Stage 3 Revision – Surgery Day

0602: Well, I’m at Greenslopes again (hopefully for the last time!). Just checked in at the front desk and waiting for the nurses to come through. It’s getting to be a bit embarrassing to see the size of the file they pull out for me these days… although I guess it’s to be expected after 5 fairly major surgeries.

I’m not feeling all that nervous to be honest. Just the usual level of anxiety. I didn’t sleep the best last night because my mind was ticking over (and the bloody cat was licking too loud), but it could always be worse.

0629: Hospitals are cold. I keep forgetting about that…

0643: Just been seen by the first nurse. Everything is looking good so far – although I’m annoyed by my weight. It looks like I can build muscle faster than I can lose body fat these days… might need to tweak the macros a bit…

Not sure where I am on the list, but hopefully it’s not too big of a wait.

0759: All gowned up and waiting to go. If I never see a pair of mesh undies again in my lifetime – I won’t be upset 😆

0830: Apparently I’m 4th on the list and the 2nd person is still in the waiting bay. Might be here for another hour or so. Meh – I’ve got tv to keep me occupied, and as long as the guy next to me coughing up his lungs leaves soon – I’ll be quite happy 🙂

0956: Still waiting. Shouldn’t be long now.

1531: I ended up getting to the anaesthetic bay at 1050ish. Got back to the ward about 15 mins ago.

Apparently things went well, Hans was saying the two options were to move the reservoir but keep it above the fascia, or place it under it (basically where all your guts are). He chose option 2 a which is common practice if the initial option doesn’t work. There was a lot of scar tissue, so it was a bit trickier than originally planned – but he got there in the end.

When I got to recovery, my throat spasmed a bit and I couldn’t breathe. That wasn’t fun – but thankfully it also didn’t last long. The anaesthetist popped his head in to talk about it and said he didn’t know why it had happened, but there we go.

I have no catheter, and I will be allowed to get up a bit later on – but for now I’m peeing in a bottle lol. My erectile device has been inflated too – I need to speak to Hans about when that can be deflated…

2231: Saw Hans around 7ish. He came to have a look at things and see how I was going. Apparently everything has gone well. There was a lot of scarring which made things a bit trickier, but it’s all sorted. I have 3 sets of internal stitches and approximately 15 staples on my stomach scar (staples apparently help a scar heal better when you go through the same hole twice).

Looks like I’ll be here for two nights though.

I got out of bed for a couple hours after Hans left. It’s nice to be able to get around – although I need to perfect my tolling technique for getting out of bed again.

My little green button is staying attached for the night, which also means I have to keep the oxygen tubes up my nostrils… The PCA is meant to help me get a good night sleep, but I’m fairly certain having air blown up my nose will make sure that doesn’t happen!

I’m on IV antibiotics, paracetamol and the little anti coagulant injections. If I’m staying another night then I hope I get unhooked from everything in the morning. I currently have the nostril tubes, the IV line in my right hand that’s connected to my PCA and drip, and another canular in my elbow that’s not connected to anything, but they won’t take it out. Thank god I’m not also catheterised….

Stage 3 Revision – The Night Before

I think I prefer “Stage 3 revision” to “penile reservoir reposition and hernia repair,” so I’m going to run with that title.

I’m feeling pretty good to be honest. My main stress is having to lie down in the bed all night (Stage 1 really messed with my head in that regard!), so I’m not really that nervous at all.

I’m due at the hospital for 0630, so I’ve got the cab booked for 0530. It’s weird living in Brisbane again – I love that I don’t have to fly all the time, but I hate cabs lol.

I’ve realised I don’t really know what to expect when I wake up. I’ve been doing some research on hernia repairs and found some good information on healing timeframes, but then it occurred to me this evening that it’s not only not a true hernia repair, but that the repair isn’t the only thing happening – there’s the repositioning of the reservoir too!

So I don’t know if I’ll wake up partially inflated again or anything like that. I’m hoping I won’t be catheterised, but to be honest if I am then that would put my mind at ease with some of my fears regarding strictures.. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow!

