Good morning All. Coffees on.

[Astrid]

Stay safe! Meanwhile, enjoy the bread 🍞😎

 

Astrid 

[Jackie C.]

5 hours ago, Willow said:

I’ll let you know how my bread turns out.

 

Well, it's the yeast you can do.

 

Hugs!

[Colleen Henderson]

1 hour ago, Jackie C. said:

 

Well, it's the yeast you can do.

Trying to get a rise out of her?

[Bri2020]

First cup of bad hospital coffee is done. It will hold me until my late morning visitor arrives with the real stuff. Today will be my 4th day post op, 5th day lying in bed and I gotta say I am over the bed rest thing. 
they did upgrade my bed to the variable pressure air mattress version which made sleeping more comfortable and my back doesn’t hurt as much. Tomorrow all the packing, drains and catheter come out and I can start to walk a bit. ( also start dilating). 

[Willow]

Good morning everyone 

 

@Bri2020 it sounds like a fun day ( sarcasm intended). But it also means you are on the road to recovery. I hope everything goes well today  

 

while Ian did leave significant damage in the area but nothing compared to Florida, we had no damage not even at our boat. I believe the area lost three piers. It would seem like the only time they get maintained is after a storm damages them our worse. No wind. Sun is out. It’s a beautiful fall day

 

 

[Marcie Jensen]

15 hours ago, Colleen Henderson said:

Trying to get a rise out of her?

Probably jsut trying to butter her up.

[Willow]

Hey, I can take it bring on your yeasty, rising and buttery jokes all you want.  😀  The bread I made was relatively simple.  I like crusty bread and it was.  And I toasted a piece this morning with butter and that was good too.   I had it with my strong black coffee.  I think my next bread will be dinner rolls.  I want to try them before thanksgiving.  We invited our daughter to come for thanksgiving and she accepted!  So I’m figuring on making scratch yeast dinner rolls.  But I want to know in advance if I can.  
 

I also made brownies last night.  Any comments?  They were powered with walnuts and I added just a few kisses.  Gotta be some good material there.

 

@Bri2020 Lizzy, how’s it going with your procedures today?  I hope you continue to make progressing.

 

willow

[Astrid]

7 hours ago, Willow said:

Hey, I can take it bring on your yeasty, rising and buttery jokes all you want.  😀

 

Challenge accepted!

• How do you spot a radical baker?  They're always going against the grain.
• What's the most sophisticated type of bread?  The upper crust.
• What did the slice of bread say to the cheese?  You're the best thing since me!
• The two slices of bread decided to leave the bakery. I heard that they wanted to grow mold together.
• Two bakers, at their wedding reception, were given a toast to butter days.

Cheers (while humming Another One Bites the Crust),

 

Astrid

[Willow]

@Astrid  Well done.  I bow to your creativity and humor.

 

 I think you bested the other jokes.  I look forward to more.

 

hugs

 

Willow

[Ivy]

Baking bread is therapy for me.

[Elizabeth Star]

I had a great time at the fundraiser last night. It was for suicide prevention month. My companion and I were the only trans people who attended but there were other members of the lgbt community present. I got to meet one of our state representatives and his husband. They actually came to us, which is apparently a big deal. There was a contest for the best mask, I didn't win but I did strut my stuff on the catwalk. By the end of the night I found myself out on the floor dancing in 4in. stilettos. It was a lot easier then I though but I attribute that to a good pair of shoes. We ended our night at a local place with some wine and strawberry cheese cake.

 

I spent today visiting one of my Wisconsin GFs at the VA hospital. It was nice. We spent most of the time cuddling and napping. I found out there are some issues with the VA. They advertise and pride themselves on being inclusive and supportive of the trans community but although she has legally changed her name and gender marker they occasionally misgender and call her by her dead name. She's spoken with the patient advocate several times but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

 

At this point I'm spent and very grateful I don't have to do anything tomorrow.

[Ivy]

11 hours ago, Elizabeth Star said:

I found out there are some issues with the VA. They advertise and pride themselves on being inclusive and supportive of the trans community

Yeah, this can be a thing.  I think it's part of my problem with my endocrinologist.  People are still people and can be jerks.

[KymmieL]

11 hours ago, Elizabeth Star said:

 She's spoken with the patient advocate several times but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

Liz, tell your friend to contact the facilities LGBTQ coordinator. They maybe able to assist her with the problems. If not have her go up the chain.

 

Kymmie

[Willow]

Good morning

 

showing the boat again today.  This time to a true sailor. Not a wannabe.  
 

I don’t think it really matters what the policy of the VA or Medicare or any other organizations they say they are inclusive etc might be.  The care really comes from finding the right doctors.  
 

a typical example.  The President of MUSC said that they were inclusive and creating an LGBTQI with emphasis on T practice group.  Well, they have one endocrinologist, had but lost one urologist, have no plastic surgeons, had but lost a voice therapist… get my point?  I am having a hard time finding people covered by my insurance that will consider breast augmentation, which is my next and last desired change.  I find one on my insurance physician list and they say no not covered because they now longer practice at a hospital.  I look on the hospital list of doctors with privilege and they won’t do the surgery I want.  I’ve been told of doctors that will do it but they are not close to me.

 

Getting the medical care we want or need is definitely challenging.

 

Willow

[Bri2020]

21 hours ago, Willow said:

@Bri2020 Lizzy, how’s it going with your procedures today?  I hope you continue to make progressing.

