I had Pad Thai Monday night for dinner. It was good and I also had a nice serving of sweet and sour chicken Thai style to go along with the Pad Thai. I have found a restaurant close by with a large variety that has made it easy to enjoy a mix of foods. I'm staying at a luxury hotel that puts on a superb breakfast buffet which includes traditional items such as pancakes, bacon, eggs, and pastries, but they also have a vast assortment of Thai items and what appears to be Japanese menu items. As long as you eat away from the hotel, food prices are extremely reasonable in Bangkok. It is a toss up actually as to weather food or clothing is the best deal when coming to Thailand.

This morning, now Tuesday here, Dr. Chettawut's office called to ask if I would do a video testimonial for Dr. Chettawut. I said I would so I guess a bunch of people will be here tomorrow morning to interview and film me. So who knows, I may be coming to a big screen near you one day, lol. They also asked if I would be willing to correspond with a prospective client who is very concerned about the care that would be provided should she have Dr. Chettawut perform her SRS. Again I said yes, so it will be interesting to see what questions this person may have. I really can't think of a single issue that has come up that wasn't handle in a true caring manner, yet professional. Just like my having to go to the hospital to do a stress test, Dr. Chettawut wants a positive outcome and does whatever is necessary to ensure a positive outcome.

Hugs,
Marsha

Marsha, I'd like to do an interview with you for the Tribune. Are you game?

Mere

Ah, at last, I can talk about food again in front of Marsha.

Pad Thai!

Sounds like you are doing wonderfully, Marsha!! So glad that everything appears to be 5X5. Rest well, heal quickly and get yer ass back to the states, baby!!

Z

Now post-op day 5. I am back at the hotel for the remainder of the month. Around 10 this afternoon the bandages and packing were removed. A friend of mine had said she thought it was a little erotic when the packing was removed and I kind of thought she must be nuts. But wow, as they pulled the guaze out and it passed by my new magical area, an electrifying feeling was definitely felt. That along with the nurse cleaning the area with swabs let me know right away I was very sensitive, uhmm, yippee, lol. The area is rather swollen still and will remain that way for some time, but it is truly amazing what Dr. Chettawut has done. There won't be any pictures, but suffice to say after the doctor checked everything out he said the depth is 6.5 inches and may increase with dilation. Those are very good results. I now have no restriction on what I can eat so I am looking forward to some real food after 7 days of a primarily liquid diet.
Hugs,
Marsha

Dr. Chettawut just came in to check on me. Everything seems to be going well. I keep joking with him that I am ready for a nice steak. He laughs and says I need to start off slowly with maybe a piece of toast. The bandage removal and unpacking is going to happen on Sunday afternoon, so only a day away for me. I couldn't be happier. I haven't experienced any depression like I have heard others discuss. So today will be another day of rest and hopefully all will go well with the unpacking tomorrow so I can return to the hotel.
Hugs,
Marsha

Now that Marsha has all her parts sorted, her most important issue is solid food, lol. We think tomorrow or the next day will be the Grand Opening when the surgeon, Dr. C, will remove the surgical dressing for Marsha's first "gynecological exam." Never was a gg so excited to have one as Marsha is. :-) Marsha is tending to be sleepy a lot due to the strain of the body healing itself and having to get up and walk, even down stairs and do all this on a liquid diet.. It has been great fun and rewarding to keep Marsha company and share her experience. She has been so happy throughout.

There are no fantasies here; only reality.

A few minutes ago they had me stand up and walk down stairs to my new room. It took a couple attempts to do it. On the first try sitting on the edge of the bed was fine, but when I stood up for the first time I quickly felt faint and nauseated I didn't pass out but I sure felt like I was going to I guess I looked as white as a ghost according to my nurses. But to be truthful, it was a very scary experience for me. The next attempt felt good and I slowly made my way to my new room. I've been on a liquid diet since Monday and I think the nurse said I could have ice cream later today, so that gives me something else to look forward to.
Hugs,
Marsha

HI Marsha,

I suspect you cant read this yet, but if you can - C O N G R A T Z !!

Hope everything went well and your recovery is swift. It has been great to follow your physical as well as spiritual journey.

Have a safe and uneventful trip hope, especially with customs.

