Finally have my GRS consult date set.?

[Susan R]

Hi Everyone,

Good news! I finally got my in-person GRS consult date (July 2) in Spokane with Dr. Stiller. My original consult was going to be scheduled back in March but then the Covid lockdown occurred. My surgeon soon after started doing video Telehealth consults.  I was thinking of doing it via Telehealth to speed things up but I then decided to wait for an in-person consult.  Stiller finally started doing in-person consults again this June. I want to check out the facility, speak with him in person, and make sure I am a good candidate for this surgery with a physical examination which was not offered using the Telehealth option.

So right now I‘m getting prepared for this trip to Eastern Washington.  The 3 letters of recommendation will be given to me next week so the hard part is soon to be completed. I also scheduled a covid-19 test on June 26 which is required 3-7 days prior to the consult.  I also want to show up fully prepared with good questions to ask my surgeon while at the consult. I have several Ive though of already but maybe there are a few additional questions I hadn’t thought about.

One question for example I was told to ask about would be...
What is their post surgery infection rate?

That sounds like a good question, however I wouldn’t know if the number is good or bad if all I was given is a percentage. Is there another way to ask it to give me a better understanding?

So if anyone here can think of good questions they had wished they had asked their surgeon prior to surgery, It would be very helpful.  I’m really excited about this. Finally, it feels like things are moving right along now. I’m getting closer every day to that ‘ever so significant‘ surgery date.?

Susan R?

[Patti Anne]

43 minutes ago, Susan R said:

So if anyone here can think of good questions they had wished they had asked their surgeon prior to surgery, It would be very helpful.

 

 

Hi Susan:

 

Generic questions would include:

 

What are the possible risks and complications from this surgery? Of these,which are the most likely to occur? What percentage of patients experience these complications?

What is your infection rate? (Anything above 5% isn't good. >10% is bad.)

How long will I be under anesthesia?

What sort of pain can I expect post-operatively? What do you prescribe for the pain?

How long before I can be up and about?

 

Good luck and keep us up on the progress!

 

Patti

[ShawnaLeigh]

7 hours ago, Patti Anne said:

 

 

Hi Susan:

 

Generic questions would include:

 

What are the possible risks and complications from this surgery? Of these,which are the most likely to occur? What percentage of patients experience these complications?

What is your infection rate? (Anything above 5% isn't good. >10% is bad.)

How long will I be under anesthesia?

What sort of pain can I expect post-operatively? What do you prescribe for the pain?

How long before I can be up and about?

 

Good luck and keep us up on the progress!

 

Patti

Beat me to it.

All what Patti said.  

 

Good for you for getting this far and you are almost there!

[Susan R]

@Patti Anne @ShawnaLeigh Thanks you two! Good questions and info on the infection rate, Patti Anne. I’ll use some of these if the topics are not discussed in consult.

 

Thanks Again,

Susan R?

[Patti Anne]

 

Good Morning Susan:

 

PS: If you want to know why those questions are important, let me know.

 

PA

 

[Patti Anne]

BTW, congrats on the surgery date. If you would have asked me 2 years ago if I would schedule that surgery like that, I would have laughed at the very idea. Now? Not so much. I just hope I can get to it before too much time passes.

 

PA

[ShawnaLeigh]

41 minutes ago, Patti Anne said:

BTW, congrats on the surgery date. If you would have asked me 2 years ago if I would schedule that surgery like that, I would have laughed at the very idea. Now? Not so much. I just hope I can get to it before too much time passes.

 

PA

Me too.  

Me first! 

It will be nice to have my own doctor to take care of me during recovery.

I think.

She may be a bit to protective of me now.  

[Susan R]

Thanks for the congrats but this is technically only my consult for that surgery...unless there’s something they’re not telling me?. The surgery is to follow probably within 3-6 months afterwards. That’s coming without a doubt.

 

Seriously though, I am so ecstatic, I couldn’t sleep last night but a few hours which is terrible because I have to be up at 5:45am for my labs and it’s 5:08am already.

 

Susan R?

[Patti Anne]

33 minutes ago, ShawnaLeigh said:

She may be a bit to protective of me now.  

 

Stay off that damned mechanical bull! Leave that to Debra Winger and John Travolta! The last thing you need is a pounding in that area.

[Susan R]

27 minutes ago, Patti Anne said:

 

Stay off that damned mechanical bull! Leave that to Debra Winger and John Travolta! The last thing you need is a pounding in that area.

@ShawnaLeigh, you’re soon to be in good hands! ?

[ShawnaLeigh]

29 minutes ago, Susan R said:

@ShawnaLeigh, you’re soon to be in good hands! ?

