Hello everyone, my name is Serena and I just signed up on this site. I am 28 years old and live in San Diego, CA. I am having GRS with Dr Ley this Friday! I am so excited. I decided to post after reading several peoples experiences with Dr Ley notably Kendra's, whose thread I read in its entirety. A close friend had surgery with her last year and her amazing experience and results prompted me to have my GRS with her as well.  This has been a long road an I am so looking forward to the relief of having this all behind me, although I know there is a long road of recovery ahead of me. But I am so blessed to have the amazing support of my boyfriend and my family. I feel strangely peaceful about what's ahead. I started transitioning about 8 years ago. As I mentioned I am new to this site so I'm sure it will take me a bit to understand how it all works. (How do  you upload pictures to your profile and to a thread?)  I will be sure to continue posting as surgery approaches (3 more days!) and afterwards during recovery at the hospital. Look forward to hearing from you:-)
xo Serena

Congrats and welcome to Susan's. Certain features get unlocked at 15 posts. Dr. Meltzer did my surgery in 2016. Good luck. Hugs
Mariah

Hello Serena,  Thank you posting your first thread here and for joining Susan's Place...  I see that you are new here and may have questions and concerns, this is the right place for you to be to find out what others have done that may have been in your circumstances. 
Be aware that there are lots of members here that can identify with the issues that you brought up in your introduction posting. 

WELCOME to Susan's Place.  You will find this a safe and friendly place to share with others about your transition and to read about others transitions and their trials, tribulations, and successes in their transition journey. 
It is nice that you have signed up so you can share with others and involve yourself with some give and take with other members.
When frustrated or if you have a successful moment in your journey you can share it here if you wish and receive support from others and offer support to others. ....

***It's a very good chance that you might find that you will make some new friends here. 

Please come in and get involved at your own pace.  Be sure to look at the Links that I posted below, there is information about the site that will help you navigate around and best utilize the features here.
Again, Welcome.
Danielle


Here are some links to the site rules and stuff that all new members should be familiar with:

Site Terms of Service & Rules to Live By	Standard Terms & Definitions	Post Ranks (including when you can upload an avatar)	Cautionary Note
Reputation rules	News posting & quoting guidelines	Photo, avatars, & signature images policy	Membership Agreement

Oh, and another thing Serena, please be certain to look over the important and informative LINKS that I posted at the end of my welcome message to you...   there you will find how to best utilize the Susan's Place site and the Forums.

****IMPORTANT:  So that many of the members will know that you are a new member here, and  therefore you will receive more give and take ... and sharing experiences,
please stop by the Introductions Forum to tell the members here about yourself!

Again, Welcome to Susan's Place!  Thanks for joining.
Danielle

Welcome to Susan's Place. I have been to the hospital to visit several site members (I am local) and the hospital should have just about everything you might need. If you need or want something, just ask the staff. They work closely with the doctors and can adjust your medication or simply provide you with a snack even when it's not meal time. For years they have 5 to 6 transgender patients each week so you'll be in good hands. If I can help, just let me know.

Both Dena and I are local, although I wasn't when I had the surgery. I have also visited several up there too now. Dena is right just ask them about whatever you need and they will do what they can assist. Hugs
Mariah

Quote from: Dena on April 24, 2018, 07:12:22 PM
Welcome to Susan's Place. I have been to the hospital to visit several site members (I am local) and the hospital should have just about everything you might need. If you need or want something, just ask the staff. They work closely with the doctors and can adjust your medication or simply provide you with a snack even when it's not meal time. For years they have 5 to 6 transgender patients each week so you'll be in good hands. If I can help, just let me know.

I'm thinking of her to do my orchiectomy. You will have to give updates of how the surgery goes.

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Dr. Ley did my GCS back in January. She and the staff are amazing. The hospital can get a little boring on day 3 of recovery you can check out for three hours at a time. I recommend it getting in a car walking etc will help with the recovery and getting back to normal activities. If you are an Omnivore I suggest Rehab Burgers across from the Hospital, they were AMAZING. Wifi at the hospital was ok could stream movies. I will be back for stage 2 in December, postponed due to a crazy amount of work coming in and no need to pass on money.
Take care
-M

Thank you so much Dena and Mariah and everyone for being so welcoming! My boyfriend are driving to Scottsdale now. It's beautiful and i can't believe it's already 90degrees! Last night I was very restless. I have never packed to go stay in a hospital so I felt scatterbrained and overwhelmed. I had no idea what to bring so I just brought lots of comfy clothes and skincare and books.  Little to no dysphoria yesterday and today which is amazing since I've been feeling it so much since my last estradiol injection was now a month ago. More than anything I feel overwhelmed with happiness and gratitude. I'm so grateful to get this surgery and for the amazing support of my boyfriend and family and friends as I go on this next phase of my journey. Also happy to have this support on this site that I never knew was there. Looking forward to checking in and penning my thoughts. Have an amazing day everyone.

Serena, best wishes for tomorrow!  I am excited for you and wish I could be there.

You are about to experience:
- Waking up and realizing this isn't just a dream.  My first thoughts were how I have never felt so free, and this thought has not diminished at all in the past 3 months.
- So many simple things we didn't give much thought to are suddenly the best ever.
- Amazing care from the team in Scottsdale, and your boyfriend, and your family.  And we care.
- Later next week when you are okayed to resume estradiol, the mental and physical benefits are more pure because that part of your body is no longer diluting it.

