venus  was thus reborn, justifying the temporary change in my avatar image  :)
 
Otherwise, I'm still on a very short leash ie. while not confined to my room it is clear that I should not go beyond the confines of GRS Alley. This is justified on the need to limit any potential stress to the stiches at the back of the vaginal cleft.

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi893.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac133%2Fdonnaoly%2FGRSALLEY_zpse8cd535f.jpg&hash=e76240db4350f6dff6fab71e2b107906c08274d0) (http://s893.photobucket.com/user/donnaoly/media/GRSALLEY_zpse8cd535f.jpg.html)
( Early morning sunshine in GRS Alley)

GRS Alley, as the name suggests, is where all of Chett's Bangkok Rama patients are housed and it is really neat.  I think there are 7 or 8 of us, 3 French (including me),all the others that I know of are Americains and little by little we are all getting to know each other. Sunday evening we're even due to have a neighborhood picnic organized by Chett's team  so that should mean that we all get to meet anyone we have missed so far.

What I love is that while we all have the privacy of our own bungalows, the opportunity to sit outside to read or whatever means you also get a chance to meet others. This also provides opportunities for mutual assistance and corresponds exactly to what I was hoping for.

Getting back to my own progress, my only issue is poor sleep. This has been a problem for a number of years but has reached crisis proportions here where I would have expected the exact opposite.

Everything else is going pretty well like clockwork so far and I have zero bleeding of any kind. As all the other girls I have spoken to, generally in their twenties, also seem to be doing fine, it speaks highly for the quality of the Chett operation. A suivre....
Hugs
Donna


P.S. For relaxation, I am progressively going through several seasons of the series "The L-Word" which I am thoroughly enjoying and I also have no difficulty accessing Netflix using a VPN, in my case StrongVPN. As you have a lot of downtime here, it is worthwhile putting some thought into that before travelling.

Hiya Donna

Just a quick reply to say how pleased I am that you're doing so well... GRS alley looks quite cute too.

More when we skype...

Hugs
J/A

Love the pic you posted of GRS alley Donna! ... I must admit I am surprised to read there's no Brits there!?! ...

My warmest wishes and hugs from Belgium, I am at the corpse bride stage after surgery but after the very very tough first night after my FFS, everything else seems easy and ok.  I am pleased to hear waking up from your GRS hasn't been as bad as when you woke up from your FFS Surgeries.

I am glad you insisted on the 250cc breast implants, it does sound likely that size  would give you more like C cups, I could just tell that Chet's first instincts of giving u 350cc's were way over the water for your slender frame and where u wanted to be so I am glad it's all working out just right for you darling and it shows the importance of communicating with the surgeons what our goals are.

I will keep up with your posts and updates on your GRS and keep looking forward to your stories and pics x
Carly x

Donna, thanks for the nice photo tour, it should be helpful to others to see what's available to them and serve to relieve some of the stress of wondering. I'm so pleased to know that you are doing so well!

@ Carly if that's your pre-FFS avatar photo I can't imagine why you would need any further facial beautifying dear, very pretty!

Congratulations Donna :angel:. I wish you a speedy recovery. :-*

Quote from: Shantel on August 29, 2014, 09:25:34 AM

@ Carly if that's your pre-FFS avatar photo I can't imagine why you would need any further facial beautifying dear, very pretty!

Thanks Shantel hun, but well, I think that's the magic of hair, make up and some ok facial features. But I still had to bring some of those features to female range.

Quote from: calicarly on August 29, 2014, 03:24:13 PM
Thanks Shantel hun, but well, I think that's the magic of hair, make up and some ok facial features. But I still had to bring some of those features to female range.

You look dynamite there, so are you going to put something new up?

Quote from: calicarly on August 29, 2014, 03:24:13 PM
Thanks Shantel hun, but well, I think that's the magic of hair, make up and some ok facial features. But I still had to bring some of those features to female range.

Hair is indeed quite the most magical stuff...!!!  Makeup too.  The people at passport control just can't reconcile my passport photo with the girl they see, and 80% of that is probably due to hair and makeup.  But the 20% due to FFS is absolutely vital as it removes those "maybe, maybe not" markers! 

Quote from: Shantel on August 29, 2014, 04:06:41 PM
You look dynamite there, so are you going to put something new up?

