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My Surgery Schedule
This is my recommendation for how to do this smoothly and efficiently.
*Items in purple can be done at any point, but
I recommend doing both after going full-time.
At onset of transition
- Select and start seeing primary therapist
- Set a realistic surgery budget and realistic full-time and surgery date
- Make preparations for full-time
- Facial hair removal
- Voice
- Hormones
- Face
- Coming out
- Legal issues
- Employment issues
- Research surgeons and possibly have consultation*
- Discuss with primary therapist when you might get a surgery letter
- Get referrals for second therapist, and if necessary, begin therapy
- Begin genital electrolysis
After full-time
- Set surgical date*
- Secure letters from therapists
- Verify security deposit arrived and date is confirmed
- Find out date you need to arrive and date you can leave after surgery
- Make travel arrangements (Get plane ticket, hotel if needed, etc.)
- Arrange vacation/medical leave from work
One month before surgery
- Verify therapist letter #1 has arrived at surgeon's office
- Verify therapist letter #2 has arrived at surgeon's office
- Verify full payment has arrived at surgeon's office
- Verify travel arrangements
- Make arrangements for pets, housesitting, mail/paper hold
- Send itinerary to friends
Three weeks before surgery
- Stop hormones, aspirin, specific drugs, etc.
Two weeks before surgery
- Get items on shopping list
One week before surgery
- Complete genital electrolysis
- Have final facial electrolysis as close to leaving as possible
Day before leaving
Day before surgery
- Begin dietary restrictions
- Drink water
- Pre-surgical consultation
- Fill prescriptions
- Use bowel prep
Surgery!
For more details on planning your transition, please see my page on customizing
a transition timetable.
My presurgical and surgical timeline
- 1995 through 1997 (T minus 3 years)
- Researched surgery, met patients and read surgical accounts. Made a plan
and prepared for going full-time. See my detailed timetable.
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- February 1, 1998 (T minus 4.5 months)
- Went full-time.
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- February 8, 1998 (T minus 4.25 months)
- First contacted Meltzer's office. Scheduled for March 30, 1999.
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- March 15, 1998 (T minus 3 months)
- Sent in surgery deposit.
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- March 30, 1998 (T minus 2.5 months)
- Secured first surgery letter.
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- April 10, 1998 (T minus 10 weeks)
- Secured second surgery letter.
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- April 13, 1998 (T minus 9.5 weeks)
- Flew to Portland for consultation. I said I could pay in entirety that day
if it would move up my date.
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- April 20, 1998 (T minus 8.5 weeks)
- Meltzer's office called with a choice of several dates in January 1999.
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- April 27, 1998 (T minus 7.5 weeks)
- Meltzer's office called with a choice of several dates in September, 1998.
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- May 1, 1998 (T minus 7 weeks)
- Meltzer's office called with a choice of several dates in June, 1998.
- I chose June 16.
- June 15, 1998 (T minus one day)
- Presurgical consultation.
- June 16, 1998
- Vaginoplasty and augmentation.
- June 18, 1998 (T plus 2 days)
- I.V. and pneumatic stockings removed.
- June 22, 1998 (T plus 6 days)
- Sutures, drains, and packing out. Began dilation.
- June 23, 1998 (T plus 7 days)
- Catheter capped.
- June 24, 1998 (T plus 8 days)
- Catheter removed.
- June 25, 1998 (T plus nine days)
- Abdominal sutures removed. Released from hospital.
- June 26, 1998 (T plus 10 days)
- Traveled home.
- June 30, 1998 (T plus 14 days)
- Used largest dilator. Had orgasm (later, with effort).
- July 7, 1998 (T plus 3 weeks
- Bruising entirely subsided
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- July 13, 1998 (T plus 4 weeks)
- Return to work after paid medical leave.
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- October 28, 1998 (T plus 4.5 months)
- Labiaplasty
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- November 23, 1998 (T plus 5.5 months)
- Return to work after paid medical leave and vacation.
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- January 1, 1999 (T plus 6.5 months)
- Almost completely healed. Dilating slightly uncomfortable, but not difficult.
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