Hi all, thank you for taking your time to read this.
This is my first time writing in this forum, but I have been a reader many times through some years, and many people in this forum, with their stories, have helped me so much. So I think it's time to put my two cents in this forum.
In October 23th I will be on Chettawut's hands. Also, I will be in the Vertical Suite during these days. I have not paid yet all the amount for the surgery but I guess that it will be soon.
This months before the surgery I'm very, very frightened about all. A lot of "what if..." come across my mind. Fear of repent is one of those. Also (and perhaps Androcur sure have ended that posibility) the idea of being irreparably infertile is very common on my mind (since I'm lesbian and too young for kids). I hope these feelings dissapear with time, as my psycho said, but...
Well, I'll keep you updated, I suppose. Again thank you all.
P.D: In other post I read something about a Facebook Chett's private group. Sounds interesting for me so please some info would be fine.
P.D2: As you could have note, English is not my first language. Sorry about that.
Hello Miss Turing
Have you thought about going to a sperm bank?
I know that is one thing I sometimes regret but then my siblings have children and I don't feel so bad.
One step at a time, you will be fine.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Hi Lucy and welcome to the site.
I think your English is fine. Far better than my abilities in any of the languages I have studied. So, no worries. You have enough on your mind.
There are a lot of girls here who have gone to Dr Chett. I hope and imagine they will chime in and answer questions and share fears and experiences they had.
I find it interesting that fear and doubt seem so common at every step along the way. From what I see of all the postings here, it is very common. You are in good company. Thank you for your bravery in sharing your feelings and experience with us. It is brave, especially considering it is a language that is not your first.
I have some info we are to pass along to newly posting members:
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Once again, welcome to Susan's. Look around, ask questions and join in.
With warmth,
Jacqui
Nice to hear from you Lucy. I'm due with Dr Chett a few months after you. Would love to hear about your experience.
Good luck)
Quote from: Cure Bunny on September 06, 2017, 10:53:38 PM
Hello Miss Turing
Have you thought about going to a sperm bank?
I know that is one thing I sometimes regret but then my siblings have children and I don't feel so bad.
One step at a time, you will be fine.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
That was a bit bad story for me, because when HRT started I wanted to freeze and save sperm but I had not enough money for that. Now that I have enough money to afford it, they did not found anything to save :-\ and they said "why didn't you come earlier?" and I got angry about that. It seems that if I stop HRT for several months it could have recover something, but it's not an option because all the bad things would come back :( and now I have no time so it's a bit frustrating situation.
I suppose that the solution was to accept that I'm infertile and that it's not going to change anymore, and accept other's sperm in the future for that topic. It's a sad thing in my opinion.
Hugs Lucy
It's hard to choose sometimes but you will be fine because you are choosing to be you.
It is sad, but you can still be a great mom even if you are not a biological parent.
Hugs
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Hello, I'm here again.
I arrived Bangkok this week and I'm in the Vertical Suite until November. I hope I would see someone from this forum this month, that should be nice ;D
Bangkok seems like a very chaotic city. Almost no one speaks English fluently :o But they are usually kind to us (except if you try to take a taxi to the center of the city >:( )
Tomorrow I will see Chettawut, lets see what happens and what we could expect for the surgery. Fingers crossed.
Brief update time!
This morning we saw Chettawut. We go with the driver who awaited outside the hotel and drive us to there. The clinic is very small and lost from the rest of the world, but it seems clean and nice. Here they gave to me lots of papers about the bowel clean, signing some documents telling me what I could expect (OH MY GOD I WILL NOT HAVE SEX LIKE A MAN ANYMORE I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT!! -joke-) and that the clinic would not be responsible if something wrong happens because of my bad, also that complications could happen and blah blah blah, you know, a similar document like you could see when you start HRT.
Chettawut seems a very nice person, he said that he would try his best so it seems that he is quite professional. I hope that he could have a professional work also. After some technical questions about anesthesia, painkillers, etc, etc; we went to Bangkok in order to enjoy the rest of the day. It felt like a regular holiday trip, which was very nice. And tomorrow I'll start with the bad things :'(
I'm not nervous at all, which was nice and also weird, since I expected to be very very nervous this days. But I'm fine, after all. Let's see what happens this weekend.
