MsEmma's Journal of GCS in Thailand w/ Dr Chettawut

Wednesday, 16 Aug 2017
I am at the airport, awaiting boarding for the first of three flights over the next 24 hours, on my way to Thailand for GCS with Dr Chettawut on 22 Aug.

My intent is to journal my experience on this thread so that others can get a feel for it.

Feel free to ask your specific questions and I'll do my best to answer them.

Flights & Arrival:
I had three flights: DEN —> SFO —> TPE —> BKK. We took off at 1145 MDT. First leg was great. 4 hour layover in SFO but uneventful. Landed 20 mins late in Taipei with only a 55 min layover so I had to haul ass to make my next connection. Landed at 0045 on Friday, 18 Aug in Bangkok, which puts my total travel time at just at 25 hours. Loooong day. I only got about 3 hours of intermittent sleep on the plane between SFO & TPE.

Immigration is the first stop. Have your passport, boarding pass, and immigration form handy and pre-filled out. The line was unbelievably long, even at 0100.

Collect your bags and go through customs (they just waved us through with zero screening, but I wouldn’t count on that). Walk out the sliding doors and find your driver. Mine was waiting in the pickup area outside Exit A/Baggage Claim #3, but still inside the airport. If you don’t see him there, there are 2 others at Exits B & C (See picture: http://huahincab.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/suvarnabhumi-airport-arrival-floor-plan-02.jpg) Before you leave, change out your currency to Thai bhat. The BKK airport had the best rates of each of the airports I went to (.032). SFO was the worst (.028 plus a $9 convenience charge)

Your driver will take you to your hotel. He handed me an envelope with my Welcome Packet and instructions for the next day. He was great, but spoke almost no English. Be prepared for NASCAR-level speeds zipping through traffic with no one really paying attention to the lane markers. It didn’t make me nervous as that’s my primary driving style, but it’s worth knowing ahead-of-time.

Hotel
I’m chose the Dusit Princess b/c the Vertical Suite didn’t have a room for me for the entire duration and I didn’t want to have to re-set up my room w/ all my crap after surgery. Umm, no thanks. The Dusit is very nice, but super-small fridge & no microwave in the room. However, there’s a big mall nearby with a grocery store in the basement (Tom’s) that had most of what I needed. There’s also a 7-11 just one street behind the Dusit. As expected, it has 240 volt outlets so plan accordingly. Housekeeping has transformers, if you need them. I had a delicious breakfast with a wide array of choices, although not many I could have tomorrow.

Initial Consult with Dr. Chettawut
I met my driver in the lobby of the Dusit at 0900 for my initial consult. It’s about a 15 min drive to Dr. Chett’s clinic. The clinic was smaller than I imagined, but immaculate inside. Ms. Som was behind the desk, along with a nurse. I filled out the last remaining pieces of paperwork, got my blood pressure and weight taken, then it was off to meet Dr. Chett upstairs. Before going upstairs, I took off my shoes and used the slippers they provided. Dr. Chett was very friendly and his English is good, although the Thai accent is heavy at times. Despite this, we were able to fully understand each other with no issues. He asked me to take off my clothes so he could evaluate the area. He took a few pictures and physically examined me, which was awkward for me… I’m not a fan of that area, but it was tolerable. I put my clothes back on and sat down for his explanation of the procedure, pre- & post-op instructions, and then he answered any questions I had. It was brief, but good. I felt like I was in very good care.

I went back downstairs to settle up (I need the skin graft, which is extra) and wait for my ride back to the hotel. While I was there, two other patients came in. One presumably for her pre-op consult and one obviously for her post-op exam. The post-op woman didn’t speak any English but we communicated through appropriate smiles and nods. It was uncomfortable for her to sit down, so she stood for most of the time while I was waiting to leave.

Once returning to the hotel, I relaxed for a bit and then went shopping at Tom’s for water, juice, hard candies, and gelatin. I didn’t have any luck with the Jell-o, but I’m going to keep my eyes open for them.

Saturday, 19 Aug 2017
I start my “all clear liquid diet” at 0600, so I went and got a couple of sandwiches from the 7-11 at 0500… I had a bbq ham & cheese and a green curry shrimp sandwich. After purchasing, the clerk put both in a panini press behind the counter and they were very tasty.

Breakfast in the hotel begins at 0600 so at about 0700, I went down to survey the options I could have. Alas, not much…. I had a few glasses of chrysanthemum juice (Yum!) and black tea with sugar. I’ve had apple juice, water, tea, and Sprite, along with a handful of Werther’s Originals hard candies. I’m getting “hangry.”

I also ventured out and saw the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which were amazing. I highly recommend it. Tomorrow, I’m going to try to see Wat Arun and Wat Pho (home of the Reclining Buddha).

I’m glad I brought my travel router… the internet at the Dusit kept dropping my connection on both my iPhone and iPad, but with my HooToo TripMate, I can have all my devices on my own secure LAN and it keeps the connection current. Plus, my Apple TV is a godsend. Right now, I’m watching Netflix on the TV.

 

Sunday, 20 Aug 2017 – Monday, 21 Aug 2017

Sunday and Monday were pretty boring, except for the fact that I was camped out by the toilet for most of Sunday evening & Monday. I had planned on seeing a couple more temples, but it was rainy, so I stayed in and veg’ed on romantic comedies on Netflix (oh, Justin Timberlake… feel free to sweep me off my feet in real life.). Sunday at 1700 was my first dose of laxatives, followed by an enema at 2000. I’d never done an enema before… boy, that was a unique feeling.

Next up on the schedule of festivities was the Swiff for Monday's toilet camping time. Half at 0900 and half at 1700…. 45ml each time of some of the nastiest tasting stuff on the planet. I mixed it with Sprite to help kill the taste, thanks to the recommendation from another woman who had the pleasure of drinking it. Dang… even with the sweet, carbonated Sprite, it tasted like what I imagine Bigfoot’s taint would, after a marathon. Maybe worse. About 15-20 minutes following ingesting this foul substance, I began mass evacuation. And it continued... and continued… and continued. Mind you, I hadn’t had any real food in over 48 hours at this time, so I’ll let your imagination run with the exact viscosity was. Just as the symptoms began to slow, it was time for dose #2. Joy beyond joy.

