Megathread SRS and GRS surgeons and associated horrors - the medical community of experimental surgeons, the secret community of home butchers

blanketdog said:
I’d say old age (with maybe a bit of weight loss) based on the hands. The surest way to guess a woman’s Agee is based on her hands usually, as you can get surgery elsewhere but the hands are revealing and I haven’t sees that kind of skin on young(er) people excluding heavy sun damage.
Click to expand...

Florch said:
Damn it, beat me to it.
It ia just so..absurd. All that ruinous 'effort' contrasted with that piercing.
That is so a weathered, trashy woman who came of age circa ~1980.
The pube-beard likely pre-dates the T-script.
Click to expand...
Most of her other social media pics are of her standing out in the sun on the beach shirtless. She looks about how I'd expect a 65 year old with Germanic heritage to look after a lifetime of drinking hard and hanging out on the beach (remember the deadname was German, for whatever reason she became trans Italian when she trooned out). Her social presence was also filled with club and rave promos, all this Fire Island type shit but for women.

rode hard, put away wet, and now chopped up and reconstituted worse than Oma's presskopf.
 
  • Informative
  • Like
  • Agree
Reactions: Elim Garak, a feel, Safir and 13 others
Okay so here's a question that was asked about abdominal sensation on r/phallo by u/Destroika9
Link | Archive
An abdo sensation question but not THAT question

Hi! I am planning on getting rff; on paper it's the right choice for me BUT abdo calls out to me... something about the look and the whole concept of a "local" graft just really pleases me. I'd like to know more.

I know the basics of how sensation works with abdo, I know there's a lot of techniques and some degree of nerve hookup is possible, tactile sensation in the base but not the tip, etc. So my question is NOT "what can you feel".

I AM really curious, for those who have had abdo, about how whatever level of sensation you do have works for you. Like, if you have 2 inches of "tactile" sensation at the base (for example), has your brain learned to associate this with pleasure during sex? Do you find it's a barrier you've had to overcome in order to enjoy sex? I assume most people who choose abdo are still interested in having sex or experiencing sexual pleasure from their penis, so I'm just interested in people's experiences with that. Like, if my brain can take care of that side of things, that's all the better.

Thank you so much!

Edit: I should add, I'm mainly thinking about sex here but also interested in just like, relating to and enjoying your dick in any context.
The great part is that this spawned three interesting reply chains all from people who have had delayed abdominal with Dr. Cetrulo.
46289374839 (Cetrulo patient):
I had abdo and don't think of my dick as sexual at all. It was placed too high (abdominal phallos are usually positioned higher, but mine is off the charts), and it just feels like a flap of skin on my abdomen. I said it somewhere before, but it feels pretty much as chest dysphoria, as it's an organ that shouldn't be there. I would not choose abdominal again if I had the chance to have RFF/ALT/any other technique.
OP (Canadian Pre-op): Thank you so much for sharing this, I'm sorry that you haven't had a positive experience with it - that sounds really difficult.
alexstergrowly (Cetrulo patient):
Hey I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. I’m in the middle of an abdo technique (penis is currently like 10 cm too high) and I can’t stand this feeling. It is just like top dysphoria. Do you have a way to get it fixed or start over?
unapologetictransguy (Cetrulo patient):

I have no sensation at all, though hopefully getting nerve hookup soon and hopefully that’ll change, and I’m very happy. There’s still some things I need done but overall I’m really happy with my dick and just having it. Even though I can’t feel it, touching it is exciting because I know I’m touching my dick. A lot of sexual pleasure is mental too. Saw a video recently of a cis guy jerking off a strap on and orgasmed just from that. I’ve never had sex so I can’t speak to that, but I’m happy to chat more and share pics if you wanna message me :)
OP (Canadian Pre-op): Thank you for sharing your experience, I really appreciate it! It's awesome that you're enjoying your body so much as it is, and I hope the nerve hookup enhances things even more for your. I'm prooobably still leaning RFF but I'm ruminating on it, if abdo keeps inkling at me I will message you to chat :)
OP (Canadian Pre-op): I realized I do have a question, if you or anyone else can answer. It's more of an 'I'm new here' type question though, I haven't dug too deep about abdo. What does the nerve hookup entail? I know I read that in the UK they do a neve hookup in the urethra, is it that?
xeroform22 (Cetrulo patient): I had a method similar to the UK method. you make the abdo penis and then later you take a smaller arm graft and add that in for the urethra. this skin comes with a nerve and blood supply, so they hook that up. It does not necessarily supply any feeling to the abdo portion of the penis, but should provide sensation in the arm graft portion. because of this my team also placed an external strip of arm graft on the underside of my penis. i had abdo because i was mislead by my surgeon about a new method he was trying, which he told me would be superior to rff. if i could do it over i would do rff.
unapologetictransguy (Cetrulo patient):
The arm graft is the most common way to get nerve hookup with abdo but I’ll be getting Avance nerve graft - I believe it’s between my genital nerve and abdominal nerves that was harvested in my flap. I don’t know that anyone has had this successfully done. Xeroform has a good explanation for the arm graft. If sensation is important to you I would recommend going for RFF over abdominal
alexstergrowly (Cetrulo patient):
I have an abdo penis-that-is-not-quite-a-penis and it’s interesting, if I just happen to brush it while I’m horny I get like a jolt of pleasure that is way more than I ever get with my natal anatomy. Then I immediately remember it’s in the wrong place and doesn’t have nerves, and it’s again useless.