It's all in my FFS thread Hun ;) x x

Quote from: Julia-Madrid on August 30, 2014, 02:23:22 AM
Hair is indeed quite the most magical stuff...!!!  Makeup too.  The people at passport control just can't reconcile my passport photo with the girl they see, and 80% of that is probably due to hair and makeup.  But the 20% due to FFS is absolutely vital as it removes those "maybe, maybe not" markers! 

I think that's the thing Julia, ffs just brings you to the unmistakably female range... I mean if you look at Donna's before and after she went from unmistakably one gender to the opposite and that's the power of it!

Quote from: calicarly on August 30, 2014, 05:45:23 PM
... I mean if you look at Donna's before and after she went from unmistakably one gender to the opposite and that's the power of it!

...and on the back of that, Donna, finally able to live comfortably as a woman,  went on to the logical last step in her transition, GRS. As good a way as any to introduce another little update on my stay in Thailand which is feeling more like a holiday with every passing day.

Since Saturday (10 days post-op), I have been going out and about pretty much as I please, testing all the local restaurants on the street outside the hotel where it is difficult to spend more than 200 THB (less than 5€)  on a full meal. I could probably already handle a trip into central Bangkok but prefer to give myself a little more time before doing so, no doubt from next Saturday onwards.

Otherwise, I now have my daily routines well in place starting with a wake up at 06h00 and generally ending with me asleep before 22h00. I don't sleep at all during the day, feeling no need to do so and have been sleeping much better since getting into this rythme. I have dilations and breast massaging to do three times a day, one session around 07h30, the next about 13h30 and the last at 20h30. Each session requires about 1h20 in total but that's still only 4 hours our of a 16 hour day leaving me loads of time for chilling out and relaxing in general.  I could easily work but have chosen not to push it too much and simply enjoy one of the rare moments I have had in recent years when I can just relax and take it easy.     

I've already gotten through 2 books on my Kindle (very pleasant when dilating), one and a half seasons of the L-Word and a few movies on Netflix. I've also been spending more and more time with the other girls here, a group of 4 French girls and 4 Americans presently recovering from surgery and all in pretty good form even if some of us (including me, by far the oldest of the group), are recovering a good deal faster than others. Hard to know what that can be put down to but it's clear that some people definitely go through more pain than others and I seem to be at the extreme low end of the pain spectrum. (probably used up a lot of my pain potential in previous lives...  ;)). For info, I have stopped all pain killers since last Monday ie. VJ-day + 5.

In my own case, the only thing that has caused any degree of discomfort is getting the dilator past the PC muscle but even that has just required a little bit of relaxation. It will be interesting to see how things go when I move up to size #2 on Wednesday. 

Otherwise, today, among others, I spent two hours by the pool in a two piece swimming suit, the first time I have done this in my life and I could even handle sitting on the wooden lounge chairs without any cushion.

The fact is, there is such a huge difference between the very easy ride I have had so far and the fears I had pre-surgery, that I almost have to pinch myself to believe that this is for real. I am obviously aware that there is still plenty of time for problems to arise but I guess the risk of some of the real biggies like a major haemmorhage , retreat a little more all the time.

So right now, between having this surgery finally done and generally having a very pleasant stay, I am one very happy person. Difficult to beat!
Hugs
Donna

Am glad you are having a relaxing experience. Not all what is anticipated beforehand! Why some recover faster than others will probably never be known.

That PC muscle can be quite stubborn. But it does relax and it when it does it is important to remember the feeling throughout the body. So that you can return to it easier the next time. Each time it will become a little easier.

Enjoy the cammadre atmosphere - and you can get into Bangkok for a bit of shopping etc. giving yourself relaxation time is not only good for the brain - but body and PC as well...

Quote from: Donna E on September 01, 2014, 08:42:54 AM

I've already gotten through 2 books on my Kindle (very pleasant when dilating)....

Sorry Donna, couldn't resist.   That line provoked a very unexpected mental image of a Kindle being put to use in ways which Jeff Bezos couldn't ever have imagined.   ;D

xxx
A/J

2 wks post-op and, apart from answering eventual questions, probably one of my last posts on this thread. This morning I moved up to dilator N°2 and, like everything else so far, it was pretty easy. To help, towards the end of the session on dilator N° 1, I used that dilator a bit like a wedge to stretch the PC muscle enough to facilate entry of dilator N° 2. All very gentle of course but it definitely worked and I still have no pain, no discharge of any kind etc..

