Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Well, after all the waiting and frustration, I have a date. On Friday I received an email with the offer. I was over joyed! I am also shocked. It is only two weeks away! I have accepted and am in a trying to get everything I need to do completed before I fly out on April 8. surgery is on April 10! What complicates  things is the fact that I am out of the country until April 3. I can do this! So far I have been able to complete all forms, make the necessary appointments for next week and make travel plans. I will have five days to get needed supplies, etc, before I go. What a whirl wind!

Congrats!

Congratulations!  You must be over the moon. I hope it all goes smooth as silk for you.

Great you can everything done on such short notice. Congrads are definitely due you.  Keep us informed on how everything goes.

Congratulations!!!

You can get it done in time. :)  And lucky you for them to offer such a soon date, too!!  :icon_yikes:

 Hey, congratulations!
I discovered that the forms they want are the ones they want sent back now.
Many of the others they do right there the morning you arrive so don't sweat too much.
I was just there on March 1st.
I found that I was a bit over packed with clothing and that most of the time PJ's are what you wear while there.
The care is very good, I think you will be glad to have chosen Dr. Brassard.
If you want to know anything at all please don't hesitate to ask.
Looking forward to hearing about your experience!

Thanks! I am more than more than excited! After reading through all the information package that I was sent, I am still not sure as to what clothing I should take. The pj's are easy. My concern is what to wear on the way back home. That will be a long day! Any info you can give me as to what to wear while in the recovery centre, would be appreciated. I am not great with blogging, never have, but I hope to share some information as to how things go. Thanks. Hugs.

On the way home, I wore pajama pants, and shirt.  I highly recommend it.

At the recover house I wore a shirt, and a towel most of the time.

I wore a skirt and granny underwear with hose (this was along time ago). You will need a feminine pad on the way home so you want underwear that will hold one in place for about the next 3 months and you don't want something tight fitting. Lose pants would work as well but I didn't have anything like that in my wardrobe at the time.

You will get a kit  with some supplies that you use there and take home.
Included will be some pads and some very stretchy underwear almost boxer style.
For going home wear something loose fitting like a skirt or dress. Nothing too binding around the groin that is for sure.
Also in your room there will be towels and a short terrycloth bath robe. You don't get to keep those ;)
So no need to pack that stuff though.
Each room has a bathroom sink with soaps.
I had a single room, I don't know what the doubles were like but I think they have their own shower.
Every room has a tv & wifi.

The double rooms have a bath tub/shower combination.  There were no robes when I was there in November, but there was plenty of towels and the kit.

Maybe the robes are a new thing...they did seem new actually.
Oh and they do laundry like every other day or if you ask.

Thanks everyone! Only 8 days before I fly out! I won't be home for another 4 days and will cram in all the shopping, and a couple of appointments, in the four days. I still can't believe that this is happening so soon! I am a bit spaced out and my partner now just laughs when I do something stupid or forget something, like where my keys are! I guess one of the first things I will need to do is get clothes for my stay.

This time next weekend, I will be in Montreal, probably asleep! I do miss my HRT. I stopped them on Monday, after my date was confirmed. I am wondering what I may experience not taking the meds. How long after surgery can I start up HRT again? I have figured out my return clothes - skirt, warm top and runners. I figure I will be inside either the car, airport or plane  once I leave the recovery centre. Two days before I am home!

I'm very excited for you!

Congrats, I have a few questions if you don't mind me asking. How much are they asking for the surgery now and how long have you been waiting for your date? I ask because I am getting conflicting prices from posters and the clinic. Thanks dear, and good luck with your surgery.