I think for me, knowing the nerve hookup is done will make a difference in terms of believing I can feel it. Without that belief, the mind part of stimulation isn’t able to really activate.

I think you’re going to find this varies really widely. Like I’ve never been able to connect to toys either. I have a friend who is having really strong erotic sensation from a penis that has no nerves.
OP (Canadian Pre-op): I see why that would be frustrating, and what you're saying about the nerve hookup definitely tracks. Like from what I've read from others (about all types of phallo) there is a brain-retraining period for a lot of people even WITH neural feedback so without it, I'm sure it's no picnic. I never thought I could connect to toys or packers until recently but it's really been changing; I wish I had enough self awareness to know what changed. Thanks for your answer!
alexstergrowly (Cetrulo patient): I just had a very long talk with my new surgeon about sensation with different techniques, and the main conclusion was: if sensation is really important to you, and you don’t mind the arm scar, RFF is by far the best choice.

I started with my previous surgeon because he told me that his abdo method would produce sensation which is on par with RFF, but I’ve since learned that there is no evidence for this. The arm graft method may allow nerve growth through the whole penis, but I haven’t seen much info at all from patients who’ve had it. So unless you’re sure your brain can connect to a dick with no physiological connection strongly enough (like, do toys feel like a dick to your brain?), I wouldn’t do abdo if you care a lot about sensation.

Leaving this comment here because there’s not much info/discussion out there on this.
That's two of them outright mentioning that don't even see it as a penis. One talking about how Cetrulo is a liar and all of them relying on a nerve graft to give them sensation.
 
  • Informative
  • Lunacy
  • Like
Reactions: Crab Latte, Pepo, Nobody owns a cat and 29 others
Fëanor Curufinwë said:
Why is the abdominal technique so lacking in sensation compared to the arm roll?
Click to expand...
Because with RFF they harvest the forearm which has more sensation than most other areas due to more nerves in that area. They cut and reconnect nerves usually.

For regular abdominal phalloplasty, no sensation is well known and an expected outcome as nerves are cut and usually not reconnected.

In regards to Dr. Cetrulo's special delayed technique he has promised good sensation based on the idea that he doesn't cut any abdominal nerves when he make the phallus on the stomach and he slowly pulls/stretches them down with the phallus to the correct position with multiple surgeries. He also plans to do nerve grafts in the latter stages.

Just as a note. Everything I know about Cetrulo's technique is coming from the comments of his dumb patients so it may not be very accurate.
 
Last edited:
  • Informative
  • Like
  • Horrifying
Reactions: Elim Garak, Potatis Salad, Geranium and 21 others
Dr. Plussy Pounder said:
What the fuck even is this 'sensation' like? Does it feel like your disembodied arm, or you have a spigot coming out of your abdomen?
Click to expand...
The TiFs usually separate it into three categories; heat sensation, tactile sensation and erotic sensation.
Usually when they say they have sensation they usually mean they can feel when pressure is applied sensation or heat changes. The sensation is usually nothing compared to regular sensation of the original pre-graft area.
 
  • Informative
  • Like
  • Agree
Reactions: Pepo, Elim Garak, Geranium and 15 others
Mad_Dog said:
What even is this?
View attachment 5099588
Click to expand...
I'm getting slug vibes, honestly.
1682814729210.jpeg
 
  • Like
  • Agree
  • Winner
Reactions: Crab Latte, Pepo, Elim Garak and 14 others
Extremely entitled TiF gets phallo and refuses to leave the hospital. Stays over a week while being constantly asked about her plans on leaving. Hospital ends up getting a social worker on day 8 to get her out.
She gets offered a hospiltality hotel at $10/night but refuses because she wants a private room. Hospital ends up paying for a regular hotel for a whole week for her just to get rid of her. Talks about hospital not covering her food at the hotel like she expects them to. Laments about how she fucked up by but telling them she could afford a taxi so she didn't get a voucher.

