Quote from: anjaq on June 22, 2016, 05:27:33 AM
260 Hz is rather high indeed. Pre-OP it definitely is too high, post OP it depends on how the surgery turned out. One risk at aiming at such a high pitch is probably a bigger loss in volume and voice power compared to lets say 200 Hz. Especially if you elevate your relaxed pitch to reach that high pitch, meaning there is a restriction and tension that causes the voice to be that high, and this also causes a loss in volume and flexibility. I would always try to stay as close to the relaxed pitch as possible without being misgendered

Dear AnjaQ

Thank you for your Feedback. I agree with you, but exactly there is aslso my problem and the reason why I decided to undergo a VFS... I can put as many efforts in my voice as I want, but I get so often missgendered...  Especialy on phone.

Well I hope the VFS gives me the possibility to get higher pitches with less efforts, so that I can focus more on timbre, resonance and melody.

I know, that there is a loooot of work also after VFS, but I hope it will be better after VFS.

Cheers and take care
Danielle

Yes, I had a listen and your current voice is definitely far too high.   You'll be able to just relax and have a reasonable pitch that sounds much more natural after the surgery.  It is easier to control resonance when you aren't trying to hard to keep the pitch, too, I believe.

Quote from: Denjin on June 22, 2016, 04:57:57 PM
Yes, I had a listen and your current voice is definitely far too high.   You'll be able to just relax and have a reasonable pitch that sounds much more natural after the surgery.  It is easier to control resonance when you aren't trying to hard to keep the pitch, too, I believe.

Dear Denjin

Thank you very much for your feedback. I guess I try to reach so high pith, because I get missgendered all the times on phone, whatever I do.

Well... I'm so curious aout the VFS and the possibilites post op...

Take care
Danielle

Hi together

Soooo... Today I have started to pack my luggage... And I'm getting more nervous than before the GRS. Well, before the GRS I was to my suprise very very calm...  Now before the VFS I'm also confident, that the surgery will be fine at the end, but I'm nervous... 

Will keep this thread updated....

Take care...
Danielle

Have a nice trip. I hope you have a good flight that does not take forever. I remember we have been travelling about 20 hours or so from door to door, we were soooo tired when we arrived at the room in Seoul. I hope you have planned a day or two as a buffer before the surgery to recover from the travel exhaustion?

Quote from: anjaq on July 02, 2016, 10:29:52 AM
Have a nice trip. I hope you have a good flight that does not take forever. I remember we have been travelling about 20 hours or so from door to door, we were soooo tired when we arrived at the room in Seoul. I hope you have planned a day or two as a buffer before the surgery to recover from the travel exhaustion?

Dear Aniaq

Thank you very much for your wishes... 

Yes we should have enough time to relax and "arrive" in Seoul before consulatation (7th July) and the surgery (8th July)... I know that from the GRS in Thailand. I was so happy to haave some spare days before surgery. On the other hand I was happy, that the day of surgery arrived and "this" would be corrected... Thanks for the hint anyway.

I have also allready prepared some small cards with "default" sentences written on it and as well with important addresses written in english and korean as well... 

And... *Tadaaaa* the weather is... Hmmm... Well it's raining and it will have heavy thunderstorms all, the days and it's hot and the humidity will be like in a washroom... However (except for being in the rain an my clothes are getting wet) I love thunderstorms.

Do you know if it is easy to get a taxi on the street, or would it be better to call one by phone and wait until it will arrive (if that is possible in Seoul)?

Take care... 
Danielle

You will get a great package of cards with sentences in englisch and korean from Yeson. They also include Jessis number to call if something is problematic.

What you may want to get is some apps for the smartphone. I used "Swype" as a faster keyboard to type really fast and I used an app called "Speech assistant" which allows you to type in some words and hit a button and it will show in the largest font possible on the screen to show other peope. another button will read that sentence with text to speech. It was massively helpful. But get a good update on the text to speech engine or you sound like a robot

Taxis are not needed in Seoul usually. They usually get stuck in traffic a lot and the subway is faster and cheaper. If you are lazy you can take a taxi from the airport, but it is expensive, the bus and train are cheaper. The other occasion to take a taxi is right after the surgery, I foound the thought of getting on the subway with anaesthesia still wearing off not the best idea. But on all other occasions: take the subway - its everywhere, trains go every 5 minutes usually and its clean and safe. If you want to take a taxi anyways, there are always a lot of them on the streets, its easy to stop one.

