Hi all
Alina came home from hospital yesterday. Last Saturday I underwent my genital reconstruction in London's Charing Cross Hospital. I'm still very tendrer but I'm now physically the girl I've alwaysa wanted to be.

Alina xxx

Alina ......................

Fabulous News !!!!

Like Rae, I didn't realise that it was "so soon" !!!!!!

So, hope the recovery is problem-free, and quick !!

Let us know how you're getting on.

Hugs,
Angela. xx.

Congratulations Alina!! Wish you a speedy recovery and all the very best!!

Hugs & kisses,

Monika

Thanks to all for the good wishes. It was good getting home on Friday.

And now the bad bit. I've got an infection in my wounds. I saw a GP yesterday and I'm now on a couple of antibiotics for the next week. I have to go back to London tomorrow to see the surgeon. The hot weather at present doesn't help matters either.

Still my morale is high and at present that is what matters following my health.

Alina xx

I saw the surgeon yesterday afternoon and was told that I have a "lovely vagina" and that all was well. That made me very happy.

Alina xx

Hi Alina,
That is great news!!! I hope that your recovery goes quickly!

Hugz from an envious Sister,

MichelleLynn

Congratulations ! Sorry to hear you have/had some trouble after but the news from the surgeon was wonderful. I hope all continues to go well for you. Kelli xx

what fab news! speedy recovery hun! xxx

Alina,

Sorry to hear that you've got a little bit of an infection, but the anti-biotics should take care of that soon.

Great to hear that the surgeon was happy with his results!!

Hope the recovery continues, without any further problems.

Hugs,
Angela. xx.

I think one of my problems was me flapping a little and the GP that I saw had not seen the results of this type of op before. Hence the antibiotics.
Everything is going great now. What an excuse for not wearing knickers!!!

We were out on Friday evening and it ws great being told that I was now definitely one of the ladies.

Alina xx

As this weekend approaches it will be four weeks since my op. So how are things going for me?
Well everything is great. I will admit that at times I don't feel very femme but put that down to a certain amount of soreness/pain. Also I waddle rather than walk.
So what do I get up to at present? I make regular visits to our local shopping centre (by bus rather than walking), I've visited work to chat with the girls and been out a couple of times socially. I manage to get washing/ironing done but don't spend as much time ironing as normal.
This weekend Bob and I will be travelling to the Fens to spend a couple of days with my dad. Yet again dad is looking forward to having his long lost daughter visit him. This trip will be another first - a hire car is booked and I have to drive - Bob doesn't. I suppose I'll be making a few stops on the way there and back. I'm actually looking forward to going out shopping in my birth-town of Wisbech on Saturday.

Alina xx

Hi Alina,
Great to hear that things are going really quite well for you now!
OK, I'm sure you feel really feminine waddling like a duck at the moment !!! lol. but soon enough, you'll be swinging those hips down the aisle !!

Hope you have a lovely weekend at your father's.
Don't forget to fit in the Retail Therapy!!

Hugs,
Angela. xx.

sounds fabby to me! you're an inspiration to me and i'm sure a lot of other girls too. lots of love penny x

The weekend visiting dad went very well.
It did include a bit of retail therapy. At Springfields Outlet Village I got two Playtex bras. Both were marked at £20 with an outlet price of £14 each. There was a special offer on of 2 for £10 so that's what I went for. In the same outlet village I also got a new suitcase.
Other purchases over the weekend included fruit and veg.

Alina xx

Tomorrow I have a routine appointment with the surgeon who carried out my op. This is to see how the healing is coming along. I'll keep you informed of the outcome.

Alina

My appointment with the surgeon went very well and I've been told that I'm healing very well. I have another appointment in 4 weeks time.

Alina xx

Alina,

Great to hear that everything is going well !

Hugs,
Angela. xx.

