Thank you so much for all your kind support. I really value our friendships & am so gratful for all the wonderful inspirational friends I have met on my journey. GRS is another process, a very life affirming process but not an end to my journey.
I will be having my surgery on 3rd November at 8-8.30.
I will be convalescing for 4-6 weeks at my parents & be away from my computer. All being well Nicky is kindly going to update my blog from time to time while I am away. I am blessed to be going to the surgeon of my choice at a hospital with very kind staff. If my parents & our doggy are fine while I am away until Tuesday week & remain healthy & happy when I return I will be the luckiest daughter in the world!
I may not be around for a while but will be thinking of you all.
I have included below details of my stay in hospital which I hope may be of interest to those of you who may be on the same path.
Time line of hospital stay for full VaginoplastyMy procedure will be Penial inversion method
Arrive the day before surgery approx 12.00hrs
On day of admission Monday 2nd Nov:-
Bloods taken for a group & save.
Commence on a low residual diet.
Clexane given 12 hours pre-op. This is a small injection to thin your blood which helps to prevent any blood clots forming. You are given this daily for the next five days whilst you are on bed rest. (You may be seen by a psychiatrist for a second opinion at this stage if required). I have already had two suitably qualified confirmations as to my suitability for surgery.
Op day Tuesday 3rd Nov:-
Phosphate enema given to clear lower part of bowel (06.00 hrs am case, 11.30 hrs pm case.)
Shower.
Ted stockings, knee length (again helps to prevent blood clots).
Seen by Mr Thomas.
Seen by Anaesthetist.
Theatre Receovery:
You will be in theatre for approxiamately three hours & in recovery until your observations are stable enough for you to return to the ward.
Return to ward:
Post op observations until following day:
blood pressure, pulse, respirations oxygen levels & temperature. 15 minutes first hour, 30 minutes second hour, then 1-2 hourly throughout night.
Your dressings will be checked on a regular basis.
You will have two drains to drain any blood from collecting around your wounds.
Catheter to drain urine from your bladder. This stays insitu until day six.
IV fluids to keep you hydrated.
Vaginal pack insitu & t-bandage over your new vagina.
IV Antibiotics for two days.
Day one Wednesday:-
Blanket bath.
Clear fluid diet.
IV Antibiotics & clexane.
Pain control.
Bed rest.
IV fluids are discontinued.
Day two Thursday:-
Blanket bath.
Clear fluid diet.
IV Antibiotics & clexane.
Drains removed.
Pain control.
Bed rest.
Day three Friday:-
Assisted wash.
Low residual diet.
Oral Antibiotics & clexane.
Pain control.
Bed rest.
Day four Saturday:-
As above
Nurses will sit you out in a chair for 30 minutes, am & pm.
No standing or walking.
Day five Sunday :-
Pack removal by Mr Thomas or trained nurse.
Bath.
Teaching of dilating & douching.
Normal diet.
Last day of Antibiotics & clexane.
Pain control.
Mobilising.
Day six Monday:-
Catheter removal with antibiotic cover.
(Occasionally you may not be able to pass urine because of the swelling of your urethra, if this happens you will be re-catheterised & the cath will stay for seven days & be removed by your district nurse.
Breakfast, dilate, bath, douche.
Super dilate, bath, douche.
Pain control.
Mobilising.
Day seven Tuesday:-
Discharged home at 10.00am
Letter given for help at airport if required.
Letter given for GRP (This may be given at your post op check).
Letter given for GP.
Medication given to take home.
Discharge advice sheet & sick certificate if required.
When I come home I will have to undertake all the advice on the discharge sheet including many sessions of dialation. I have also been advised:-
No physical exercise for a minimum of first two weeks.
Begin carrying light weights after two weeks. Gradually increase weekly.
Bathe three times a day in a small amount of water for first three weeks.
You should not drive for three to four weeks. Legally you can only begin once you are able to do an emergency stop.
Begin very short walks with dog after two weeks.
I must stop blogging now & may be away for a while.
Your friendship means so much to me. Your kind words have lifted my spirits & are really appreciated.
May there be peaceful happy times ahead for you all.
Lots of love
Debbie
Hi all, Nicky again, Debbie is going to be in hospital for a couple of days longer due to a small issue, but is in great spirits!!
Thank you so much for all your kind support. I really value our friendships & am so gratful for all the wonderful inspirational friends I have met on my journey. GRS is another process, a very life affirming process but not an end to my journey.
I came across a picture of me pre transition which captures perfectly the turmoil I was in trying to live my life as a lie. The picture on the left was taken Christmas time 2007 & shows the strain of me having got to the point of realising/accepting I needed to & was finally ready to transition, having become so ill my close friends were afraid I was terminally ill. At this point I had always known how I was born with a body in conflict with my heart & mind but did not know if I could actually live the life full time. I had decided that for me, to improve my self esteem & to help smooth my transition into my new life I would be having facial feminisation surgery with Dr Dussen a month later in January 2008. I had not realised quite how ill I had looked at this time until I came across this very rare picture of me taken at the time.
