My Surgical Expeerience

[Guest Michele H]

I had planned on keeping a daily journal of surgical experience but the hospital does not have WiFi and I have had no available stregth for the task until today - I started this earlier and had several paragraphs written when I lost it – my net book doesn't like Laura's – get a static charge or something and I lose what I am writing – so THIS time, will write in a word doc and then will cut and past,!

Some background, I will be 64 in a couple of weeks, so no spring chicken. I had both the GCS (MtF) and a Breast Augmentation done at the same time and have a high pain tolerance.. Dr. McGinn did the surgery in Lower Bucks Hospital, PA.

You need to TRAIN for this surgery – train as if you are preparing for an assault on Everest. A good year of training is about right. As you read the diary, you will begin to see why.

SAT 26 JUNE: (Liquid diet day). Karen and I fly to PHL, rent a car and drive up to Lower Bucks County. We are staying at the Ramada which is less than 2 miles from the hospital, has nice clean rooms and a discounted rate for Dr. McGinn's patients. They are familiar with our needs and will insure that you are on a ground floor. After checking in, we purchased the supplies that will be needed and then relaxed around the pool. ­

SUN 27 JUNE: (Clear liquid diet, Magnesium citrate at 4 pm and 8 pm). Karen and I made sure we knew how to to get to the hospital and to New Hope and then spent the day exploring New Hope and then relaxing by the pool. The Ramada has a limited continental breakfast, no lunch and bar burgers in the evenings so you really need transportation to get around the area.. There is a small fridge and microwave so you can stock up on Ensure – you will be drinking 2 to 3 of these a day for at least the next two weeks - so I hope you like Ensure!

Dr McGinn recommends that you transfer from the Ramada when you get out of the hospital and then check into the Never More in New Hope, This is the best option if transportation options are limited. It is also a nice motel, is very GLBTQ friendly and does have a full restaurant (evenings only). It is, however, also a major party destination for the GLBTQ community in New York so not quiet on the weekends.

MON 28 JUNE: (Enema prior to going to the hospital). My check in was for 11 am and the check in process was quick if a bit disorganized. After writing the hospital a check and getting a bracelet, went to the lab to have blood drawn – so far good. The lab then gave us directions to pre-op – which weren't the best. We were told to take the elevators and then 4 lefts, which we did – but they failed to mention to go straight at the second intersection before turning left again. We ended up in ICU but one of the nurses took us in hand and got us to the right place. I was emotional this morning but kept it in check so as not to upset Karen. As they wheeled me into the OR, I let a couple of tears escape. I had a really really bad reaction to either the anesthesia or pain meds last September so the anesthesia team spent some time talking to me about the experience and we came to the conclusion that it had been the pain meds since the hallucinations lasted three days and we decided to go with Morphine this time. The last time I saw on the clock was 1200 and the next time I saw was 8 pm that evening. No hallucinations!!! this time. I was flat on my back, 3 large ice packs in my crotch and leg compressors on my legs (these are heavy air bags wrapped around the legs that fill, compress the leg and then deflate. All this keeps you very immobile

TUE 29 JUNE: Liquid diet – including insure. Learned new skills like how to drink liquids and eat Jello while flat on my back – no head elevation at all. I was still bleeding so was not allowed to elevate the bed. It's difficult to even find your food when it is higher than you. Since I could not be moved, when the nurses would check on me, they would mark the edge of the blood stain on the sheets and the time to monitor blood loss. Some blood loss at this point is expected. I used the morphine pump sparingly, the pain was very manageable and the leg compression devices feels good.

WED 30 JUNE: continue liquid diet. Normally, the nursing staff would get me on my feet today, but because of the bleeding, I get an extra day of being flat on my back. I am allowed to raise the bed up 10 degrees! Still mostly content to sleep but becoming aware that I STINK. I have a giant tampon sewn into my vagina that has beeen there 3 days, no bath or shower or shower for three days and I' have been laying in a pool of my own blood, Oh yes – STINKY.