Penile Reservoir Repositioning & Hernia Repair Surgery

Well now that’s a mouthful isn’t it?

I got a date for surgery this week – 8th March. There was an opportunity to have had surgery this week, but it didn’t work well with my job.

At this stage I’ll be in hospital overnight, then home for 1-2 weeks, and no strenuous activity for 6-8 weeks.

I’m not nervous. I think I’m past the point of getting nervous. I just want it done so I can heal and get on with it.

Diet is swinging back towards the high protein/no caffeine etc. hopefully this is it.

Interim Post – Ultrasound Results

I’m still waiting to hear back from Hans regarding my results. He has them, and I’m on the list of people to call – but he’s flat out at the moment.

Personally, I’m not too worried. There are a couple ways this could go:

1. Nothing is wrong, and my abdominal wall is just a little weaker than it should be;
2. The reservoir has herniated.

Basically it’s either surgery or not surgery. I’ve already been told to keep working out regardless of the result, so why worry? Hopefully I’ll hear something back this week though.

Stage 3 RFF Phalloplasty – 2 Months Post-op

Discomfort

Generally – I have nothing to report in this area. However every now and then I get a bit of a twinge in my stomach to remind me that I’m still only a couple of months post op.

Other than the stomach twinge, there isn’t much else going on discomfort-wise. I’m

Still getting used to the extra weight and girth – but that’s a different story.

Incision Sites

Still healing well. Since moving, I’ve been able to use the silicon more – and my incision sites are looking much better because of it.

Scrotum

Things are going well in the scrotal department too! I’m still gently pulling down on things and pumping once a day to ensure no excess scar tissue builds (as my body does love to produce excess tissue…).

Penis

Things seem to have calmed down in this department regarding the glansplasty. Thankfully I still don’t seem to be having issues with urinating either. I get some minor twinges of pressure first thing in the morning, but as long as I stay hydrated – I have no issues through the day.

Movement

I’m allowed to work out now, but I’m taking it easy getting back into it. While Hans said I don’t have to worry too much about the whole reservoir-possibly-herniated thing, it’s still a little unnerving. I really don’t want another surgery, especially now that I’m almost at a point of believing that I’m finished with them.. at least a hernia operation is fairly easy…. I haven’t organised the ultrasound yet, so still not much information on that side of things.

OH!!! By the way – a shout out to Alex, who wrote me another letter. Thank you for your kind words, and I would very much like to write back to you – if we can organise a way to do that, it would be great!

Post-op Review

I saw Hans last Monday for a 6-week review of stage 3. I know it’s late – our stuff arrived from the removalist on Monday, and we’re finally settling in, so hopefully the moving excuses can stop!

We talked about quite a few things, but all in all it was a positive appointment. I’ll try to put it into segments so it’s easier to read:

Arm

We talked about my arm and how the scars were healing. Hans commented that they were still quite pink and vascular in appearance, and said that we could potentially look at revising it with another graft in the future.

To be honest, I’m not keen on that idea. The scar really isn’t too bad, and it’s still got some healing to do before it goes white and settles down. I find that it doesn’t stress me out or cause a large amount of anxiety in public.

Penis / Erectile Device

Things are looking pretty good. I was able to inflate and deflate the device with ease, and Hans was happy with the way everything looks/feels.

The glansplasty scar has stretched a little more than I would like, but I don’t really want to do anything about it unless I require another surgery anyway. It’s not like I’m running around naked everywhere, or on the dating scene – so it’s not a big priority.

We talked about whether I was experiencing any pain, and I mentioned that I was a bit tender after an especially long walk and could feel the reservoir in my side. Unfortunately this probably shouldn’t occur, and I have to get an ultrasound to see whether I’ve herniated. Annoying.

I’ve asked if I should stop exercising in the meantime (slowly but surely continuing to lose the weight), but Hans said no – keep doing what I’m doing. At the end of the day, if I need to have surgery, it’s going to happen anyway.