That's all. Have a nice day you all :D
So exciting! Not to bring you down, but the blah blah blah complications did happen after my surgery, and I was not mentally prepared for it. So be ready for anything, and understand that a healing complication doesn't mean you won't be happy in the end. :)
Hugs, Devlyn
Quote from: Devlyn Marie on October 20, 2017, 12:26:04 PM
So exciting! Not to bring you down, but the blah blah blah complications did happen after my surgery, and I was not mentally prepared for it. So be ready for anything, and understand that a healing complication doesn't mean you won't be happy in the end. :)
Hugs, Devlyn
Yes it could be possible I know that, it's just that it seems so disgusting to me all these "It's not my problem" documents, because perhaps these doctors usually "help us" with our transitioning, they magically disappear when problems come out. It's very bad.
Besides that, I spent the morning doing tourist's things :D But the liquid diet is so hard :'(
And I'm currenly waiting for some effects for the laxative pills (none yet aften 2 hours), and in a couple of minutes the enema
Quote from: LucyTuring on October 21, 2017, 06:42:18 AM
Yes it could be possible I know that, it's just that it seems so disgusting to me all these "It's not my problem" documents, because perhaps these doctors usually "help us" with our transitioning, they magically disappear when problems come out. It's very bad.
You get that with all doctors, and you won't get surgery anywhere without signing such documents. It doesn't necessarily mean they won't take care of you afterwards, and Dr Chett does have quite a good reputation.
Quote from: AnonyMs on October 21, 2017, 07:16:48 AM
You get that with all doctors, and you won't get surgery anywhere without signing such documents. It doesn't necessarily mean they won't take care of you afterwards, and Dr Chett does have quite a good reputation.
Yes I know that all doctors do this, that's why I called them the blahblahblah documents ;D Also yes, Chett was my option because of the positive feedback I got from her patients, I hope that he could do a good job and aftercare
Besides that, I started with the Swiff solution. Tasted very bad I don't know if I could drink that for a second time. It was so bad that my body started to tremble after drink that. Now I hate the taste of the soda I used to mix it, remembers me the horrible Swiff taste. The second time I'll drink it with apple juice.
After a few moments of tremble and cold sensation the magic started in the bathroom. I'm feeling fine now, meeting the WC every 5-10 minutes. I suppose that the rest of the day would be as well so expect this is the last post from me until post-surgery.
Have a nice day :D
Hi Lucy,
Hopefully your surgery went well. I'm on Chet's schedule for tomorrow (SRS + Tracheal shave). I'm also staying in the vertical suite. Let me know if you would like to meet up sometime. I also find it hard to get in contact with other Chet patients, so I thought I might as well register here and ran straight into your post :). Wish you all the best!
Tess
Lucy I hope all went well with your surgery today. Please keep us updated on your progress when you can.
The same goes your you Tess best of luck to you both.
Hugs,
Laurie
Quote from: TessB on October 24, 2017, 02:04:39 AM
Hi Lucy,
Hopefully your surgery went well. I'm on Chet's schedule for tomorrow (SRS + Tracheal shave). I'm also staying in the vertical suite. Let me know if you would like to meet up sometime. I also find it hard to get in contact with other Chet patients, so I thought I might as well register here and ran straight into your post :). Wish you all the best!
Tess
Hi TessB.
I am Laurie. I see that you are new here. So please let me say, Welcome To Susan's Place! Come on in and take a good look around. Perhaps I can even get you to hop on over to the
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Laurie
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Hope you're well Lucy. Looking forward to hearing how the surgery went.
Hi, time to some weekly update (I think it will be weekly). I can say that, besides minor issues that I hope to be fixed soon, everything went fine, no big complications ;D
Day 0 - Op.On the day of the surgery the driver take me to the clinic and I went upstairs on the clinic, where I got naked only with the typical hospital coat and they got me waiting maybe 1.30 - 2 hours with a very cold air >:( It was fine for me to relax, keep away from nervous and rest. Then I went to the operation room (very small and simple, do not expect a five-stars-hospital surgery room). I met the anesthesiologist who asked me to come in the bed in some "cruxifition" position. Then some not important questions, the "bite" of the needle, cold liquid inside my arm and then I fell asleep.
Day 0 - Post Op.When I woke up I can't barely see anything. All blur. Only could hear Chettawut's voice telling me "everything went well" with their always-trying-to-be-kind voice. Since I was telling before surgery to breath strong I did, and by some reason I have the sensation that I did some move, scaried or something, not sure. I sleept again. When I woke up again, I do not had the tube in the throat, so I said "fine, no pain for this part", but that reinforced my idea that I did something by the fear of the moment. After that, just sleep.
