(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!!

(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.

(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-

1. On-lay labral urethroplasty and glans sculpting, they will also bury the clitoris at this stage.
2. Partially tube the distal urethra.
3. Join up urethroplasty, vaginectomy and scrotoplasty, reservoir and testicular prosthesis.
4. Penile prosthesis.

If the urethra is not viable then a small urethral funnel will be created where he can pass urine at the bottom of the scrotum. 

Fingers crossed everything goes to plan, just need to book my hotel now!!

(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.

(101) How time flies!

W has just informed me that three years ago we were in London...It was his first testosterone injection.
Can't believe three years have gone by since that day.
I have just looked back at my blog entries, wow, how far have we come!!

Hope you all have a lovely Christmas and a great 2015.

(100) Hair removal appointment

W had his first consultation at the designated NHS funded hair removal clinic, he chose to go to Altrincham as that was the closest to home.

W has now had the skin test for two types of laser as that's what he feels more comfortable with, he thought electrolysis would  be more painful and time consuming!
The whole process will take at least 8 months as he can have one session per month.  It was quite painful so he's not looking forward to this at all...Another long road and it is now going to run into his teaching practice year, thank goodness for the regular holidays he will have!!

He is off to Mexico in the new year so the last bit of sun on his arm for a while.

Happy Christmas to you all and all the best for the New Year x

(99)... Hair removal

Long awaited answer arrived in the post today!

After W had yet another appointment with the family Dr to sort the hair removal, the Dr contacted the  NHS trust.
We now have a list of hair removal therapists to choose from. Decision is does he have hair laser removal or electrolysis?
Just need to choose the closest one and sort an appointment now and get it started asap so the next op can be done.