I'm recovering well. This morning was the big reveal after pulling all the packing, dressings and drains out. Did my first dilation successfully and painlessly. I got to see my new girl for the first time and while she looks like she was in a prize fight with all of the swelling and scabs, she's beautiful and I am so happy.  I get to go home tomorrow. I got all showered and cleaned up and feel pretty again. (almost a week in bed and my hair was getting pretty disgusting) 

[Maddee]

44 minutes ago, Bri2020 said:

I'm recovering well. This morning was the big reveal after pulling all the packing, dressings and drains out. Did my first dilation successfully and painlessly. I got to see my new girl for the first time and while she looks like she was in a prize fight with all of the swelling and scabs, she's beautiful and I am so happy.  I get to go home tomorrow. I got all showered and cleaned up and feel pretty again. (almost a week in bed and my hair was getting pretty disgusting) 

You look beautiful

[Mmindy]

2 hours ago, Bri2020 said:

get to go home tomorrow. I got all showered and cleaned up and feel pretty again.

That’s fantastic news Bri, I hope you continue to have a comfortable recovery. 
 

Hugs,

 

🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋❤️

[Heather Nicole]

@Bri2020 Congratulations, and have a swift recovery!

 

All: I always appreciate a good pan(🇫🇷) pun, too.

[KymmieL]

Good to hear. Bri. Hope everything continues to go great for you.

I just wish I was even half as far as your journey.

 

Kymmie

[Bri2020]

My second dilation wasn't nearly as comfortable. They gave me a little medicine before the first attempt to make it more comfy and loosen me up.  it went OK the second time but there was more of a sense of pressure and a bit of pain. The worst part was afterwards I got up to go clean up and totally peed all over myself.  I've discovered my ability to "hold it" doesn't work the same. I'm sure once the swelling is down and the nerves recover some it will be OK but for now, precautions must be taken. 

[Ivy]

8 hours ago, Katie23 said:

I have little problems living in a place where I know many people, and they know I am a transwoman. There is not as much hate as Fox News would like to churn up.

This has been my experience in NC as well.

 

[Aggie1]

10 hours ago, Bri2020 said:

I'm recovering well. This morning was the big reveal after pulling all the packing, dressings and drains out. Did my first dilation successfully and painlessly. I got to see my new girl for the first time and while she looks like she was in a prize fight with all of the swelling and scabs, she's beautiful and I am so happy.  I get to go home tomorrow. I got all showered and cleaned up and feel pretty again. (almost a week in bed and my hair was getting pretty disgusting) 

You look radiant!

[Willow]

@Bri2020 you look very happy and I am happy for you that things are going well.  Certainly there are going to be new things to deal with.  Kind of like getting potty trained all over again.  I’m having some issues in that regard myself and have made an appointment with a urologist to try to figure things out.  I got from urgently needing to go but can’t back to normal again.  
 

@Katie23 I didn’t realize you were in SC.  I have seen SC sometimes try to take a strict “NO” position with Transgender and other times just leave us alone.  Certainly don’t do anything to support or help.  My urologist Surgeon let MUSC to go to NC to be part of the university’s transgender surgery department. I do have an accepting PA, and I haven’t had issues with therapists other than they retire of change positions within the system.  I’m actually going to go back to my original therapist.  The one who diagnosed me.  I kept questioning him so I decided to go to someone else plus my endocrinologist insisted he wanted me to continue to see someone.  4 out of 4 agree with the diagnosis of gender dysphoria so I guess I need to believe it.  Stop questioning and just get on with things.

 

Willow

[Jamie68]

On 9/27/2022 at 6:51 PM, Bri2020 said:

woo hoo!  I am complete!   Surgery went well. I’m in almost no pain , just some pressure pain and lots of uncomfortable gas. I haven’t need narcotics in 8 hours. I’m sure the neo V is a swollen mess and stuff but when I look down there all I can tell is there is no longer a penis or scrotum and it makes me smile!  
on the flip side my daughter had to evacuate from Ian. She’s in St. Petersburg in a low lying part so she drove up to GA to stay with a friend for a few days. 

Wow! Congratulations 🎊. I don't get on here much anymore but glad to hear that you got your surgery and doing well 😊. 

[Bri2020]

Good morning friends,

Morning coffee has taken on a new meaning now.  My routine now is to get up and make the coffee, do the whole bathroom thing and now drink coffee in bed while dilating.  Certainly isn't quite the peaceful gradual wake up to the day I'm used to but I'm happy to pay the price.  I am certainly not going to schedule anything early in the mornings for while. lol. I get sprung today ( I think) and will be heading home.  I'm looking forward to getting out but for some reason have this apprehension about getting out of here.  I think it has to do with  something akin to "OK, you're done with all this trans BS, now get on with your life". The process of getting to this point was all consuming and other than this dilation schedule and a little more electrolysis that I will pick back up on next year, my life shouldn't be distracted by all of medical transitioning stuff.  I'm curious to hear others thoughts that have gotten to this point and how they felt about the adjustment.

Thank you all for your support during this journey. It has meant a lot.  

8 hours ago, Willow said:

4 out of 4 agree with the diagnosis of gender dysphoria so I guess I need to believe it.  Stop questioning and just get on with things

I think you are right that you have to listen to yourself and others and move to acceptance.  Whether you choose to pursue transitioning more or not is a different choice.  It must be hard.  Knowing and accepting who you are is different from whether you choose to express that identity.  We all know, going down that road has its benefits as well as consequences.  Only you can decide if the journey is right.