When the nurses came around it was confirmed that it was all very clean and healing well which translated into an autorisation to henceforth go anywhere I want so long as I walk slowly and don't push myself too much. This afternoon I used my "Get out of Jail Free' card to do a 20 min walk to a spa and massage centre up the road from the hotel where I had a really excellent 90min massage, relieving all the stress that had built up in my neck and back during the stay in the clinic and immediately afterwards.  As a bonus, the masseuse was really sweet, giggling all the time when I let out little screams of pain from the job she was doing on me.  She also thought my curly hair was very sexy  :) (see avatar photo!). 

So, with a week left here , I'll be able to do a lot more tourism than I thought and will be going home looking far more like a holiday maker than someone who has just done both GRS and BA surgery.

Obviously, problems can still occur but this has been one very positive story so far!
Hugs
Donna

P.S. Someone suggested to me in private that the trouble free ride I have so far enjoyed might be thanks to my "rustic" Irish genes. I replied that this is what comes from generations of cross fertilization with mountain sheep, ....which also provides a neat explanation for my outrageously curly hair... :)

Quote from: Julia-Madrid on September 01, 2014, 09:16:45 AM
Sorry Donna, couldn't resist.   That line provoked a very unexpected mental image of a Kindle being put to use in ways which Jeff Bezos couldn't ever have imagined.   ;D

xxx
A/J

Julia,
If you are familiar with Jeff Bezos' version of a kindle, I think you will agree that it takes a massive amount of imagination to visualize anyone doing anything other than reading with it. At a stretch, maybe playing frizbee too...?  :)   

Donna,

May I ask how the BA has impacted your dilation and other aspects of post-GRS recovery lately? Could you comment on that, even if it's been a non-issue?

Thanks! Dr. Chett is on my list now that it's very clear my stateside insurer won't touch this topic without a big fight.

Quote from: LizMarie on September 04, 2014, 04:07:05 PM
Donna,

May I ask how the BA has impacted your dilation and other aspects of post-GRS recovery lately? Could you comment on that, even if it's been a non-issue?

Thanks! Dr. Chett is on my list now that it's very clear my stateside insurer won't touch this topic without a big fight.

Hi LizMarie.
The only impact BA surgery has had is to add an extra 3 x 25mins of quite physical exercises/day on top of the dilation schedule. These exercises (heavy massaging) are necessary to insure your implants don't look like "bolt on breasts". So far, this side of things is also going well but, taking eveything into account ie.  preparation, execution and cleaning afterwards, my post surgery care takes up a good 3 x 1.5 hours day.
Otherwise, apart from the discomfort of the pressure bandaging I had for 3.5 days after the surgery, doing the BA along with GRS has not been a problem at all.
Hugs.
Donna

Thank you, Donna!

My own breasts have been A cup range for a long while now and while they are filling out a bit under progesterone, they aren't really getting any larger so I've been contemplating BA as well. Since I've got Thailand as my most likely destination for GRS, I'm considering doing what you have done as well. It's good to hear that it's not been an undue burden.

Quote from: LizMarie on September 05, 2014, 10:06:24 AM
Thank you, Donna!

My own breasts have been A cup range for a long while now and while they are filling out a bit under progesterone, they aren't really getting any larger so I've been contemplating BA as well. Since I've got Thailand as my most likely destination for GRS, I'm considering doing what you have done as well. It's good to hear that it's not been an undue burden.

Hey LizMarie.  I'm going to be at Dr Chett in July next year.  Same story as Donna.  Just some food for thought....