Hugz from a GS Sister,

Michelle Lynn

Thank you Michelle and everyone else. Wendy has been so helpful posting updates for me. I have my little netbook which allows me to follow the posts here. It takes me some time to type out a response, so using skype with Wendy helps a great deal. I am currently in the recovery room, but they plan on moving me to a regular room sometime today. The pain is pretty mild, staying comfortable in bed is tghe biggest chore. more later, thanks again
Marsha

Marsha is in Bangkok, in a nice hotel room. She has had her pre-op lab work done and is taking her pre-op meds. She is 21 hr from being picked up for her surgery in 23 hrs (from 0900 GMT, so that would be 0800 GMT Wednesday). She is in great spirits, smiling a lot spontaneously, and excited. She has just gone out to the pool for 90 minutes to lounge. Then she starts her next pre-op treatment. She is on liquids only until 8 hrs before surgery, then nothing after an early breakfast...of liquids. We are in touch via SKYPE and I will be posting updates on GS, in this thread, for her until she can manage for herself.

She says she packed a lot of camisoles, only to find out that women in Bangkok do not go out bare shouldered in everyday public places. So she bought a lovely, light-blue top to wear over her tops.

Thanks Katie, I will see what I can do to notify everyone as soon as possible about how surgery goes. Meanwhile, Dr. Chettawut has his patients stay at one of two hotels where he then has his nurses make there rounds before and after surgery when you return to the hotel. I am staying at the Dusit Princess which is a very nice hotel. Across the street are two larger shopping malls with everything you can think of, especially cell phones, lol. I was able to purchase a cellphone for $15 and plenty of talk time for another $10. Below are some pictures from my hotel room window.
Hugs,
Marsha

Sawat-dii kha and khwap khun Lucy. Picking up where I left off, my luggage made it to Bangkok and the driver was there waiting for my arrival, so I made it to the hotel around midnight. I did not sleep good at first but ended up scrambling to shower and make my 9a.m. appointment with Dr. Chettawut. He wasn't happy with the EKG from my doctor and was concerned the anesthesiologist would not like it, so for my first day in Bangkok I ended up spending half of it in a hospital getting all new tests including EKG, echo-cardiogram, chest xray, and labs. Fortunately one of Dr. Chettawut's nurses accompanied me the entire time and was able to get an incredible rate of only $96 u.s. dollars for something that would have been in the thousands without insurance at home. As I recall the nurse back home had commented about whether or not the EKG machine would work that day. It turned out I amazed everyone at Bangkok hospital how strong my heart was without any irregularities. So surgery is a go for Wednesday. I also made it over to a mall today and did a little shopping for some tops and a cell phone. Sarah, a gal from New Zealand who I met online this summer, had her surgery a couple weeks ago and she is doing great. I spent some time with her and her family today and she said she would accompany me to the clinic Wednesday to give me support. In other news, lol, SKYPE is fantastic, I have had a number of conversations with my wife and friends and SKYPE has worked great, I highly recommend it for those traveling away from friends and family.
Until next time, Hugs,
Marsha

Best of luck to you, Marsha Ann, for a perfect outcome. Lots of good wishes heading your way.

Hugs...Joni Mari

Good Luck Marsha.

Thinking of you.

See you after we nap, marsha.

Dr. Chettawut came by and checked on me a short bit ago. He said that my surgery went very smooth and that I will be happy with the results. He mentioned fluids are going through me well and that I will be able to do more tomorrow, without defining what more was. I slept pretty well last night and even had a nap today. I started out pretty groggy but feel more alert as each hour passes. I don't have much pain to speak of, maybe more of a mild ache. My friend Sarah came by for a visit and stayed about an hour. Having friends here and being able to Skype with those back home is truly special.
Hugs,
Marsha

Marsha is in great spirits, sitting up chatting and drinking her dinner....well she got some kind of liquid soup stuff. Off her IV's already, so her recovery is excellent so far. I am pretty sure she will be up walking tomorrow. There is no indication that her recovery has any complications.

Marsha, I'm so glad to hear that everything went well for you hon! Now just relax and take it easy and think about how happy you will be for the rest of your life!! Enjoy the rest of your stay in Thailand and have a safe trip back to us!!

Hugs & kisses,

Monika

Congratulations Marsha Ann, what a wonderful Christmas present. Best wishes to you and yours.

