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!

Kathy's big adventure


KathyLauren

Recommended Posts

10 hours ago, Ms Maddie said:

When someone looks good, even when not put together and coming through a major ordeal, that someone must be truly beautiful.

I know, right!  @KathyLauren, you do not look like you just underwent surgery!  And I must add - your profile pic doesn't do justice to your pretty eyes...  I hope you're feeling as good as you look.  I think you must be, because you're positively glowing!

Link to comment
  • Replies 77
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • KathyLauren

    19

  • Jani

    10

  • Jackie C.

    9

  • Susan R

    9

  • Forum Moderator

Awww, you ladies are the best!  I’m in the recovery centre now.  
 

Thank heaven for prune juice!  Feeling good.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Hi @KathyLauren Was thinking about you today and how you might be feeling.  How’s the pain management going? Is the pain localized or general? 
 

I know you felt little pain initially after surgery but I was trying to picture you coming down off the pain meds and moving around...does it all feel real suddenly or some other way entirely?  It’s good to read that you’re doing well.  We all hope you experience as little displeasure as possible and hope recovery continues to go smoothly.

 

Get well soon,

Susan R?

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

@Susan R  I actually haven’t had much pain in at all. They still have me on Tylenol, and I hardly feel anything.  The must uncomfortably thing is the big dressing between my legs.  That and the fact that I can’t sit on my catheter.  I have one of those U-shaped neck pillows that makes the perfect thing to sit on.

 

The whole feeling is a bit surreal, actually.  It might seem more real when they remove the dressing and I can finally see my lady bits.  Or perhaps when I get off the plane.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

I used an OTC pain reliever as well and once I return home I was finished with them.  Once the catheter is removed things will certainly feel better.  Thankfully you have a short flight!  

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Yay!  The dressing is off, and I’ve had my first shower in nearly a week.

 

My lady bits look like lady bits!.

 

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

The first shower is amazing, isn't it? Honestly it's still good six weeks later. It just helps everything relax.

 

Congratulations on your lady bits being recognizable. Mine are still a ways off (up to a year to fully heal). A toast to picturesque lady bits!

 

Hugs!

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

@KathyLauren Good to read that things are returning to normal for you. Are you fairly mobile as far as being able to walk much?  It seems early yet. Have you been able to see friends and family yet?  Anyways, I wish you a quick recovery and thank you for updating us.

 

My Best,

Susan R?

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

@Susan R  I am mobile enough to get around the recovery centre easily.  I don’t know yet about taking the dog for her 45-minute walk when I get home.  I have reserved a wheelchair with the airline for getting to and from my plane.

 

I have no family in the area, and I travelled alone.  There is one lady here from my support group, who had her surgery 2 days before me.  I am in regular email contact with my wife.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Wonderful news about being able to shower and having mobility.  Hugs!  

Jani 

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Home again!

After an hour and a half flight, I had an hour and a half limo ride to get home.  I didn’t feel like chatting with the driver for more than a couple of minutes, so I just looked out the window.

And I found myself getting weepy.  I don’t think, for all my dreaming and planning, I ever really, truly believed I’d get here.  Not even recently.  You know how, when you are a little kid, and everything is in the future?  My transition was like that.  Yes, I was making progress, but surgery was always in the future.  Until I started packing and this whirlwind of activity occurred.  And now, it’s done.

The feeling is like I’ve just walked out of the fog bank that was my life, into clear air.  My transition is finished, barring complications.  From here on, it’s just Kathy living her life as the woman she always was.  Wow!

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Kathy I am so happy for you.  I completely understand what you mean. It is a dream come true and now you can settle in to living peacefully as Kathy.  I recall when my doctor commented that my transition was finished.  It hit me a couple hours later that he was correct and while I might have a few adjustments still, I had attained what I always dreamed of.  As I noted, "its up to me now" and so to with you.  I know you'll make the best of it and live a happy life.  Rest and continue to heal. 

 

Cheers to you!!
Jani

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator
5 hours ago, KathyLauren said:

The feeling is like I’ve just walked out of the fog bank that was my life, into clear air.  My transition is finished, barring complications.  From here on, it’s just Kathy living her life as the woman she always was.  Wow!

Kathy reading this is like music to my ears so to speak and very well stated.  I hope to get there soon.  I spent the entire day on the phone working on mine and still have to wait due to this pandemic to get my initial consult.  It’s going to be such a long road I can tell.  You get to finally relax and breathe.  What a great place to be mentally.  I am so happy for you.  Enjoy and take in these moments. They are rare.

 

My Best,

Susan R?

Link to comment
8 hours ago, KathyLauren said:

Home again!

After an hour and a half flight, I had an hour and a half limo ride to get home.  I didn’t feel like chatting with the driver for more than a couple of minutes, so I just looked out the window.

And I found myself getting weepy.  I don’t think, for all my dreaming and planning, I ever really, truly believed I’d get here.  Not even recently.  You know how, when you are a little kid, and everything is in the future?  My transition was like that.  Yes, I was making progress, but surgery was always in the future.  Until I started packing and this whirlwind of activity occurred.  And now, it’s done.