THURS: 31 JUNE. Continue liquid diet. Today is the day the nurses will get me out of bed. Since we are now a day behind schedule, it will be accelerated. If all had gone according to plan, On Wednesday I would have stood and then gotten back into bed – so we are going directly to the walk stage. Around noon my bed is elevated to a sitting position to get me used to being up right. After sitting for an hour, three nurses came in to help me stand. It felt SO good to have the leg contraptions removed. They have moved from nice to an irritation but you will have them on your legs until you are discharged. I have never fainted in my life but I did today, I was on my feet, felt fine and then dropped like a sack of potatoes. Woke up back in bed flat on my back again but was allowed to elevate the bed. A second attempt took place around dinner time and this time I made it back to bed before I passed out. The third and successful attempt was around 9 pm that evening.

Tired now - time for a nap - will add more later today -This will also be out on my blog later today

[Guest sarah f]

Thank You Michelle for this information. It is good information to know for when someone else decides it is time for them. The part about training is very helpful because just reading what you have put down so far seems like you will need to be fit to get through it. I look forward to your next post. I hope everything goes well and you can start walking around soon.

[Guest Donna Jean]

Oh, Michele....

So good to hear from you...

Many of us need to hear that you doing well and have been waiting to hear something from you!

And a number of us are lining up for the same thing as you just did...Paula will be the next, and Sally, Lizzy and I all have our surgery letters!

Gee, Honey...I sure hope that you get past that fainting stage....But, your log was incredibly interesting to read!

We'll be waiting for more, and in the meantime, take good care of yourself...OK?

LOVE & HUGGS!

Donna Jean

[Paula ult]

As i wrote you in my pm Congrats to finally being complete, i read your account with great interest since Dr. Mcginn will be my surgeon next May, i hear you on the best shape, i started a serious weight loss program and going to the gym with a personal trainer in order to meet her under 28 bmi requirement and be in top shape.

It seems the new software here suddenly looses everything if you go back or respond to an im or something on that order, i lost 2 yesterday, very frustrating when you spend 20 min on a response and it is gone, i did find out if it is blank when you go back to finish it pressing ctl v seems to get it back.

I look forward with great interest your continuing accounts.

Paula

[Guest Elizabeth K]

Oh Michele - you are there. The recovery sounds horrendous and I expected it would me. You reported here so EARLY in the recovery. That is amazing. But you are alive and you are on the mend. Baby - you are so brave!

My heart is with you!

Lizzy

[Guest Michele H]

Installment two - for those already following this post, you may want to read Mon and Tue again as there is some new stuff there.

I had planned on keeping a daily journal of surgical experience but the hospital does not have WiFi and I have had no available stregth for the task until today - I started this earlier and had several paragraphs written when I lost it – my net book doesn't like Laura's – get a static charge or something and I lose what I am writing – so THIS time, will write in a word doc and then will cut and past,!

Some background, I will be 64 in a couple of weeks, so no spring chicken. I had both the GCS (MtF) and a Breast Augmentation done at the same time and have a high pain tolerance.. Dr. McGinn did the surgery in Lower Bucks Hospital, PA.

You need to TRAIN for this surgery – train as if you are preparing for an assault on Everest. A good year of training is about right. As you read the diary, you will begin to see why.

SAT 26 JUNE: (Liquid diet day). Karen and I fly to PHL, rent a car and drive up to Lower Bucks County. We are staying at the Ramada which is less than 2 miles from the hospital, has nice clean rooms and a discounted rate for Dr. McGinn's patients. They are familiar with our needs and will insure that you are on a ground floor. After checking in, we purchased the supplies that will be needed and then relaxed around the pool. ­

SUN 27 JUNE: (Clear liquid diet, Magnesium citrate at 4 pm and 8 pm). Karen and I made sure we knew how to to get to the hospital and to New Hope and then spent the day exploring New Hope and then relaxing by the pool. The Ramada has a limited continental breakfast, no lunch and bar burgers in the evenings so you really need transportation to get around the area.. There is a small fridge and microwave so you can stock up on Ensure – you will be drinking 2 to 3 of these a day for at least the next two weeks - so I hope you like Ensure!

Dr McGinn recommends that you transfer from the Ramada when you get out of the hospital and then check into the Never More in New Hope, This is the best option if transportation options are limited. It is also a nice motel, is very GLBTQ friendly and does have a full restaurant (evenings only). It is, however, also a major party destination for the GLBTQ community in New York so not quiet on the weekends.

