Jump to content
  • Welcome to the TransPulse Forums!

    We offer a safe, inclusive community for transgender and gender non-conforming folks, as well as their loved ones, to find support and information.  Join today!

Paula's Surgery--Part 3, Hospital Kicks Her To The Curb


Guest BeckyTG

Recommended Posts

Guest BeckyTG

Friday—Final day in hospital. Paula has finally figured out how to overcome her fainting when first standing up. Her legs have been wrapped in pressure wraps, which increase and decrease pressure to keep blood moving. When these are suddenly undone, so she can get up, apparently it changes blood flow substantially and alters blood to the brain. So, she’s been putting one leg at a time over the side of the bed in order to alter blood flow.

This has done the trick and she can now stand up without getting terribly faint. Way to go, Girl.

They’ve disconnected the catheter bag and left her with a tube with a stopper in it. She now has to get up to pee. This will be the last time ever for her that she will have to do this standing up. She just pulls the cork and lets it drain, then reinstalls the stopper. She reports that the pain and swelling make it difficult to determine when she does have to pee. There have been times when she flooded the place and other times when all she got was a dribble. She says it’s a strange feeling.

Saturday¬---She was kicked out of the hospital late Friday, but not until she got her last supper at the hospital. She was transported to a beautiful Bed and Breakfast in New Hope, now used by all the “McGinn Girls” for her next week of recovery. She’ll stay there a week and, hopefully, start home next Sat.

She reported that she’s had a rough time Friday night and Saturday with gas pains that she just can’t get to go away and she’s quite uncomfortable. I think that perhaps the logistics in getting out of the hospital, getting dressed, the car ride and all that just might have contributed to all this. One thing is certain, it sure isn’t over yet and she may face some tough days and nights ahead.

Her Doctor’s orders were clear—stay in bed, be a good girl. She can get up to pee and maybe do a little light walking, but that’s it. This is the hard part, because there are times when boredom can get to you and you get impatient.

She says that getting out of bed is the most difficult thing she’s done so far. Well, duh. She has to get to a sitting position to get up, think about what happens when she does that… Oh, my. She says getting back into bed is easy, but getting up, not so much.

Sunday morning---She said she’d watched a movie Saturday night. I wonder if she had any popcorn? The bed and breakfast apparently prepares and serves wonderful breakfasts, she’s being treated well.

She’s been feeling herself to see where things are now. She says she can see where the catheter tube goes into her and, for some reason, she says that area is amazingly smooth… There is some swelling, but, apparently, she can detect some changes to her anatomy. I hope she doesn’t peel any dressings away to see.

She’s still in for a few tough days, as her first Dr. visit is Tuesday. That’s when the packing comes out and she gets to see the results. From what we’ve both heard about that sight, she’s prepared for a bit of a shock. I hope she can bear it (that’s for Sally).

She can probably read all this, but will have a tough time posting herself, as she only has her little phone. She could be in for a bear of a time, so keep her in your thoughts.

That’s all from here, now back to the Forums…. Maria?

Becky, Cub Reporter (not) at the scene.

Link to comment

Hi Paula,

So sorry to hear about your difficulties, but, you're doing great! Hang in there - keep those pain pills handy - and take care.

We'll be thinking good thoughts for you.

Love, Kat

Link to comment
Guest John Chiv

Paula,

Wishing you a safe, healthy, pain-free recovery and welcome home (here) and soon, another welcome when you are home.

John

Link to comment
  • Admin

Thanks so much for the update, Becky. You're a peach. :)

I know its a tough slog, Paula, and you knew well that it would be. It's major surgery, and no picnic, so all you prospective SRS patients out there take note. Just keep your eyes on the prize, Paula. The worst is over, and the best is coming soon.

Love

Carolyn Marie

Link to comment
Guest ~Brenda~

Paula,

As you recover from your needed surgery, keep in mind that you are perfect in health and spirit. You have always been Paula, and what you are going through are just the physical manifestations of body, not mind.

Your blood pressure will stabilize, and you will be able to move as you always have been able to move.