Hi Alina, Congrats on the op and your ongoing successful recovery. Can you tell us what ongoing "maintenance" is required? Is it daily and how long will it go on for?

cohgrats Alina I read though the last post you have so far and Im glad your doing well you go hun

Im glad that all went well Alina and I hope to see you at the Transliving do in October

Janyce
On going treatment is now for life. I'm on HRT permanently now. Following the op one has to dilate. When you leave hospital you are given your two perspex friends (non-vibrating vibrators for want of a better description). These are used to ensure that the neovagina stays, rather than closes up. On leaving hospital these are used 3 times a day, then it drops to twice a day. Eventually it's once a day. The smaller diameter dilator is inserted to full depth for 5 minutes followed by the larger diameter one for 20 minutes. Penetrative sex is not recommended in the frst three months. Regular penetrative sex can eventually reduce the need to dilate. I'm not sure that penetrative sex will be regular enough to cut out dilation in my case. Although I'm getting married to my loving fiance in mid October I am an older lady so I don't think it will be hanky panky every night.

Hope that answers you.

Alina x

Susan
We are booked into the Premierinn for the Friday and Saturday nights of the October Transliving night. This weekend will effectively be the end of our honeymoon but the Transliving event will be Bob's first opportunity to be Belinda after the wedding.
We are both looking forward to being there.

See you soon

Alina xx

Well done hun, glad everything went ok. Hope your ok.

Donna
How did the weding go?

Alina

I've just had my best night's sleep since coming out of hospital. Over the last few weeks I've found that I've got up about every 90 minutes during the night to have a wee. Then I had difficulty getting back to sleep. Some of this may be due to the pain I've suffered. Yesterday I finally received the tablets for neuropathic pain that Mr Bellringer prescribed so yesterday evening I took the first of these. One of the side effects of these is sleepiness and last night it seems to have worked in my favour. I had about 6 hours of continuous sleep.
On the nights that I hadn't slept too well my brain became hyperactive and I often spent time mulling over the various threads on this and other sites. This definitely didn't help when I was generally feeling down. Since the op I have had periods of feeling gender neutral - especially when at home on my own. This has meant that during the "awake" periods at night that I had lots of time to also think about myself.
With the sleep I had last night I've woken up with a nice clear brain and realised what a load of tosh I've come out with recently. Although Bob is now at work and I'm here at home on my own (still in nightie and dressing gown) I'm definitely feeling like the "old Alina", happy and wanting to get on with life.

Alina

I've just had my best night's sleep since coming out of hospital. Over the last few weeks I've found that I've got up about every 90 minutes during the night to have a wee. Then I had difficulty getting back to sleep. Some of this may be due to the pain I've suffered. Yesterday I finally received the tablets for neuropathic pain that Mr Bellringer prescribed so yesterday evening I took the first of these. One of the side effects of these is sleepiness and last night it seems to have worked in my favour. I had about 6 hours of continuous sleep.
On the nights that I hadn't slept too well my brain became hyperactive and I often spent time mulling over the various threads on this and other sites. This definitely didn't help when I was generally feeling down. Since the op I have had periods of feeling gender neutral - especially when at home on my own. This has meant that during the "awake" periods at night that I had lots of time to also think about myself.
With the sleep I had last night I've woken up with a nice clear brain and realised what a load of tosh I've come out with recently. Although Bob is now at work and I'm here at home on my own (still in nightie and dressing gown) I'm definitely feeling like the "old Alina", happy and wanting to get on with life.

Alina

aha..........'no knicks Wicks!'.........

Late in the day,I know,but sorry,couldn't resist it.............

Mind how you go, and al the best,
Lynn H.

That's great news. And I'm jealous, and in a good way!

Mere

Hey!

I know you said it was coming up but, wow, times flown!

So happy for you! All my best wishes for a good and speedy recovery.

Take care and much love to you.

Rae xx

Congratulations Alina, I hope your recovery goes well and I can only imagine how happy you must be feeling now.

Best Wishes,

Nikki

Good for you, Sis. Wish you and Belinda the best together. Your joy is shared with all of us because each of us gets a bit of happiness ...and a bit of hope.... every time one of our Sisters get the life they have always deserved.