Most costs are covered for me as I am Canadian. The only thing that I need to pay for, as far as I know is my airfare. Very lucky. My referral was sent in at the end of May of 2016. There were some things missing and by the time all this was done, my referral went to pre surgery desk in Dec. I was surprised that there were still things that my referring doctor had not included and I have got rush and get them in in Feb 2017. I had many phone calls with various members of the staff. I found that once I was in pre surgery review, the staff, Veronic, was very caring and helpful. Once I had gotten everything in order, my referral was submitted to surgery staff for final review and finishing administrative things. This is when I got the email giving a date two weeks away! All good now. I recommend that you stay with the contact. I do not mean overdoing it, but be present. IF you can get a phone contact, this is very helpful. I do hope that your referral is more complete than mine! All the best! Hugs

Hey,
One thing I experienced going off the meds was water retention because of being off spironolactone.
I got really puffy looking especially in the face, which actually made me rather upset at first because it really altered my appearance and not in a good way at all.
Even now after surgery I still have a puffy face earlier in the day.
One way to help resolve this is to be on a no added salt diet.
I have been doing this ever since stopping the spiro and ultimately I think it takes time for ones body to adjust to being without it.
I didn't notice any other changes that might have been about being off estrogen.
I stepped up my exercise routine at maybe three months before surgery which I think is helpful and is actually recommended.
You can go back on your meds once you get home and they say to do whatever your prescribing doctor says.
I had an appointment with my doctor once I got my date and we agreed that I would go back to everything except the spiro.
You should follow up with your doctor two months after surgery to talk about your meds and what other adjustments to make. Usually they want to lower your estrogen but I intend to ask that not happen since I would be at exactly two years on hormones. My logic would be that I want to stay at the current dose because it could have been raised but never was and I would like to see if now after surgery there may be more changes in breast development etc. I would want to go one more year so long as there are no complications.
My E readings were always in the female range but they were never terribly high and I want to see if there is a marked difference now.
What is it that you miss about the hormones?
Are you from Vancouver Island?

Thanks Vivian Jane! Yes, I am from Vancouver Island! I am looking forward to getting back on E! I also take dutasteride, but I will talk to my primary care Dr. on Monday about meds. I won't seem endo for a few weeks. I have thought a lot about my diet lately, and looking ahead at a more sedentary life over the next few weeks, I need to cut a few things out, or significantly reduce, of my diet. Bread, cheese, and soda lead the list. As for exercise, I had a knee injury that kept me off the court for weeks. I have just got back to playing tennis and now will be off until summer. I am looking forward to going for walks, at least as much as allowed. Thanks again for sharing! Hugs

Oh my goodness, I just got a date too!

Congrats! With only  a few days to get supplies before flying to Montreal, I am stressed to the max. Interesting how difficult it is getting some of the things on the list, such as vaginal douche!

Don't worry about the douche.
They give you a recipe to make it yourself.
Also they give you two single use douche bottles plus a large refill which will last your stay.
This is also part of your kit stuff that you can take home.
You can reuse everything.
Oh, and don't be stressed.
They take care of everything, you should be just fine.
What day do you fly out?
The limo that pics you up is very punctual.
Enjoy your stay at the BnB!

I was hoping that they would help me out with the supplies! I fly out at 7:25 am from Nanaimo  and arrive at 5:15 eastern time. I really appreciate the service that they provide! I was not looking forward to working my way to the BnB. I am looking forward to the BnB. Looks great. Two days to go!

 Island Girl good luck! only 3 short days away you must be so excited!! I was suppose to have surgery in Januray or so but things happened. So happy for ya!

 :police: Topic is unlocked. Please try to keep the topic from drifting toward another topic  :police:

Thanks SailorMars1994! Excited is an understatement! Early morning for me tomorrow! Fly out to Montreal.

Arrived in Montreal yesterday evening. Today I am spending a lazy morning relaxing and may go for a walk after lunch. Tomorrow I leave for the hospital at 6:30 am. Excited and tired and fairly relaxed about the whole process.

Best of luck. It's gonna be a WARM day tomorrow!