Definitely use the subway - cheap and easy   I took a taxi just one time when I wasn't feeling well, but that's it. 

Quote from: DanielleBasel on July 02, 2016, 09:05:54 AM
Hi together

Soooo... Today I have started to pack my luggage... And I'm getting more nervous than before the GRS. Well, before the GRS I was to my suprise very very calm...  Now before the VFS I'm also confident, that the surgery will be fine at the end, but I'm nervous... 

Will keep this thread updated....

Take care...
Danielle

Bon voyage Danielle!

It's normal to be nervous and excited but don't worry you're in good hands and everything is going to be alright

Sorry I've got no tips to give about Seoul...

Brenda

Quote from: anjaq on July 02, 2016, 01:30:18 PM
The other occasion to take a taxi is right after the surgery, I foound the thought of getting on the subway with anaesthesia still wearing off not the best idea.

Sorry but I'm a bit confused and wondering, do you actually get discharged from the clinic/hospital right after the surgery?

Quote from: bmiranda on July 02, 2016, 03:15:00 PM
Bon voyage Danielle!

It's normal to be nervous and excited but don't worry you're in good hands and everything is going to be alright

Sorry I've got no tips to give about Seoul...

Brenda

Sorry but I'm a bit confused and wondering, do you actually get discharged from the clinic/hospital right after the surgery?

Dear Brenda

Thanks a lot for your wishes! Yeah, you're right. Everything will be fine...

And yes... As far as I know are patients discharged at the same day in the evening.

Take care

Quote from: Denjin on July 02, 2016, 02:30:13 PM
Definitely use the subway - cheap and easy   I took a taxi just one time when I wasn't feeling well, but that's it.

Dear Denjin

Thank you very much! Seems to be a no brainer in this case... 

Take care... 
Danielle

Quote from: DanielleBasel on July 02, 2016, 03:27:19 PM
Dear Brenda

Thanks a lot for your wishes! Yeah, you're right. Everything will be fine...

You are very welcome sweetie!

Quote from: DanielleBasel
And yes... As far as I know are patients discharged at the same day in the evening.

Take care

OMG! This is just my personal opinion and no intention to say something bad but for the price you pay at Yeson, couldn't they afford to keep you at least a night in their clinic/hospital to receive proper post cares?

Just my personal opinion though...
Brenda

Yeson does not have an overnight clinic. Its just a day clinic, they are closed overnight. But its not an issue at all. The surgery is just an hour, there is little pain afterwards, some patients took the subway to the hotel or they just walk a few meters to Yesons recommended hotel. I took the taxi because Iw as feeling still very tired, but I was doing good that night and the next day was almost no pain already. Its actually a tiny surgery site and a short surgery, but its high precision surgery. One could argue that a one hour surgery of a size of 5 mm should not cost $7500, but thats how it is - you pay for the experience and skill, not for the time. I would have wished to stay in the room for 2 hours longer though, I admit. Not overnight though, there is no reason - one does not have a catheter or drip anymore at that time. One can eat normal food (although ice cream as the best). The only thing I really missed about the hotel room was a air humidifier, I recommend everyone to get one for the hotel room.

Right now I"m sitting in the Yeson Voice Center and wait for the results of all the test we have made. Dr. Kim seems to be very very friendly and like expected highly competent. Jessie is also very friendly but so busy with all the customrs around.

I will Update you later... 

Good luck for the surgery tomorrow! It will start when we are all asleep here

Quote from: anjaq on July 07, 2016, 04:09:26 AM
Good luck for the surgery tomorrow! It will start when we are all asleep here

Dear Anjaq

Thank you very much for your wishes! Yes Surgery will start around midnight middle european time...

During that Consultation a lot of examination has being done. First I had to fill out a lot of paperwork with questions about my voice and how my voice is handycapping me. Then Jessie and I where gone to make an x-ray in a small radiological institute, which is in opposite of the Yeson Voice Center. This took around 15 minutes in total to be back in the Clinic. There we had to wait until we had the first oart of our consultation with Dr. Kim. He asked me a lot of questions and asked me to speak in different ways. The most of the part I had to speak in my untrained voice, which was so uncommen and ashaming for me, because I ,,hate" my untrained voice... Don,t get me wrong... Before my comming out I got sometimes compliments from others, that I have a very pleasant and "sexy" voice... But my voice is like other parts from my maleish hody... Ugly maleish! How ever...

