Thank you all so much for your words of support and encouragement. It means a lot.
A brief update for as long as I'm able to type...
I said that I wasn't concerned about the pain and suffering; I was worried about the social aspects of this, about dealing with old friends and so on.
I changed my mind. The pain and suffering feels worse than any social discomfort I could imagine. The 90 minute car ride home from Philadelphia Wednesday night was pure hell. The pain I feel when my meds begin to wear off is awful. This big gauze dressing is hot as heck. Trying to sleep, in pain, while propped up by pillows means I sleep for a couple hours in the middle of the night and doze the rest of the time.
Still, I'm over the moon about this. I'm thrilled. I'm so glad I did it. I can't wait to see the results. For those who wish to know, here's what they did:
Chin shave and contour, mandible and forehead contour, eye socket shave, brow lift, hairline advancement, cheek implants
A second procedure in a few months should involve a rhinoplasty revision, lip lift, skin tightening and some fat injections.
The Keystone trans conference starts in a couple of weeks and I'm hoping the swelling is down enough for me to make an appearance. I want to show off my new face, even though it will still be swollen. I feel a sense of pride about my new face, something I've only felt about my breasts to this point. I hope the reality lives up to my expectations.
I feel born again.
