40 days on, infection has now gone after a strong course of antibiotics. Wounds are still quite red and angry looking, the internal stitches are still protruding, they may be removed this week as Mr Christopher did suggest to give them a couple of weeks, the nurse is coming in every other day. A different nurse came in on Monday and did a swab as she was concerned about one of the wounds, luckily no infection!
W is still unable to drive, hopefully this week we will see a big improvement and get some independence back. Mobility wise that is improving now although he is on stronger prescription painkillers for the pain in his feet.
Laura the district nurse who has been with W 90% of the time since he came out of hospital, has now gone onto maternity leave, it's a shame that she will not see W progress, hopefully she will be back when he has his next op, she had built a fabulous, positive relationship with W, sharing a joke and putting up with W's flirty manner. It was also her first phalloplasty patient as it was with the others who have done his dressings.
On a more humorous note, the best quote off the nurses as they see the result of the phalloplasty is 'wow, that's amazing'. It puts a smile on W's face, not many men can say they get that reaction!!
W is in daily contact with Codey, a brilliant supportive friendship even though they are a couple of hundred miles apart.
Saturday, 26 July 2014
Wednesday, 16 July 2014
(95) 30 days post op...
W now has 5 openings 4 along the abdomen incision and 1 just above the penis. The original opening which was only a couple of millimetres in size is now 2.5cm by 3.7cm! They are very sore and are causing him great discomfort. The nurse still comes in on a daily basis to dress them each day. Yesterday she was not happy as they had deteriorated over the weekend so W had to go to see the Dr today. S was able to take the day off and take him, the Dr is not concerned and said they will heal in their own time. The internal stitches are now showing. W has sent the pics direct to the surgeon to get his opinion. Seems a very long healing process and W is becoming more depressed.
The hole to the left is the original opening where the fluid made its escape! Another opening to the right of that has appeared, you can see the internal stitches.
Saturday, 12 July 2014
(94) London check up
W had a follow up appointment on Thursday at Harley Street clinic in London to see Sarah the nurse.
I had been longing for this appointment so Sarah could actually see the wounds which were not healing, W had been emailing her regular pictures. The main wound was now 2.5cm by 2.5cm, this was originally 2mm when the leakage had started, there were now 3 wounds which were been dressed by the district nurse who is still coming in daily.
Sarah examined the wounds and was happy with the result she redressed them and told W that the district nurse was doing everything correct, he was also told to have a hot bath in salt water and leave the wounds exposed for an hour before the nurse came to do the dressings. Appointment lasted for around 15 minutes, such a long journey for a short consultation. Sarah said to see her in 3 months.
Friday the nurse came and told W that the swab she took on Monday was positive and he now had an infection, a course of antibiotics it is. W became very depressed with this news as he feels he is not getting anywhere with the healing process at the minute.
Grandads funeral was last Wednesday, I am very proud of W for holding his head up and facing his dad. W was very drunk at the end of the day, he had spent it in the pub with his dad and Matthew, his dad was buying him more drink than he could take.
W has no intention of trying to build this relationship with dad but at least he has now seen him as a male and hopefully will treat him with respect if he should see him.
I had been longing for this appointment so Sarah could actually see the wounds which were not healing, W had been emailing her regular pictures. The main wound was now 2.5cm by 2.5cm, this was originally 2mm when the leakage had started, there were now 3 wounds which were been dressed by the district nurse who is still coming in daily.
Sarah examined the wounds and was happy with the result she redressed them and told W that the district nurse was doing everything correct, he was also told to have a hot bath in salt water and leave the wounds exposed for an hour before the nurse came to do the dressings. Appointment lasted for around 15 minutes, such a long journey for a short consultation. Sarah said to see her in 3 months.
Friday the nurse came and told W that the swab she took on Monday was positive and he now had an infection, a course of antibiotics it is. W became very depressed with this news as he feels he is not getting anywhere with the healing process at the minute.
Grandads funeral was last Wednesday, I am very proud of W for holding his head up and facing his dad. W was very drunk at the end of the day, he had spent it in the pub with his dad and Matthew, his dad was buying him more drink than he could take.
W has no intention of trying to build this relationship with dad but at least he has now seen him as a male and hopefully will treat him with respect if he should see him.
Monday, 7 July 2014
(93) Stitches removed + update
W had the stitches removed this afternoon, 5.30 appointment and they were done by 6.20! It took two nurses to remove them all, he had to have a dressing on as some areas were a little raw looking as the stitches were quite deep in places.
Still having the abdomen wound dressed, the district nurse is coming in on a daily basis to re dress it, still leaking quite a bit, it has now been packed.
The district nurse is lovely, had a fabulous chat about the transition, she explained that W is her 1st phalloplasty patient and hopes to be his district nurse for all the operations and what a positive experience it has been for her and how she could never imagine W as anything but the man he is.
We have a follow up appointment at Harley St on Thursday, I have mentioned to W about arranging the next op but at this moment in time he's not emotionally ready to plan anything, hopefully op 2 will be at the end of the year.
W is feeling a bit depressed now, I feel awful when I close the front door in a morning knowing that he is on his own until I get home, it'll be better when he can drive again or is more mobile.
I'll be glad when he has got his grandads funeral over with, its this Wednesday. At least he's had no grief off his dad.
I have put my complaint in regards the paramedics!
Still having the abdomen wound dressed, the district nurse is coming in on a daily basis to re dress it, still leaking quite a bit, it has now been packed.