No family/friends want to help her out of course.
She only earned 19k in the last 12 months and refuses to go back to work until she's healed.
Seems like a horrid person who annoys everyone she comes into contact with.
Link | Archive
AMA Post-Op Day 6-Day 8 (discharge!!) John Stranix @ UVA for ALT R thigh
Mental state
  • It has been a constant state of being asked “What are your discharge plans” “What can we make work” “This didn’t work” and “Tell us again about what your plan is”. It honestly feels like the hospital was trying to kick me out and I don’t blame them because I know it’s a business establishment and another patient can use my bed. However, that didn’t make it feel good as someone hours away from home and unable to have friends/family come to pick him up. Near the end of Day 7, I just wanted to be tossed on the side of the curb, which thankfully wasn’t legal, instead of being in a place where I was not welcomed. It was mainly the Plastics Residents that came to communicate this.
  • Both Acute Rehab and the skilled nursing facility fell through and they came and told me at the end that they wanted to discharge me. 4 days ago the notes said the plan was to discharge home with 24/7 care, now it’s discharged to the hotel with 0 assistance.
  • Day 8 Another social worker came and provided me with options and also told me that the hospital could pay for my hotel stay if I couldn’t afford it. I informed her that my gross annual income estimate for this year at this time was 19k and there could be quite some time before I can return to work if I encounter complications. The Hospitality Hotel by UVA would have only cost me 10 bucks I night which I could have stayed at for weeks but then they informed me that I would have a roommate. This would have made wound care/ fluff the phallus and other personal caretaking things very awkward for me and I informed the social worker of how having a private room would make a huge difference in my mental well-being given my procedure was a phalloplasty. God forbid my roommate ended up being transphobic if I had gone there. She asked if it was alright for her to share with the team as it may help me secure the hotel room with hospital funding.
  • Finally, I felt excited! News came that I had a hotel room for almost a week so that I could be close to the hospital in case anything happened. Food is not covered of course so I do have to manage that on my own. I now had 2.5 hours to get all my items and leave upon the announcement. Dr.Stranix’s team made sure that I had everything I needed! Diana, Dr.Stranix’s team nurse was very helpful through this process in giving me a list of supplies to ask my RN for.
    • Another win for the team by Diana, I learned that she was keeping up with me through the notes and when she saw news of my discharge she reached out to me immediately.
Pain/Nausea
  • Pain has been progressively getting worse on my L (split skin graft) leg to the point where I can hardly sleep from the burning and stinging sensation at night. 5 mg of oxy was quickly becoming a 4-6 hour event compared to the earlier days when I almost went two full days without taking it.
  • On the morning of discharge, due to being unable to sleep at night from pain, I had asked for 10mg of oxy and the awakening by Plastic staff to check on my phallus had eft me unable to go back to sleep. I would be nauseous and lightheaded for about 6 hours. The nurse and I agree that it was likely a combination of lack of sleep/no food in the stomach/ my sensitivity to pain meds that resulted in this.
    • To this point I've only slept up to 4 hours uninterrupted, the hospital is terrible for sleep
  • Post-discharge at the hotel it took me two hours to unpack my medical supplies and my back was hurting from being hunched over. I would take my Tylenol and Oxy once I was done. I am consuming both medications as soon as the wait time is over even if my pain level is 1-2 because I can’t risk going super high on the scale when I’m the only one providing care for myself and 10 mg of oxy knocks me out
Food Intake
  • Still difficult to get protein in the amount that I would like. Currently recommending Premier Protein’s 160 cal with 30g protein for all of us trying to get in our protein for the day.
  • After discharge to the hotel, I went ahead and ordered a family meal for 6. I didn’t have any food delivery subscriptions so I figured by ordering more I could save myself a few tips and delivery fees.
  • The hotel offers a complimentary hot breakfast which I plan to take advantage of!
Mobility
  • On Day 7th I climbed my first flight of stairs using a lot of upper body strength and the railing
  • I was discharged with a walker. Physical therapy made it very clear that the only reason I could walk the distance I do is because of my upper body strength. I wanted to wall/furniture serf but then reminded myself that I could go from hugging the wall to hugging the floor if I’m not careful.
Events that took place/progress made
  • Discharge by taxi to the hotel- they ask you if you can afford this and I said I could. I imagine that if I had said no they may have given me a voucher
  • Upon arrival at the hotel, my L side was starting to drip again. Though exhausting I placed blue chucks pads all along the hospital bed to the bathroom so I don’t accidentally bleed on the carpet unknowingly.
MVP/Things I wish I had/Bonus content?
  • Long reacher/grabber- occupational therapy gave me one and I’ve used this more times than I can count
  • The nurse brought me all the items for dressing changes for the next 7 days and many many more in case I ran short. Thanks to her and previous nurses I have a surplus of chuck pads that allow me to pad the hotel floor/chair and the bed when I sleep. I sleep on one and have one over me so the blanket’s risk of blood stains is minimized
  • The swelling of the left labia
    • It took me till post-op day 2-4 to realize that the tenderness was not from the clitoris but rather the L labia. It took me another few days before I was not embarrassed enough to ask for an explanation.
    • The left clitoral nerve was taken for innervation and Dr.Stranix accesses it through the L labia, so the swelling was very much expected!
    • I think this is another example of where communication can be improved. It is super minor but knowing things help me cope with my anxiety/decreases worrying. I had assumed that the clitoral innervation would result in clitoral swelling(which it did not but not near the extent of the L labial swelling).
      • Even if this had just been an accidental nick I wouldn’t have been too upset, I was mainly worried about infections/UTI as it burned sometimes when I started urinating and I couldn’t quite pin down if it was my urethra or something else.
      • This does not even touch my confidence in this team and when I asked Dr.Stranix he did apologize!
  • The notorious smell
    • One of the things that have popped up over and over in the “things I wished I knew” posts was the smell. To me, it smells like egg whites gone bad. And somewhere along Day 6-8 I realized where it was originating from: my split skin graft on the L side.
    • Due to the proximity of my graft to my genitals at times, the drainage would leak into my inguinal crease leading me to think that it was my genitals/the incisions there that were responsible for it.
At last, my journey in the hospital has ended.
 