You future starts tomorrow. 

Kendra

Kendra, that was the sweetest and best message to receive right now! I just read it aloud to my boyfriend. Thanks for the well wishes! I'll try to stay updated with my experience as I really enjoyed reading yours. Hugs

The warm temperatures are going to be around for a bit. It's fantastic your boyfriend will be there with you. My fiancé, now spouse. Was up there for as often as they could be do to work. It truly will help you having them there to share in this experience with you.  Hugs
Mariah


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Today is finally coming to an end. I do t even really know what to say. So lucky to have my boyfriend taking care of me. I actually really enjoyed the drive as we listened to music and reflected. We arrived at our hotel, the Marriott by Greenbaum, freshened up and went to my pre-op. I was happy to be in the familiar space, and the staff is very friendly. I had many questions in a list in my head and even wrote them down in a note on my phone. Dr Ley had thought she may need to take a graft from my hip when I had my consultation but the potential scar couldn't have been farther from my mind. I was starving and exceedingly grumpy. The appointment went well and I got the goodie bag and lots of instructions, including the mind boggling concept of no anal sex for three months. I did not know that. Anyone have any input on their experience as far as anal sex before vaginal? Other than that the consult went great and Dr Ley doesn't think she needs to take a graft. I'm guessing because the tissue got a little stretchier from no estradiol. Talked to my boyfriend and I couldn't have gotten a more supportive and loving response about the  zero sex for three months situation. He's honestly so amazing. This experience is definitely bringing us closer. We went to Whole Foods and I got an organic version
of ensure and came back to our room and hung out and talked. After finishing my bowel prep, I'm tired and extremely jealous of his late night food run. It's been a good day. Tomorrow is only hours away.

Three months minimum without sex. Many of us develop some granulation/proud flesh which is bright red in color and is a over healing that results in a weakness in the skin. This is easily treated in a doctors office but having sex before it's cleared up will result in opening up a wound. Normally you plan for an internal examination at about 3 months to verify everything is healed correctly before having sex.

As for anal, that could pull on the surgery causing problems as well so it would be best not to have it until the doctor clears you for it. As for personal experience, I am still a virgin (yes, 35 years and counting) so I can only provide you with what I learned from others.

9:30 pm post op. . I feel great. The surgery very well and I am thrilled she didn't have to take a skin graft. I fell asleep crying in happiness they said and woke up the same according to the nurses and anaesthesiologist. They said I kept saying I'm just so happy so I thought that was cute of my subconscious mind. I awoke so peaceful. I've never felt a sense of calm like this before and certainly didn't know it existed.

My mom called me crying from happiness that I was so happy and so did my best friend. Both are out of state and it meant the world to me. Few but amazing people in my inner circle as I've always been shy and discerning on friendships. My mom has been so amazing through this and I think that this surgery kind of seals the deal on her 100% understanding me. She certainly has taught me that unconditional love can be real. All you have to do is love like that with purpose.  My best friend Shay who is like my identical twin sister offered me her middle name way back when I changed me name. It's super beautiful and special and I always loved it. Today I texted her that I feel like I really earned it after today. That was a pivotal moment in the healing of my emotional and spiritual heart.

My first glimpse of my vagina I was so happy. It looks so pretty in spite of the fresh trauma. Just how I hoped it would look. It's stilll packed of course as I'm having some bleeding. The staff here is incredible. Such amazing nurses! The only disapppointing thing to not happen today was that Dr Ley didn't come see me after I was in my room. I think it's kind of weird and I guess she's going out of town for the weekend. I know that the NP will come but I'm disappointed. I realize that everything went as planned but i expected and wanted to talk to her after surgery. I Relaxed all day with Bobby and had some good chats. He loves the way it looks too. He says it's a Barbie pussy lol. That's fine with me as 5'11 blonde with same proportions. Finally got to eat and can't wait for a rehab burger haha.

I Gave myself a makeup wipe bath to freshen up (Burt's bees makeup wipes in grapefruit are incredible and I use them for everything.) did my skin care a fixed my hair and changed into my own slip and feel like a hundred bucks. Took some Ativan and watching the notebook but mind too wired to sleep. I'm having FOMO for some reason and getting used to the cathedar. Other than that it's been the most amazing day.

I feel reborn. So excited for tomorrow. Feeling more in the moment than ever before.

XO Serena

Serena, Congratulations! 
I teared up a bit reading this.
Kendra

That was beautiful, thank you for sharing, Serena.

Serena when she doesn't come, then Meltzer comes instead.


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Dr Meltzer is out of town as well as Dr Ley so Meg the NP just came and visited me. I'm trying to not have my feelings be hurt bc i just think it's a 2 minute phone call as a professional courtesy after paying for this ourselves with no insurance. My boyfriend is a dentist and he calls his patients after they get a filling or a root canal. I'm a hairstylist and always call my clients a few days after. It just seems like common sense after doing a vaginoplasty.

Hi Serena,

  I am Laurie, the wandering waif of Susan's place. Welcome to the site and CONGRATULATIONS for having the GCS done. That's wonderful. It's wonderful that you have the good support you have too. I hope to be following more of your posts in the days to come.

Hugs,
   Laurie