After that the next days in the Clinic was only invested in rest and sleep. Almost always dealing with a constant pain from 1 to 3/4 about 10. It was bearable, but very annoying since it was constant. The meals were nice at first (probably because of the no-food diet), but the next days it becomed very bad. The last day I even vomit the kind of chocolate with milk with all the pills (pro-tip: It's not necessary to take all the pills by one. Don't act like a tough woman taking all in one). The nurse removed the blanket but not the bed sheet, they only put a soaker sheet over it so it was a very hard last day with that smell. Quite bad, Chett...
Day 4After this, time to go to the hotel. It was very unconfortable due to all the bandages, even with the donut pillow.
All the times I needed to move from one side to another was unconfortable, I think that don't try to move at all could be a good idea.
So with that in mind, the rest of the days until today was to step in bed, legs-opened (quite unconfortable to sleep, maybe the best way to sleep was in some kind of left tilted position with legs wide opened and a pillow over the knees), and walking a bit when my mother allowed me to do (I felt numb and pain on the left leg so I always needed attention to move from one side to another.
Try to walk a very bit with help every day is fine, but stand alone is difficult so be careful and ask for help.
Day 7 - Vaginal package out Today the bandages went out and now I can move freely yaaaay ;D it's quite a lot of diference. Chett nurses told me that I got 6 inches so it was acceptable.
All the process of removing bandages and package was not painful, just many discomfort. Also with the same time the nurse inserted the ¿dilator? i was not sure, but it was weird and uncomfortable, but no pain at all.
Now I can eat all I want ;D Time to ask for some pizza, burgers... :P
Tomorrow I will start with dilations, let's hope that there were no pain as the last days.
Besides that, I have a little worry. After the surgery I'm feeling my left arm (where the anesthesia and intravenously were) some kind of numb in two fingers. Also some little pain and discomfort came from some spots in the arm. Nurses said it could happen but... I'm a bit worried about what it could be, so i'm trying to move it as much as i can, without any success in reducing numb. It becomes better when I'm stand up. Any idea of what could it be?
I'll try to update this thread weekly. Thank you for asking for my health and see ya!
Quote from: TessB on October 24, 2017, 02:04:39 AM
Hi Lucy,
Hopefully your surgery went well. I'm on Chet's schedule for tomorrow (SRS + Tracheal shave). I'm also staying in the vertical suite. Let me know if you would like to meet up sometime. I also find it hard to get in contact with other Chet patients, so I thought I might as well register here and ran straight into your post :). Wish you all the best!
Tess
Yes, one of the reasons of this posts is to find people who will be on this hotel too.
Unfortunately, I cannot go out the room yet, since I have the catheter, but we could stay in contact some way. Maybe some user may help us to exchange our emails privatelly to stay in contact?
Hope your surgery went well too!
Quote from: LucyTuring on October 30, 2017, 08:45:25 AM
Yes, one of the reasons of this posts is to find people who will be on this hotel too.
Unfortunately, I cannot go out the room yet, since I have the catheter, but we could stay in contact some way. Maybe some user may help us to exchange our emails privatelly to stay in contact?
Hope your surgery went well too!
Hi Lucy,
My surgery was last Wednesday (25 October) and I'm back in the hotel since Sunday. I guess the nurses came to visit me to remove the stiches from my tracheal shave after they removed your packing (around 12:30). My packing will be taken out Wednesday.
My experience was a little different. I recognize the constant pain from the first days, but I was actually fit enough to get through 21 episodes of series while I was in the clinic. Even played some games with my family during visitation hours while being there (we managed to stuff four visitors in the recovery room, I have pictures) and spent some time writing a blog on a Dutch forum. Even the recovery at the hotel has gone suprisingly well. Due to the size of my 'entourage' (we're with five), we had to book two rooms and I'm constantly moving between them. Although most time is of course spent lying down. I figured I could attach my cathether to my bathrobe and I'm currently thinking of ways to hide it when I get to wear normal clothes again.
Just send me a pm on Susans if you want to meet. I suppose Wednesday would be the earliest possibility (I want to ditch the packing first). I don't care to much about hauling around my cathether, so lets just see where this is heading.
Quote from: TessB on October 30, 2017, 09:16:25 AM
Hi Lucy,
My surgery was last Wednesday (25 October) and I'm back in the hotel since Sunday. I guess the nurses came to visit me to remove the stiches from my tracheal shave after they removed your packing (around 12:30). My packing will be taken out Wednesday.