You have arrived

Love you Paula

Brenda

Link to comment
Guest Elizabeth K

Paula - you said this many times - baby steps to a successful end!

We are cheering for ya!

THANKS Becky!

Lizzy

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Who's Online   1 Member, 0 Anonymous, 102 Guests (See full list)

    • LC
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.7k
    • Total Posts
      769.3k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      12,057
    • Most Online
      8,356

    Aleksandria
    Newest Member
    Aleksandria
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Conner_Sent_By_Cyberlife
      Conner_Sent_By_Cyberlife
      (22 years old)
    2. CtN1p
      CtN1p
    3. heyim_finn
      heyim_finn
      (21 years old)
    4. Jayn
      Jayn
    5. joni_girl_1988
      joni_girl_1988
      (51 years old)
  • Posts

    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
      Do you use make-up? If so, why and what  types?
    • Heather Shay
      Pride is primarily about yourself, even when it is not you who did something that you are proud about. You can also be proud of something someone else did, who you associate with, such as your children or your favorite football team. People can feel proud of their culture, their family name, or their appearance, none of which require them to actively contribute to the praiseworthy thing1. However, the opinions of others are of crucial importance, as best demonstrated when you purposefully do something that other people praise. Pride is a social emotion, and to feel proud, you need other people’s (real or imagined) confirmation that you have a reason to feel that way. Because of this, other people can also ‘be in your head’ and prevent you from feeling pride. Namely, what is praiseworthy is subjective. Things that may be considered good in a certain (cultural) group may not be praiseworthy in another (e.g., if you grew up in a family that greatly values academics, your athletic abilities may not evoke much praise). Moreover, what is praiseworthy is relative (e.g., if you are a good runner in an athletically average school, you may regularly feel proud about your times; but if you move to a school with highly competent athletes, these same times may seem unremarkable to you). Thus, the more exclusive your quality is in your surroundings, the prouder you feel. Pride has recognizable features. Although its static facial expression (typically a smile or laugh) does not clearly distinguish it from other positive emotions, it typically results in a bodily posture, gestures, and behavior that are clearly recognizable: lifting your chin, looking people in the eye, walking confidently, or in extreme cases, raising arms above your head. In a way, you try to make yourself larger and more noticeable, as if to say: ‘look at me!’ You may also exhibit more perseverance in your activities2. People generally find it very pleasant to experience pride, as it elevates our feeling of social self-worth and status3. At the same time, many social groups, religions, and cultures (especially those that are highly collectivistic, such as the East Asian or African culture) believe that pride needs to be checked. Unchecked pride leads to arrogance and misplaced feelings of superiority (‘letting something get to your head’, ‘hubris comes before the fall’), and social groups typically do not tolerate members feeling like they are superior or deserve special treatment.  
    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
    • April Marie
      Thank you @missyjo! You do wonders for my ego.   It turns out that pastel colors were the "thing" at Kentucky Derby Day so my dress was perfect. I went with white 5" heeled sandals and a wide-brimmed fuscia hat. Dinner and Mint Juleps added to the fun of watching the (recorded) festivities and races.   Perhaps, we'll repeat it for the Preakness in 2 weeks.   Right now it's just blue striped sleep shorts with pink flowers, a pink t-shirt and flip flops. I can't tell you how much wearing  sleep-rated breast forms at night has done to quell my dysphoria. 
    • April Marie
      I can still rock 5" heels.
    • April Marie
      Good morning, everyone!!   My wife and I had our yearly Kentucky Derby Day evening. Dresses, heels, hats, Mint Juleps and a light dinner while watching the festivities and races. Relaxing and fun. I think we'll do the same for the Preakness in two weeks.   It's rainy and cool here today so it's pretty much going to keep me indoors. Ahh, well. A day of rest.   Enjoy and be safe!!
    • Ladypcnj
      Thanks Sally Stone
    • KymmieL
      Thanks, Mindy. It has been so far. Tomorrow, work some more on the wife's grand monkey. Got the right side of the hood primed, just need to do a little more work on the left then I can prime it. Then a 600grit wet sand.   I promised the wife we would take out the bike this weekend.   Kymmie