Dr. Chett gives you five packets of basically Gatorade powder. I put them evenly in two 600ml bottles of water and drank one just after each dose, followed by two bottles of water over the next few hours. The chugging of the pseudo-Gatorade helped remove the disgusting film of Swiff from my mouth. Notice I said “helped,” not “completely removed.” Use baby wipes, not TP to wipe, otherwise your butthole will be raw. And nobody wants a raw butthole.

I was tired so I went to bed early, but had to wake up to poop several times throughout the night.

Tuesday, 22 Aug 2017

It’s surgery day!! I woke up pretty early and I’m glad I did. After 0600, I’m not allowed to drink anything, even water, so I was able to drink a couple of bottles of water before the cut-off. I had a slight dehydration headache when I woke up, so it’s good that I was able to push some fluids. I made a quick run next door to Tom’s Market for a few jugs of pineapple juice... It helps reduce inflammation, so it can’t hurt to stock up.

I had some weird dreams last night which I attribute to a small case of pre-surgical nerves… nothing too stressful, just weird. Overall, my nerves haven’t been too bad…. I chalk up the lack of nerves to the fact that I’ve had five operations in the past (none trans-specific) so I’m no stranger to general anesthesia or the pain of post-surgery recovery. That and I’m excited as hell to be a proud vagina owner!

My driver will pick me up at 1300 in the lobby of the Dusit Princess and my surgery is scheduled to begin at roughly 1600. I had a nice chat with my sister, surfed Facebook, chatted with my girlfriend who is driving back from Wyoming after viewing the total eclipse of the sun with her family. She’s been super-supportive this entire time… she even sent flowers and a teddy bear to the hotel! ❤️❤️

For now, it’s just killing time until my rendezvous with the driver. *twiddles thumbs*

It’ll be a day or two before I can post another update, so ciao for now.

 

Surgery and Post-Surgery

I walked into the clinic and was immediately escorted upstairs, where I disrobed and put on a gown, tucked my hair into a surgical cap, and walked to the next room. Blood pressure, temp and a complete genital shave, including the crack of my butt.

They’ve got an Apple TV so tons of options from Netflix & Hulu while I wait for the anesthesiologist to come. It’s a nice distraction. I put on “Skin Wars” which I had never seen before since I figured I wouldn’t want to interrupt something I’m emotionally invested in… it’s a reality show with competing body painters. Intriguing enough.

1530: Dr. Chett comes in and checks on me. Nothing too detailed, just his smiling face and he lets me know the anesthesiologist is here and they’re prepping the OR. Shouldn’t be much longer.

1600: right on the nose, there’s a knock on the door and I’m walked next door to the OR. The table is in the shape of a cross and I extend my arms to its arms. The anesthesiologist it tall and actually pretty cute. As I lay down, tears start to flow. This is really happening and I couldn’t be happier. A small prick on my left wrist and I start to feel calm, warm, and within seconds, I’m out like a light. Eleven hours later, I’m still unconscious but the surgery is done. From this point forward, time is a bit of a blur.

Wednesday, 23 August 2017
I wake up in the same pre-op room that I was in before. I can’t really feel my legs and I don’t remember how I got here. But, here I am.. I feel a stiffness in my groin area and my arms are very sore. I doze off again. The next time I wake up, there are 4 nurses in the room with me. It’s time to walk downstairs to my recovery room. This seems like an impossible task, but I slowly make my way onto my very-unsteady feet and shuffle down the short hallway with the nurses helping me keep my balance. The stairs are next... A nurse is guiding each of my feet to the next step while the other three have a hold of me. It’s a challenge, but I make it. Another short hallway and I’m in the room just behind the entryway desk where I did my intake just a few days earlier.

Im able to send a few text messages to my family and girlfriend, letting them know I’m alive and doing well before falling asleep again. One nap later, I’m woken by a gentle knock. A male and female nurse are here and the male nurse has a beautiful bouquet of purple roses from my girlfriend. I’m a pretty lucky gal, for certain. Next is a sponge/washcloth bath and then it’s time to sleep again. I sleep off and on for the rest of the day, with breaks for food – warm, sweet soy milk and hot chocolate. The soy milk is actually quite tasty and thicker than soy milk at home. I need to figure out how they make it.

Thursday, 24 August 2017
I’m feeling much more human today. With breakfast, I get my pick of soups (mushroom, chicken or beef). I picked cream of mushroom and it was yummy! I’m texting with my family and girlfriend frequently which is good for the spirits. Lunch was cream of chicken with not chocolate and dinner was cream of chicken, warm soy milk and wait for it…. CRACKERS! My first solid food since Saturday at 0530, for a grand total of 133 hours! The crackers were kind of a blend between saltines and Ritz crackers and were very tasty, especially dipped in the soup. My belly is very gurgly and it feels like I have to fart, but not really. I imagine it’s just trying to get used to food again. Not sure when my first bowel movement is going to happen, but I’m not looking forward to it, honestly. Still a lot of sleeping going on and not much else. I did watch a little bit of TV, but mainly it’s just sleep, eat, check blood pressure/temp, sleep, eat, take meds…. Dr. Chett did come in and chat with me for a few minutes. He said they’re going to tske out the IV at around 2000 or 2100 tonight, so that’ll be good. The tubing is kind of annoying.

I’m tired of being on my back but laying on my side isn’t comfortable at all. Not painful, just not comfortable with all the bandages around my bits, so I end up just switching from one cheek to the other to give the other cheek a bit of a break and some air. That’s it for now.

 

Friday, 25 August 2017

Gooooood morning, Bangkok! It’s 3am on Friday and I woke myself up by farting. Yep, awesome. Then another and another and another. One of them was probably a good 15-20 seconds long. The good news is, they’re not smelly. Other than that, not much is going on…. Sleep, meds, sleep, blood pressure/temp check, sleep, soup. Lather, rinse, repeat. The meds have kept all the pain at bay so I’m still not sure what kind of pain I’ll be looking at once they take the epidural out. My biceps are still sore when I extend them fully. Not sure what that’s all about, but the soreness is getting better.

It’s 0447 and I’m still gassy AF. Less actual gas and more gurgly stomach, but it’s still sort of uncomfortable. I’m sure this is exactly what you want to read about, but hey… I’m givin’ it to ya with the realness. Breakfast was at 0630 followed by a sponge bath and a little sprucing up around the room.

