After a traumatic 6 weeks W has finally being discharged from hospital.
W was originally discharged on Monday 7th December, I felt that he was not well enough but I supported him like a mum would. I arranged time off work and so did S his girlfriend, he was in a terrible mess, pain and emotionally. The pain was becoming worse in his back and I was having to pad him with pillows so he could have some sleep. On the Saturday he was passing out with the pain and his breathing had become very shallow, early evening his temperature was through the roof and he was trembling, his eyes were wide open and he appeared very scared. I rang the hospital and I drove him straight there. An X ray was taken and he had a litre and a half of fluid on his lung causing it to collapse. He was put on a drip and on strong painkillers. The next day he was taken to have a drain put into the lung. After 12 days he was allowed home, so far so good. There is still a collection of fluid on the lung, he will have to have regular X rays until it has cleared.
Just need to fatten him up now as he has lost nearly 3 stone!
The actual gender reassignment is a breeze compared to the secondary effects he has of surgery, poor kid he has it tough, now to get over the next 6 months and he can have the stoma reversed.
Merry Christmas to you all and a very happy 2016 xx
Wednesday, 23 December 2015
Tuesday, 1 December 2015
(109) Major blip...
Can't believe what has happened!
Couple of weeks ago W was up in the night vomiting. 30 odd hours later after continuous vomiting and excruciating stomach pains he was admitted to hospital.
After lots of prodding off various nurses and doctors, he was given a morphine drip to enable him to lie down so he could have a CT scan. A couple of hours later, devastating news, W had a blockage in the bowel and seepage, they were uncertain to what extent until they opened him up.
Emergency surgery in the night. They had to remove 6cm of his bowel and put a stoma in!!
The bowel had attached itself to the scarring of the hysterectomy and twisted, the bowel had been starved of oxygen and died therefore creating the blockage and had to be removed. The stoma is temporary, but W is devastated, I think he has been through every emotion possible.
6 days in critical care, 5 days in special care, W was moved on to a normal ward last night, he's the youngest one there. Can't wait for him to come home.
Another set back to the planned operation just before Christmas, so close yet so far to reaching the end of his surgery!
Couple of weeks ago W was up in the night vomiting. 30 odd hours later after continuous vomiting and excruciating stomach pains he was admitted to hospital.
After lots of prodding off various nurses and doctors, he was given a morphine drip to enable him to lie down so he could have a CT scan. A couple of hours later, devastating news, W had a blockage in the bowel and seepage, they were uncertain to what extent until they opened him up.
Emergency surgery in the night. They had to remove 6cm of his bowel and put a stoma in!!
The bowel had attached itself to the scarring of the hysterectomy and twisted, the bowel had been starved of oxygen and died therefore creating the blockage and had to be removed. The stoma is temporary, but W is devastated, I think he has been through every emotion possible.
6 days in critical care, 5 days in special care, W was moved on to a normal ward last night, he's the youngest one there. Can't wait for him to come home.
Another set back to the planned operation just before Christmas, so close yet so far to reaching the end of his surgery!
Sunday, 15 November 2015
(108) GRC
W has applied for his Gender Recognition Certificate.
After lots of paperwork evidence collecting from over the past few years he sent it all off. The court hearing is this Wednesday 18th November.
My feelings are very bizarre at the moment, it's great news and I am happy that finally all legal documentation is completed; on the other hand I feel that the birth of my daughter has been wiped away and I am feeling quite emotional. I think a good cry and then everything will be absolutely fine again.
After lots of paperwork evidence collecting from over the past few years he sent it all off. The court hearing is this Wednesday 18th November.
My feelings are very bizarre at the moment, it's great news and I am happy that finally all legal documentation is completed; on the other hand I feel that the birth of my daughter has been wiped away and I am feeling quite emotional. I think a good cry and then everything will be absolutely fine again.
Sunday, 13 September 2015
(107) Update
Unfortunately the on-lay labral urethroplasty operation was not a success but W was told what the chances of that route were.
The graft has died and this will be removed at the next operation which should now take place during the Christmas break. Mr Christopher did not want to administer more anaesthetic just to remove the dead graft. The next operation will be a vaginectomy, and testicular implant a small urethral funnel will be created where he can pass urine at the bottom of the scrotum.
This will involve being catheterised for 2-3 weeks.
After that one there will be the final operation during the Easter break, we can see the light at the end of that very long tunnel!!
W has now started his teacher training post at a very good secondary school, it is so good to see him settled and starting a career. The application for his gender recognition certificate has now been sent off too, so all looking good.