  • Lunacy
  • Informative
  • Like
Reactions: Crab Latte, Pepo, Nobody owns a cat and 52 others
batteredpancakes said:
Both Acute Rehab and the skilled nursing facility fell through and they came and told me at the end that they wanted to discharge me. 4 days ago the notes said the plan was to discharge home with 24/7 care, now it’s discharged to the hotel with 0 assistance.
Click to expand...
I would love to see the Case Management notes from this person's stay. No way was the initial plan to discharge to skilled nursing after a phalloplasty, completely paid by insurance, and you know she never intended to pay out of pocket. She got her procedure done hours away from any social support; did she claim otherwise in pre-op interviews?

You make a living selling an unrealistic dream of surgery to an emotionally-unstable demographic, of course you're going to end up with a few limpets who refuse to discharge to anything but a mansion. Hope this makes the facility scrutinize subsequent phalloplasty patients' discharge plans more carefully, pre-op. Mental health and lifelong UTIs are one thing, but we can't have patients routinely overshooting their projected inpatient stay.
 
  • Like
  • Winner
  • Optimistic
Reactions: Crab Latte, Nobody owns a cat, Elim Garak and 26 others
batteredpancakes said:
At last, my journey in the hospital has ended.
Click to expand...
Holy Jesus, the intensity and fragility. God al-fucking-mighty, I want to slap her and I didn't even read all of her precious update. Just wow, post-op from a (ridiculous, elective) serious operation is uncomfortable? Who woulda thunk?

I don't know how some of these folks do life.

Eta after reading @Aunt Carol 's comment: I couldn't even get my wisdom teeth out under anesthesia without having someone there before, during, and after to drive me home (I opted for local only, and it was totally fine; glad I didn't bother trying to coordinate that). Htf are people being brought in for THIS kind of surgery without having a confirmed plan for discharge on the expected time frame? UVa, I am disappoint.
 
Last edited:
  • Agree
  • Like
Reactions: Elim Garak, Not a bee, Dark Horse and 15 others
Aunt Carol said:
I would love to see the Case Management notes from this person's stay. No way was the initial plan to discharge to skilled nursing after a phalloplasty, completely paid by insurance, and you know she never intended to pay out of pocket. She got her procedure done hours away from any social support; did she claim otherwise in pre-op interviews?

You make a living selling an unrealistic dream of surgery to an emotionally-unstable demographic, of course you're going to end up with a few limpets who refuse to discharge to anything but a mansion. Hope this makes the facility scrutinize subsequent phalloplasty patients' discharge plans more carefully, pre-op. Mental health and lifelong UTIs are one thing, but we can't have patients routinely overshooting their projected inpatient stay.
Click to expand...

I cannot agree with this more. On her side however… she had major surgery and didn’t think about post-surgery? What the actual fuck? There are FTMs on reddit who will lay out all the difficulties they encountered post-surgery* and offer practical tips. This idiot either doesn’t do basic research or listen to the doctor, or is so deluded she thinks she will bound out of bed like an anime boy, because she’s not like other girls. She shouldn’t be allowed outside without adult supervision.

