I with at least 2 others from this forums will be in Montreal in the next few days. I've read literally every single posting on these forums in Sex Reassignment Surgery, and Post Operative areas as well as Online medical journals (I tend to be a bit OCD on these things!) So I feel (I hope! - I STILL have some unanswered questions) I'm ready for what is to come soon. I fly to Montreal on the 9th of September, arrive on the 10th in the morning and Surgery is on the 14th.

Then start my 3+ months of recovery, most likely a year before i'm back to myself 100% and comfortable in my new self psychologically, physically and emotionally. But who knows! YMWV right?

2010 has been a year of change for me already. I've changed careers, Lost 125 pounds (yes that's 125 not 12.5 ) , quit smoking, come to many epiphanies in life, grown so much as a woman and have competed in dragon boating, and marathons and it's only September! I decided it would be fitting to top it off to finish off my long term journey by crossing the T's & dotting the I's by finally getting SRS & BA surgeries September 14th, 2010 after years of waiting due to the Gender clinics closing in my province, and then moving to Europe where I was not able to get this covered either.

2011 will be a year of moving forward and showing my full potential as a woman fully empowered to be who i was MEANT to be. Please join me in my quest, and yours to be the women & men  we were meant to be, and be empowered to bring insight, wisdom, beauty and love to this world.

Let the constant dialating commence!

Best wishes to you Tricia it sounds like you've come a long way! I hope things turn out wonderful for you

Quote from: triciaVBC on September 05, 2010, 04:13:08 AM
fly to Montreal on the 9th of September, arrive on the 10th in the morning and Surgery is on the 14th.

Congrats & Best Wishes!!

Quote from: triciaVBC on September 05, 2010, 04:13:08 AM
I've changed careers, Lost 125 pounds (yes that's 125 not 12.5  ) , quit smoking, come to many epiphanies in life, grown so much as a woman and have competed in dragon boating, and marathons and it's only September!

Wow thats amazing congrats again, your my hero

Quote from: triciaVBC on September 05, 2010, 04:13:08 AM
2011 will be a year of moving forward and showing my full potential as a woman fully empowered to be who i was MEANT to be. Please join me in my quest, and yours to be the women & men  we were meant to be, and be empowered to bring insight, wisdom, beauty and love to this world.

Great positive attitude and outlook, sounds good to me.

Quote from: triciaVBC on September 05, 2010, 04:13:08 AM
Let the constant dialating commence!

Congrats and good luck!


Jay

Quote from: triciaVBC on September 05, 2010, 04:13:08 AMThen start my 3+ months of recovery, most likely a year before i'm back to myself 100% and comfortable in my new self psychologically, physically and emotionally.

Well the comfortable psychological and emotional parts start way before then. Once the physical healing reaches a certain point you can concentrate on how sweet it is just to BE in your new body, I can tell you it is the most wonderful feeling I personally have ever experienced.

Congratulations to you on the end of one journey and the beginning of the rest of your life! All my best wishes

Quote from: triciaVBC on September 05, 2010, 04:13:08 AM

Let the constant dialating commence!

Think of it more as consistent dilating .. not constant dilating 

You have come a long way, I love stories like yours ... they make me smile,  . Congratulations!  and Happy Healing!

*huggs*,
Melan

Quote from: triciaVBC on September 05, 2010, 04:13:08 AM
I with at least 2 others from this forums will be in Montreal in the next few days. I've read literally every single posting on these forums in Sex Reassignment Surgery, and Post Operative areas as well as Online medical journals (I tend to be a bit OCD on these things!) So I feel (I hope! - I STILL have some unanswered questions) I'm ready for what is to come soon. I fly to Montreal on the 9th of September, arrive on the 10th in the morning and Surgery is on the 14th.

Then start my 3+ months of recovery, most likely a year before i'm back to myself 100% and comfortable in my new self psychologically, physically and emotionally. But who knows! YMWV right?

2010 has been a year of change for me already. I've changed careers, Lost 125 pounds (yes that's 125 not 12.5 ) , quit smoking, come to many epiphanies in life, grown so much as a woman and have competed in dragon boating, and marathons and it's only September! I decided it would be fitting to top it off to finish off my long term journey by crossing the T's & dotting the I's by finally getting SRS & BA surgeries September 14th, 2010 after years of waiting due to the Gender clinics closing in my province, and then moving to Europe where I was not able to get this covered either.

2011 will be a year of moving forward and showing my full potential as a woman fully empowered to be who i was MEANT to be. Please join me in my quest, and yours to be the women & men  we were meant to be, and be empowered to bring insight, wisdom, beauty and love to this world.

Let the constant dialating commence!

im in montreal right now, had curry for lunch lol it was good, great people here!!! feeling is definitely welcoming!!

snap....my mate from the UK flies out to join me on the 10the sept here in AZ.... I have may next op 14th Sept too....

However day 5 posy op today sees me finally turning the corner to improvement....I'll walk some more a bit further (slowly) tonight.... my catheter should be out tomorrow morning which means life should start to improve for me practically from now on...

So hope to be a tourist at Sedona & Flagstaff next weekend... so will give driving a fling....lol

Good luck ma dear.... and hold this thought....

"As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world – that is the myth of the atomic age – as in being able to remake ourselves."

Quote from: SaraR on September 05, 2010, 12:37:47 PM

im in montreal right now!!

Niow that definatly calls for a "Woot Woot"

Tricia VBC  - I am awestruck by your attitude and achievements. 
My best wishes to you and I hope that you soon get the happy life that you clearly deserve.
Good luck hun   x

Quote from: Jessica.C on September 05, 2010, 07:02:49 AM
Congrats & Best Wishes!!