The graft has died and this will be removed at the next operation which should now take place during the Christmas break. Mr Christopher did not want to administer more anaesthetic just to remove the dead graft. The next operation will be a vaginectomy, and testicular implant a small urethral funnel will be created where he can pass urine at the bottom of the scrotum.
This will involve being catheterised for 2-3 weeks.
After that one there will be the final operation during the Easter break, we can see the light at the end of that very long tunnel!!
W has now started his teacher training post at a very good secondary school, it is so good to see him settled and starting a career. The application for his gender recognition certificate has now been sent off too, so all looking good.
Tuesday, 4 August 2015
(106) Another set back!
W had the catheter removed a week ago and has been recovering very well since. The last couple of days the swelling has subsided making it a little more possible to move about, there is still some bleeding from the wound.
However, W has had to send Mr Christopher a weekly picture of the overlay, today's response was not good, the on-lay has not been successful and the skin has died.
W has been given an appointment to go to the Slough clinic to meet with Mr Christopher next Wednesday, typical I am on my holiday and will be out of the country!
As this has not been viable a urethral funnel will be the next option which was discussed at the last appointment, not sure when this will now take place.
I now need a little rant!
Do the district nurses not discuss with each other particular patients, especially these unique cases, or check what the medical need is of their patients before actually knocking on the door?
The nurse came out today, may I add a really lovely nurse... First of all she thought that this patient was an elderly man, secondly she thought she had come to treat an in-growing hair in the groin.
W and I just looked at each other and had to then explain the whole gender re-assignment path. The dressing has been sorted but the nurse was concerned that W would not be able to pee if she covered the end of the penis!! Thank goodness we have a sense of humour!
However, W has had to send Mr Christopher a weekly picture of the overlay, today's response was not good, the on-lay has not been successful and the skin has died.
W has been given an appointment to go to the Slough clinic to meet with Mr Christopher next Wednesday, typical I am on my holiday and will be out of the country!
As this has not been viable a urethral funnel will be the next option which was discussed at the last appointment, not sure when this will now take place.
I now need a little rant!
Do the district nurses not discuss with each other particular patients, especially these unique cases, or check what the medical need is of their patients before actually knocking on the door?
The nurse came out today, may I add a really lovely nurse... First of all she thought that this patient was an elderly man, secondly she thought she had come to treat an in-growing hair in the groin.
W and I just looked at each other and had to then explain the whole gender re-assignment path. The dressing has been sorted but the nurse was concerned that W would not be able to pee if she covered the end of the penis!! Thank goodness we have a sense of humour!
Wednesday, 22 July 2015
(105) Operation 2 done!
Off we went to London on Sunday (19/7). I booked the Cumberland, Best Western in Harrow, 10 minutes from Stanmore tube station.
We got to St Johns & St Elizabeth's at 6.45pm and W was admitted, it was deja vu as he was booked into exactly the same room as last time.
Admissions paperwork done and they said he would be going at about 3pm for surgery on the Monday.
I arrived on the Monday very early so I could get a decent parking space at Stanmore. Mr Christopher came to see him at 9am and at 9.30am he was taken into surgery, was told it would be about 3-4hours in surgery.
At 1.30pm W was back in his room. W was very much awake and quite with it, which was a blessing after last year.
W was in quite a bit of pain, having a catheter in didn't help, the morphine shots helped.
The next day I arrived early, Mr Christopher came to see him about 9am. The catheter will be removed in 7 days by the district nurse and W has to send pictures to Mr Christopher each week so he can check on the healing, he then has to have an appointment in London in 2 months time. All was good and he could go home. The nurses sorted him and eventually we had the discharge paperwork and medication. All I had to do now was to get him home. The tube wasn't too bad as he could stand, the car was a different matter, don't know how we did it but we did!!
Now for me to sort the catheter... I was given no instructions how to put on the bigger bag at bedtime, a few shouts off W I gave up as I was causing him great pain, a phone call to Codey, (W's friend who is a couple of stages in front of W) and dah dah all sorted!
Today (Wednesday 22nd). Will in pain but managing it with the various painkillers. The catheter is causing the most grief. Will is unable to sit so he's going to be lying on his bed until it has been removed, lying on the sofa hurts as the sofa is harder than his bed and the skin graft on his side causes pain...
3 more to go!!
We got to St Johns & St Elizabeth's at 6.45pm and W was admitted, it was deja vu as he was booked into exactly the same room as last time.
Admissions paperwork done and they said he would be going at about 3pm for surgery on the Monday.
