This trip was something I had been looking forward to ever since the appointment was scheduled for something I have need dealing with all my life. I can't say would ever recommend doing it by bus and I wouldn't recommend it. Regardless of that experience when I go for the procedure next year is by plane all the way. The trip to the Phoenix area took around 43 hours. Slightly longer than planned because the driver didn't know how to get to the station once we made it took Phoenix. The worst part of it other than the long periods of time on a bus and the 5 hour plus layover in Portland was the bathroom on the bus. Nothing worse than having to sit on toilet that guys haven't had the self respect to put the lid up use and put the seat back down. Instead getting the seat and everything else covered. Considering the amount of liquid I drink and being stuck on a bus well you can imagine I couldn't avoid using it. Between hovering over it on some of the buses and alcohol wipes to sanitize the seat helped deal with it once the bathroom became disgusting.
Which brings me to the next thing I won't do again either. Going to the zoo without going to the hotel first. I had decided before leaving that if I made it so I was more mobile that I could go to the zoo first. In theory a great idea, but in practice not so much. I would have stayed at the zoo longer but a heavy backpack gets tiring after awhile especially for your my sore shoulders. I enjoyed being able to take my mom and brother to the zoo. As some may recall Arizona is one of the states that tried to pass a bathroom bill. I should have taken a picture of the stupid sign outside the main bathrooms at the zoo, but I didn't since I really didn't want to draw unwanted attention to myself. Which brings me to what happened shortly after eating lunch. My mom likes having her hair cut super short and in fact so short some wouldn't know she is a woman. The fact she is in a wheelchair among a few things results in things not being defined as much. The result was when I went to take her to the family restroom which I chose to do because often I can pivot transfer in those bathrooms with her where as in a regular stall you often have walk her a short distance. I could over hear them telling the persons that wanted to used it next that they male was in using it. My first assumption was that I had been read, but in fact I hadn't. My mom had been read as a male. This fact hadn't dawned on me, not that it really mattered, tell the other day when I was on the buses where I live without her which isn't normally the case. One person who has seen us many times asked where my father that I normally bring with me was at. I had to kindly correct them and that person wasn't the only one who had made that same assumption about her and brought it up that day. The combination of my shoulders getting really sore and the fact it was getting late resulted in us not spending as much time at the zoo as I would have liked. At one point I wasn't going to go see one of the animals and then changed my mind. To be honest, I'm glad I did. I have never seen an exhibit done this way for them, but they seemed completely at home in it.
Now the day of the consul I had to get up early thanks to needing to deal with something in regards to my mom and getting ready for my appointment with Dr. Meltzer. The plan was for me to travel by local bus to get there. Great plan in theory, but yet again issues occurred. The bus on the street that his office is on broke down more than once. As a result I had to call and say I was going to be a few minutes late which they had no issue with. I got to the building and then remembered that I didn't take the time to remember which suite they were in and as a result had to call them and ask for directions. This was the first office I have been to that I recall having to have them unlock the door for you to get in, but someone happened be going out as I was coming in so they didn't have to buzz me in. I waited probably about half an hour before being taken back and seen by the nurse who asked some questions and went over my medical history. Then a short time later met with Meltzer and he eventually examined the area and confirmed what I already knew to be the case. The penis is to small, but luckily enough skin is on the scrotum that we shouldn't need donor skin from anywhere else on my body which was a relief to me because I had assumed all along that donor skin would be needed in my case.
As much as I wanted to go eat at different places and do different things I just didn't have the time and was worn out from that long trip. We were suppose to end up on a bus at 1:40am in the morning to return home. The bus was first late coming from El Paso and then when he arrived he didn't load us first which was supposed to happen due to her wheelchair. So by the time he got to us he was trying to force her to have to walk. He didn't like my response and my brother who raised his voice so he refused and we had to be scheduled for another bus. Now the fact I hadn't slept in over 24 hours coupled with the stress of dealing with what just happened along with keeping them in check resulted my having a seizure shortly after 6am in the morning. I hadn't a seizure in over 2 and half years at that point. So much to the point that he was ready to start the removal of the seizure medication, but was willing to wait tell after SRS per my request. Needless to say I won't be off of it that quickly, if ever. The paramedics were called and I was awake before they arrived. I was able to answer their questions despite getting the day of the week wrong. I said Friday instead of Thursday. Anyway I trip wasn't warranted since we knew the cause and the fact I'm already being treated for seizures. Which reminds me of another point. I let the cat out of the bag with the manager who was on when the bus situation occurred. She was right shaving the hairs you basically can't see on my face in the woman's bathroom was a non issue. No cared one bit and for that matter I had done the same on the buses and no one really payed any attention. I was concerned about both and it wasn't a problem which was a pleasant relief. Now the trip back wasn't to bad except for one moment and that occurred probably about an hour away from Portland, Oregon. There was a gentleman that had went and used the bathroom and on his way back decided my hair was something to touch and massage. I don't know what he was thinking over if it was purely and accident. Frankly, I don't care either way. When we arrived in Portland, the next bus was willing to load us early, but asked if we wanted to use the station. I had explain both the seizure on Thursday and what happened and since my mom didn't need to use the bathroom we opted to get on the bus. Now since we had to go into the bus terminal to do so I had to pass the guy who played with my hair. I made parting comment in his direction in regards to it and he didn't say a word. Other than being stuck for about 4 hours a truck stop for the final bus everything else went off fine. Anyway and that is it.
Mariah