The feeling is like I’ve just walked out of the fog bank that was my life, into clear air.  My transition is finished, barring complications.  From here on, it’s just Kathy living her life as the woman she always was.  Wow!

I am so very happy for you and wanted to thank you for this post. It is beautiful and I felt it in my heart.  I am still on my journey and I too look at this sort of surgery as distant future.  I can’t wait to be there but I know I have a lot of discovery still and the women I am is out there now enjoying life as it is.  
Congratulations and welcome home.  

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Day 13, and all is well.  The incisions and sutures are healing well.  There is not too much pain from the surgery. 

 

What is painful is the pubic hair growing back!  Holy crap, I never expected that!  I guess ladies who shave down there don't change their minds.

 

Self isolation is boring as heck, but it's necessary.  Thank goodness for the Internet.  And we have a house full of books when the library books are done.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

All is well is good!  Isolation is tough but we'll get through this.  Just like your incisions will heal and hair will grow.  
Take care. 

Jani

Link to comment
  • Hey Kathy glad your doing well. I am surprise you where able to walk down stairs, an on long walks. I was told not expect anything but a bed, bleeding and pain for at least a month to three months. So congrats
Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator
7 hours ago, KathyLauren said:

Day 13, and all is well.  The incisions and sutures are healing well.  There is not too much pain from the surgery.

You sound in good spirits. Being home probably helps although the lockdown on social events is difficult for us all.  I’m glad to hear you’re not feeling much pain.

 

Take care of yourself and be safe,

Susan R?

Link to comment

It is nice to hear you are healing well and feeling good!  I am not understanding the isolation much as I still have to go to work being in health care.  Its the same ole for me with lots more sanitation on everything and every body throughout the day.  

Keep up the high sprites all.  It will be over some day soon.

I hope.

Link to comment
  • 2 months later...
  • Forum Moderator

Update.  It has been more than three months, so where am I at with my recovery?

 

I have had no medical complications - no granulation or any other kind of nasty stuff.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, the re-growth of public hair was painful.  That lasted about two months.  It’s fine now.

 

I stopped icing my bits when I stopped doing the sitz baths, at one month.  That turned out to be a mistake.  I still swell up after any activity, so I am back to icing 1-3 times every day.  I am still fairly swollen as a baseline.  That is to be expected for a year.

 

Whether due to swelling or due to the position of my urethra, peeing is a bit of an adventure.  As I told my doctor recently, I am lucky if I can hit the toilet from a seated position!  I’ll have to see if that improves over the next months.

 

I had a fair amount of pain earlier on around my clitoris.  It seems to have settled down to just pressure now.  I think some of that is just my new normal.  Some is likely due to ongoing swelling.  
 

Identifying sensations has been a challenge.  All the sensations feel familiar, as they should, since all the tissues are my own.  But they have all been rearranged, so what it feels like isn’t what’s actually happening!  That took some getting used to.  I have identified most of the sensations.  There is still one that puzzles me.  Fortunately, it happens less often these days.  (TMI alert:  What the heck would feel like a wire snare around my penis?)  

 

I am gradually getting back to regular activities.  I want to start walking the dog, but so far, I haven’t been able to walk more than a kilometre without swelling.  I can mow the grass, but I can’t do it all in one day.  It takes several days to mow it all, by which time, it’s time to start over.  I still sit on a cushion as much as possible, but I can sit for short periods on a regular chair.
 

I hope this kind of information is helpful to those planning or recovering from their own surgery.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Thanks for the update Kathy...lots of interesting information. The TMI info is good to hear even if it seems too personal for you to share, It’s all very important for us to know what to expect...or perhaps, what not to expect. Glad you recovery is going well!

 

Thanks Again,

Susan R?

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   5 Members, 0 Anonymous, 131 Guests (See full list)

    • Wasylyna
    • SamC
    • April Marie
    • Maddee
    • Willow
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.7k
    • Total Posts
      768.3k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      12,023
    • Most Online
      8,356

    Delaney
    Newest Member
    Delaney
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Dillon
      Dillon
    2. Kaylee888
      Kaylee888
    3. lily100
      lily100
      (39 years old)
    4. Luce
      Luce
      (44 years old)
    5. Luke.S
      Luke.S
  • Posts

