Post Op Preparation.
I have tried to prepare as must as possible before I become ‘disable’ for few weeks. I was told to have my thigh sutures remove two week post op and phallo sutures three week post op.
Word of advice: Make sure your GP and the nurse is nice and supportive! If not change immediately. Make appointment with your GP and the nurse to chat about your operation and book with that nurse for at least 1 hour appointment for your sutures removal.
Now back to my experience, I make appointment and speak to my GP about my surgery and post op care that I need. I told my GP I need longer appointment and he said he will book double appointment (30mins). At the time, I didn’t know that it takes more than 1hour to remove those sutures on my thigh (or arm). My GP ring me the day before my surgery and assure that he have make the double appointment with the nurse for me.
So I went to my nurse for suture removal after 2 weeks post op… and my nurse remove my dressing and she went into panic mood. There were more than 50 sutures to remove and it was covered in blood crust. She then tell said I was only booked for 15mins appointment and she have to book me back on Monday for 1 hour appointment and she will get my GP to involve helping me to remove the sutures. She removed all the staples and it feel so good to have them removed!
I then checked with Mr Christopher if I could remove my thigh sutures when I am going down for my 3 weeks post op sutures removal with the clinic nurse. He said that’s find so I leave it to that. I think my phallo was not supported properly and it create a ‘folding line’. Over there where the blue nylon sutures were start to get slightly infected.
I could have let my district nurse or my GP nurse remove the sutures on my phallo (after 3 weeks post op). However I opted to go to London and let the clinic nurse remove to sutures to have a peace of mind to know that everything is ok.
3 weeks post op and I am in the nurse clinic with Fiona. I told her that my thigh sutures need to be remove and she wasn’t aware of that. She remove my dressing and start removing the blood crust and the sutures came off easily. She insect and clean my thigh then told me that those are dissolvable sutures and I don’t have to worry about it. She then removed all the blur nylon sutures the along the bottom of the phallo and around the phallo. She then pass a tube though my neo urethra to check that there isn’t any blockage. She then told me that everything is okay and my phallo does not need to be support with dressing anymore. I was wearing boxer when I went down as my phallo was supported with lots of dressing… and now, the phallo is hanging in my pants… I felt very insecure, felt like the phallo will drop and etc. It is definitely a very weird feeling to have something hanging in between your leg.
So I went back with my phallo sutures removed, fully expose and not supported, my left leg still cover in dressing and my right leg looking good without any dressing on it.
To be continue…
Wednesday 27 November 2013
Thursday 14 November 2013
Day 6, 7 & 8 - 1st stage thigh free flap phalloplasty
Day 6
4th day post op
My blood pressure, temperature and phallo pulse were checked every 6 hours now.
Mr Christopher finally visits me after 4 days post op. He checked my phallo and said it looks good, healthy, soft and warm. He is very happy with the outcome. He also have a look on my left leg flap donor side where the PICO vacuum dressing wasn’t working properly as there is a leak and oozing a lot. He said not to worry about it and it cannot be change as changing it will risk my skin graft coming off. I walked around the ward today as I was told to move around. I was told to try and walk more normal as I am leaning more towards my right because my my left is still very painful.
Today the nurse came in and told me that she will leave my right thigh expose to air (AGAIN?!) for 2 hours. The pain was unbearable, I could not do anything apart from sitting on the chair and trying to ‘accept’ the pain. After 2 hours, the nurse came in a dress my right thigh. I tried to walk but it was too painful for me to move around, I just get back to bed and rest.
My catheter was remove today. Huge relive however I have to keep going to toilet as I drank lots of water.
Day 7
5th day post op
Nothing much were being done today. My nurse said that he heard I was in extreme pain last 2 days when they expose my right thigh so he will not do it today. The dressing wasn’t changed as well as my right thigh wasn’t oozing badly anymore.
He was the Ward Manager and he seems to liaise with Mr Christopher patient a lot. Overall I am feeling okay. I have good bowel movement and I pass urine without any problem. My phallo looks healthy as well.
Day 8
6th day post op
I am supposed to discharge today however I asked if I could stay until Sat in order to wait for my gf to pick me up. I was then told that I would have to pay for the cost of the additional 2 days if I chose to stay for the extra 2 nights.
I have got no choice but to travel back on my own. I pack everything up and get a taxi to London Euston. From there I took 2 hours train back and my girlfriend then pick me up from the train station. I felt okay as I am able to walk with my walking stick but I am walking very slowly.
In the morning, the nurse came to change my dressing on both my thigh. It was a nightmare. She was very (extremely) inexperience. It was so painful that I cried like.. I don't know what is the words I could use to describe that.. (Keep reading and you might be able to understand the pain..)