We also talked about how I was going with urinating. I’m cautiously optimistic about it. My stream has narrowed slightly, but I still have the pressure, and I don’t have the tightening feeling at the end of urinating that I did have.

So for now, I don’t see Hans again until May. I need to see my GP to organise the ultrasound, and I’m to keep Hans informed of any changes, but hopefully…. I’m nearing the end of this crazy journey…

Stage 3 RFF Phalloplasty – 1 Month Post-op

Sorry for the delay… Between the holidays and a short-notice move – I haven’t had time. To be honest though, not much has really changed between then and now anyway – so you haven’t missed out on much!

This will probably mark the start of the monthly updates to be honest. I have a few other posts for between them – but there really isn’t much else to report on from a surgical perspective.

Pain

I no longer have any pain at all. The only thing I really get now is a bit of a twinge when I urinate. But this isn’t all the time (seems only to be first thing in the morning and/or when I pee without a full bladder).

This twinge does make me concerned that my stricture may not have healed as well as we’d have liked, but I could just be over-thinking it.

Incision Sites

I’ve been a bit slack with the silicon due to the moving – but the incision sites are doing well. I did come across an old stitch the other day, but they’ve turned a nice colour and are healing well.

Scrotum

I’m fairly confident in saying the swelling has all gone from my scrotum. The skin moves around both the implant and pump with ease, and I’m pleased 🙂

Getting used to having a scrotum has been different to that of getting used to having a phallus – but I’ll go into that a bit more in a different post.

Penis

I think the swelling is as gone as it’s going to be. I’m definitely girthier than I used to be, but it’s not too bad.

The scar from my glansplasty site has stretched a bit more too. At first I wasn’t too bothered by it, but if I end up with a revision, I might see if Hans can fix that up too.

Movement

Well my range of movement got a hell of a workout over the last couple weeks with the move. I’m confident in saying I have full range of movement back now.

Hopefully when I see Hans on the 8th, he’ll tell me I can start working out properly again.

Stage 3 RFF Phalloplasty – 3 Weeks Post-op

Another good week. Thankfully, I’m now at the point where most things have healed to a good standard.

I saw Hans on Wednesday for my second round of pumping and deflating. Thankfully, the swelling had gone down enough to make things easier. It was still quite painful, but I was able to easily find where I needed to squeeze. You need to press quite firmly to get everything to start deflating, but I think that will also change as time goes on and it gets used more.

Hans advised that I need to inflate and deflate twice a day for approximately 20 minutes both morning and night. For the first three days though, I’ve only done it at night – it feels very bruised and sore if it’s done twice a day; but I feel like it might finally be at the stage where I can do t twice a day.

I see Hans again in January – nothing more than inflating and deflating until then!

Pain

Very little, to no pain again this week. It’s usually when I get up in the morning, or while I’m lying down. Everything is a bit heavier than it used to be, so things pull a bit.

Incision Sites

Feeling much better, the silicon is helping significantly.

Scrotum

The swelling has gone down a lot this week, but there is still some there. I can now walk properly, without feeling like a have things stuck between my legs.

The skin seems to be doing well too, so hopefully I don’t have to worry about it eroding.

Penis

Much better again this week. The swelling is still going down, but the hyper sensitivity has gone.

Medication

I’ve come off all painkillers, so I won’t have this prt anymore. Occasionally I’m still taking anti-inflammatories, but only to assist with swelling.

I was in a bit of discomfort when I initially stopped taking them, but that settled very quickly. To be honest, one day I completely forgot to take them, which is how I realised my body was ready to come off them.

Movement

I’ve started going for walks. Over the last three days or so, I’ve been doing about 2.5km a day. This can get a bit uncomfortable at times, but for the main part isn’t a problem. That plan is to increase the distance by about a kilometre today, do that for a couple days and increase it again. It’s nice to be out and about again.

Stage 3 RFF Phalloplasty – 2 Weeks Post-op

This week hasn’t been too bad at all. I flew home on Thursday; the flight itself wasn’t too bad – but plane seats are not comfortable! I’ve been spoilt with recliners at my parent’s house for the last couple of weeks, so I haven’t been used to sitting upright. I’ll liken the discomfort to bruising your tailbone.. But at least it was only a couple of hours.