Don’t worry I’ll 🎩 myself

* not that they regret anything, needless to say
 
  • Like
  • Agree
Reactions: Crab Latte, Nobody owns a cat, Elim Garak and 16 others
batteredpancakes said:
  • It has been a constant state of being asked “What are your discharge plans” “What can we make work” “This didn’t work” and “Tell us again about what your plan is”. It honestly feels like the hospital was trying to kick me out and I don’t blame them because I know it’s a business establishment and another patient can use my bed. However, that didn’t make it feel good as someone hours away from home and unable to have friends/family come to pick him up. Near the end of Day 7, I just wanted to be tossed on the side of the curb, which thankfully wasn’t legal, instead of being in a place where I was not welcomed. It was mainly the Plastics Residents that came to communicate this.
  • Both Acute Rehab and the skilled nursing facility fell through and they came and told me at the end that they wanted to discharge me. 4 days ago the notes said the plan was to discharge home with 24/7 care, now it’s discharged to the hotel with 0 assistance.
  • Day 8 Another social worker came and provided me with options and also told me that the hospital could pay for my hotel stay if I couldn’t afford it. I informed her that my gross annual income estimate for this year at this time was 19k and there could be quite some time before I can return to work if I encounter complications. The Hospitality Hotel by UVA would have only cost me 10 bucks I night which I could have stayed at for weeks but then they informed me that I would have a roommate. This would have made wound care/ fluff the phallus and other personal caretaking things very awkward for me and I informed the social worker of how having a private room would make a huge difference in my mental well-being given my procedure was a phalloplasty. God forbid my roommate ended up being transphobic if I had gone there. She asked if it was alright for her to share with the team as it may help me secure the hotel room with hospital funding.
  • Finally, I felt excited! News came that I had a hotel room for almost a week so that I could be close to the hospital in case anything happened. Food is not covered of course so I do have to manage that on my own. I now had 2.5 hours to get all my items and leave upon the announcement. Dr.Stranix’s team made sure that I had everything I needed! Diana, Dr.Stranix’s team nurse was very helpful through this process in giving me a list of supplies to ask my RN for.
    • Another win for the team by Diana, I learned that she was keeping up with me through the notes and when she saw news of my discharge she reached out to me immediately.
Click to expand...
I think reality TV shows where people undergo surgeries have ruined the view of how people see these surgeries. Yes, 24/7 care is necessary, and for the most part, another person needs to be there to provide such care. No, that person is not supposed to be the hospital for most surgeries. People are supposed to have money when they get elective surgeries. One has to be able to pay for recovery in a rehab center if they don’t have an orbiter (family members included) to take care of them for a long time.

What entitlement!
 
  • Agree
  • Like
  • Thunk-Provoking
Reactions: Crab Latte, Elim Garak, behavioral swamp thang and 18 others
monstrous bubo said:
This idiot either doesn’t do basic research or listen to the doctor, or is so deluded she thinks she will bound out of bed like an anime boy
Click to expand...
It sounded to me like she was planning to swoon into a rehab bed (in a manly fashion) and never lift a finger for herself ever again. She wanted the phalloplasty experience to be just like the romanticized mental hospital experience, a "grippy sock vacation" on the taxpayers' dime.
 
  • Like
  • Agree
  • Winner
Reactions: Pepo, Elim Garak, KiwiFuzz and 14 others
Aunt Carol said:
She got her procedure done hours away from any social support; did she claim otherwise in pre-op interviews?
Click to expand...
Here's all the mentions of family/friends on her other posts:
Day 0​
Able to carry out most ADLs but will require assistance for grocery shopping and meal prep. My caretaker will meal prep for me. For those of us that are flying by the seat of our pants and going solo, I guess pre-packaged crock pot meals might help!​
Reassured that a previous brother of ours had traveled from Montana and stayed by a hostel close by before WALKING to UVA for supplies a few days after discharge.​
Day 3​
Today, I wish I had a better support system outside of the hospital. After working with PT/OT I was very kindly informed that in no way shape or form was I going to make it up the three flights of stairs safely to get into my friend's apartment. My anticipated discharge date was tomorrow and they said that PT/OT will come to work with me once more and the final decision will be made then.​

Since she refused to leave then stayed in a hotel instead of her "friends apartment" I'm betting she lied and said she was going to stay with this friend.
 