My wound dried up on the right thigh as it wasn’t changed yesterday, so the dressing stick to my wound. At first she refuse to uses water to wet my wound and attempt to rip the dressing from my wound (bare in mind that I have been feeling the pain since they expose it to the air). I scream and cried like I was in hell, I then told her to wet it, she refuse telling me that my wound should keep dry. Then after trying a couple more tries to peel the dressing of my wound, she reluctantly opened one packet of water to wet my wound. Previous nurses uses at least three packet to wet my wound!! Then she try to rip them again while it's partly dry and partly wet. I cried and grab the bed as she was doing that. She then stop for a while and add the last drop off water she have left in the packet, then she just continue ripping the dressing apart. I was crying until I could not breathe. Then she just left those 'stuck' to my wound there without any attempt to remove them as she sees me in such pain. I'm glad she decided to leave it or I might just cried in pain and fall to unconscious although I'm slightly worry that those dressing are still there. She then proceed to my left thigh, I was about to tell her to leave it and I'll get it change when I'm back but I let her do it anyway. Thank God, the left wound is covered with slightly wet and greasy type of dressing (mepitel). So no pain at all. She then covered up my left thigh ith mepitel and then some dressing and move back to cover my right thigh. I would say overall she did a horrible job in dressing but I wasn’t entirely bothered about it. All previous nurses uses 4 massive piece of 'tape' to cover it while she uses nearly 7 or 8. She then change the pads around my phallo however it did not support my phallo properly. Not only that, she have invite one other colleagues to come in and have a look and start explaining to her about how my phallo was being build. After standing there watch the nurse cover my dressing and listen to explanations by the nurse, she thanked me for allowing her to be there and left before the dressing were done. I think the nurse have been extremely unprofessional to invite some other colleagues for show and tell without my consent. However I have no intention of complaint about the nurse. I don't mind if someone is interested to learn about phalloplasty but I think that is very inappropriate.
Around 1pm I pack up all my stuff in my backpack and went to ask for a taxi. I took taxi to the main train station and then get a train back on my own.
I was given a bags of goodies with some pain killers, dressings, undies, pads and stuffs. She asked for my GP contact and gave her my district nurse contact number instead. She then filled a form, fax them over with instructions and gave me a copy of the form.
4th day post op
My blood pressure, temperature and phallo pulse were checked every 6 hours now.
Mr Christopher finally visits me after 4 days post op. He checked my phallo and said it looks good, healthy, soft and warm. He is very happy with the outcome. He also have a look on my left leg flap donor side where the PICO vacuum dressing wasn’t working properly as there is a leak and oozing a lot. He said not to worry about it and it cannot be change as changing it will risk my skin graft coming off. I walked around the ward today as I was told to move around. I was told to try and walk more normal as I am leaning more towards my right because my my left is still very painful.
Today the nurse came in and told me that she will leave my right thigh expose to air (AGAIN?!) for 2 hours. The pain was unbearable, I could not do anything apart from sitting on the chair and trying to ‘accept’ the pain. After 2 hours, the nurse came in a dress my right thigh. I tried to walk but it was too painful for me to move around, I just get back to bed and rest.
My catheter was remove today. Huge relive however I have to keep going to toilet as I drank lots of water.
Day 7
5th day post op
Nothing much were being done today. My nurse said that he heard I was in extreme pain last 2 days when they expose my right thigh so he will not do it today. The dressing wasn’t changed as well as my right thigh wasn’t oozing badly anymore.
He was the Ward Manager and he seems to liaise with Mr Christopher patient a lot. Overall I am feeling okay. I have good bowel movement and I pass urine without any problem. My phallo looks healthy as well.
Day 8
6th day post op
I am supposed to discharge today however I asked if I could stay until Sat in order to wait for my gf to pick me up. I was then told that I would have to pay for the cost of the additional 2 days if I chose to stay for the extra 2 nights.
I have got no choice but to travel back on my own. I pack everything up and get a taxi to London Euston. From there I took 2 hours train back and my girlfriend then pick me up from the train station. I felt okay as I am able to walk with my walking stick but I am walking very slowly.
In the morning, the nurse came to change my dressing on both my thigh. It was a nightmare. She was very (extremely) inexperience. It was so painful that I cried like.. I don't know what is the words I could use to describe that.. (Keep reading and you might be able to understand the pain..)
My wound dried up on the right thigh as it wasn’t changed yesterday, so the dressing stick to my wound. At first she refuse to uses water to wet my wound and attempt to rip the dressing from my wound (bare in mind that I have been feeling the pain since they expose it to the air). I scream and cried like I was in hell, I then told her to wet it, she refuse telling me that my wound should keep dry. Then after trying a couple more tries to peel the dressing of my wound, she reluctantly opened one packet of water to wet my wound. Previous nurses uses at least three packet to wet my wound!! Then she try to rip them again while it's partly dry and partly wet. I cried and grab the bed as she was doing that. She then stop for a while and add the last drop off water she have left in the packet, then she just continue ripping the dressing apart. I was crying until I could not breathe. Then she just left those 'stuck' to my wound there without any attempt to remove them as she sees me in such pain. I'm glad she decided to leave it or I might just cried in pain and fall to unconscious although I'm slightly worry that those dressing are still there. She then proceed to my left thigh, I was about to tell her to leave it and I'll get it change when I'm back but I let her do it anyway. Thank God, the left wound is covered with slightly wet and greasy type of dressing (mepitel). So no pain at all. She then covered up my left thigh ith mepitel and then some dressing and move back to cover my right thigh. I would say overall she did a horrible job in dressing but I wasn’t entirely bothered about it. All previous nurses uses 4 massive piece of 'tape' to cover it while she uses nearly 7 or 8. She then change the pads around my phallo however it did not support my phallo properly. Not only that, she have invite one other colleagues to come in and have a look and start explaining to her about how my phallo was being build. After standing there watch the nurse cover my dressing and listen to explanations by the nurse, she thanked me for allowing her to be there and left before the dressing were done. I think the nurse have been extremely unprofessional to invite some other colleagues for show and tell without my consent. However I have no intention of complaint about the nurse. I don't mind if someone is interested to learn about phalloplasty but I think that is very inappropriate.