My experience was a little different. I recognize the constant pain from the first days, but I was actually fit enough to get through 21 episodes of series while I was in the clinic. Even played some games with my family during visitation hours while being there (we managed to stuff four visitors in the recovery room, I have pictures) and spent some time writing a blog on a Dutch forum. Even the recovery at the hotel has gone suprisingly well. Due to the size of my 'entourage' (we're with five), we had to book two rooms and I'm constantly moving between them. Although most time is of course spent lying down. I figured I could attach my cathether to my bathrobe and I'm currently thinking of ways to hide it when I get to wear normal clothes again.
Just send me a pm on Susans if you want to meet. I suppose Wednesday would be the earliest possibility (I want to ditch the packing first). I don't care to much about hauling around my cathether, so lets just see where this is heading.
In the clinic I was always with my mobile chatting and I could watch some chapters of a random anime but most of the time sleeping hehe. I like to sleep hehe.
I cannot send a PM to you since we need more than 15 posts to be allowed to it. That's why I asked for some third's help, but well we could manage it anyway.
In the Vertical Suite I'm in the 14th floor, maybe we could made some brief visits from room to room?
Welcome to the other side. Glad your surgery went well.
Quote from: LucyTuring on October 30, 2017, 09:31:56 AM
In the clinic I was always with my mobile chatting and I could watch some chapters of a random anime but most of the time sleeping hehe. I like to sleep hehe.
I cannot send a PM to you since we need more than 15 posts to be allowed to it. That's why I asked for some third's help, but well we could manage it anyway.
In the Vertical Suite I'm in the 14th floor, maybe we could made some brief visits from room to room?
Seriously? We occupy both rooms on the other side of the 14th! You might have ran into my girlfriend today (she looks a little asian). (Slight edit here, skypecall came through:) If you want to say hi, we can try tomorrow afternoon (some time after the nurses have visited). Just knock on both of the doors that are adjacent to each other. There is only one set of doors like that on the floor, but as I said we switch between the two all the time. We're not going anywhere anyway.
Haha yes the nurse yesterday said to me that you were in these rooms.
I think I'll try to visit you after the nurse visits. Today is when they remove your package so it could be very nice to you :D
Also, about my process, I have noticed since the day of surgery that I have sometimes a loss of balance, meaning that sometimes I was about to fall on the floor when walking, waking up or dressing. I wonder if anyone might have similar issues because it's a bit annoying. And obviously, the nurse will say that "this is normal" (they ALWAYS say that when you feel or have some worry or issue about anything)
See ya!
I'm a couple of hours away from the both of you (I live here). I don't know Bangkok too well but if you are in desperate need of something just let me know.
Quote from: LucyTuring on November 01, 2017, 12:34:36 AM
Haha yes the nurse yesterday said to me that you were in these rooms.
I think I'll try to visit you after the nurse visits. Today is when they remove your package so it could be very nice to you :D
Also, about my process, I have noticed since the day of surgery that I have sometimes a loss of balance, meaning that sometimes I was about to fall on the floor when walking, waking up or dressing. I wonder if anyone might have similar issues because it's a bit annoying. And obviously, the nurse will say that "this is normal" (they ALWAYS say that when you feel or have some worry or issue about anything)
See ya!
I'll give a signal after I got a shower (I sooooo long for a shower). Still waiting for the nurses. They are late today. I think they visit you first.
Quote from: TessB on November 01, 2017, 01:20:57 AM
I'll give a signal after I got a shower (I sooooo long for a shower). Still waiting for the nurses. They are late today. I think they visit you first.
All done! I am currently in the left room. Feel free to drop by :).
Well, time to some updates.
From day 7 to day 12 I was trying to keep the most time possible in bed, resting. The catether is uncomfy sometimes but it's bareable.
Day 8 - First dilation
Well, the annoying part of all of this process, I think. Nurses came on the morning and show me how to dilate. I started with no. 0 and was 30 min with it. I can think that the first time dilating is extremely annoying, and also the nurse reaching the full depth (6 inches) was even a bit painful. The 30 min wasn't a problem, I had the laptop and watched an anime chapter. Moving when you're dilating (specially first times) seems like a problem, so ensure you have everything you need near you, and in a comfy way to reach it (laptop was near but difficult to use it with one hand).
After that, the next days I learnt how to dilate by myself. It's a bit painful to reach full depth but I think I will end getting used to it.