Hugs
Julia

With just three days to go before returning home on Thursday, one last post on my experience here in Thailand. Really on my feet again, I spent a good part of the weekend at the Chatuchak weekend market, a very full half day on Saturday just to look around and see what the place had to offer and a shorter half day yesterday to actually do some souvenir shopping.
There is a huge variety of stuff on offer, from very cheap teashirts to very expensive antiques with lots of stuff in between and it has got to be one of the best places in Bangkok to find the perfect souvenir to bring home.
It is also just a very interesting place to simply experience with street artists, massage shops (I had two terrific foot massages) and lots of restaurants and food stalls.  See photos below:


- Traditional Thai musicien
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi893.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac133%2Fdonnaoly%2FThaitraditional_zps4f479e0d.jpg&hash=f0a237b5b916db8c9ebcf6eff97354683781961f) (http://s893.photobucket.com/user/donnaoly/media/Thaitraditional_zps4f479e0d.jpg.html)

- Mixing drinks with style
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi893.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac133%2Fdonnaoly%2FMixingdrinks_zps437b4d0e.jpg&hash=64a8d05ac3f4e237cfeb7b18520d0019c26a3364) (http://s893.photobucket.com/user/donnaoly/media/Mixingdrinks_zps437b4d0e.jpg.html)

- Thai Country & Western
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi893.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac133%2Fdonnaoly%2FThaiCampW_zps117180fb.jpg&hash=8da578d7241d9f7d72b2731128d10378feed8580) (http://s893.photobucket.com/user/donnaoly/media/ThaiCampW_zps117180fb.jpg.html)

This morning I had my final appointment with Dr Chattawut and, as expected, there was nothing to declare. Two and a half weeks post surgery all is quiet on the western front with strictly no issues at all. I'm still quiet tired of course and really feel it going up stairs. I have also lost a good 3 kgs (6.6lbs) compared to my weight at my pre-surgery appointment  but that's it and I actually think I would be embarassed to use the wheelchair service that is supposed to be provided at the airport on Thursday. Since I was able to spend hours walking around the market, I guess I'm also capable of getting around the airport on my own.

So, right to the end it will have been much, much easier than I ever expected and I would also have to insist on just how warm and friendly everyone here has been, from the staff at the clinic to the personnal here in the Rama. It really has been a very pleasant experience and while I'm very happy to be going home, my whole stay has had a real vacation feel to it and I haven't felt so relaxed in years.

- Chilling out at the pool

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi893.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac133%2Fdonnaoly%2FDonna090914c_zpsa5f0a7bd.jpg&hash=3990904df9bb0d508864433e1cf1453f2dc62258) (http://s893.photobucket.com/user/donnaoly/media/Donna090914c_zpsa5f0a7bd.jpg.html)


- My first lady Teddybear

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi893.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac133%2Fdonnaoly%2FTeddybear_zps315e903b.jpg&hash=dc013c87bd26f2fac9e1db1cb2521aa6af9de409) (http://s893.photobucket.com/user/donnaoly/media/Teddybear_zps315e903b.jpg.html)

So a big thumbs up to Chett & his team from one very happy patient.

Donna

It was really marvelous how everything worked out so well for you Donna, and your commentaries about Bangkok have been very interesting, thanks for taking us all along with you. Btw - I purchased half a dozen black star sapphires there with six points each there many years ago for $4 each, that is the sapphire capitol of the world and a great place to pick up some stones that can be made into a nice piece of jewelry later.

Sorry Donna, I just couldn't refuse. (I think I need to visit my Endo and get my meds balanced out; again)

Quote from: Donna E on July 19, 2014, 05:25:22 AM
As indicated in the title to this thread,...........

You're over a thousand years old. My goodness you carry your age well. How do you do it :icon_lol: :icon_cry:

Huggs
Catherine

Quote from: Catherine Sarah on September 08, 2014, 10:02:37 AM
Sorry Donna, I just couldn't refuse. (I think I need to visit my Endo and get my meds balanced out; again)

You're over a thousand years old. My goodness you carry your age well. How do you do it :icon_lol: :icon_cry:

Huggs
Catherine

Hi Catherine Sarah,
A lapsus that was already explained in the "PS" associated with this post.... :)  https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,169593.msg1482643.html#msg1482643

That being said, after my stay here in Thailand,  a country deeply influenced by Buddhism, I'm almost ready to believe in reincarnation, hoping that with my transition, I will at last achieve the highlest level of enlightenment!  :angel:
Given my passion for classic Greek and Roman history, I suspect my first passage on earth was probably back in those days but don't dare imagine in what form...   :)
Hugs
Donna

Hi Donna,

Sorry I didn't read the PS bit. I was no doubt laughing too hard from your previous paragraphs.