Around 1pm I pack up all my stuff in my backpack and went to ask for a taxi. I took taxi to the main train station and then get a train back on my own.
I was given a bags of goodies with some pain killers, dressings, undies, pads and stuffs. She asked for my GP contact and gave her my district nurse contact number instead. She then filled a form, fax them over with instructions and gave me a copy of the form.
Tuesday 12 November 2013
15.5 weeks post op - Stage 1
It have been a while since I last update this blog. I will try my best to post something each month about my progress of the phalloplasty and my transition.
15.5 weeks post op for stage 1 with no complication. I think I have been really lucky that everything went well for me. I have decided to booked for my stage 2 before Christmas and have my recovery time over the Christmas.
I have been actively reading about people's experiences and getting as much information as possible as the post op care by the team is not brilliant. Honestly, I am little worried and nervous about having my Stage 2 before Chritmas with my GP and Mr Christopher office close for 9 working days. *touch wood* if there is complication and I have to go to emergency room, I doubt they will know what to do with me. So I can only pray that everything will go well like my Stage 1.
My thigh have been healing well and I have start to apply bio-oil or Cetaphil moisturizing lotion. I have been struggling to find a compression garment for my thigh and I end up using a knee support garment for it. My GP have been very helpful on trying to get the right thigh compression garment however to no avail.
Meanwhile for my phallo, it looks great apart from being girth(y).. I was suppose to lose fat on my thigh and I guess I did not do it that well. It is about 16cm/6inch in diameter and 11cm/4.5inch in length. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the length but I am telling myself that at least I have got a penis now and there are various size and shape out there! I am already lucky compare to some trans-guy which do not have the opportunity to have this surgery. While for the girth, I am planning to get it reduce slightly when I am having the penile implant. I tried to put on a normal condom but it's just too tight. I have asked Mr Ralph and Mr Christopher if that could be done and they have assure me that it could. So I will just wait and see what happen next.
I suppose that's one of the problem with human in general. For trans-man ,we have been looking at all the photos/images and have create a prefect body shape/chest/penis that we want. Lot's of time surgery results will varies and some times people falls into depressing when the ideal body wasn't achieved. I have been watching lot's of straight porn and at times, it does make me feel very sad and depress about the length of my phallo but I just need to get over it! Obviously those guy in porn star have above average penis!!
I can't wait for my stage 2 now that my date is set. Fears and anxiety is taking over me... less than 4 weeks to my Stage 2.
15.5 weeks post op for stage 1 with no complication. I think I have been really lucky that everything went well for me. I have decided to booked for my stage 2 before Christmas and have my recovery time over the Christmas.
I have been actively reading about people's experiences and getting as much information as possible as the post op care by the team is not brilliant. Honestly, I am little worried and nervous about having my Stage 2 before Chritmas with my GP and Mr Christopher office close for 9 working days. *touch wood* if there is complication and I have to go to emergency room, I doubt they will know what to do with me. So I can only pray that everything will go well like my Stage 1.
My thigh have been healing well and I have start to apply bio-oil or Cetaphil moisturizing lotion. I have been struggling to find a compression garment for my thigh and I end up using a knee support garment for it. My GP have been very helpful on trying to get the right thigh compression garment however to no avail.
Meanwhile for my phallo, it looks great apart from being girth(y).. I was suppose to lose fat on my thigh and I guess I did not do it that well. It is about 16cm/6inch in diameter and 11cm/4.5inch in length. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the length but I am telling myself that at least I have got a penis now and there are various size and shape out there! I am already lucky compare to some trans-guy which do not have the opportunity to have this surgery. While for the girth, I am planning to get it reduce slightly when I am having the penile implant. I tried to put on a normal condom but it's just too tight. I have asked Mr Ralph and Mr Christopher if that could be done and they have assure me that it could. So I will just wait and see what happen next.
I suppose that's one of the problem with human in general. For trans-man ,we have been looking at all the photos/images and have create a prefect body shape/chest/penis that we want. Lot's of time surgery results will varies and some times people falls into depressing when the ideal body wasn't achieved. I have been watching lot's of straight porn and at times, it does make me feel very sad and depress about the length of my phallo but I just need to get over it! Obviously those guy in porn star have above average penis!!
I can't wait for my stage 2 now that my date is set. Fears and anxiety is taking over me... less than 4 weeks to my Stage 2.
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