  • Informative
  • Like
  • Lunacy
Reactions: Crab Latte, Nobody owns a cat, Elim Garak and 22 others
  • Like
  • Informative
Reactions: Crab Latte, Elim Garak, Sparkling Yuzu and 13 others
Alright here's u/Electronic-Gur9522 from before surgery to day 5
Archives: Before Surgery | Day 0 | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 & 5
Approaching Stage 1 ALT- John T. Stranix at UVA (Breakdown of information)
Personal Stats
  • Height-164 cm
  • Weight-134 lbs
  • No history of smoking/THC/vaping/ recreational drugs
  • Sedentary/slightly active lifestyle/skinny fat body
  • Surgery goals: as close to a cis-phallus as possible; ALT with all the "bells and whistles"
Why I chose Dr.Stranix and his team
  • Performed over 300 phalloplasties
  • Experience in urology
  • Learned from RBL herself!
  • Able to provide ALT pictures when asked (UNC did not have them readily available and I was not a candidate for UNC as they require their ALT patients to have a BMI <20)
Timing
  • Consultation-December 26th,2022 all three letters are required before an appointment can be scheduled, and two-three months wait time from calling in at that time
  • Pre-Op date: March 21, 2023
  • Stage 1 ALT - April 13,2023
    • The team is currently scheduling out 18 months in advance, I was able to have this date due to immense luck as they were obtaining more OR time slots and Dr.Stranix personally said they will block one for me.
    • Stage 2 is anticipated to be 3-6 months after stage 1/ depending on OR availability
      • consist of UL, vaginectomy, and scrotal creation
    • Stage 3- 6 months after stage 2
      • consist of ED and glansplasty
More information on Stage 1 ALT
  • Purely flap creation with innervation; includes erotic innervation but not burial
    • For pursuers of RFF, this may be different for you
    • Dr.Stranix will find the clitoral nerve and "tag" it to prepare for stage 2 burial. The patients have not complained about the pain from this!
      • Fun fact- the other surgeon will be dissecting the thigh at the same time.
  • Natal anatomy will be removed/ clitoris burial will occur in stage two
  • Partial UL is not performed at this stage and a new graft for UL will be obtained during Stage 2
    • Informed that urethra site will be a split-thickness graft (described as thinner than paper!) thus it will not take ANY hair follicles with it!
    • Expected to be approximately 5x2 inches, they found that a larger urethra tends to work better. This will be taken from my left thigh, my donor leg is my right
    • They will open the phallus from its underside and place the graft with a catheter to keep it open
  • Hospital Stay- 5 days, expected discharge- April 17th, 2023
  • Discharge expectations/degree of independence were discussed during the Pre-Op appointment as I will only have help up to Post Op day 7 and be alone until Day 11/12
    • Able to perform dressing changes by oneself
    • Nurses will provide tips and tricks to shower/possible actual half shower in the hospital. I have never heard of a shower at the hospital and will post an update after surgery
      • showering will keep my sanity intact so it is one of my highest priorities in terms of self-care
      • NOT ALLOWED TO GET DONOR LEG WET EVEN DURING THE SHOWER!
    • Able to carry out most ADLs but will require assistance for grocery shopping and meal prep. My caretaker will meal prep for me. For those of us that are flying by the seat of our pants and going solo, I guess pre-packaged crock pot meals might help!
    • Reassured that a previous brother of ours had traveled from Montana and stayed by a hostel close by before WALKING to UVA for supplies a few days after discharge.
    • Preparation: no solids past midnight and small amounts of water allowed up till 2 hours before admission
    • BONUS: Wound care supplies will be mailed to your address!
      • All healthcare members I've encountered so far are super nice and reassuring
Obviously, everyone is different in terms of needs and expectations and please do not try and go through this process alone! I'm terribly anti-social so I really only have one friend who will be doing the driving/ meal prep for me but I do have a handful that will be texting/checking on me. If there's anything I missed please let me know and hopefully this was helpful!
Post Op Day 0- John Stranix @ UVA for ALT R thigh