After that some ECG and blood tests where done.

Then some exrensive voicerecordings and voiceexaminations where done...

Then the second part of the consultation with Dr. Kim has taken place. He explained me in detail every aspect of my voiceexaminations. And he explained me what he can do for me and how this could be acheived.

The testresults where like expected. I have also a tremor which indicates botox like for most other patients I have read here. The F0 is like meassured with Praat around 135 Hz. What was also noticable is, that I use a lot more airpreassure than normal... Both could be fixed... Now countiing the last hours with my T damaged voice...

Will update as soon as I have news...

Soooo... I,m right now in the Yseon Voice Center again and the surgery is done...

Currently I'm in my room and I got some icecream.... Yeah. I never knew, that icecream is that delicious... 

Still feel a little bit dizzy because of the anesthesia, but it's getting better and better.

Will update as soon s there are some news.

Take care all... 
Danielle

Congratulations - Anaesthesia is a bit tough - I took a taxi afterwards to get home without the subway. and bought some more icecream at the store below Phil House - luckily the room had a freezer to store it, so I had icecream twice a day for the first days - - also Aloe Drink is reeeealy good for the throat when it is still sore. The pain went away after a day or two, then you can go sightseeing - always carry bottled water with you when doing that - no worries about having to pee because of drinking all the time, Seoul has plenty of good public restrooms actually. Have fun.

Congrats, Danielle.  Now the waiting begins!   I hate anesthesia... I could feel it deep in my lungs for hours.

The aloe drinks are amazing - I always had some in the fridge for my entire trip.

Edit: Doh, I typed the wrong name, sorry!

Quote from: anjaq on July 08, 2016, 02:55:52 AM
Congratulations - Anaesthesia is a bit tough - I took a taxi afterwards to get home without the subway. and bought some more icecream at the store below Phil House - luckily the room had a freezer to store it, so I had icecream twice a day for the first days - - also Aloe Drink is reeeealy good for the throat when it is still sore. The pain went away after a day or two, then you can go sightseeing - always carry bottled water with you when doing that - no worries about having to pee because of drinking all the time, Seoul has plenty of good public restrooms actually. Have fun.

Dear Anjaq

Thank you for words... Yes... Anesthesia was very good but I still slept a quarter hour sfter I was brought to my room. The sleepeness was getting less and less until 17:00 where I had my first post op check with Dr. Kim. He checked the surgery site again and he explained in details all the details while he examined my vocal folds. He was satisfied with the result. I asked for a place where Incan rent an air humidifier and the geve me one with me, which I have to bring back before the last check up. The whole team was so friendly and very professional. I felt very secure and in good hands all the time. For example I said in a pre op consultation, that I may be allergic to peniciline, but that's not for sure. And so they made a test with me 1.5 hours before the surgery with one antibiotic they will use to be sure that I will not show an allergic reaction. They inject one drop of that antibiotic subcutanous in my arm and marked the place of injection with a circle and the injection time. And before the surgery they checked that again verify the result.

After the checkup with Dr. Kim at 17:00 I got green lights to go home. And so my lovely wife and I have packed all the stuff in my room. Before we left Jessie gave me the medicine which Inhave to take from tomorrow on for the next vew days. All very well explained.

We had 33 degrees celcius in Seoul yesterday, but it was so beautyfull, that I wanted to walk home the 4 kilometers to my AirBnB appartment. It was a nice walk along the hand river in the shadow of trees which are along that street. I still felt a little mit weak,mbut ok enough for walking slowly. But in the appartment I took the elevator instead of the stairs, which Inhave use mormally to the 13th floor...

There was no real pain. But it was a discomfort like a inflamed throat. And I felt and still feel a little thumbness in my toungue because of the fixation which was used during surgery... 

But the rest is fine. The discomfort in my throat is more or less gone after the first night. I still can feel it but nothing to mention about.

So time of silence has begun and this will be the hardest hurdle at the moment I guess... And I can imagine that the the next hurdle after silence will be to be patient with the voice exercises to find my female voice pattern with my "new" vocal follds...

So... Today we have no plans, but we got a lot of interesting addresses and places from the AirBnB hosts, which are so friendly. So I guess we'll go and buy some Aloe Drinks and go out sight seeing...

Take care all and I'll keep you updated how my silent time works... 
Danielle