Quote from: Donna E on July 26, 2014, 11:45:30 AM
When he asks me what my expectations regarding surgery are I will however have to come up with the 15" deep vagina

Lordie Girl. You planning on parking the car there overnight?  I guess there's nothing wrong with that idea. Keeps it off the street and you'll probably get an insurance discount from the reduced theft risk. Of the car, that is, not your vj.

Quote from: Donna E on July 26, 2014, 11:45:30 AM
I know that in certain Bangkok bars, vaginas are used for projecting ping-pong balls

Hey. Thanks for the great party starter idea. Next time I have the girls round for a Saturday afternoon BBQ, when the conversation dips I can always suggest a game of ping pong or two. Or start a new pelvic exercise class at the gym. Meditation with a difference at yoga. Maybe even an Olympic sports event.

Quote from: Donna E on July 26, 2014, 11:45:30 AMbut personally would prefer one that could play the flute, the oboe or an equally elegant wind instrument.. 

Now that one caps it all. The mind boggles with the permutations. You could be a contestant on X-Factor being your very own one woman sextet group. Fancy a wind instrument surreptitiously placed in every orrifice of your body. A Barry sax in your vj using your feet to play with. Obviously to supply that amount of wind you'll have to get the circular breathing down pat and eat a lot of prunes and cabbage before the show.

Huggs
Catherine

P.S. Give my regards to Brian Buro next time you bump into him.

EPILOGUE

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi893.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac133%2Fdonnaoly%2FBuddhac_zpsf1468137.jpg&hash=c2e3b51b6fa8c5fa0c9cf2371380ae97a93e58d0) (http://s893.photobucket.com/user/donnaoly/media/Buddhac_zpsf1468137.jpg.html)


I got home yesterday evening after a very long day but with just about enough energy left to do the required post surgery exercises before getting a quick bite to eat and getting to bed.

Today, my birthday, I got a message from my attorney telling me that my Civil Identity Change had been approved at this morning's hearing and that I should receive a copy of the judgement mid October thus allowing me to get my birth certificate changed and then all my other official ID's. Hopefully it will all be  done by the end of the year finally allowing Donna Antonia to turn the page and simply get on with her life, all aspects of transition terminated.

Between my recent surgeries, getting home to my dearest wife and the news from my attorney, my emotions have been running very high over the last 48 hours and I have been regularly surprised by waves of tears welling up out of nowhere. What a journey this has been, gruelling some of the time, exhilarating at other times and without any question a rebirth. At the end of this road that I started out on in Sept 2008, I am a young woman of 57 setting out on a new life at a time so many others of my age are thinking of retirement and finally going onto cruise control.

I would like to believe that this journey has allowed me to progress as a human being too, far more sensitive to the mysteries and the injustices of life. No doubt it can't be compared with Siddharta's journey of enlightenment but without any doubt, the journey of transition obliges us to ask many questions of ourselves and what we are doing on this planet. In my own case, it has allowed me to fully understand the power of love as without the constant support and love of my wife, equalled by my ever deeper love for her, I don't believe  I could have survived the last few years.

I bought the bronze statuette of the Buddha in the photo above at the Chatuchak market last Sunday, both as a reminder of this journey and as a reminder that as long as my life continues the journey will continue. My wife, a "semi-practising" Catholic, jumped on the opportunity to push the idea of also getting a statuette of the "Holy Mother", an idea that brings back some very negative memories from my own Catholic childhood but I guess after all of this, I owe her at least that...  :)

To love and to life!
Hugs
Donna


P.S. To Catherine Sarah. Glad you enjoyed this somewhat zany thread which, like the others on this forum, is always a collective and more often than not, a mutually reinforcing endeavor!

Happy Birthday and happy new life Donna!  :icon_birthday:

Hi my name is Jaime I'm tentatively booked for SRS in December 14 with Doctor Chettawut I d really like to hear some recent comments about how girls feel about their experience and results. So far there seems to be a negative comment for every good one with regard to Doctor Chettawut in particular.  I'm about to send my deposit. I was declined by Dr Suporn earlier this year due to a pre-existing medical condition even with a detailed letter of support from my specialist. Both Dr Chettawut, PAI  and Dr Sanguan have said yes after reviewing my medical records. I'm not keen on the two stage procedure offered by Dr Sanguan as having two procedures may add to the risks. I would like any info that might help me out. I would also like to hear from anyone who is also going for SRS with Dr Chettawut or Sanguan in the first week in December.