Day 12 - Urine bag out
That day, only one nurse came to remove the catether and urine bag. She said me to relax and not to tense muscles (they said this many times actually). It was like a burn sensation when the catether were being removing. Some itching remained like an hour or so. After that, nurse went out and I WAS FREEEEEEEEEEE.
The funny part of this day was when I tried to pee. I spent like 15 minutes wondering how to do, because the nurse only said to me to "relax and drink water". It took me some time to learn how to open the pipes ;D But it seems that you eventually find the way to do it. Now with all this freedom everything is much better ;D
When catether went out I could focus more in sensation and feeling of the new physiology. It certainly exists some sensation like you're tucking 24/7, it an interesting feeling. Also I try not to touch anything just in case, but everything seems too sensitive and swollen for the moment.
Day 15 - Starting with no.1
Well, after getting some skill dealing with no.0, I had to start with no.1. Since the nurses no longer helps you with dilation (only the first 4 days), it is a new experience that I must manage by myself.
After 40 minutes dilation with no.0, I started with no.1... Damn, so much annoying. Painful at the beginning and in the end (nothing special, maybe 3/10), but well it is possible to do it without an herculean effort. Reaching full depth seems impossible with this dilator (It get stuck at 5 1/2 inches), which nurses says it's normal the first times.
Besides that, starting to walk around the hotel was very nice after catether went out, helps a lot. But I'm becoming bored only walking inside the hotel and chatting with other girls (oh and I finally met TessB btw). I hope that after the Chett's last visit I could walk around the malls because I need some fresh air.
Emotionally, I have passed a phase of such a strong emotional charge the first days, maybe overwhelmed with all these new things, some little problems that become enormous... As days go by, this sensation has been diluting and replaced by just boredom and tiredness (I'm sleepeing a lot). I'm not as social as other girls of the hotel so chatting is not always an option for me to deal with boredom. At least I have my videogames ;D
Sorry if I'm not giving a detailed post about feeling and sensation but at the moment I can't explain much more than this. Maybe the next time!
Oh yeah my vagina remembered me one thing.
It's very common for me to feel some pain in short intervals like little jabs. The location of those jabs seems to be random. It last like 1 or 2 seconds and it disappears. Some days I have it like every 30 minutes or so, and other days I don't have any at all. It's not unbearable anyway, very manageable. Also I'm actually not having any painkiller at all (only at special times where pain intervals becomes shorter, 3 times in a week at the moment), so it's easy to take a pill and forget about it if it becomes annoying.
Quote from: LucyTuring on November 08, 2017, 07:37:33 AM
Oh yeah my vagina remembered me one thing.
It's very common for me to feel some pain in short intervals like little jabs. The location of those jabs seems to be random. It last like 1 or 2 seconds and it disappears. Some days I have it like every 30 minutes or so, and other days I don't have any at all. It's not unbearable anyway, very manageable. Also I'm actually not having any painkiller at all (only at special times where pain intervals becomes shorter, 3 times in a week at the moment), so it's easy to take a pill and forget about it if it becomes annoying.
I wanted to asked you about this at breakfast, but I forgot ;D. I can totally relate to this, although I just try to lay on the bed with my legs spread to ease the discomfort. #Post-opProblems.
Nerves reconnecting. Get used to it because it can go on for up to a year after surgery. People describe them as pin pricks but I though they felt more like an itch in a place that wasn't there any more.
Hi Lucy and Tess,
thanks for all the updates. I'm so glad to see both of you are doing well so far. My day is about one month away from now. So unfortunately, I cannot meet you in person. Just want to bring my best wishes to both of you. And I wish I can be as lucky as you are after the surgery.
Julia
Hello all, thank you for your messages.
As a quickly update for my adventure, dilations have become less disturbing (both no. 1 and no. 0) and the only thing that becomes an annoyance is the long time that I need to do dilations daily. I'm very bored and I'm counting the days to go back to home.
All the swelling have decreased, so now it has a better appearance, but still has a bit swelling. Also I noticed that I have hair in the vagina (in the vaginal entrance), perhaps I have done several laser sessions. I hope they dissapear when time goes by.
I notice than some surgeon advice their patients to not to have "dirty thoughts", and I have some dirty dreams than actually woke me up because of the very weird sensation, I cannot explain the feelings I had but it were weird. Nurses said that everthing is ok so I believe them :)
Thank you all, bye!