0830: I’m doing very well. They just took out my drain tubes and epidural so everything is moving according to plan. Pain is negligible... more general soreness than anything, so they're taking really good care of me. I got to chat with my girlfriend and text with my family a bit. This would be much, much lonelier without the comforts of modern communication.

1126: first signs of things waking up down below. Not quite pinpricks from when your foot falls asleep, but roughly similar. Not unpleasant but not pleasant either. It’s progress and that’s good!

Not a fan of the absorbent pads they put down between me and the bed… they continuously stick to my bare butt and require me to lift at the pelvis and peel them off at relatively frequent intervals. Again, in case you were wondering, I’m not a fan. Lunch is cream of corn soup with the yummy crackers, along with the warm sweet soy milk. I need to figure out where I can get the soy milk from…. I’d like to have it in my pantry at home.

1433: I got my at-home/at-hotel instructions. Antibiotics, anti-swelling, moderate pain, and mild pain drugs. My follow-up appointment with Dr Chett is on 8 Sept at 1000.

Saturday, 26 August 2017

0545: they bring in my clothes and all the stuff I’m taking home with me, help me get dressed and then a quick refresher guide to the meds I’ll be taking over the next couple of weeks. I brush my hair, put on my dress and the waiting begins.

0614: they bring in my shoes and it’s game time, baby! Time to blow this popsicle stand and head to the hotel. The nurse helps me stand up, gathers my purse and the other bags I’m taking back to the hotel and helps me walk out front, where there is a car waiting. As opposed to every other time, I’m now in the front passenger seat which is good. I’m a tall girl at 6”1” and I’m able to recline the seat a notch which makes all the difference while sitting on my orangish soft pillow donut branded with “Chettawut Plastic Surgery Center.” The ride isn’t bad… strangely, it seems shorter than the last time and the driver is very cautious about hitting any bumps in the road, which I certainly appreciate. Less than 15 minutes later, we pull into the Dusit Princess and they have a wheelchair for me. I’m wheeled up to my room, using the freight elevator because the 5th and 6th floor exit to the regular elevator on a landing between the floors, which necessitates either 5 steps down or 5 steps up. Not a huge deal for most cases, but it’d make navigating the wheelchair a tad difficult.

I get into my room and don’t have any issues with getting my stuff set-up again… charging cables, drinks by the bedside, and all the general accoutrements of comfort. I set my alarms for my meds so I wouldn’t forget, take my first set of antibiotics, and promptly take a nap. I’m woken by Nurse Sri who comes and takes a look at me, my set-up and makes sure I’m all good. She makes a point to talk about food and increasing my protein intake. She won’t come tomorrow as the nurses take Sundays off, but I’ll see her again on Monday.

For lunch, I put in an order of chicken fried rice from room service as I figured it’d be soft enough but filling. I put on a rom-com with Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman, eat my fried rice, take my meds like a good little girl, and I think it’s time for another nap.

1700: I’ve been chatting with some Marine Corps friends…. I’m not surprised they’ve been extremely loyal, but it is comforting. Today, Trump actually signed the guidance to Sec. Mattis about barring trans troops in the US military. It’s a sad day for me and many of my friends. I had hoped to go back on active duty, but that is looking like it’s going to be a fight. Being a lawyer and all, I have good friends who may help me fight that fight. We’ll see. The closest alligator to the boat is getting healthy post-op.

On the healing front, I took my antibiotics at 1700 and ordered some more rice for dinner. I went with biryani (a Middle Eastern/South Asian dish I grew to love from both my time in Iraq and in Guantanamo Bay, where the translators would often cook it. Well, it was a little too spicy for me, I think. I could definitely eat it and would have gladly, but I’m still putting the old stomach through it’s paces post-surgery so I don’t think I’ll eat more than a couple of spoonfuls. I did order “olive oil mashed potatoes” too, which were good but heavy on the olive oil. I didn’t finish them either, but I ate about half. I think I’ll get soup and/or scrambled eggs for breakfast tomorrow… Nothing too adventurous. Maybe I’ll munch on the biryani as a snack later… yum!

A friend of mine from the Air Force, who is in town coincidentally, and I have been chatting and he may come over tomorrow to visit. It’s been good having him here, even though I didn’t actually need him, having a familiar face in a foreign city is seldom a bad thing. I’m now debating on a nap or Netflix…. Tough decisions these days. LOL

Let’s talk about the tape on my butt some more. Have I mentioned that it is itchy as hell? Like super-itchy? I’m doing my absolute best not to scratch at the skin because the last thing I want is a raw, scratched-up butt… but damn, it is making it hard. The tape on my belly is doing the same thing… light rubbing with my fingertips seems to temporarily help, but it’s enough to drive a gal insane. I’m hoping that when Nurse Sri comes for her visit on Monday, she can remove at least some of it. Aaarrgggh (and I’m not even a pirate.)

 

Sunday, 27 August 2017

Today has been kind of like the movie Groundhog Day: Nap, wake up to my alarm to take my antibiotic, watch some Netflix/Amazon Prime (right now, I’m binge-watching The Americans… so good), figure out which soft-ish food I want from room service, order, eat and take my other meds, and either nap or watch videos. About every 30 minutes or so, I have to shuffle to the bathroom to empty the dreaded catheter bag. I didn’t realize how much of a chore this is, honestly. But, it gets me up and moving, which is good. Pain is still in the 2-3 range, with a little more abdominal soreness creeping in. I ended up not getting breakfast and just ate the leftover mashed potatoes, which were ok. Lunch was an order of french fries which were actually quite tasty, along with some pork fried rice. I just ordered dinner – a bowl of cream of mushroom soup. Not feeling very adventurous with my food choices right now. Honestly, I’m kinda dreading the first bowel movement. On the healing front, things are continuing to slowly “wake up” down there, which is both good and bad. I’ve definitely figured out how to navigate getting out of/into bed, but I tried sitting in the chair for lunch and that wasn’t very pleasant at all, even with the comfy butt-pillow. Just the thought of the three separate plane rides over a span of 24 hours to get back home makes me anxious. Whose dumb idea was it to come literally on the other side of the planet to get my bits remodeled and then fly back home a little less than a month later? Oh yeah, mine. LOL. Meh, I’ll manage just like the thousands of women who have gone before me. The rest of the day proceeded much like the day before just like Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day, except with a brand-new vagina.