Hi Jaime, good to hear from you. My SRS is scheduled 1 day after you! I'm planning to stay only until the 1st week of January at the cottages.

Quote from: Caroline1 on September 13, 2014, 05:56:09 AM
Hi my name is Jaime I'm tentatively booked for SRS in December 14 with Doctor Chettawut I d really like to hear some recent comments about how girls feel about their experience and results. So far there seems to be a negative comment for every good one with regard to Doctor Chettawut in particular.  I'm about to send my deposit. I was declined by Dr Suporn earlier this year due to a pre-existing medical condition even with a detailed letter of support from my specialist. Both Dr Chettawut, PAI  and Dr Sanguan have said yes after reviewing my medical records. I'm not keen on the two stage procedure offered by Dr Sanguan as having two procedures may add to the risks. I would like any info that might help me out. I would also like to hear from anyone who is also going for SRS with Dr Chettawut or Sanguan in the first week in December.

Hi Jaime,
Just over the last few months, four of us have left quite extensive accounts of our experience with Chett, most recently Monkeymel and myself. I suggest you read through both of our threads on the subject and then come back with specific questions. BTW, where did you see all the negative comments? I certainly didn't see them here.
Hugs
Donna

Happy belated birthday Donna!  :D Mentioning that your journey began during the fall of 2008 and you've just celebrated your rebirth near your 57th birthday is almost the same as my story.  I'm probably a year behind in my journey as I'm nearing the end of my one year RLE and only just beginning to prepare for my surgical journey.  I struggled mightily with the concept of being trans and accepting myself the first few years, even though I would have begun my journey 35 years ago if society was in the same place it is today. ???

Congratulations and best wishes - Sarah

Quote from: SarahJ on September 13, 2014, 10:37:14 PM
Happy belated birthday Donna!  :D Mentioning that your journey began during the fall of 2008 and you've just celebrated your rebirth near your 57th birthday is almost the same as my story.  I'm probably a year behind in my journey as I'm nearing the end of my one year RLE and only just beginning to prepare for my surgical journey.  I struggled mightily with the concept of being trans and accepting myself the first few years, even though I would have begun my journey 35 years ago if society was in the same place it is today. ???

Congratulations and best wishes - Sarah

Hi Sarah.
Thanks for your message. If you're in good health, the physical part of transitioning is no more difficult than for the younger girls, maybe even easier as I suspect that we older ladies are often a bit tougher mentally having already digested plenty of the knocks that life tends to throw at people..  :)
If you have any specific questions regarding the surgical aspects of a late transiton, feel free to send me a PM. As you will have seen from my signature lines, I have done everything except voice surgery which I finally don't intend to do, too much expense and hassle after all that I have already done and I'll see how far I can get with voice therapy before seriously considering it. 
Hugs
Donna

Hi Donna!!!

Congratulations on surgery and a belated Happy Birthday.  I'm so very happy for you. 

You encourage me.

Hugs, 

Jen

Happy Birthday, Donna, and congratulations. I forgot to say either in my PM, and I'm very sorry for that, too. Now I remember, we've spoken in a few PM's in 2013. Your newest avatar threw me. I want to get the surgery sooo much, I simply have a hard time waiting anymore, although I will. Anyhoo, I'm really happy for you, girl!!! God bless you, Donna. Hugs, Mira

Close to 10 wks post-op, it's probably worth doing a quick update on how things are going, all the more so as I got back to one of my favorite activities this morning, roller blading.

The scenario for this? We have just gone to winter time which meant an extra hour of sleep last night, wake-up to yet another beautiful sunny autumn day with temperature at about 15°C (~ 60°F) when I finally got out of the house, a fantastic smooth stretch of track going through a forest on fire with autumn colour... Impossible not to feel good and to crown it all, 40-45 mins of fairly dynamic roller-blading without the slighest hint of any problem. On the contrary, an experience of pure joy between the beauty of the environment and the pleasure of gliding smoothly from one leg to another  with just the low humming of my wheels to remind me that I wasn't dancing on air!

As it happens, that sort of sums up my whole post-op experience which has remained totally problem free. I still haven't been near a doctor since getting home and am now dilating comfortably with the Soul Souce N°3 and expect to move up to N° 4 at the 12 wks mark.

