Jay, so your OB/GYN didn't know you were taking t?  You must of had a valid medical need for the procedure. Were you asked if you wanted to keep your ovaries?  Great your insurance covered the surgery.

My experience was like Jay's. No catheter, (removed before I woke I'm told) no gauze or packing of any kind. Light spotting for a few days after and that was it.

Interesting, I hope my experience is similar too Jay/KAT! I guess it depends on if I end up getting the laproscopic or not.

It may depend on the surgeon/institute practices also. I had what is basically a laparoscopic procedure and had both a catheter and packing. Maybe give them a call and ask if you want to be sure which way your surgeon will do it?

I plan to ask when I go to my post-op check next week. Giving the surgeon a call isn't really a thing when you're with the NHS =P I only have an appointment line. All the replies have been helpful, I'm no less nervous but at least I know what sort of questions I need to ask now. I have a feeling though most of the replies will probably be "it depends" 😛

My down-there doctor says he does full laparoscopic, so at least I won't have to have a stranger poking around in that area. I'm shooting for December 2015, but I have been worried about logistics lately. I need a private room, for one thing. And I'm wondering how long before I can lift anything. I will have to farm my cats out while I'm in the hospital, and I will need to lift their carriers when I take them back home again.

If I can get the kennel people to lift the carriers into the car, I suppose I can lock the driveway gate and sort of herd the cats into the back yard.

Oh, well, I have more than a year to think about this.

Congrats, Jeatyn. I have the heebies about hysto, too, but I didn't have significant issues when it came to top surgery. I think it's because top surgery made a visible difference in my being read right, but hysto is private and just for me. However, that's just a theory of mine.

Quote from: Arch on September 13, 2014, 03:08:26 AM
My down-there doctor says he does full laparoscopic, so at least I won't have to have a stranger poking around in that area. I'm shooting for December 2015, but I have been worried about logistics lately. I need a private room, for one thing. And I'm wondering how long before I can lift anything. I will have to farm my cats out while I'm in the hospital, and I will need to lift their carriers when I take them back home again.

If I can get the kennel people to lift the carriers into the car, I suppose I can lock the driveway gate and sort of herd the cats into the back yard.

Oh, well, I have more than a year to think about this.

Congrats, Jeatyn. I have the heebies about hysto, too, but I didn't have significant issues when it came to top surgery. I think it's because top surgery made a visible difference in my being read right, but hysto is private and just for me. However, that's just a theory of mine.

Yeah I feel the same way, there's no instant visible result to look forward to that overshadows the nerves. Luckily I have my partner and sister to help out with anything I need when I'm at home - it's just the hospital part I'm not looking forward to.

I worry about the hospital experience, too. I don't want any unexpected surprises--when I'm already under pressure, I do not respond well to "unpleasantries."

I'm getting a jump on one right now. I recently signed up for an online feature of my main medical center--they post records, test results, stuff like that--and noticed that my official record still has my old name listed as a "preferred name." First of all, the name isn't even correct--I have never gone by that name. Second, it's not a preferred name. Third, I haven't used my birth name in nearly twenty years.

I asked the doc to look into taking that off my record, but he will probably refer me to the records department. It recently centralized so that getting hold of a live human being is nearly impossible. My GP probably would have taken care of this instantly, but he doesn't practice there anymore. But by hook or by crook, I'm having that name expunged from my records.

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack. Just commiserate.

That's so crazy that they have that there after all this time. My birth certificate is the last remaining evidence of my old name.

I'm the same way with unexpected surprises too, I like everything to be planned out in advance. My anxiety has gotten way waaaay better over the years but this sort of thing brings a lot of it back 

As it turns out, 90% of my worries have been all for nothing - it was requested I be put on a male ward in a generic recovery area. The nursing staff decided having me in a private room on the gyno ward (which by nature is female) would make more sense. I'm 100% ok with this, private room, thank god for that. *huge sigh of relief*

I had to give a urine sample and there were massive signs plastered everywhere saying "these toilets are for female patients only" and the nurse said "ignore those, we'll make an exception for you" 😀 hopefully this is a good sign for things to come and I won't have to constantly explain my situation.

The nurse I saw recommended I take 6 weeks off uni (she actually implied I shouldn't go at all, she assumed at first I hadn't applied yet, not that I'd be going into my final year) ... she gave me a sort of chart that has the number of weeks on it and the types of activities I can and can't do. It's way more cautious than I planed on being which worries me. I simply can't take 6 weeks off Uni, I will fail. I was thinking more like 2 weeks, and then going in and seeing how I felt. I refuse to go back if I'm still bleeding even slightly, not happening. I figured I would be good after 2 weeks.

Quote from: mm on September 11, 2014, 06:12:13 PM
Jay, so your OB/GYN didn't know you were taking t?  You must of had a valid medical need for the procedure. Were you asked if you wanted to keep your ovaries?  Great your insurance covered the surgery.

No, my OB did NOT know I was on T.  I discussed things with my endo and he recommended 2 days off prior and 2 days off after (I'm on daily gel).  And I did ask him to remove everything, ovaries and all, and then had to endure 3 lectures on female hormone replacement therapy.  I finally told him I had an endo and that was covered.  Insurance covered it and yes I did have a valid medical reason: fibroids and nasty periods. (nasty as in way TMI for this forum because y'all don't want to hear the gory details, LOL)

This was my first surgery in my transition process.  Usually I'm not one for surgery but actually I loathed those parts and getting rid of them was life changing.  I'd hated them since I first learned they existed, and the joy I felt when I woke up knowing they were gone was indescribable.  More joy than after top surgery, more joy than after lower surgery.  Weird but true.

sneakersjay, I can understand your joy in being rid of all those parts.  I have my shark week now and would sure like to be rid of mine.  I have never understood why girls go through this every month.  I am on 23 and don't have enough of a medical reason for surgery now.  I hope to find a trans friendly surgeon when I have the money in a couple of years.

Quote from: mm on September 17, 2014, 01:33:47 PM
sneakersjay, I can understand your joy in being rid of all those parts.  I have my shark week now and would sure like to be rid of mine.  I have never understood why girls go through this every month.  I am on 23 and don't have enough of a medical reason for surgery now.  I hope to find a trans friendly surgeon when I have the money in a couple of years.

Many surgeons won't mind to do it as long as you have the letters ready, not that they care about the letters, just for them to avoid the liability.
Also when you start T, it is nice to keep a good relationship with your prescriber, because they can contact the surgeons directly and be an advocate for you. That was how I got my hysto.

Quote from: sneakersjay on September 17, 2014, 01:08:47 PM
No, my OB did NOT know I was on T.  I discussed things with my endo and he recommended 2 days off prior and 2 days off after (I'm on daily gel).  And I did ask him to remove everything, ovaries and all, and then had to endure 3 lectures on female hormone replacement therapy.  I finally told him I had an endo and that was covered.  Insurance covered it and yes I did have a valid medical reason: fibroids and nasty periods. (nasty as in way TMI for this forum because y'all don't want to hear the gory details, LOL)

By everything, do you mean uterus, ovaries and falopian tubes?

Everything went well and everything I was worried about didn't happen. I got released 20 hours after surgery and was asleep for most of that. The catheter was taken out while I was still under and I have no padding. I'm not even bleeding. ^_^ Hopefully the rest of recovery is just as uneventful and I'll be back to Uni in no time.

Lol, I was going to post about how a catheter is unpleasant when put in wrong and feels like nothing when done right (I had one inserted 3 times in my lifetime), but looks like things are already over and done with! Congrats Jeatyn. 

Fantastic! I'm glad to hear that it went so well!