Keep us posted on the details.  I know one person who went to Dr. Brassard.  There was a show about her on TV a while ago.
It's good we have someone like Dr. Brassard in Canada, especially since the surgery is covered under our heath care.  While I haven't yet decided where I'm going with things, I'd certainly go with him, should I get surgery.  Montreal is close enough to where I live that driving doesn't take much longer than flying.

Today we moved the the recovery centre. I left the hospital at 8:20 am. It seemed the staff moved people every 20 minutes or so. A wheel chair ride to the centre took about two minutes. I cannot say enough about the staff at the hospital. All the nurses were great. No question was unimportant. They all had such a great sense of humour.  The recovery centre is a very nice old house. The staff and nurses seems to be just the same as the hospital  staff and nurses. Dr. Brassard came in to see me each of the last two days. He wanted to know how I doing and how my pain was. After the first day, I got off the heavier pain killers. They just made me so sick. Sleeping has been a problem for me over the last two nights. I will be getting something to help with that issue tonight.

I can hardly wait until Friday and Saturday when some of the last of the dressings come off and the stint comes out. I am so looking forward to a shower!

I have very appreciative of the kitchen staff for their willingness and ability to deal with my dietary needs. I am a vegetarian, I eat 'nothing that has had a mother', and not eggs. This has challenged them and they have come up 'aces'. Plenty of food, tastes and a lot! I have, however, not been able to eat much. The staff just smiles and says 'eat what you can'!

Nice  single room at the centre with shared bathroom I love that you can look out the windows or go for a walk in the parks that surround the house. It is only April 12 in Montreal, so the grass is still brown! The house is right on a river so there a many types of birds.

Anyway, I am not great at 'blogging' or talking about my self, but I will do my best as I progress through recovery.

Well, I am back home! What a long day of travel yesterday! I sure appreciated the staff at the recovery centre. They were wonderful. Travelling on the plane I have a lot of time to think. I am so appreciative of Dr. Brassard and the staff at the hospital. I miss the relationships  with the other women that were in the centre with me. I look forward to see and feeling the changes that will happen with me over the next few months. My biggest issue today is swelling! I am icing but wow, I sure miss the anti inflammatory meds that we received at the centre. I am finding out that my daily routine at home is going to be much more challenging than I expected. I was so used to having everything I needed, to follow my schedule, at my finger tips while in the centre. This will work itself out as I set up new routines and determine where I will keep all my 'supplies'. Onward I go!

This is all awesome <3

Congrats! You going to a great doctor. I loved the place! I know that the excitement will build and all of a sudden you are there!

I am two weeks post op! Wow! I is hard to believe that something that I have wanted to so long has come and gone. Anyway, my biggest issue is still the swelling. This also, I believe, affects urination. Sometimes it is like having a shower! I sure hope this changes over time. Healing is slow and steady. I can see changes to the suture lines. Dilations run my life, as expected, and are going well.

For me, having gone through GRS, has given me a sense of being 'whole'. I know this is not how everyone may see it. When at the recovery centre, the other women and I had this discussion and they all felt the same.

I got my follow up questionnaire from the Centre today. I will work my way through the questions. I did phone the centre yesterday to ask a question concerning the swelling. The nurse was really reassuring that what I am experiencing is normal. It is so good to know that they respond to a message left.

Tomorrow will be four weeks post op! Much is going well with the healing. I still am experiencing a great deal of discharge. Swelling, although less is still bothering me. Dilations are going along fine and as scheduled. I find that having my days broken up into short segments very frustrating. This is just the way it is. As of Wednesday, I get to reduce dilations by one, along with its assigned site bath. Suture lines look good and I will have a check up by my community nurse tomorrow morning. I am planning on increasing my walking distances this week. Slow and easy I am sure, but I do need to get more movement into my days. The biggest issue for me at the present is loneliness. I spend great periods of time on my own (although I did clean the bathrooms and do laundry this morning). I need to address this as it is really bringing me down.

Overall I can't believe that I  put up the genital dysphoria for so long. Every time I look at my new V, I feel whole!