MON 28 JUNE: (Enema prior to going to the hospital). My check in was for 11 am and the check in process was quick if a bit disorganized. After writing the hospital a check and getting a bracelet, went to the lab to have blood drawn – so far good. The lab then gave us directions to pre-op – which weren't the best. We were told to take the elevators and then 4 lefts, which we did – but they failed to mention to go straight at the second intersection before turning left again. We ended up in ICU but one of the nurses took us in hand and got us to the right place. I was emotional this morning but kept it in check so as not to upset Karen. As they wheeled me into the OR, I let a couple of tears escape – part of it was a bit of a fear but mostly I was about to undergo the last surgery needed to correct my birth defects. My entrance should have been more impressive! - Perhaps the opening strains of Also Sprach Zarathustra should have been playing! I had a really really bad reaction to either the anesthesia or pain meds last September so the anesthesia team spent some time talking to me about the experience and we came to the conclusion that it had been the pain meds since the hallucinations lasted three days and we decided to go with Morphine this time. The last time I saw on the clock was 1200 and the next time I saw was 8 pm that evening. No hallucinations!!! this time. I was flat on my back, 3 large ice packs in my crotch and leg compressors on my legs (these are heavy air bags wrapped around the legs that fill, compress the leg and then deflate. All this keeps you very immobile. Since I am immobile, bandaged and very tired, I have no real sense of the changes that have taken place

TUE 29 JUNE: Liquid diet – including insure. Learned new skills like how to drink liquids and eat Jello while flat on my back – no head elevation at all. I was still bleeding so was not allowed to elevate the bed. It's difficult to even find your food when it is higher than you. Since I could not be moved, when the nurses would check on me, they would mark the edge of the blood stain on the sheets and the time to monitor blood loss. Some blood loss at this point is expected. I used the morphine pump sparingly, the pain was very manageable and the leg compression devices feels good. Becoming more aware of my body – or at least curious. My chest is bandaged and wrapped in a very tight ace bandage. The bandages will remain in place until next Tuesday but I can lightly run my hands over the bandages and it feels so right. I was a little worried about how I would feel with implants rather than 'home grown'. Yes, I would have preferred to have grown my very own, but I will take these – o yes I will indeed.

WED 30 JUNE: continue liquid diet. Normally, the nursing staff would get me on my feet today, but because of the bleeding, I get an extra day of being flat on my back. I am allowed to raise the bed up 10 degrees! Still mostly content to sleep but becoming aware that I STINK. I have a giant tampon sewn into my vagina that has beeen there 3 days, no bath or shower or shower for three days and I' have been laying in a pool of my own blood, Oh yes – STINKY.

THURS: 1 Jul: Continue liquid diet. Today is the day the nurses will get me out of bed. Since we are now a day behind schedule, it will be accelerated. If all had gone according to plan, On Wednesday I would have stood and then gotten back into bed – so we are going directly to the walk stage. Around noon my bed is elevated to a sitting position to get me used to being up right. After sitting for an hour, three nurses came in to help me stand. It felt SO good to have the leg contraptions removed. They have moved from nice to an irritation but you will have them on your legs until you are discharged. I have never fainted in my life but I did today, I was on my feet, felt fine and then dropped like a sack of potatoes. Woke up back in bed flat on my back again but was allowed to elevate the bed. A second attempt took place around dinner time and this time I made it back to bed before I passed out. The third and successful attempt was around 9 pm that evening. Had my first real food at noon – turkey.

FRI 2 JUL: Today is get out of the hospital day – free of the leg restraints! First though was the 'walk two laps around the nursing floor without aid of a walker' test. Around noon they came in and capped the Foley. It's time to get the bladder used to filling up. When I need to pee, the nurses have to come in and unhook me from my leg restraints so I can go to the bath room – standing up – you remove a plug and drain your bladder from a short tube. My entire crotch area is packed with rock hard, blood soaked pads – no wonder I smell. Dr McGinn comes in around 4 pm and removes the drains and gives me my instructions for the next few days – stay in bed, get up only to go to the bathroom, drink lots of fluids with a high protein diet and avoid foods that can constipate you. After she leaves, the leg compression torture devices are removed, Karen helps me dress and we wait to be transported down to the entrance. First opportunity to sit – NOT pleasant! Karen was unable to find a hemorrhoid donut. So this would be the one supply you will need that I would recommend finding and bringing with you. Getting in and out of the motel bed proved to be challenging, painful and tiring. The most comfortable position is still prone – sitting up, even partially puts pressure on the buttocks. This puts limitations on how much I can type at any given point.