Taking you along for my direct personal experience of going through surgery and waking up post-operatively. My first stage consist of creating the phallus (UL is for stage two) and the rerouting of the nerves
Pre-Op Summary
  • The first case starts at 7:30 am and you are expected to arrive at 5:30
  • If you have not had a hysterectomy, they will have you to urinate in a cup.
  • I ended up having quite a bit of anxiety getting an IV but very thankful that they got it on the second try and a nurse was there to hold my hand. There was a time when someone stuck me 5 times for blood but that was not at UVA.
  • Anesthesia will come in and ask about your previous history with anesthesia
  • There was a COVID test to be done
Waking up
  • The surgery itself took up 7 hours and they book the OR for 8 hours
  • I woke up in the PACU and was transferred over to SICU around 6 pm (don't cite me on this I believe I heard it while I was coming around)despite surgery ending 4 hours before. I have a tendency to wake up more slowly.
  • The pacu nurse gave me two ice pops and honestly could not have asked for more.
  • The wound vac is in place and will remain there till the day of discharge to help the skin heal even if you don’t have a lot of leakage on that side
  • My split-thickness graft has slightly soaked through around 2 or three small pads, The team said it was totally normal and that it will actually get worse before it gets better.
  • The room was toasty for good perfusion, and I had/have around 4 blankets around me
  • SCDS on, also known as the leg massagers to protect us against deep vein thrombosis for laying in bed
  • The smell has not hit...yet
Mental Status
  • I did go into pre-op alone and it felt a bit sad when I saw whole groups of people there with their loved one. But on the other side of the coin,not having family there allowed me to communicate my fears( towards needles) and hopes for the size of my phallus.
  • I also received a bit of ketamine and it was the first time I felt my world literally moving. Even laying the head of the bed down made me cling to one of the nurses. This did not totally dissolve itself until it was close to morning.
    • I found that instead of moving my head quickly, turning very, very slowly helped.
  • Capable of sneaking in mini cat naps between every Doppler check
Pain/Nausea Management
  • I mainly feel sore and some burning on the L side where the split-thickness graft was
  • They have toradol scheduled, which can burn so when you receive it you can always ask your nurse to dilute it!
  • I also have oxy and a few rounds of Tylenol.
  • This kept my pain quite manageable on the pain scale of 0 to 10, mine stayed at a 2-3 for a large part
  • The foley catheter did not bother me as it did in the hysterectomy, I communicated with the team before I became sedated that I would like a smaller one and I really don't even feel it unless I'm using the muscle of my pelvic floor/ receiving foley care
Food Intake
  • Clear liquids, swallowing was a bit difficult with a sore throat. I have not started passing gas.
  • I woke up immensely thirsty/with a cotton mouth but nothing that was deadly.
Mobility
  • Able to move my arms but they felt a bit shaky despite not having anything taken from them
  • Bed rest orders to help the graft take
  • Having trouble bending my R thigh but I think part of me is just waiting for PT to come since they’re the experts
Things I wish I had/things I had that is useful/ Amenities in the room
  • 10-foot iPhone charger and I didn’t need to bring a brick as it connects directly with the hospital bed. I would still recommend taking a brick with you just in case!
  • Theres a large TV in the room and the wall at the end of the building is made of glass which is most lovely as I enjoy the sunshine.
  • Otherwise, no complaints!
Post Op Day 1- John Stranix @ UVA for ALT R thigh
I ended up posting POD 0 later than anticipatedas I was too tired/sleepy. But this post will be in real time!
Mental Status
  • Much much better! My biggest fear of this whole operation heading in was getting the IV. As I progressed through the day Dr.Stranix came by and told me that everything went well, My phallus has an adequate blood supply and warmth. Another big mood booster was being able to go on a regular diet. Due to the nature of rerouting the artery the groin area will feel sore. I don’t see any bruising as of yet
Pain/Nausea Management
  • Even better today I haven’t used oxy since midnight. It did hurt when I had to be log rolled for my bed pad change but it was not excruciating. It usually goes away after a bit of time
  • I’ve started to notice sharp pain on both sides, but mainly on my L. They started me on gabapentin as I told them that the sharp pain doesn’t subside with the other pain medications!
  • No nausea today!
Food Intake
  • They did not seem to have many options when they came to ask what I would like. I had scrambled egg, potato, and a moist blueberry muffin for breakfast. For lunch, they served carne asada with rice and a chocolate pudding dessert. For dinner it arrived quite early around 4:30 of salmon broccoli and roasted potatoes..
  • A high-protein diet assists with healing and I asked for a protein drink. Afterward I asked my nurse if I could double the protein and she told me yes! So starting tomorrow I should be consuming at least 1g of protein per lb of body weight
  • The food also helped with my level of contentment and thus made this easier to bare.
Mobility
  • My upper arms are no longer shaky, I will continue to remain on bed rest till the PT comes.
Events that took place/progress made
  • Regular food! Able to sleep a bit more as it’s no longer Q1H hour checks
  • Keep in mind that because it's a teaching hospital there will be students/residents.
  • If you are NOT comfortable with being seen, just let your nurse/ charge nurse know
  • I only allowed two students.
  • I use topical testosterone but because its a home med pharmacy has to count the doses/ medical can get lost. The doctor and pharmacist communicated and I will be receiving gel testosterone in packets.
Things that kept me sane
  • I brought my laptop, charger, and phone to help me pass the time as I didn’t have anyone here with me.
  • A good CHG wipes down, I started to get the tiches.
  • The smell has not kicked in..yet
  • Able to have toothbrush and tooth pasted
Post Op Day 2- John Stranix @ UVA for ALT R thigh

Mental Status
  • Mental clarity is on the rise. I haven’t needed any narcotics. Still feeling great and eating my popsicles. Surprisingly, laying in bed all day hadn’t made me feel immensely dirty. The baths with the wipes were enough to keep me sane.
    • Side note: no smell yet?? A bonus
Pain/Nausea Management
  • No nausea still!
  • Pain is easily 1-3 depending on movement level, still have difficulty moving my R leg.
  • The most painful part of my day would be the Lovenox shot (which protects you from developing deep vein thrombosis while in bed) but I keep in mind that it's a necessary evil and I’ve come too far to jeopardize anything. As I tell the nurses, and mainly myself- Only the best for my peen.
Food Intake
  • Able to eat but I’m not sure if the protein has been doubled. I later confirmed that it has not and they will be sure to do so tomorrow. Research has shown that a high-protein diet is important for wound healing and I’m doing my best to give my body an abundance of resources for healing.
Mobility
  • I worked with PT/OT for the first time today. It was a humbling experience to say the least. My left leg is capable of almost the full range of motion, to where I could touch my feet if I wanted to. My right leg has lagged behind. I am able to move it left/right a few inches but nothing against gravity and bending at the knee is difficult.
  • It takes about two people to help me get up and I’ve resigned myself to the bedpan. So far I have rejected Miralax in hopes of being cleared by PT/OT but tomorrow I will take the medication.
Events that took place/progress made
  • Foley is out and there's no retention
  • Physical therapy
MVP/Things I wish I had/Amenities in the room
  • All my needs have been met. My computer, phone, and TV keep me well entertained between all my naps. The nurses have all been great here
Apologies for any typos on my posts, I'll go back to edit once I can stay awake for more than a few hours at a time!
Post Op Day 3- John Stranix @ UVA for ALT R thigh

