Next Stop, Surgery!

Today I went to London for my Pre-Admission appointments at Charing Cross. The purpose of these appointments is to determine that you are fit and healthy enough for the anaesthetic and for the surgery itself. You are also made aware of the procedure and the risks involved. Although it was a routine trip I was still nervous as I made the train journey from Exeter to Waterloo. It was 3 hours long so I whiled away the time by watching films on my IPad, a piece of kit that has become invaluable on these couple of long journeys to the capital.

I got into London a couple of hours before my 1pm appointment so I had a chance for a spot of sightseeing. I saw Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament before I walked towards Horse Guards Parade and then down the Mall to Buckingham Palace. I actually saw a horse drawn carriage come out of the palace with a police escort so I assume it was royalty which was an unexpected event.

My first appointment was in the main hospital on the 6th floor and I had a bit of a wait for a lift. I managed to get to reception at Pre-Admissions about 15 minutes early in the end though. At 1pm I was called by a nurse called Suzy who took my weight, height and blood pressure before taking 2 swabs (to detect any signs of MRSA), 1 from my nose and the other from my groin area. Then she took me into an office where she asked me questions about my past medical history. After this I was given my notes to take to my 2nd appointment and I was told to go via the blood test room on the 1st floor. It was easy to find, I just followed a red line on the floor. Once there I had 2 test tubes of blood taken and it was all done.

My 2nd appointment was over at the Gender Clinic which is across the road from the main hospital. I arrived there 15 minutes early for my 2pm appointment before I was called by Iffy. I've heard a bit about Iffy from other blogs so knew I'd meet her at some stage. She was lovely although she didn't leave out any gory details when explaining about the risks associated with Vaginoplasty! It actually scared me a bit although they need to tell you about all risks due to the nature of the surgery. During the appointment she showed me the things which will become my lifelong friends, the 2 Perspex dilators I'll need. For the 8 weeks following surgery I'll need to dilate 3 times a day! Considering an average dilating session (including clean up) will take at least an hour, this is quite an undertaking. Before I went, Iffy told me that she would be assisting in my surgery which was kind of reassuring. My surgery will be at 5pm on Monday the 25th March with Mr Bellringer and now it's real. Before, there's always been something before my surgery, always an obstacle in the way that I've had to navigate. Now, the next thing is my surgery, it's actually the next thing on my list. I've jumped through the hoops, attended every appointment when I should, done everything to the letter and this is my reward and I'll tell you what, it feels bloody good!