Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hi ladies, this may have been done before but I wondered if I might share my ideas about things for before, during, and after GCS surgery down below. Can you please add things you have either thought of or which have been of use in your experiences?

I think there may be a lot of suggestions so I can keep updating this list. And some things will be more pertinent for one country than another. But here goes:

Beforehand at home:

Hard drive back up of computer and load up tv shows / films

For hospital:

Extension lead
Phone and device chargers
Laptop
Ear buds
Eye mask
Small fan
Pj's or nightie
Loose clothes
Meds
Some cash
Books
Audio books
Blue vaseline
Wash items
Toothbrush
Lady shaver
Wet wipes
Deodorant
Mirror
Dried figs
Red grapes
Mint tea bags
Doughnut cushion for travelling home and for home afterwards

For back home afterwards:

Activon Medical Grade Manuka Honey
Pre-made honey dressings e.g. 'Med Honey'
Non-slip bath mat
Extra towels
Pads for down below
Pads for bed
Loose underwear: cotton
Loose clothes
Jigsaw table
Dried figs
Red grapes
Paracetamol
Ibuprofen
Naproxen on standby


I know some of you talk about ice packs but no-one on my medical team has mentioned this so I'm going to steer clear.

xx

Maybe salt for sitz baths? I recall my wife bringing some in.

Edit to add:

Wedge pillow for sitting up.

If you're a side sleeper, a between the legs pillow. https://amzn.eu/d/06p4iuAS

The mesh underwear from the hospital is amazing. Similar ones are on Amazon. https://amzn.eu/d/029iRVLj

A case of water based lube. My wife used optilube.

Microwavable heat/cool pads.

Douche.

Mr Green and Mr Orange from Soul Source. My wife bought the full set because she didn't like the clear one Dr Bellringer supplied.

You listed pads in the "for afterwards" column.  I'd suggest having some with you for the journey home.  I did use them for the trip home, but I didn't need them at home after the first day or two.

If you are flying home, call the airline to reserve a wheelchair at departure and arrival airport.  Travel light: a single carry-on with wheels should do you.  You won't be allowed to lift anything, hence the wheels, and a single bag means that asking for help isn't a big imposition on strangers.

Thanks so much for the suggestions above ladies. Here's an update to my list including a few other things I've remembered too!

Beforehand at home:

Hard drive back up of computer and load up tv shows / films

For hospital:

Extension lead
Phone and device chargers
Laptop
Ear buds
Eye mask
Small fan
Pj's or nightie
Loose clothes
Meds
Some cash
Books
Audio books
Blue vaseline
Wash items
Toothbrush (charged) & toothpaste
Lady shaver
Wet wipes
Deodorant
Moisturiser
Mirror
Dried figs
Red grapes
Mint tea bags
Coffee bags: both caffeinated and decaffeinated
Travel kettle?
Slippers
Doughnut cushion for travelling home and for home afterwards
& hot / cold pads for travelling home (see below)
Wheelchair booked with airline if flying home for departure/arrival/transfer airports


For back home afterwards:

Activon Medical Grade Manuka Honey
Pre-made honey dressings e.g. 'Med Honey'
Ice packs and/or microwavable hot or warm pads
Wedge pillow for sitting up
Pillow for between legs if you're a side sleeper
Non-slip bath mat
Extra towels
Pads for down below
Pads for bed
Loose underwear: cotton
Optilube or other water-based lube
Douche
Dilators if not using hospital ones e.g. Mr Green and Mr Orange from Soul Source
Mesh underwear
Loose clothes
Jigsaw table
Dried figs
Red grapes
Paracetamol
Ibuprofen
Naproxen on standby

The travelling light point is a really good one and presents quite a conundrum. I'd be very interested to know how those going to places like Thailand have found this and what they did.

I don't travel light these days, partly because I take with me a number of comfort items e.g. teddy bear, small fairy lights, medical pack (won't be needed in hospital!), books etc but @KathyLauren 's  point is spot on: you can't lift anything heavy following vaginoplasty.

In my case it's a taxi ride back so I figure someone at Parkside can help me with the case on wheels down to the taxi, the driver can put it in the boot, and then on arrival my friend will lift it out. Ordinarily she'd have picked me up but she doesn't like driving in London.

Oh and it's 3 weeks today. I'm so excited I was getting ahead of myself in the other post 😂

xx

And the dried figs / red grapes are a personal thing for trying to avoid constipation. The various meds associated with the procedure along with the pain killers typically induce constipation, which is something to avoid if possible as you really don't want to be straining down there.

xx

I noticed the blue Vaseline on your list. Be aware that oil based products will degrade the Soul Source dilators, hence the water based lube.