Since getting home, I’ve been put to work. I’m not allowed to do any heavy lifting – but we’re preparing to move house, so there’s plenty to do that doesn’t involve lifting!

Pain

I’ve had almost no pain this week. When it does come, it’s usually when I’m due for more painkillers, or when I’ve done a bit too much (see above: moving).

I’m quite sore in the incision areas, but I think that’s mainly because the dog keeps headbutting me…

Incision Sites

As I mentioned before – they’re a little tender, but for good reason. I’ve started using in then to help with the scarring.

Scrotum

Whilst the swelling has gone down from last week – I’m still quite swollen. Thankfully, the pain I was experiencing in this area has reduced as well, so things are more comfortable in general.

I have to gently pull down on both the testicular implant and the pump at least once a day. This is to try and stop them riding too high in the scrotum, and I guess it also assists with moving the excess fluid around.

Penis

I’m so glad I got deflated on Monday! It’s much easier to walk around without being pumped up all the time…

Unfortunately I still have a lot of swelling going on here, but that is slowly going down. Funnily enough my glansplasty site actually looks better now that he’s got a bit more shape to him.

I don’t have much else to say on him at this point, but I will make small mention of the area at the base where my clitoris was buried: that particular area it still quite hyper sensitive at the moment. Cleaning can be a bit uncomfortable at times, but it needs to get done. Hopefully this hypersensitivity will go down soon.

Medication

I’ve come off most of my medication, so now I’m just on painkillers and anti-inflammatories.

• Paracetamol (painkiller). 2 tablets, three-four times a day; and
• Ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory). 2 tablets, three times a day.

Still more pills than I’d like, but I’ll definitely need to keep on top of it for the next few days to make up for the missing slow-release painkiller that I finished tonight.

I don’t anticipate much pain, but we’ll see.

Dressings

I removed all my dressings on Monday night after I saw Hans.

In hindsight, I should’ve checked if I had something to replace them with, because the two incisions on my pubic bone weren’t fully closed over (probably due to sweat and being in a moveable area). They’re fine now though, so I won’t be mentioning dressings again.

Movement

Movement amount hasn’t changed, but the speed I’m able to do things has. I’m able to move a lot quicker than last week – although I still get my waddle on when I’m a bit sore!

This week I’m going to start doing some light stretches to get my body used to moving again. I’m really hoping I’m done with surgeries, so I want to be exercising again as soon as I’m allowed to!

Stage 3 RFF Phalloplasty – Post-op Review #1

All in all – today was a good day.

I saw Hans first up this morning. He said he was happy with the way things looked, but he had some concerns that I still have a significant amount of swelling and fluid in my scrotum.

My pump device has also managed to twist itself about 45 degrees to the left. This means that the button area that gets squeezed to deflate the device is not sitting the way it’s meant to. Basically, instead on squeezing from front to back, I have to place my thumb around the rear-right of my scrotum, and push my forefinger into the skin in the middle of my scrotum and squeeze that way. It’s not a problem – it’s just going to take some getting used to.

Hans deflated the device to make sure it worked properly, and I was very much in pain. The inflating side of it was absolutely fine, but because I’m still quite swollen, that area is quite tender, and deflating is not pleasant.

Because of both the swelling and the pain, Hans advised it was probably best for me to come back next week for another review. That way, the swelling has more time to go down – and I get more time to work out exactly where I need to be pushing.

For now, I’ve been deflated. It’s nice to be able to wear proper shorts and underwear again. That being said, underwear is a whole different ballgame now (pun half-intended). I only wore briefs today, but the whole underwear game has changed for me yet again.

In terms of how things look and feel deflated: I’m quite happy. Obviously there is still a bit of swelling in the penis, but that will go down in time. The biggest difference so far is the weight. It’s a bit of a change moving to something that’s got a bit of beef to it! Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m now walking around with a bowling ball in my pants – but going from nothing to something will take a couple days to get used to. 😆