The district nurse is lovely, had a fabulous chat about the transition, she explained that W is her 1st phalloplasty patient and hopes to be his district nurse for all the operations and what a positive experience it has been for her and how she could never imagine W as anything but the man he is.
We have a follow up appointment at Harley St on Thursday, I have mentioned to W about arranging the next op but at this moment in time he's not emotionally ready to plan anything, hopefully op 2 will be at the end of the year.
W is feeling a bit depressed now, I feel awful when I close the front door in a morning knowing that he is on his own until I get home, it'll be better when he can drive again or is more mobile.
I'll be glad when he has got his grandads funeral over with, its this Wednesday. At least he's had no grief off his dad.
I have put my complaint in regards the paramedics!
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
(92) What a nightmare of a night...
Staples were taken out at midday and the district nurse said that the swelling was normal so no concerns, the wound was left uncovered. At 2pm W noticed that blood was seeping through so he put on a pad to absorb it.
At 12.50am I was woken with W shouting me. I went to him and he was soaked in the blood stained fluid which had come through a slight gap between where the staples had been and some stitches. I cleaned him up, I was just about to put another dressing on when a gush of this fluid shot out all over him, I sorted this the best I could and got him to stay on his side. I called the out of hours district nurse and was advised to call the paramedics. Paramedics arrived about 15 minutes later. I had already explained to the operator what was wrong and that W was recovering from a hysterectomy and phalloplasty and the bleed was from the incision across his abdomen.The manner of one of the paramedics was disgusting, as he came into my home I was directing him to W's room, he was asking me what was wrong, I explained that it was a bleed etc, he then asked what operation he had had, do these operators not inform the paramedics? He very rudely said, a hysterectomy? I have never heard of a bloke having a hysterectomy! I was mortified, he walked into W asking him what was this all about a man having a hysterectomy, I was dumbfounded and speechless, I felt like I would burst into tears at any moment. I managed to say that he was having gender re-assignment surgery, not that it had anything to do with them! When they tried to get W up he only had a t shirt on, so was conscious that a) I was there b) they were standing extremely close to him. As he stood up he moved to the side to keep his dignity and the ignorant paramedic said, "Don't be shy". I couldn't believe what I was hearing, poor W they were invading his privacy, it was so obvious this was a first for them!
Off we go in the ambulance, half way up our street W notified the paramedic that the doors were not shut properly, was this a sketch for a comic strip? The driving ignorant paramedic had not even heard the door open alarm going off.
At the hospital, it was extremely quiet, 3 hours later and a nurse came to give W a gown. W asked to go to the toilet, they supplied him with a bottle, how humiliating, W was determined to pee in this bottle if it was the last thing he did.
Eventually we were seen by a doctor, a lovely understanding doctor, but once again we had to tell 'the story'. This doctor was unsure what to advise and did suggest maybe he would have to go into surgery, over my dead body, I would drive W to London first! A second doctor came, prodded around and said he would get a nurse to pad it, go home and return to your own surgery for clean dressings.
Arrived home just after 5am, cleaned up the mess in the bedroom, scrubbed his mattress made his bed, put the bedding in the washing machine, text my colleagues to explain I would be in later, left a message on the school answer phone and tried to get some sleep, no chance, good job I love my son!
At 12.50am I was woken with W shouting me. I went to him and he was soaked in the blood stained fluid which had come through a slight gap between where the staples had been and some stitches. I cleaned him up, I was just about to put another dressing on when a gush of this fluid shot out all over him, I sorted this the best I could and got him to stay on his side. I called the out of hours district nurse and was advised to call the paramedics. Paramedics arrived about 15 minutes later. I had already explained to the operator what was wrong and that W was recovering from a hysterectomy and phalloplasty and the bleed was from the incision across his abdomen.The manner of one of the paramedics was disgusting, as he came into my home I was directing him to W's room, he was asking me what was wrong, I explained that it was a bleed etc, he then asked what operation he had had, do these operators not inform the paramedics? He very rudely said, a hysterectomy? I have never heard of a bloke having a hysterectomy! I was mortified, he walked into W asking him what was this all about a man having a hysterectomy, I was dumbfounded and speechless, I felt like I would burst into tears at any moment. I managed to say that he was having gender re-assignment surgery, not that it had anything to do with them! When they tried to get W up he only had a t shirt on, so was conscious that a) I was there b) they were standing extremely close to him. As he stood up he moved to the side to keep his dignity and the ignorant paramedic said, "Don't be shy". I couldn't believe what I was hearing, poor W they were invading his privacy, it was so obvious this was a first for them!
Off we go in the ambulance, half way up our street W notified the paramedic that the doors were not shut properly, was this a sketch for a comic strip? The driving ignorant paramedic had not even heard the door open alarm going off.
At the hospital, it was extremely quiet, 3 hours later and a nurse came to give W a gown. W asked to go to the toilet, they supplied him with a bottle, how humiliating, W was determined to pee in this bottle if it was the last thing he did.
Eventually we were seen by a doctor, a lovely understanding doctor, but once again we had to tell 'the story'. This doctor was unsure what to advise and did suggest maybe he would have to go into surgery, over my dead body, I would drive W to London first! A second doctor came, prodded around and said he would get a nurse to pad it, go home and return to your own surgery for clean dressings.
Arrived home just after 5am, cleaned up the mess in the bedroom, scrubbed his mattress made his bed, put the bedding in the washing machine, text my colleagues to explain I would be in later, left a message on the school answer phone and tried to get some sleep, no chance, good job I love my son!
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