Monday, 28 August 2017

I didn’t sleep very well last night… nothing really recovery-related, but I had a reoccurring dream that I was at the Marine Corps’ Infantry Officer Course but definitely a very strange dream-altered version of it and having to find time in the day to dilate, trying to not let my trans status impact how other Marines saw me, as well as these huge sets of bunk beds that were 6 or 7 bunks high. We had to fast-rope down from the top bunk (imagine using a fireman’s pole, but with a rope instead) as part of our training/experience. So weird and strangely anxiety-inducing. Every time I woke up, I tried to reset my brain to have a different dream, but they just kept happening.

One thing that I mentioned earlier but perhaps without as much emphasis as needed is the amount of gas I still have. Gross, I know, but I was completely and utterly not expecting this level of gas pressure and farts. And now with the introduction of real food back into my diet, there comes another related concern of “fartal integrity.” It’s a real fear, folks. Better you hear it here first so you can at least mentally prepare yourself. Nothing has happened yet, but it’s definitely at the forefront of my mind when I have gas.

Nurse Sri came with another nurse at 1130 and checked me out. Still a bit of swelling, but everything is progressing as it should. Bandages and pressure dressing come off tomorrow! Yippeee! I skipped lunch today… just wasn’t hungry so I took my meds on an empty stomach with no adverse side effects.

The rest of the day has been uneventful, although my friend Nate is coming over tonight at 9-ish with dessert – red velvet cake that he says is to die for. Yum! Also, I’m through season 3 of The Americans. If you haven’t watched this show, it’s so good. It’s on FX and also Amazon Prime.

 

Tuesday, 29 August 2017
It’s Bandage Removal Day!! Whooohoooo! But, before we get there, let me talk atcha for a second about these night sweats. Holy bejezus! I may have slept in 30 min blocks, alternating from pouring sweat to freezing my very small ta-tas off. It was horrible. No actual fever or infection, but I’m chalking it up to being off estradiol for the past 3 weeks. Hellllloooo, menopause-like effects. I’m not sure I can take 2 more weeks of this (the doc wants to keep me off E until after I fly home because of the risks of Deep Vein Thrombosis, but current research says the E patch does not contribute to DVT risks. We’ll see, but it’s a debate I’m having.)

So, I was a sticky, sweaty, smelly mess when the nurses came at just after noon. I had napped off & on in the morning, but I was still pretty tired and definitely gross. But, here comes the good stuff…. The nurses arrive just after 1200 and immediately, Nurse Sri starts peeling off the tape from around the bandages and they both work with q-tips to remove the leftover adhesive. It was a long process. My hips got tired from holding my legs up and apart. After all that was accomplished, Nurse Sri takes a q-tip and prods (gently, but it sure didn’t feel gentle) around my clitorial hood and clitoris. HOLY COW! I nearly levitated. It wasn’t really pain, but it was certainly a level of intense discomfort I’d never felt before. I was NOT ready for that. She takes a picture to send to Dr Chettawut with all my bits splayed out… felt a tad awkward, but just wait, there’s more!

She snips a couple of sutures that we’re holding my labia together and then uses a set of big tweezers to grab ahold of the packing that is inside my vaginal canal, and she pulls. And pulls. And pulls. And pulls. It felt like she was a magician pulling an endless string of handkerchiefs out of my vajayjay. And the sensation was also something I was not prepared for, even though I’ve read tons on the process. Nothing really captures that feeling… it’s not painful, but there a lot of sensation. Well, we know the nerves are definitely waking up down there.

Next was more cleaning with q-tips all around the introitus (vaginal opening), then she applies a generous amount of a lidocaine lubricant onto my labia and in my vagina. Up next, the first dilation to see what my depth is. She put more lidocaine lubricant on the dilator and slowly inserted it. That was a little painful and caught my breath a couple of times. She pressed it deep against the back of my vaginal canal to see what the total depth is, then takes another picture to send to Dr. Chettawut with dilator at maximum depth. I’m holding a cute knock-off Hello Kitty mirror to see all the action. Dilation will certainly be a chore for a while until I get it all healed up. She shows me how to remove it, gently twisting and pulling it out. Very intense. I’m glad for the lidocaine lube, for certain. After that, she helps me clean up with a baby wipe and it’s time for them to go.

I go directly, not passing Go and not collecting $200, to the shower and commence an exquisitely long, hot shower… mmmm, it felt so good, but it was also exhausting. Toweling off after was a chore almost beyond my capabilities, but I got it done and crawled back in bed for a nap… with no night sweats, hallelujah!

Now, it’s time for dinner and my meds and maybe either a few episodes of The Americans or some other show/movie. The world is my oyster!

 

Wednesday, 30 August 2017

Hey everyone, I pooped! Oh my, I was dreading it, but it wasn’t anything to be afraid of at all. I feel so much better too. Definitely use baby wipes and remember ‘front to back.’ Afterwards, I took a shower and it was glorious too! Still having those hot flashes so I’m having to drink more water.

I just had my first real dilation session... lots of pressure and makes me feel like I have to pee with a UTI but overall, tolerable. 1st session was only 15 mins. Tomorrow is 2 sessions of 20. Then 3 sessions of 20 mins. Lots of time laying around with a hard dildo in me. Lol

Thursday, 31 August 2017
I didn’t write this contemporaneous, unfortunately, so I’m having to kind of go back and recreate a few days. So, today was the beginning of 2 dilation per day. Nurse Tiar was my assistant today, but I wanted to do it all on my own since I’d be on my own for the evening’s session, which worked out well. I also talked to her about wanting to move to the Vertical Suite as soon as I could as long as Dr Chett agreed. I like the Dusit and all, but its lonely here and there are many more “Chett girls” at the Vertical Suite and only one other at Dusit. Plus, it’s where I wanted to stay from the beginning, but there wasn’t availability for the entire duration of my stay.

Nurse Tiar showed me a toilet-paper trick to help keep the piddle pad clean so it can be used longer. Take about 1.5-2 feet of TP and roll it in a very loose roll that’s about 6-7 inches long. Place that under your butt, with about 2-3 inches sticking out. This’ll catch the excess lube that runs out during dilation, especially when removing the dilator. You can use it to wipe your perineum too, but remember top-to-bottom, front-to-back.