Hugs...Joni Mari

I have now been in Bangkok for two full weeks. Besides trips to Dr. Chettawut's clinic, Bangkok hospital, and the Seacon Square Mall, I have not ventured far from my hotel. My wife is now in the air on her way to join me and when she arrives I hope to really take in the sights of Bangkok, Thailand. Yesterday I met a couple other gals at the hotel who had FFS with Dr. Chettawut. I didn't realize he was also considered one of the best FFS surgeons in the world. Gals from Finland, France, Australia, New Zealand and the United States were at the hotel this past week after having FFS surgery with Dr. Chettawut. Saturday I started my extended dilations with the #1 dilator for 30 minutes and the #2 for 10 minutes. Yesterday I found it very difficult with the larger #2 dilator. It literally took my breath away as I inserted it and kept pressure on it for 10 minutes. It does come very close to being painful. The nurses said that was normal the first day and I found today was much easier and it did not have the same effect on my breath or pain as on Saturday. My peeing is also improving. Today my friend went to town to visit someone she knows who lives here. I chose to use the day as a rest day to allow me to have more energy for when my wife arrives. I did go to the mall for a couple things along with meals, but I did not overdo it. I also laid by the pool this afternoon catching some sun rays. I won't post pictures of my surgery but I did show it to a close friend on Skype and she was amazed at how good it looks. My swelling is actually minimal so the detail really shows. My friend is about to get back and we will head off to dinner once she arrives so I will end this here.
Hugs,
Marsha

lemon grass soup, pad tai or pad see wa.. and chicken satys of course

Marsha,
Sounds wonderful exploring the mall and going out to eat. Sorry that I have not been talking to you through Skype. I hope you really enjoy your experience there as it is life changing and a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am not going to bother you with my problems because you are having such a fantastic time. Peace to you girl. Miss you.

Pad Thai...U R overdue!

Thanks Rose. Shhhh! Wendy. Don't spread rumors,lol. I have been working on my endurance and have now explored all 5 floors of Seacon Mall. I haven't checked out each shop yet but I still have two weeks of recovery to get it done, lol. My two nurses checked on me today and said I was doing very good with no sign of infection. They are also impressed with the doctors fine work on me. He really did a fantastic job. But back to important things, I did some shopping earlier today and found 2 sun dresses and 3 tops. I have to take a break at times because it is amazing how my energy level runs low quickly, so I find a restaurant with padded seats to stop and have a meal and break. I had McD's for lunch, but tonight I stopped at a local restaurant and had a nice T-bone steak dinner that included a coleslaw type salad, fries and an onion ring with coffee for $6.

Tomorrow I graduate from my #1 dilator and move up to the next size. Dr. Chettawut supplies you with 4 sizes of dilators where #4 would make any man jealous, lol.

Here is a picture of my beautiful nurses:
Hugs,
Marsha

Yah, Marsha, restaurants....sure.....not those shops....no, really just going across to eat....not doing any shopping, shopping, shopping....LOL

Hi Marsha, glad to know all went well and you're a happy lady.

A year ago I asked my NHS to let me go to Dr Chettawut to save me time and them money but they refused as the idiots at gender clinic said they had no idea who Dr Chett was!
So its been another year of my life down the drain and three times the cost for my NHS and thats before we get to court.

Marsha, I am so happy that this is all working out for you. I am taking my time with the questions as I want this to be perfect. I'll be back in touch in a day or two.

Otherwise, we are here for you!

Mere

Was just thinking again, today, about how awesome it was to be able to Skype with Marsha during her SRS stay in Thailand.  To see her, her wife, her friend (also getting SRS), her nurses, the shopping area outside which she blogged about, her room, her doctor and she was half the world away.  And now we still have that memory to share. (except for the messy, clinical parts which only she remembers).  She is so happy today and still contributing to the Community, trans and cis, educating college students.  She seems to truly have what she wanted from life.  She is another woman in the neighborhood.  :-D.  You go, girl.

Hi Wendy, thanks for the kind words. I am speaking again at the University today and knew this article was still buried in the forums so I thought I would read through it to refresh my memory on some of my old experiences. We haven't chatted in awhile, hopefully we can catch up soon. Best wishes, Marsha