I just got back home last nite from lower surgery. I am still exhausted
but try to give you some information right now.
I had surgery w/ Dr. Daverio and Dr. Krueger at the Klinik
Sanssouci Potsdam two weeks ago.
I had to be at the hospital the evening before. As you can imagine I was very anxious. I only knew Dr. Krueger but had never met Dr. Daverio, who had developed the surgery method 17 years ago. So that evening I got to meet him. I never before in my life met a person who was on the one hand so untouchable and distanced and on the other hand so much of a philantropist. All my anxiousness had passed away after he shook my hand!!!
The next morning (Tuesday) I received some kind of tranquilizer (?) and was brought to the operating theatre. I canīt remember arriving there anymore ... guess I was asleep by then.
The next thing I remember is waking up in a normal hospital room (yet
intensive care) and feeling terribly sick.
I did not feel any pain then but felt I could not move my left arm.
There were also some "cables" going down to my genital area. Immediatly
I remembered having had surgery and felt really relieved. Then I fell asleep
again.
I did not get over the anesthesia easily (had to vomit all night
long). Luckily a nurse was w/ me all night.
I spent the next day in intensive care, too. I got real good pain killers
so I slept most of the time.
When I was moved to a normal room on the second post-op day, I was already
very conscious and mentally fit again. I felt so good, I was asked whether
they could send some people to me who had not had surgery yet and would
like to talk to some one about it :-))
I was getting better everyday then, but was not allowed to get up for
6 days! That really was hell for me. My back started to hurt and I could
feel my bottom was getting sore.
Nevertheless the pain from surgery was not at all as bad as I had imagined.
3 days post-op I would only need some pain-killers before sleeping.
The only really awful thing was getting the blood drains removed. One
was in the belly area the other one right between the legs. I was really
fed up the day they did that.
When I was finally allowed to get up the 6th post-op day, I started to walk around as much as possible, which was not that easy but much better than spending time in bed.
I knew of other trans guys and women being in hospital there and found out that one of them was a woman I knew! I visited her and we talked for hours - until I could not sit any more *g*
After I could walk around everything got better and better. We were
6 former trans people, 4 FtM and 2 MtF and started to have a great time
w/ lots of wonderful talks motivating each other.
I had a catheter for 11 days and was very nervous to get it removed
the 12th post-op day. When the day finally arrived I was so so anxious
I could not pee for hours after the removal *g*. I drank bottles of water
and juice until I finally noticed the feeling of needing to pee. I was
so happy when I did it it for the first time! Urinating while standing!!!!
But honestly my first trial was very weird. I was not good at aiming....but
learned within the next trials.
And the next day I could go back home! And here I am again.
Just a few words about the hospital itself.
It is a private clinic w/ 29 beds and very delicious food :-))
The doctors and nurses are very understanding and nice. And all the
nurses are so pretty *g*.
Although there are so much more positive things I could say.... I must
not forget to say it was really hard and still is...
Need to get all the stitches removed etc...can hardly move...
But everyday I begin to feel more and more happy and proud of myself....
and believe me...I love this new part of me...... no matter how sore it
still looks...
Just let me know if there are any questions. I will try to answer them
as soon as possible.
Write to: todeskampf@freenet.de
October, 28th 1998