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful and the evening dilation session went well. Uncomfortable, to be sure, but not painful per se. Also, at the end of the day, Som called me and said there was availability at the Vertical Suite and I could move tomorrow after 1200.

Friday, 1 September 2017
I took time last night to pack in spurts, not trying to overdo anything. Packing went well and I was mostly packed my the morning, with just the bathroom stuff left. I dilated in the morning, took a shower and then got ready to check out. Just as I was about to head out, Nurse Sri showed up for the daily check-up. I had thought that was going to happen later at the Vertical Suite, so I was a little surprised. But, since she was here, I “assumed the position” for my check-up. She was concerned because the bottom part of my introitus stitching was opening up a little bit and asked me if I’d been staying in the room, or walking around. I said I’d been down to breakfast a couple of times, but that was it. She said that I was supposed to have stayed in my room for the duration – which was not the instructions I received orally or in writing. It says “[r]emain on bed rest as much as possible during your first 2 weeks at the hotel (especially before vaginal packing removal). You are not allowed to go outside the hotel before your follow-up day with Dr. Chettawut.” I had followed these instructions to the letter and had only gone down for breakfast after vaginal packing had been removed and only twice (yesterday and this morning). I had gotten prior approval to move hotels, with the Clinic setting up the reservation at the Vertical Suites, in fact.

I felt scolded. I asked if the move today was still ok. She said yes, but it’s a very rare occurrence and maybe the first time she’s seen it, but it’s ok to move. Just go directly to the new room and don’t over-do anything. I agreed, got dressed and went forward with the move.

Getting my bags downstairs was going to be an issue… if you remember, there are 5 steps between the 5th floor and the landing where the elevator is. I was planning on sneakily using the freight/staff elevator that I’d been wheeled up on the day I came back to the hotel, but I was in luck. As I’m awkwardly moving my two bags (carry-on with a 12-pack of water around the handle & a medium-large piece that had my purse on top), two staff members appeared and graciously carried my luggage, lifted them up the 5 steps using a buddy-lift – neither of the bags were particularly light) and helped me into the elevator. Arriving at the lobby, the concierge took my bags and I went to check out. With some minor confusion aside, check out was easy and I took a seat in the lobby to wait for my taxi.

When the taxi arrived, the concierge staff loaded my bags and helped me into the taxi and I generously tipped him. Like I said, they were heavy. And then, we’re off… you can literally see the hotels from each other so it’s a very short ride. However, the taxi driver was a typical Thai driver and veered from lane to lane, with sudden accelerations and stops, and I’m pretty sure he hit every bump in the ½ a mile or so between hotels. Like 98.9% sure. But, with only a 41 bhat taxi ride later (that’s just a little more than 1 USD), I’m at my new digs. The driver unloads my bags and I walk up the ramp instead of the stairs into the building. Check-in was smooth and I was in my room within 10 minutes of checking-in, with the staff taking my bags up for me.

And I was EXHAUSTED. I mean I was wore the f*** out. I got out the piddle pad, put it on the bed, took off my dress and collapsed. That shit nearly did me in, no lie. I now fully appreciated Nurse Sri’s caution, her apprehension, and her general tone. Fully. That shit was bananas. I was sore, tired, and actually in pain, which hadn’t really been part of my experience to date. I was sucking wind… hard. (This is a Marine Corps’ expression meaning I was worn completely out and basically worthless at this point.) I was D.O.N.E.

It took several hours for me to rest and very slowly unpack some of my stuff. None of my clothes are hung up, still today (Sunday), just piled neatly on top of the dresser in the closet. And, I still had to dilate. FML. I passed out early that night and hard.

Saturday, 2 September 2017
I woke up sore as all get-out downstairs. I was afraid I had actually done some real damage and I was very apprehensive about checking my pad to see if there was excessive blood there. Luckily, there was not. But, I was still worried I had done some damage so I did not do my morning dilation and waited for the nurse to arrive to check me out beforehand. Nurse Sri arrived a little after 1300. As we were walking back to the bedroom, I told her she was totally right about the move being a bad idea. She smiled but I could tell that the thought process was probably something like “no shit, Sherlock.” Once I was on the bed, she gave me a full look-over – Luckily, I hadn’t ripped stitches or done anything too bad, but there was still a widening at the base of the introitus that was concerning. She told me to stay in bed as much as possible and she’d come on Monday to take out the catheter. I wholeheartedly agreed to follow her instructions completely. I began dilation, which she observed, and then she headed out saying “see you on Monday!”

And, let me tell you, I’ve followed her instructions like they were written in stone and handed down to Moses. Absent from going to the fridge for more water, and answering the door when the food delivery guy showed up, my butt was in bed all day. I did my three dilation sessions of 30 minutes each, watched Netflix, chatted on FB a bit, napped and that is it, my friends. Saturday, in the books.

Sunday, 3 September 2017
I had some really random & weird dreams last night. I won’t go into them, but they were sufficiently weird that I remembered them when I woke up. The brain is one weird organ, you know? I had a bit of the night sweats, so I woke up pretty sweaty & gross, but waited until after my first dilation to take a shower.

I’m feeling much better… so, my words of advice to you: follow your nurses’ instructions. They’ve been through hundreds, if not thousands, of cases similar to yours. They know what they’re talking about. I didn’t disobey my nurses, I just didn’t give their advice the proper amount of weight. And I should know better… my middle sister is a nurse and she’d probably want to box my ears if she read this part but, heed my advice, folks. It’ll save you a lot of pain & discomfort. Seriously, a lot.

 

Boy howdy! My girlfriend and I were chatting other night and the conversation turned a just little intimate… but let me tell you, things definitely responded down there, but it wasn’t very comfortable at all. I’m gonna give the new bits quite some time to heal up before her through her paces!

 

Monday, 4 September 2017
It’s catheter removal day!!! Woohoo!! I am so sick of carrying this bag around with me, having to negotiate showers with it, emptying it every-so-often, and it’s generally just freaking annoying. Morning dilation went smoothly. I’m still on the 30 mins/3x/day schedule with the #1 dilator. For some reason that was explained to me but I can’t clearly remember, I never started with the #0 one... something about my vagina already being wide enough for it. Anywho, between set-up, dilation, and clean-up, it’s more like 45 minutes. Maybe the set-up/clean-up parts will take less time later as I get more efficient?

