2012 in Review-part 2-Transition

I sat and drunk my champagne. I'd gotten myself one of those small, one glass bottles. I reflected on what had been a very quiet year. Nothing much had happened in my life in 2011. In previous years I'd had at least one big event to talk about but 2011 had offered nothing. I looked towards 2012 and smiled. I think that I knew that this year would be a return to form and looking back it's certainly not disappointed.

As I begun 2012 I had a slight hope that it would be the year in which I had the op. a part of me was actually quite nervous about the possibility of it being in 2013 due to my concern at the number 13. It's stupid I know but I've always been wary of that particular number, I don't know why. As I hit 30 I had yet another appointment at Nottingham GIC. It was at this appointment that a date was set for my second opinion appointment. To gain a surgery referral on the NHS you need recommendation letters from 2 psychologists. In other GIC's you have to go to a different GIC for the 2nd recommendation. In Nottingham they do it all in house as it's such a big GIC. My appointment was set for the 11th June and that 3 months didn't half drag. As the day grew closer I began to get so nervous. I kept thinking what if they didn't refer me. It was a terrifying thought and it kept me awake on many a night. Soon the day arrived and I headed into Nottingham for my appointment. I needn't have worried as I got my referral. I was told to expect a long wait as the waiting lists for CHX were starting to pile up.

It was in August when I got a phone all off my mum. I was just finishing up in work when she called me to tell me that she thought my CHX appointment had arrived. I drove home as quick as I could and tore open the letter and it was my appointment. I was to go to CHX on the 20th September for my referral appointment. Basically it was to check my eligibility for surgery. I was so excited and on the morning of Thursday 20th September I boarded the train at Chesterfield.

The appointment lasted all of 10 minutes. I saw Dr Bellringer and he ran through everything with me. It was obvious he did these kinds of appointment a lot as everything was done in almost military fashion. He examined the 'area' and I was put on his surgery waiting list there and then. I was so happy!

I spent the rest of the day doing a spot of sightseeing. I saw Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Tower Bridge and The Tower of London. It was an amazing day out and one I'll never forget.

I had to wait another four days until I got my official surgery date. I got the call on Monday 24th September from CHX admissions. At first I got offered a cancellation which fell on the 25th November 2012. I was so tempted to accept it but I knew that logically it would be difficult. It was extremely reluctantly that I had to refuse that date although I knew it was for the best. The date she ended up allocating me was for the 25th March 2013, six months away! It felt like a lifetime away!

For the following three months I began planning things. I got a big box and I began filling it with things I'd need for the hospital stay and post-op recovery. Now, over three months have passed and I'm just 82 days away from surgery. It's really starting to be real now. Next month I have my Pre-surgical assessments at CHX which means another trip down to London and five weeks after that I'll have the op! The next big thing is stopping hormones which I do in six weeks and that's something I'm dreading. When I first started hormones I got it bad with mood swings and I'm a bit scared that it'll be a bit of a repeat performance. All in all though, 2013 looks to be a huge year in my life and I honestly can not wait for the coming months.