    • JessicaMW
      During my last visit with my psychologist (who has agreed to provide required letters of recommendation along with a colleague to provide the second) we discussed the shift towards my wife's acceptance. It was a long discussion but one point I mentioned was how much the two of us sitting down and watching this documentary helped:  The Kings | A transgender love story (2017)
    • Betty K
      Oops, I did not mean to post that comment yet! I was going to also say, having read a mountain of commentary on the Review, I think Julia Serano’s response (linked by Vicky above) is the most accurate and thorough. You can also read a non-paywalled version at Substack: https://juliaserano.substack.com/p/the-cass-review-wpath-files-and-the   To me the three key areas in which the review is deficient are:   1. As has already been said here, its views on social transition;   2. Its attempts to give credence to the “ROGD” theory (without ever actually mentioning ROGD because presumably a canny editor knows that would be too transparently transphobic);   3. To me, most crucially, its claims about trans youth and suicide, which are dealt with summarily in about five pages and do not stand up to any deeper scrutiny.    I will be writing about each of these issues in isolation over the next few weeks and appearing on a radio show and podcast to discuss them late in the month. I will post links to these on TP later if anyone is interested.   All that said, I actually think it’s dangerous for us to respond with outright vitriol and condemnation to the review since, like any effective piece of disinformation, it does actually contain some factually based and even helpful recommendations. The Tavistock Gender Identity Service really was underfunded and understaffed and certain staff were not adequately trained. Trans kids really were funnelled away from mental-health support once they started gender-affirming care too. So yes, more investment in youth psychology services would help, as would a less centralised model of care, more training in treatment of trans kids, and more research.   One last thing for now: beware the claim that Cass ignored 98% of studies. That’s not strictly true. She seems to have taken other studies into account but leaned heavily on the 2% that met her standards. Nor does she ever claim that only randomised controlled trials are good enough evidence to justify the use of blockers for kids; just as with ROGD, she strongly suggests this, but is too canny to say it, because she knows such trials would be impossible. For now, I think the best response to this comes from the Trans Safety Network: “[…] we believe there to be systemic biases in the ways that the review prioritises speculative and hearsay evidence to advance its own recommendations while using highly stringent evidence standards to exclude empirical and observational data on actual patients. “ (https://transsafety.network/posts/tsn-statement-on-cass-final-report/)   To me, the scariest aspect of all this is that, if it follows Cass’s recommendations, the NHS will very likely follow Finland’s recent model of trans care, which seems to amount to a prolonged form of conversion therapy. I can’t find the link right now, which is probably lucky for anyone reading this, but I bawled my guts out reading the testimonies of kids who had been mistreated by that system. Truly horrific. To me, at least from my Australian perspective, the Cass Review is the most frightening development in trans rights in recent years. To me, the safe care of trans kids is THE number one issue in politics atm.   Ruth Pierce has a good summary of responses from trans folk and their allies sk far: https://ruthpearce.net/2024/04/16/whats-wrong-with-the-cass-review-a-round-up-of-commentary-and-evidence/    
    • Sally Stone
      Welcome to the wide, wild world of transgender, M.A.  It can definitively be overwhelming, but everyone here is amazing, so no doubt you'll get bunches of wonderful support. I think you'll be happy you found us.   
    • Sally Stone
      @Ladypcnj  This is so true.  I think all of us here have had a post or two that didn't get a response.  Sometimes, it's as simple as adding to your original to post for a clearer explanation, or re-reading what you wrote originally, and rephrasing it.  But don't despair, we aren't ignoring you.   Hugs,   Sally 
  • Upcoming Events

Contact TransPulse

TransPulse can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: Click Here.

To report an error on this page.

Legal

Your use of this site is subject to the following rules and policies, whether you have read them or not.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
DMCA Policy
Community Rules

Hosting

Upstream hosting for TransPulse provided by QnEZ.

Sponsorship

Special consideration for TransPulse is kindly provided by The Breast Form Store.
×
×
  • Create New...