Nurse Sri arrived to take out my catheter and it was relatively straight-forward. She takes out a needle-less syringe and sticks in the port with the red ring on the end and it immediately starts filling with fluid (saline, I’m guessing) from the balloon that keeps the end of the cath inside my bladder. She fills it up and then squirts the fluid into the trash can. She repeats this procedure and finally the balloon is completely deflated, so now it’s time to remove it. Oh my! It feels like what I would imagine peeing with a seriously bad UTI; or maybe chlamydia or some sort of other STI where it burns like fire when you pee… I’ve never had an STI so I don’t know, but it’s what I imagine that would feel like. But holy cow! It felt like it was a mile long when she was pulling it out! But, it was definitely temporary. She encouraged me to drink lots of water and to relax when I needed to pee, it would come.

She was right… about 20 minutes later, I needed to pee. I sat down, took a deep breath, and just exhaled relaxingly. Sure enough, it flowed like a river! Well, a stream is probably more appropriate. I had been warned that peeing would be very messy – with it spraying all willy-nilly, but mine’s usually a pretty constant stream until right at the end, when it kind of runs down a little bit and onto my perineum. I haven’t had the butt-spray pee yet… maybe when the swelling goes down more? I’d be fine with not experiencing that aspect, so maybe I’ll just be lucky. Also, it burns at the end of peeing for several times after removal of the catheter. Irritation & inflammation from the removal is my guess. It’s intense, but not nearly as intense as the removal of the catheter itself. This feeling goes away, so don’t be too concerned.

The rest of my Monday was uneventful – 2 more sessions of dilation and lots of peeing. I guess that’s a Monday for ya.

Tuesday, 5 September 2017
Since I’m “bagless” now, I got to go downstairs and eat breakfast. I was hoping to run into one of the other 7 or so Chett girls here at the Vertical Suite, but I ended up eating alone. It was definitely not the same kind of spread that the Dusit Princess puts on, but it was tasty enough.

I’m missing my family, my girlfriend and my friends a lot today. I have two kiddos at home… well, they’re not really kids anymore. My son is 14 and my daughter is 12. They’ve had a rough go of it this past year with my transition, me moving out, and the divorce. It’s hard for them, but they’re good kids and I’m confident that with enough time and consistent love from me that we’ll get through this. But, last week, they asked me to stop texting them and to only text in case of an emergency. It breaks my heart. I get their school updates notifications (grades, assignments, etc) and they’re doing well… I just wish they wanted me in their life. Rejection is hard, regardless, but I think rejection from your kids is the hardest. Well, let’s just say that the distance and time difference from my support network at home is draining on me today.

At just a little past 10, the doorbell rang, but I still had a just about a minute on my dilation and I thought it was housekeeping so I yelled out, “No thank you.” As I was cleaning up, the bell rang again so I quickly put my panties and PJ bottoms on and go to the door. As I’m rounding the corner, Nurse Sri opens the door and surprises me by coming very early today. Evidently, she has to cover all 3 of the hotels today and was getting an early start. Other than that, it was a normal checkup.

The rest of the day is uneventful. Wake, take meds, eat breakfast, dilate, chat with folks stateside, take meds, eat lunch, watch Netflix, take meds, eat dinner, dilate, watch Netflix, chat with folks stateside, take a shower, go to bed.

Wednesday, 6 September 2017
Peeing is easier and easier and dilation is as well. Dilation is still a chore and today the duration bumps up to 40 min sessions 3x/day. Oh fun. /sarcasm. The next bump-up on the schedule is on 17 Sept, two days after I get back home. If you want to check out the dilation schedule, here you go: http://www.chet-plasticsurgery.com/dr-chettawuts-vaginal-dilatation-instructions/ From what I’ve read, a lot of women don’t keep doing 3 sessions/day past 3 to 6 months or so. We’ll see and I’ll try and keep you in the loop regarding my decision-matrix.

My swelling has gone down a lot… I can see the labia majora really taking shape, rather than just swollen mounds on either side. Regarding the incisions used to create the labia, the stitching is super-fine thread and really nicely done. I’m very confident that it’s going to heal nicely and be a great looking vulva.

Other than that, not much to report from today…. Did a little bit of work ‍, watched some Netflix and laid around with a dilator in for two hours. Fun times. I have my follow-up with Dr Chett in a couple of days and I’m excited to see what he says. Then, one more week and it’s time to catch my flight home.

 

Thursday, 7 September 2017

I went downstairs for breakfast this morning and met another Chett girl… and surprise: we share the same name! She’s from France, also came alone, but is much younger than me. I’m 41 and she’s 22; however, we still had a lot to talk about. I learned that it is much harder to change your name and gender on identity documents in France than it is in Colorado. She’s been struggling with this for over a year and still no progress, unfortunately. We chatted over breakfast for quite a while and then made plans to meet later to chat some more. I think we were both starved for social interaction!

We met again for dinner and she told me about her experience at the Dr. Chettawut post-surgery appointment. No lie, it kind of freaked me out. She said it was painful and much more involved than she anticipated, so I am planning on taking a couple of pain pills prior to the driver picking me up at 1000. Other than that, the day was the same as the other days – 3x dilation for 40 minutes, laying down as much as possible, and watching a lot of Netflix.

Friday, 8 September 2017

I woke up early this morning… I had a couple of weird dreams and couldn’t really go back to sleep. I met my new friend downstairs for breakfast, we chatted a bit, and then I had to go back upstairs to dilate before my appointment with Dr. Chettawut at 1000.