I'm not sure if that's why it's on your list though.

Quote from: Devlyn on Today at 01:46:45 AMI noticed the blue Vaseline on your list. Be aware that oil based products will degrade the Soul Source dilators, hence the water based lube.

I'm not sure if that's why it's on your list though.

Hi.

The blue one is recommended by the hospital: for lips.

I normally use the pink rosy lips one but for hospital they prefer the plain and is on their shortlist of items to bring.

xx

By the way, no baths for a month. Showers only. But I'm sure everyone else knew that (I didn't!).

xx

A few minor adds 'n' opinions--

Before - I live alone. I spent a lot of time figuring out the ergonomics of post op recovery. I was coached to believe bending over post op is tough. It was! So I had my apartment arranged in a way I didn't have to bend over. My bottom surgery was at the end of August, so I prepped my apartment for fall as well. I put vacation responders on my email for the week of surgery. I lined up multiple friends to call for an emergency. If something happened I had a chain of people who live close and could get to me in under 10 minutes.

Hospital - I had a 4 night stay. I mostly slept. I was coached to bring as little as possible, which worked for me. I had a kindle but wouldn't bother again. I had a book of adult word searches, but only managed 2 pages of vagina slang (to the great amusement of the urologists). I'd bring chocolate over dried fruit, but I had all the laxatives insurance would pay for. I had friends bring my donut ring for the ride home, which is 100% a must-have. I liked the memory foam ring over the inflatable one.

Recovery - I'd add good slip on shoes you can walk in. I walked often in recovery and it was nice to not have to bend over to get shoes on. I killed time with an adult coloring books (search - 'the big adventures of the cute vajayjay'), but that's me. I used puppy pads while figuring out dilation as well as a mirror. I used adult diapers over mesh panties until err unplugged down there. worked for me, less laundry. I had a breakfast tray that doubled as a work surface for my bed, although used it sparingly. I used a lot of paper plates and disposable cutlery for about 2 weeks.

If I had a do over, I'd probably be more militant about post op privacy. at least one friend wanted to nurse me back to health and it was way more irritating than helpful. YMMV - some like the pampering thing, some don't.

Good Luck! no list is perfect but you sound like you have a good handle on your needs

~Jenn

Don't skip the ice packs. I got home from Montreal and I didn't take the icing advice and I suffered, I was in tears from pain but the moment I started with ice packs again things calmed down. the thing with ice packs is you need a towel or a t-shirt or something that the ice pack isn't directly on the surgical area. I suffered so much because I thought that I didn't need to anymore but I was wrong.

The one thing I will always suggest for people getting surgery is to make sure you have ice packs. I am getting my left knee replaced Sept 3rd (2 years to the day after getting my grs), they are renting me a cryo machine with a knee cuff but I think I will still get ice packs just in case.

My biggest regret from surgery by far is not listening to the icing advice, it helped so much.

Quote from: Tills on Today at 02:27:37 AMBy the way, no baths for a month. Showers only. But I'm sure everyone else knew that (I didn't!).

xx

Really ? I had to do sitz baths from the day I could first clean up, I think I had to do the baths for 2 months maybe a bit more. I started dilating 4 times a day and I had to use the sitz bath 3 times then in the evening I could use the shower.

Quote from: Athena on Today at 08:57:10 AMDon't skip the ice packs. I got home from Montreal and I didn't take the icing advice and I suffered, I was in tears from pain but the moment I started with ice packs again things calmed down. the thing with ice packs is you need a towel or a t-shirt or something that the ice pack isn't directly on the surgical area. I suffered so much because I thought that I didn't need to anymore but I was wrong.

The one thing I will always suggest for people getting surgery is to make sure you have ice packs. I am getting my left knee replaced Sept 3rd (2 years to the day after getting my grs), they are renting me a cryo machine with a knee cuff but I think I will still get ice packs just in case.

My biggest regret from surgery by far is not listening to the icing advice, it helped so much.

I'm not going to touch ice packs, unless they specifically say it's okay to. It's very different from other kinds of healing and surgical sites. You really don't want to be introducing anything that can cause infection to what is an open wound site, nor the 'burning' that can occur from ice.

I was a very keen marathon runner and certainly used ice at times but those weren't open wounds. And there's a natural process of swelling, bruising, and pain.

But I'll see if they do mention it after all and will follow their professional advice on that.

xx

p.s. definitely NO baths: they're firm about that, again for risk of infection reasons.