Wow thats amazing congrats again, your my hero

Thanks! Honestly that was easy with the drugs I used. It allows you to continue to smoke but tricks the pleasure sensors of the brain responsible for nicotine that when you have one, it totally grosses you out and essentially makes you sick. It's kind of cruel but it works! Eventually I just stopped and then used the drugs for an additional 8 weeks to prevent any cravings. It worked wonders

Quote from: Melan on September 05, 2010, 10:35:45 AM

Think of it more as consistent dilating .. not constant dilating 

Thanks! And Consistent is so true!

You have come a long way, I love stories like yours ... they make me smile,  . Congratulations!  and Happy Healing!

*huggs*,
Melan

Quote from: FairyGirl on September 05, 2010, 08:28:59 AM
Well the comfortable psychological and emotional parts start way before then. Once the physical healing reaches a certain point you can concentrate on how sweet it is just to BE in your new body, I can tell you it is the most wonderful feeling I personally have ever experienced.

Congratulations to you on the end of one journey and the beginning of the rest of your life! All my best wishes

You are so right there. And I'll be there in a week's time. I can't wait!

Thanks everyone for the kind words! I can't wait now =)

Quote from: triciaVBC on September 05, 2010, 04:13:08 AM

2010 has been a year of change for me already. I've changed careers, Lost 125 pounds (yes that's 125 not 12.5 )

That's quite a bit to lose, I'm down close to 45lbs since January, so I know how it is.  Congrats on all your achievements Tricia.   

Quote from: Kristyn on September 05, 2010, 07:23:07 PM
That's quite a bit to lose, I'm down close to 45lbs since January, so I know how it is.  Congrats on all your achievements Tricia.   

Thanks Kristyn. Yes it was borderline too much too quickly, but it was supervised by my doctor, and going to the gym 5 times a week and just being active and eating right. I took a year sabbatical to work on myself which i'm still going through, and alot of it was to get myself back into shape and get healthy for this upcoming surgery.

Quote from: triciaVBC on September 06, 2010, 02:13:50 AM
Thanks Kristyn. Yes it was borderline too much too quickly, but it was supervised by my doctor, and going to the gym 5 times a week and just being active and eating right. I took a year sabbatical to work on myself which i'm still going through, and alot of it was to get myself back into shape and get healthy for this upcoming surgery.

being active and eating right is the key... at first it might seem like your not loosing anything.. but your body has to build a form of muscle mass to increase your metabolisms health.

then you start shredding a pound every 2 days if oyu keep at it.

just walking around as allowed me to build leg muscle mass and shred pounds but i also worked on my abs to strengthing my core for surgery

Quote from: triciaVBC on September 06, 2010, 02:13:50 AM
Thanks Kristyn. Yes it was borderline too much too quickly, but it was supervised by my doctor, and going to the gym 5 times a week and just being active and eating right.

Too much?  Not really, it works out to 15 lbs. per month if you started in January, and that is completely doable and normal if you are very physical and work at increasing your physical exertion as you go.  Eating right and physical activity is all you need--no special diets and no special equipment.  As a matter of fact, the only equipment you really need are your will and determination.  I've been dieting since 13 and I started working out at 15.  My first weight loss was at 13 when I lost 80lbs. in about 8 months.  Since then losing weight is like flicking a switch.  If  I notice a little extra weight, I take something out of my diet and its done.  A bit of personal advice, unless your doctor is a body builder of fitness expert, don't listen to too much about what they have to say about nutrition and physical activity--It's truly amazing as to how much stress the body can tolerate.[/quote]

Quote
I took a year sabbatical to work on myself which i'm still going through, and alot of it was to get myself back into shape and get healthy for this upcoming surgery.

Much the same with me, except I was fired from my job just for being me.  After seeing all of the evidence I had against them--emails, correspondences, conversations, incidences, etc.--I negotiated a layoff after learning that I was going to be fired.  I threatened to get a lawyer and to contact whatever government agencies I could/should in order to make their lives a living hell.  In addition to the layoff I received written and verbal recommendations and an additional $10,000 above my severance.  Trust me, the next company is NOT going to get off so lightly as I really don't need many more references.   

Quote from: Kristyn on September 06, 2010, 07:12:06 AM

Much the same with me, except I was fired from my job just for being me. 

I know i don't know you that well Kristyn but i don't think you were fired for being you, more like you were fired because of STUPIT IGNORANT PEOPLE!!!!!      Makes me wanna go postal.

Quote from: Kristyn on September 06, 2010, 07:12:06 AM
  After seeing all of the evidence I had against them--emails, correspondences, conversations, incidences, etc.--I negotiated a layoff after learning that I was going to be fired.  I threatened to get a lawyer and to contact whatever government agencies I could/should in order to make their lives a living hell.  In addition to the layoff I received written and verbal recommendations and an additional $10,000 above my severance.  Trust me, the next company is NOT going to get off so lightly as I really don't need many more references.   

Good for you!!

Quote from: Jessica.C on September 06, 2010, 07:27:57 AM

I know i don't know you that well Kristyn but i don't think you were fired for being you, more like you were fired because of STUPIT IGNORANT PEOPLE!!!!!      Makes me wanna go postal.

Thanks Jess, I know that too.  The fact that they treated me like crap and fired me after three years speaks far more of their character then of my ability to do a job.  But I know from experience that getting angry is not the answer, gaining wisdom is.  Taking the bad from the past and using those experiences to your advantage should the same situation arise again--which is what I did in this case.  This was more than two years in the making, and I saw it coming so I began gathering evidence.  They began making my life hard, or so they thought, in order to get me to quit.  Obviously they weren't aware as to how much I've been through in the past and how much I could tolerate.  They had no choice but to cave in this situation, my only mistake was not asking for more!