After completing that and taking two of the tramadol pills, I went downstairs to the lobby to meet my driver. At a couple of minutes past 1000, I got a call at the lobby desk that the driver is running about 20 minutes behind schedule. He showed up at 1020 and we’re off to the Clinic. He was very careful about hitting bumps, for which I am still very appreciative. 15 minutes or so later, we’re at the Clinic. I have a seat on the comfy couch (which I don’t need my butt-pillow for) and wait for a Dr. Chettawut since he’s finishing up a consult upstairs. 10 minutes or so later, an older lady and her male partner/friend came down the stairs and now it’s my turn to head up. I met with Dr. Chettawut in his office briefly and he took a look at my abdomen and took some pictures. Next, I went next door and I took off all my jewelry, stripped down, and put on the robe and hairnet, just like for the surgery day. I was escorted into the OR and “hopped” up onto the table, put my legs in the stirrup/leg holder thingy’s. It was chilly, but they put blankets over each of my legs and my torso. Not too bad so far… a male nurse began applying some solution (betadine maybe?) to my labia and the liposuction incisions. He showed me how to make a betadine douche solution and said Dr. Chettawut will demonstrate later. He then, along with a female nurse, began to take out the external stitches. Snip snip… tug. Snip snip… tug. Not too bad, but not pleasant. I could see a reflection of what’s going on in the plastic covering of the lights above the OR table… I’m not sure if this is a good thing or bad thing, but I couldn’t look away. The nurse applies some gel (diocane numbing gel?) and then goes and gets Dr. Chettawut.

Dr. Chettawut briefly talked to me about the douche (he said 1x/week or so… more often if I want and after 3 months, I could switch to an over-the-counter gentle feminine douche. I’m not a huge fan of the douche to begin with so I don’t think I’ll be doing anything after the 3 month betadine regimen.) Dr. Chettawut inserted a speculum and that was quite a unique feeling as he widened it to see inside my vaginal canal. Not unpleasant per se, but very strange. I’ve lost the reflection in the lights so I can’t see what’s going on anymore. I think this is a good thing… especially when he says he needs to cauterize a spot, which surprisingly didn’t hurt but the smell was pretty bad. After that, he took several pictures of me with my legs splayed for my record and then we were done. I was escorted back to the changing room, got dressed and headed downstairs. Dr. Chettawut met me downstairs after a couple of minutes to discuss the results and the path forward. In a nutshell, he is still concerned about the level of scarring that was present on my bowels and thinks that my healing time will be slower than average. He wants me to take it easy, even with the dilation schedule. He said I can start on the #2 dilator later than the schedule, if I want. He answered my questions about working out, sex, and whatnot and then we were done.

My driver showed up and time to go back to the hotel. At this point, I’m no longer restricted to staying in the hotel, but I’m interested in playing it safe, so it’s just back to the room for me. My French friend and I hung out in the evening, eating dinner and watching a movie, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which she thoroughly enjoyed. Evening dilation time rolled around and we said au revoir. Her flight back to France is in the morning so I wouldn’t see her again – or at least not anytime soon.

Saturday, 9 September 2017

A rather uneventful day… but I did leave the hotel! I went next door to the 7-11 to get more bottled water and some laundry soap to wash my clothes. It was hot and muggy out, but the relatively short walk there and back was bearable. No soreness after, which was good too. That bodes well for my healing and for the fact that in a week, I’ll be heading home. I forgot to mention that on 7 Sept, I called the airlines to coordinate the wheelchair assist and also to get special sets assignments that will help me stay as comfortable as possible. I’ll need to provide them the letter Dr. Chettawut gave me when I left the clinic after my surgery so make sure you keep ahold of that thing and have it readily accessible when checking in.

The nurse told me that I have another Chett girl on my floor – her surgery is on Monday so we won’t get to hang out much but I’ll introduce myself tomorrow.

 

Sunday, 10 September 2017

Dilation is getting easier and easier… I still would firmly categorize it in the “uncomfortable” category, but we’re getting there. Sunday’s are “nurse-free days,” meaning I don’t get visits from Nurse Tiar or Nurse Sri. Throwing the Do Not Disturb light on means that housekeeping doesn’t bother me either… I can nap, be naked, take super-long showers, etc without worries about who’s going to be knocking at the door. It’s kind of great… a day of not having to spread my legs while the nurse uses big-ass Q-tips to prod around and examine my vagina and vulva. Again, none of this is particularly painful, but it certainly isn’t something I’d want on a spa day, if you get my drift.

Monday, 11 September 2017

Today is the 16th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on NYC, the Pentagon, and Flight 93 which was heading towards Washington, DC until the passengers attempted to retake the plane and the terrorists crashed it in a Pennsylvania field. Last year on this day, I was flying out of Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC back to Colorado. It was a somber experience and this year was also very reflective of the memorial. I don’t want to make this about 9-11, but lying here in a hotel room on the other side of the planet from my family, friends, and fellow Marines on a day that is burned into my brain had an impact on me. My country was founded on the ideals of freedom, liberty, and justice for all… and it’s been a struggle ever since to try to achieve those ideals with still a ways to go. My fellow trans US servicemembers are being targeted right now – saying we are a “disruption” and our service is not worth the cost of our health care. It makes me angry. It makes me sad that trans folk are being murdered in increasingly record-high numbers and some members of my government think we have too many protections under the law. When is enough enough? It’s incredibly frustrating, but the fight continues. Stand up, be recognized, and push back against this regressive, hate-filled push to make us unequal… to minimize us… to eliminate us. /rant over.

From a healing standpoint, today was a good day - less color in my maxi-pads, dilating was a chore but easy enough, and my incisions are healing up quite nicely.

Tuesday, 12 September 2017

I almost went out exploring a bit today, but instead I got caught up on Outlander, a historical fiction-romance-time travel TV show. It’s sooo good - Caitriona Balfe (as Claire Randall Fraser) and Sam Heughan (as Jamie Fraser) are just electric together. [As an aside, I wouldn’t kick either of them out of bed. Hot!]

Dilation was… dilation. What can I say about it that I haven’t already? My pre-printed schedule says I’m supposed to start the #2 dilator on Saturday, but with the full day of no dilation and travel the day before, I’ll likely put it off for a few days or maybe a week. I’ll play it by ear.

Walking and sitting have both become much better over the past couple of days. The swelling has gone down significantly too. I can now see the labia minora beginning to form from the swollen tissue, which is good. Yay, progress!

62 hours until my plane takes off… I’m ready to be home, if you can’t tell.

 

Friday, 15 September 2017

I woke up at 0500, did 2 hours of dilation (yeah, that’s a long-ass time), showered, finished the last bit of packing, checked out of the room, and made it down for breakfast at 0755. My driver was supposed be there at 0800, so I inhaled some eggs, yogurt, and a couple of pieces of fruit. I waited about 15 minutes and the driver had not shown up so I had the front desk clerk call the Clinic regarding the driver, who they said was stuck in traffic and would be there in 15 minutes or so.