    • violet r
      I use my  chosen name online and when ever I can. I play some online game and only go by that name. That is how everyone there know me. Yes it does feel great to be called the name you prefer. 
    • Breezy Victor
      I was ten years old when my mom walked in on me frolicking around my room dressed up in her bra, panties, and some pantyhose. I had been doing this in the privacy of my bedroom for a little while now so I had my own little stash box I kept full of different panties, bras, etc ... of hers. My mom's underwear was so easy for me to come by and she was a very attractive woman, classy, elegant. Well when she walked in on me, she looked at me with disgust and said to me... "If I wanted to run around like mommy's little girl instead of mommy's little boy, then she was going to treat me like mommy's little girl."  She left my bedroom after telling me NOT to change or get dressed or anything and returned with a few of her work skirts and blouses and such. She made me model off her outfits for her and I have to admit ... I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT. I felt so sexy, and feminine. And she knew I loved it.  She told me we can do this every weekend if I'd like. It would be OUR little secret. 
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      The usual social ways, of course.  Taking care of my partners and stepkids, being involved in my community.  That makes me feel good about my role.   As for physical validation and gender... probably the most euphoric experience is sex.  I grew up with my mother telling me that my flat and boyish body was strange, that my intersex anatomy was shameful, that no man would want me. So experiencing what I was told I could never have is physical proof that I'm actually worth something.  
    • KathyLauren
      <Moderator hat on>  I think that, at this point we need to get the thread back onto the topic, which is the judge's ruling on the ballot proposition.  If there is more to be said on the general principles of gendered spaces etc., please discuss them, carefully and respectfully, in separate threads. <Moderator hat off>
    • Abigail Genevieve
      People who have no understanding of transgender conditions should not be making policy for people dealing with it. Since it is such a small percentage of the population, and each individual is unique, and their circumstances are also unique, each situation needs to be worked with individually to see that the best possible solution is implemented for those involved. 
    • Abigail Genevieve
      No.  You are getting stuck on one statement and pulling it out of context.   Trans kids have rights, but so do non-trans kids.  That conflict is best worked out in the individual situation. 
    • MaeBe
      I get the concept, I believe. You're trying to state that trans kids need to or should be excluded from binary gender spaces and that you acknowledge that answers to accommodate those kids may not be found through policy. I disagree with the capability of "penetration" as being the operative delimiter in the statement, however. I contest this statement is poorly chosen at best and smacks of prejudice at worst. That it perpetuates certain stereotypes, whether that was the intent or not.   Frankly, all kids should have the right to privacy in locker rooms, regardless of gender, sexuality, or anatomy. They should also have access to exercise and activities that other kids do and allow them to socialize in those activities. The more kids are othered, extracted, or barred from the typical school day the more isolated and stigmatized they become. That's not healthy for anyone, the excluded for obvious reasons and the included for others--namely they get to be the "haves" and all that entails.
    • Abigail Genevieve
      Context.  Read the context.  Good grief.
    • MaeBe
      Please don't expect people to read manifold pages of fiction to understand a post.   There was a pointed statement made, and I responded to it. The statement used the term penetration, not "dissimilar anatomy causing social discomfiture", or some other reason. It was extended as a "rule" across very different social situations as well, locker and girl's bedrooms. How that term is used in most situations is to infer sexual contact, so most readers would read that and think the statement is that we "need to keep trans girl's penises out of cis girls", which reads very closely to the idea that trans people are often portrayed as sexual predators.   I understand we can't always get all of our thoughts onto the page, but this doesn't read like an under-cooked idea or a lingual short cut.
    • Ashley0616
      I shopped online in the beginning of transition. I had great success with SHEIN and Torrid!
    • Abigail Genevieve
      Have you read the rest of what I wrote?   Please read between the lines of what I said about high school.  Go over and read my Taylor story.  Put two and two together.   That is all I will say about that.
    • Abigail Genevieve
      "I feel like I lost my husband," Lois told the therapist,"I want the man I married." Dr. Smith looked at Odie, sitting there in his men's clothing, looking awkward and embarrassed. "You have him.  This is just a part of him you did not know about. Or did not face." She turned to Odie,"Did you tear my wedding dress on our wedding night?" He admitted it.  She had a whole catalog of did-you and how-could you.  Dr. Smith encouraged her to let it all out. Thirty years of marriage.  Strange makeup in the bathroom.  The kids finding women's laundry in the laundry room. There was reconciliation. "What do we do now?" Dr. Smith said they had to work that out.  Odie began wearing women's clothing when not at work.  They visited a cross-dressers' social club but it did not appeal to them.  The bed was off limits to cross dressing.  She had limits and he could respect her limits.  Visits to relatives would be with him in men's clothing.    "You have nail polish residue," a co-worker pointed out.  Sure enough, the bottom of his left pinky nail was bright pink  His boss asked him to go home and fix it.  He did.   People were talking, he was sure, because he doubted he was anywhere as thorough as he wanted to be.  It was like something in him wanted to tell everyone what he was doing, and he was sloppy.   His boss dropped off some needed paperwork on a Saturday unexpectedly and found Odie dressed in a house dress and wig.  "What?" the boss said, shook his head, and left.  None of his business.   "People are talking," Lois said. "They are asking about this," she pointed to his denim skirt. "This seems to go past or deeper than cross dressing."   "Yes.  I guess we need some counseling."  And they went.
    • April Marie
      You look wonderful!!! A rose among the roses.
    • Ashley0616
      Mine would be SHEIN as much as I have bought from them lol.
    • MaeBe
      This is the persistence in thinking of trans girls as predators and, as if, they are the only kind of predation that happens in locker rooms. This is strikingly close to the dangerous myth that anatomy corresponds with sexuality and equates to gender.
  • 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...