4 days, 9 hours.. the count is on!

So excited!!

I cannot imagine how excited you must be! My date with Dr. Ley is still three months away, but I am already starting to get excited. I wish you and Dr. Ley all the best this week!

Love always -- Jessica Rose

Quote from: jill610 on January 06, 2019, 07:35:45 PM
4 days, 9 hours.. the count is on!

So excited!!

I'm envious.  I wish you a speedy recovery and all the best in your new life change.

Just got to my hotel in Phoenix, where I am so fortunate that my parents decided to come along. My dad has Alzheimer's and my mom is legally blind but it was important to them to be here for there daughter! Long flight from Philly, but uneventful.

Started today with the intent of being off from work, but that did not work out. Was on called from 7am till 9, went to CycleBar for a final workout before the long Haiti's, then picked my parents up from their house, more work calls, went to the airport, more work calls and  -here's a shocking plot twist- worked more on the plane. The airplane WiFi was not working which probably was for the best. Tomorrow I'll be working from the hotel room until noon, then a final call with HR at 2 (not about me,,, I may need to sever an employee) before heading off to the pre-op appointment. Then the fun begins! Looking forward to receiving my own kit, and getting anxious butterflies at this point.

Struggling a bit with Facebook, I am very non specific in my updates about why I'm out here; I suspect most of my "friends" think I'm on a business trip.

Getting excited and anxious! No more food for me until Saturday. It's been a year since I last fasted.

Jill I am so excited for you!!  You're almost there.

@Kendra, thank you! I can't wait but honestly this week has been so stressful between tying loose ends off at work (actual name of my final meeting with my team tomorrow) and all the pre surgery jitters, it's all quite overwhelming!

I don't know why, but the idea that a dialotor will be inside me shortly is strangely intimidating all of a sudden.

Susan's is back! Went down right as I had my surgeries. So on Friday, everything went as planned and I had GRS plus trachea shave, forehead/brow and hairline advance. Tomorrow (1/15) I go back in for chin, jaw and lip lift.

I was under for 11+ hours on Friday and my throat is still sore from the intubation tube. I expected some soreness but not a significant difficulty speaking. It was pretty bad.

I am absolutely over the moon with Dr Leys work so far. Obviously everything is new and all but so far she understood what I wanted to achieve and I am pleased. I said to my dad this morning after seeing my reflection in a door here that I finally see me. I see Jill, not a pretty boy or a boyish looking girl. I see me and that's so important to me.

For round 1 FFS, I had just one drain in the head which went across the forehead. Plus two others in the vagina and the Foley catheter. Dr Let says she got around 0.5-1.0" advance depending on location. My hair was washed in the OR but was still a dried bloody mess. I took my first shower today. POD and POD1 are both bed rest. I have been pretty mobile today and my vagina hurts.

And what a wonderful feeling, I have a vagina. I never thought this day would get here.

Last night Dr Ley came by and removed the drain in the head and redid the wrap. I finally got to see the trachea shave, which so far looks really good. The other drains got removed this morning. None were pleasant experiences.

Here's a few pics

Before



POD1



POD2 sporting my drain of course



POD3

Quote from: jill610 on January 14, 2019, 06:18:30 PM
Susan's is back! Went down right as I had my surgeries.

We didn't want you to miss out on anything!  So glad to hear that you are doing well.  You look very optimistic and relaxed.  That is a an affirmative sign that all is well, in my honest opinion.  Of course, cutie pie Kiddos always help.   Take it easy for a while and your new normal will feel like it has always been.

Quote from: jill610 on January 14, 2019, 06:18:30 PM
I have been pretty mobile today and my vagina hurts.

And what a wonderful feeling, I have a vagina. I never thought this day would get here.

I'm sure it feels wonderful to say that. You look great! Hope things keep going well!

JILL!!  I am so happy for you - and you are already looking so great on post-op day three!  Brow ridge and so much else is now a memory of the past.  Your wonderful future has started. 

Quote from: jill610 on January 14, 2019, 06:18:30 PM
Susan's is back! Went down right as I had my surgeries.

That explains it.  Shared anesthesia.   

You are looking awesome Jill! So happy that everything has gone smoothly for you, and I wish you the best of luck today as well!!!

Love always -- Jessica Rose

Wow, that's such a big difference already... Your eyes are a lot more open. The only thing is the scar seems a bit low?

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

Quote from: jill610 on January 14, 2019, 06:18:30 PM
Susan's is back! Went down right as I had my surgeries. So on Friday, everything went as planned and I had GRS...

Congratulations!

Hugs, Devlyn

Quote from: Allison S on January 15, 2019, 06:19:08 AM
Wow, that's such a big difference already... Your eyes are a lot more open. The only thing is the scar seems a bit low?

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

I think a lot of my hair is stillhard with blood and blends in. She took a full inch off at the center and mire that half an inch elsewhere. I am assuming I will still need some transplants in the temples and along the scar line.

POD 4 Tuesday 1/15/2019

Sleeping last night was rough as the incisions in the scalp are becoming more prominent and painful to put pressure on. They have been giving me stuff to help me sleep but that hasn't been overly helpful.

The nursing staff here are wonderful and some of them are pretty passionate about the work they do for the trans community, which is great to see and hear. My parents who are hyper critical of doctors and hospitals have been very happy with Ley and the facility. Compared to some of what is going on in Philadelphia with one of their surgeons, this is really a terrific experience. I cannot imagine being discharged to a hot pitas room on day 2 or 3 or even 5.

Swelling is up in the face but is coming down a little in the vaginal area. Becoming a lot of aware of the packing inside and how stretched things are. It's very difficult to describe the sensations of all these new parts.

This afternoon around 1, I go back in for round 2 which will be the chin, jaw, and lip lift.

You look great for just having surgery on Fri; hope today's surgery goes well for you also. Good luck and keep us updated.

Love the positivity that is exuding from your aura.  It is a real encouragement for those of us contemplating such procedures. 

Today's surgery is now in the books and I am high as a kite on pain meds.

THIS ONE HURT THE MOST

more than grs and forehead combined keeping mind my packing is still in. Overall I happy to be on the flip side and on the mend.

This post toook an hour to write

Glad to here that all is OK.  Can't wait till the big reveal!  Rest up, now.

Day 4 was though, the pain was very very high and I think I only did a few laps around the floor. I had a few conversations earlier in the day that just wiped me out completely.

The packing comes out tomorrow which I'm both excited and anxious about.