SAT 3 JUL: Beginning to learn how to get out of bed with minimal pain. If you are not having breast augmentation along with the GCS, it will be a lot easier for you. Here is where you will need pads, bed pads, cheep underwear and your oldest night gowns and PJ's - By Saturday morning I had soaked through my night gown. But it wasn't clear if I was still bleeding or blood coming from the pads that have been in place. A couple of the pads falls off and I can begin to see some of the new me. There is one pad left in place that is either sewn to me or really stuck, I don't remove ANYTHING that doesn't fall off on it's own. The problem with staining my underwear and nightgowns has diminished but not gone away after two of the three pads were removed.

SUN 4 JUL: really just a continuation of Saturday, getting in and out of bed is getting easier but still sleep a lot.

[Drea]

Sounds like lots of blood. Hope you have been asking about the blood. If you have a bleeder inside the packing can act as a wick and pull it out and prevent it from healing.

If you don't have a doughnut, and you are able to, you can bend one leg underneath and try sitting on your foot with one butt cheek. Kind of like sitting half cross legged.

[Guest BeckyTG]

Dearest Michele,

Thank you so much for posting this. The last I heard, you'd dropped out of Laura's in an effort to save your surgery date through extreme weight loss measures. I am so glad to read that you made it and are now complete.

I admire you for your courage and applaud you for reporting your experience. It means a lot to many of us who are behind you. I just submitted an application to Dr. McGinn, myself, so I'm in the very beginning stages of physical completion.

Very gentle hugs of support,

Becky

[Guest viv]

Michele,,,I got such a buzz out of reading your good news .

Hope your recovery is full and rapid . I am in Seventh

Heaven reading good stuff from our folk ,,makes me cry,,

then smile , then I am in a good mood for the rest of the

day ....All your dreams my dear Sister ,,,bask in the

afterglow and those sunny days . Life aint that bad ,yeh??

luv,viv

[Guest sarah f]

I am glad to see that you are out of the hospital and able to get out of bed more. I hope you start to feel better soon and not anymore pain. Thank You again for taking time to write this out because it really paints a picture of what to expect for those of us that eventually want this done. You are a brave and strong lady to be able to do this at this point of your surgery. I look forward to seeing your next post.

[Guest Jean Davis]

Hey Michele

I'm so happy to hear that there was no serious complications with your surgery.

You are truely a very courageous and thoughtful woman to share this with us.

Thank You very much.

I was just wondering if it is not too much trouble if you could answer a couple of questions for me? If so that's fine also, I'm sure i'll have a chance to ask when I get to that point (I got a long ways to go so there's no rush )

My first question is that I saw a youtube video of the surgery and was wondering what the plastic piece was that Marcie Bowers inplants? BTW if you haven't seen the video I'm referring to I would be happy to send you the link in a PM.

And my second question is kinda silly but here it is. Those days that you couldn't elevate your head, what did you do to keep yourself occupied or did the pain medication pretty much keep you sleeping most of the time?

Told you it was kinda silly.

Wishing you a quick recovery.

LUV

Jean

[Guest Michele H]

As for your first question, don't know about the plastic piece. is it a permanent part of you or temporary? If temporary, it may be similiar to the yards of packing that was sewn into my vagina and then removed a week later.

The swecond question is easier - the morphine pump is your friend. I used it until I was elevated and had limited motion and then cut way back on the pump.

Hey Michele

I'm so happy to hear that there was no serious complications with your surgery.

You are truely a very courageous and thoughtful woman to share this with us.

Thank You very much.

I was just wondering if it is not too much trouble if you could answer a couple of questions for me? If so that's fine also, I'm sure i'll have a chance to ask when I get to that point (I got a long ways to go so there's no rush )

My first question is that I saw a youtube video of the surgery and was wondering what the plastic piece was that Marcie Bowers inplants? BTW if you haven't seen the video I'm referring to I would be happy to send you the link in a PM.

And my second question is kinda silly but here it is. Those days that you couldn't elevate your head, what did you do to keep yourself occupied or did the pain medication pretty much keep you sleeping most of the time?

Told you it was kinda silly.

Wishing you a quick recovery.

LUV

Jean

[Guest Donna Jean]

So, Honey......

I have a question, too.....

How are you feeling overall today?

LOVE

Dee Jay