I arrived on the Monday very early so I could get a decent parking space at Stanmore. Mr Christopher came to see him at 9am and at 9.30am he was taken into surgery, was told it would be about 3-4hours in surgery.
At 1.30pm W was back in his room. W was very much awake and quite with it, which was a blessing after last year.
W was in quite a bit of pain, having a catheter in didn't help, the morphine shots helped.
The next day I arrived early, Mr Christopher came to see him about 9am. The catheter will be removed in 7 days by the district nurse and W has to send pictures to Mr Christopher each week so he can check on the healing, he then has to have an appointment in London in 2 months time. All was good and he could go home. The nurses sorted him and eventually we had the discharge paperwork and medication. All I had to do now was to get him home. The tube wasn't too bad as he could stand, the car was a different matter, don't know how we did it but we did!!
Now for me to sort the catheter... I was given no instructions how to put on the bigger bag at bedtime, a few shouts off W I gave up as I was causing him great pain, a phone call to Codey, (W's friend who is a couple of stages in front of W) and dah dah all sorted!
Today (Wednesday 22nd). Will in pain but managing it with the various painkillers. The catheter is causing the most grief. Will is unable to sit so he's going to be lying on his bed until it has been removed, lying on the sofa hurts as the sofa is harder than his bed and the skin graft on his side causes pain...
3 more to go!!
Tuesday, 14 July 2015
(104) Proud mummy moment!
Thought I would share a couple of W's graduation pics! I am so proud to see how far he has come and to battle on through the last few years with a degree at the end..
PICTURES REMOVED AS W IS STEALTH.
PICTURES REMOVED AS W IS STEALTH.
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
(103) Next operation...
W met with Mr Ralph on the 9th March in Harley St, London, an alternative to the skin graft was discussed. This meant 4 smaller operations instead of the 3 which he had left to have. After some thought W agreed that he would chose that route. All that we needed now was an appointment date to suit, we have the graduation on 9th July and I finish for the Summer break on the 17th July, ideally the following week would allow plenty of healing time ready for when W starts his new job in September, plus I will be off to look after him too!
After numerous phone calls W was unable to secure a date due to the diary not being 3 months ahead. Eventually W was able to book it but was told he would have to have another consultation first... W went off to London a couple of weeks ago and met with Mr Ralph and later in the day had to meet with Mr Christopher.
The new route was discussed but still no appointment, a few phone calls and emails over the following week we eventually had the date we wanted, July 20th at St John and St Elizabeth hospital.
The sequence of surgery is-
Fingers crossed everything goes to plan, just need to book my hotel now!!
After numerous phone calls W was unable to secure a date due to the diary not being 3 months ahead. Eventually W was able to book it but was told he would have to have another consultation first... W went off to London a couple of weeks ago and met with Mr Ralph and later in the day had to meet with Mr Christopher.
The new route was discussed but still no appointment, a few phone calls and emails over the following week we eventually had the date we wanted, July 20th at St John and St Elizabeth hospital.
The sequence of surgery is-
- On-lay labral urethroplasty and glans sculpting, they will also bury the clitoris at this stage.
- Partially tube the distal urethra.
- Join up urethroplasty, vaginectomy and scrotoplasty, reservoir and testicular prosthesis.
- Penile prosthesis.
Fingers crossed everything goes to plan, just need to book my hotel now!!
Sunday, 15 February 2015
(102) To pee or not to pee!!
Slight change of plan now to the original process.
W has decided not to go ahead with the skin graft and urethra operation.
From day one W was not happy with how the graft was taken from the forearm and the level of scarring this would leave, scarring on his torso and abdomen he can hide but the one on his arm would be on show and open to questioning!
After he chatted to me about it the other day and asking for my opinion, we did think it's a big op just so he can pee in a urinal, there are many men pee shy so to be honest why bother. Who knows in a few years somebody may have designed something to prevent such a major operation.
W has an appointment in London on the 9th March to discuss the next operation and what it will entail, hopefully that can happen just after he graduates in July.
W has decided not to go ahead with the skin graft and urethra operation.
From day one W was not happy with how the graft was taken from the forearm and the level of scarring this would leave, scarring on his torso and abdomen he can hide but the one on his arm would be on show and open to questioning!
After he chatted to me about it the other day and asking for my opinion, we did think it's a big op just so he can pee in a urinal, there are many men pee shy so to be honest why bother. Who knows in a few years somebody may have designed something to prevent such a major operation.
W has an appointment in London on the 9th March to discuss the next operation and what it will entail, hopefully that can happen just after he graduates in July.
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