The only significant issue I had, too much loose skin in one of the labia majora, also seems to be getting better . Dr Chett suggested I apply Estrogen gel to this area once or twice a day as, according to some of his previous patient  it helped. I started doing it about 4 weeks ago and initially the loose skin retracted just after the application but tended to loosen up again shortly afterwards. However, as the weeks have gone by, I have definitely seen an improvement which means I may even be able to avoid the revision I initially feared would be necessary. 

However, should a revision finally be  required to get the type of aesthetic result I want, it has already been agreed to in principle, the only cost to me being flight and accomodation in Thailand. We will revisit the subject at the 6 month mark when the final outcome of the surgery will be more obvious.

Overall, I guess I could say that apart from the time required for dilating, from every point of view, I am very much back to my pre-surgery state, feeling really good physically and mentally and well able to handle a full day.

Hi Donna

It seems to me loose/hanging skin seems to be a common feedback by Chet girls. I was wondering if you told him exactly what you wanted or left it to his judgement?

Quote from: blackponyx on October 26, 2014, 10:17:52 PM
Hi Donna

It seems to me loose/hanging skin seems to be a common feedback by Chet girls. I was wondering if you told him exactly what you wanted or left it to his judgement?

Hi there.
I hadn't anticipated on this being an issue at all so it wasn't discussed during the pre-op consultation. When I finally saw the outcome, I raised the issue with Dr Chettawut and here is the answer he gave me:

The excess skin is actually the area which your right scrotal skin was thick with a lot of wrinkle and cannot be stretched as the same as the left one due to its poor elasticity. This part of skin cannot be used for skin graft because it located at the central area which carry blood supply to the bottom of labia.
Try to think carefully, what happen if I lack of knowledge and cut this skin and then your total labia become necrosis.

That seems reasonable to me and given how good a job he did otherwise, I find it hard to believe he would have deliberately left excess skin that could have been eliminated from the outset.

He didn't go so far as to call me a "thick skinned old cow" but I guess that was at least part of the reality he had to deal with.   :) 

This does make sense and I wonder if it's a common problem for all surgeons who use a similar technique? I always thought the scrotal skin was used inside and the exterior was aesthetically designed by the penile skin [hence the whole hype about how the penile skin inversion is no longer favoured, so more materials are left to design and create the labia].

Regardless, did he say if this can be corrected in future?

While my top priority is depth and sensation, I do value the aesthetics too. Specifically I would like something compact without hanging/loose skin.

Thank you for your reply. :)

Quote from: blackponyx on October 28, 2014, 11:42:06 PM
This does make sense and I wonder if it's a common problem for all surgeons who use a similar technique? I always thought the scrotal skin was used inside and the exterior was aesthetically designed by the penile skin [hence the whole hype about how the penile skin inversion is no longer favoured, so more materials are left to design and create the labia].

Regardless, did he say if this can be corrected in future?

While my top priority is depth and sensation, I do value the aesthetics too. Specifically I would like something compact without hanging/loose skin.

Thank you for your reply. :)

Because of both the quality and the quantity of the scrotal tissue that was available, a skin graft (taken from the adjoining thigh region) was required for my surgery and I ended out with ~6.5" of depth, a result that in my case would have been impossible with the penile inversion technique. Otherwise, I believe everything was done as described on Chett's site, the penile tissue mostly being used for the labia.

Regarding future correction of loose tissue, yes, it was agreed to in principle and, if required it would be fully free of charge. However Chett asked that we wait at least 6 months for things to settle before considering any revision.

It's probably also worth mentioning that since getting home I have sent just two mails to Chett with questions about my recovery and in both cases I have received satisfactory answers. Given all of this, I remain very happy with my choice.

Quote from: Hanazono on October 29, 2014, 06:36:06 AM
that's so awesome. I only hope I can experience this too. except I'd have to relearn how to rollerblade

Seriously, you could do a lot worse! Contrary to running, roller blading doesn't create any downward pressure on your new parts and once the incisions are healed, it's as good a way as you will find to start doing serious exercise again.  I'm off again this afternoon!
I think I read somewhere that you are scheduled with Chett in January. If so, I wish you as happy an experience as I had. From what I gather, at least you won't have too far to travel, about 1422kms?    :)   
Hugs
Donna

Quote from: Hanazono on October 29, 2014, 04:27:10 PM
you're a very perceptive lady, Donna!