True to their word, the driver showed up at 0830 but honestly, I was stressing about making it to the airport in time. Once we left the hotel, the traffic was pretty heavy with several stopped vehicles that further clogged the already-busy streets, but we made it to the airport at 0915 so I still had 2 hours before my flight. Whew! Check-in was easy and they brought the wheelchair to take me through customs & immigration, then to my gate. There was evidently some miscommunication at the gate when I asked for bulkhead seats at the ticket counter, because when I got in the plane to my seat, it was the row just ahead of the exit row, meaning no ability to recline. I spoke to the flight attendant and was able to move up to the bulkhead and was lucky enough to not have any seatmates. A short 3 and a half hours after takeoff, we landed in Taipei. I sat on my ginormous yellow butt-donut the entire time, but it wasn’t particularly comfortable. I had a 2 hour layover and was wheeled from gate to gate. I chilled out on a pretty comfy couch near my gate until boarding was about to begin, which was nice.

The flight from Taipei to San Francisco had a similar seat snafu – aisle seat in the middle row smack in the middle of the plane. Again, luck was on my side and, with the help of the flight attendant, I was able to move forward to the bulkhead seat and didn’t have any seatmates! The bulkhead seat was perfect – I was able to stretch my legs out and even use the bulkhead to prop my feet in an elevated position. Even with all this relative comfort, it was a very long plane ride. I switched from the huge butt-pillow to my neck pillow about a third of the way through as an experiment and it was much better… it didn’t lift me as high in the seat so the seat was much more comfortable and I had more room to adjust the seatbelt so I could maximize my reclining potential. If I had to do it over again, I would have shelled out the cash for business class for this leg of the trip. I was very glad when we landed and got the hell off that plane as soon as I could. I walked up the jet bridge and linked up with my wheelchair lady at the top. We quickly navigated through immigration, she grabbed my bag from baggage claim and took me through an expedited customs line. It was definitely a plus to not have to walk so far and also stand in the long lines. They took me to the Virgin America counter and I checked in. Unfortunately, all the bulkhead seats were already taken – lesson learned: call each airline ahead of time to arrange seating and be insistent. I had only called China Airlines beforehand and I thought they coordinated each of the three legs, but they did not. They could only get me an aisle seat. Ugh.

I asked my wheelchair assistant to take me to the USO so I could use their recliner during my 4.5 hour layover. Fully reclining in a comfy leather recliner was an amazing feeling… so good that I took about an hour nap! It was pretty glorious. Boarding began at 1845, so I left the USO on my own at 1800 to make my way to the gate because I felt like stretching my legs for a bit instead of being wheeled around. The TSA line was long, though, and I definitely wished I had the get-in-the-front-of-the-line card by the time I was through it. I made it to my gate at 1835, only to find out that the inbound plane wasn’t there yet and we’d be at least an hour late. Ugh. My mom arrived in Denver from her flight while we were still waiting to board, so it was going to be a long wait for her until I got there. Once the plane arrived, they turned it around pretty quick and boarding began. I was able to board early by showing the letter from Dr. Chett about needing assistance. Once on the plane, luck would rule again as I was able to get a seat with no seatmates so I could at least stretch out across the seats.

We landed at 2315 in Denver at 2315, so just about 45 minutes behind schedule. I didn’t wait for the wheelchair and just waddled my way to baggage claim where I linked up with my mom and my friend, Christina, who was kindly able to pick us up and take us to my apartment. A 40 minute drive later and I was home… just at 30 hours after I left the hotel in Bangkok. I was wiped out! I probably should have dilated before bed, but I just couldn’t make myself do it.

Saturday, 16 September 2017

I woke up early at about 0530, messed around on Facebook for a bit, and then very reluctantly began dilating. It was borderline painful and I took it very slowly in getting to depth. Even with going as slow as I could, I still had some blood when I was cleaning up. It was a long 40 minute session, but the worst was over. Mom and I went out for breakfast burritos and then went dress shopping. I have an awards dinner in a week and needed a new dress. After going to several shops in the outlet mall, I finally found a very cute, black A-line dress by Ralph Lauren that was on sale and fit. By this time, I was pretty worn out so we skipped grocery shopping for now and went back to rest. Mom took a nap and I dilated. Fun times… lol. I ended up napping on the couch afterwards for a couple of hours, then we ventured out to restock the fridge and pantry. I kept the shopping list to the bare essentials and it wasn’t so bad. After a long day, neither of us were very interested in cooking so we got a frozen pizza too. My BFF flew in and got to the apartment at about 2115. We hung out, chatted and caught up until almost midnight. He left for his AirBnb and I went it bed for my final dilation session and then sleep.

As promised, here are my revised packing and shopping lists, edited from my experience:

Packing List

❏ Sensitive skin soap for post-op showers
❏ Maxi-pads (4/day x however many days you’ll be post-op before getting home + travel) - you can also get them in Thailand, if you want or are worried about space/weight.
❏ Gatorade packets 3x30 +10 or so
❏ Flight snacks & gum
❏ Hygiene kit - soap, shampoo, conditioner, razor, shaving cream, etc
❏ Swimsuit/bikini
❏ Travel neck pillow
❏ HDMI cable & connectors
❏ 3 dresses
❏ 1 cute outfit
❏ 5 tops/shirts
❏ 2 skirts
❏ Yoga pants
❏ Old panties
❏ Nightgowns
❏ Flip-flops/sandals
❏ Close-toed shoes
❏ Sun hat
❏ Small travel umbrella
❏ iPad/tablet
❏ 240v adapter for plugs
❏ Extension cord/power strip for 240v
❏ Charging cords for devices
❏ Laptop
❏ Noise-canceling headphones
❏ Apple TV, remote & HDMI cable
❏ Travel Router
❏ Sunscreen
❏ Baby wipes-large container
❏ Aloe Vera lotion

Shopping List in Thailand

❏ Food to your preference, but easy to make
❏ Pineapple juice / apple juice x 4
❏ Hard candy
❏ Sprite/7-Up
❏ Jello - not red/purple
❏ Soup/ramen
❏ Water 18 bottles pkg x4
❏ Souvenirs, as necessary


That’s it, folks... I hope you’ve enjoyed/learned a bit about the journey. Cheers!