I honestly have no idea why she keeps telling me this.  Its not like I'm out jumping motorcycles over the Grand Canyon or something.

I'm packing clothing for the move for crying out loud! 

Anything heavy I am leaving for my buddies or my ex wife.  LOL

[Susan R]

32 minutes ago, ShawnaLeigh said:

I honestly have no idea why she keeps telling me this.

You’re living life ‘on the edge’ especially with all the change you’ve been experiencing this last year! Step back and take a look....it’s crazy where you were one year ago compared to where you’ll be in a few weeks.  LOL, I could probably say that for half the members here I guess?

[Cyndee]

Hi Susan, first Congrats on moving forward with GCS and getting your consult scheduled ! I would prefer in person consult over telemedicine myself. Every surgeon has different requirements or recommendations regarding surgical area hair removal, but that is certainly a topic worth discussing ahead of time.

 

Best of luck

 

Cyndee

[Susan R]

26 minutes ago, Cyndee said:

Every surgeon has different requirements or recommendations regarding surgical area hair removal, but that is certainly a topic worth discussing ahead of time.

Yes, this is one of the main reasons I want to talk to Dr. Stiller in-person. Hair removal in that area is one topic I want to discuss. I have a few lady friends who had the surgery already with Dr. Stiller and they both told me he does a scrotum scrape with GRS but ‘highly recommends’ electrolysis prior which my insurance covers. Also, my skin is very thin and much softer down there which some doctors prescribe T cream for that area to toughen it up a bit. I want to find out if I’ll need such a treatment prior to surgery.  Those are additional questions I will have on my ever increasing list for the consult.

 

Thank you @Cyndee

[Patti Anne]

47 minutes ago, ShawnaLeigh said:

I honestly have no idea why she keeps telling me this. 

 

Hyperbole, hon. You didn't take it easy like you were supposed to

[ShawnaLeigh]

32 minutes ago, Patti Anne said:

 

Hyperbole, hon. You didn't take it easy like you were supposed to

Guilty as charged.  

Sigh

[Cyndee]

48 minutes ago, Susan R said:

Yes, this is one of the main reasons I want to talk to Dr. Stiller in-person. Hair removal in that area is one topic I want to discuss. I have a few lady friends who had the surgery already with Dr. Stiller and they both told me he does a scrotum scrape with GRS but ‘highly recommends’ electrolysis prior which my insurance covers. Also, my skin is very thin and much softer down there which some doctors prescribe T cream for that area to toughen it up a bit. I want to find out if I’ll need such a treatment prior to surgery.  Those are additional questions I will have on my ever increasing list for the consult.

 

Thank you @Cyndee

 

I am so happy for you !

 

I would certainly want to discuss, how long you would expect to be hospitalized, how many days do you need to stay in the area after being discharged like for catheter removal. What are the expected follow up visit (s). If everything goes right, when do you go home, what are the contingencies ?

 

C

[Emily michelle]

That is great Susan! This maybe tmi but it might not hurt to ask about hair removal down there.

[Jani]

@Susan R This is great news about an in person consultation.  Congratulations.  I hope the appointment is all you wish it to be and you find the doctor to be a good fit.  

Hugs, 

Jani

[Jackie C.]

3 hours ago, Susan R said:

The surgery is to follow probably within 3-6 months afterwards.

 

Ooh, quick! Neat!

 

Also, the risk of infection is pretty minor if you take care of it and follow all your surgeon's orders. The ares in question has a pretty impressive blood flow and that keeps the risk down so long as you don't do anything too rash.

 

Best of luck sweetie! All my consults are remote except for the one where my surgeon removed the packing (Ow!) and the catheter (Also Ow!) then showed me how to dilate.

 

I'm so very excited for you!

 

Hugs! 

[Jackie C.]

Oh, I should also point out that most of that information will be in the packet of information your surgeon gives with you prior to surgery. Mine was pretty comprehensive. It covers hair, what you can expect healing, things to look out for, who to call if there are problems, etc...

 

A talk is always nice, but I like to have written documentation I can access when I invariably forget a detail.

 

Still excited for you!

 

Hugs!

[Susan R]

Thanks for all the help ladies. Your feedback is very much appreciated. @Jackie C., knowing that I’ll have the information packet with everything in writing will be helpful if not scary. Sounds like it might have an index in the front...lol.

 

Susan R?

[Jackie C.]

I've still got mine. No index though. It's only a couple of pages. I think the post-op instructions are longer. It covers what to expect and any pre-op instructions your surgeon might have though.

 

Hugs!

[NB Adult]

Congratulations Susan! My concern was how long and how often would I have to dilate.

[Maddee]

Also excited for you Susan!

Are you decided on what specific procedure, or to be determined at consult?