You provided so many clues in your different posts (including your excellent English) that even Watson could have worked that one out!  :)
As a person who has been able to quickly learn the basics of quite a few languages, including Japanese and Bahasa, I also found Thai very, very difficult. However, since it's a tonal language with a similar structure to Mandarin, I would have thought that apart from the squiggles, it would be a lot easier for a Chinese speaker to pick up Thai than for a person brought up on western languages.
Anyway, wishing you all the best!
Donna 

On his website, Dr Chettawut makes the following claims:

Dr.Chettawut's "Non penile inversion" SRS techniques provide the best and most natural sensation to all areas which are innervated by the branches of the pudendal nerve.
Because of Dr.Chettawut's meticulous surgical work on preservation of all sensory nerves, all patients achieve special female erotic sensations as well as being able to naturally experience orgasm (climax).
The patients can expected to achieve erotic sensation from the genital structures supplied by specific sensory nerve which are clitoris, clitoral hood, clitoral frenulum, and most part of vulva vestibule...

Eh bah, as the kids say over here, today I can confirm that all of that is true!  I have no intention of going into the "gory" details in such a public setting but I have just had one of the best such experiences in my little existance.  As all you Americans say, Yeah!   :-)

Quote from: Donna E on November 05, 2014, 03:09:56 PM
On his website, Dr Chettawut makes the following claims:

Eh bah, as the kids say over here, today I can confirm that all of that is true!  I have no intention of going into the "gory" details in such a public setting but I have just had one of the best such experiences in my little existance.  As all you Americans say, Yeah!   :-)

Where do I sign up ???

Oh, silly me, I already have!  9 months and counting...

xxx
A/J

Quote from: Donna E on November 05, 2014, 03:09:56 PM

Eh bah, as the kids say over here, today I can confirm that all of that is true!  I have no intention of going into the "gory" details in such a public setting but I have just had one of the best such experiences in my little existance.  As all you Americans say, Yeah!   :-)

Glad it's working for you Donna, excellent report concerning Dr. Chett's capabilities and sensitivity to a woman's needs.

Quote from: Donna E on November 05, 2014, 03:09:56 PM
On his website, Dr Chettawut makes the following claims:

Dr.Chettawut's "Non penile inversion" SRS techniques provide the best and most natural sensation to all areas which are innervated by the branches of the pudendal nerve.
Because of Dr.Chettawut's meticulous surgical work on preservation of all sensory nerves, all patients achieve special female erotic sensations as well as being able to naturally experience orgasm (climax).
The patients can expected to achieve erotic sensation from the genital structures supplied by specific sensory nerve which are clitoris, clitoral hood, clitoral frenulum, and most part of vulva vestibule...

Eh bah, as the kids say over here, today I can confirm that all of that is true!  I have no intention of going into the "gory" details in such a public setting but I have just had one of the best such experiences in my little existance.  As all you Americans say, Yeah!   :-)

This is one of the primary reasons why I am going with Dr Chett...time cannot move fast enough!

EPILOGUE

Today, after a 14 month wait since I started the procedure,  I received the following document:

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi893.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac133%2Fdonnaoly%2FCEC251114_zps1ca5e437.jpg&hash=ebacc508ea0a313f8f9bee2d2637a2713900288b) (http://s893.photobucket.com/user/donnaoly/media/CEC251114_zps1ca5e437.jpg.html)

which all you fluent French speakers will instantly recognize as the last page of my official Civil Identity Change  :)  Concretely, this will shortly translate into a modification of my first names and the gender markers on both my birth certificate and my mariage licence allowing me to change all my other official documents too .

I guess that's it, for better and for worse and until death does us part, my transition is complete.  As it happens, I'll be spending the evening with a writer's group I am part of here in Strasbourg and since they have been getting to know my story through the first 3 chapters of a book I'm writing, I guess  I couldn't be with a better group for such an occasion.

Hugs and best wishes to all  you fellow travellers. Transition is quite a journey but happily life continues afterwards, all the more so when it doesn't become an end in itself!

Donna

Congratulations, Donna! It must be such a relief! Very happy for you! :)