Mental Status
  • Trying to stay positive for the most part. Struggling a bit as movement with my right leg is still quite painful, I imagine myself to have progressed further but it is what it is. I’ve become more fearful of pain and rejected my Lovenox shot, it’s only been a few days but these things seem to wear me down quite easily.
Pain/Nausea Management
  • Laying around in bed my pain is around 1-3. Mostly a burning hot sensation on the right thigh, and at times my left as well.
  • Experienced nausea for the first time today, one dose of IV zofran and a nap later it had vanished
  • Late update- I forgot to mention that even though Dr.Stranix went and “tagged”/innervated my phallus with the clitoral nerve I don’t feel any pain there specifically that can be picked out.
    • The sore throat from intubation is completely gone! Only 20% of it was there on Post Op Day 2, and 50% on Post Op Day 1.
    • No residual Foley cath pain was experienced today either, though things do feel a bit tender during wiping.
Food Intake
  • The extra portion is really a hit or miss. I also realize I’m not able to eat as much. May be a factor of constipation/slight stomachache that accompanied both lunch and dinner.
  • I did consume the miralax, no bowel movement yet
  • Highly likely to still consume their supply of popsicles and ice cream at night.
Mobility
  • Worked with PT/OT again after being pre-medicated with 10mg of oxycodone and it was a half devastating half hilarious event. I still could barely lift my leg and despite it sounding funny when PT recommended me to “inch forward with my toes” it worked. So I looked down and saw my very green hospital sock wiggling forward and thought to myself “Wow, could be a chunky caterpillar”.
    • I find that leaning my weight to my left side enough to let my right foot lift off of the ground and turn my waist lets me go a lot further/painless than trying to bend at my knee. Not sure if it's cheating.
  • With seemingly a break with every two steps I managed to walk around from one side of the bed to the other with the assistance of PT/OT and a walker
  • I finally unlocked the bedside commode. The next is the bathroom.
Events that took place/progress made
  • It is a hassle but the bedside commode is better than the bedpan!
  • At midnight it will go from flap checks every two hours to every four hours! What is sleep? It shall soon be here.
  • Unlocked new breakfast item- French toast! They also have pancakes which is news to me. Sugar helps keeps me sane even though I know I should stick with something higher in protein.
MVP/Things I wish I had/Amenities in the room
  • Today, I wish I had a better support system outside of the hospital. After working with PT/OT I was very kindly informed that in no way shape or form was I going to make it up the three flights of stairs safely to get into my friend's apartment. My anticipated discharge date was tomorrow and they said that PT/OT will come to work with me once more and the final decision will be made then.
  • My options ahead are either successfully surprise all of us with renewed strength from my right leg and be able to be discharged or go to an acute rehab facility. The social worker will work out the in and outs of that with insurance.
  • I requested a shampoo cap today, 10/10 would recommend
As always, let me know if you guys have any additional questions/curiosities. I won’t be posting phallus pictures but I will say that it is quite uniform in size I may not need debulking?! I did not ask Dr.Stranix for the measurements and I had requested 6-6.5 during pre-op I feel that I may be just under 6 inches.
Post Op Day 4 and 5- John Stranix @ UVA for ALT R thigh

Mental Status
  • Fuzzy from all the pain meds for POD 4, Day 4 was supposed to be the day I got discharged to go home. I was not able to tolerate/display the strength required to be discharged successfully. On the morning of POD 4 they changed my L graft dressing and removed the wound vac. I was premedicated with 10 mg of oxy and would rate the pain a 7-8/10. They said my graft site looked healthy, I’ve got a sense of disassociation with my lower body at this time
  • Experiencing a low point, I feel weak and scared of pain now. Refused my Lovenox shot again this morning.
Pain/Nausea Management
  • The fuzziness from the pain meds and the amount of time (3-4) they knock me out makes me very hesitant to take them. The NP, increased my gabapentin along with adding Robaxin( a muscle relaxor) to my regimen. Along with the Tylenol my pain has been at a consistent 2-4 when relaxing and 6-8 when working with physical/occupational therapy.
Food Intake
  • I’ve given up on trying to hunt down the 2nd portion, and just eat cheddar cheese/ ask for protein drinks.
  • Bowel movement happened the night of POD 4, if I was to go back in time I would not be vain and take my Miralax properly.
Mobility
  • It is getting better every day, I would say I’ve graduated from snail's pace to turtle pace! Getting out of bed is still a hassle and my right leg’s ability to bend is humbling still but I realized that if I just give it time and lower it little by little the pain is tolerable. The initial pain is always the worse pain.
Events that took place/progress made
  • Overnight I was transferred to a lower acuity floor
  • After working with PT/OT and deciding that the Acute Rehab Facility (different from an SNF in that they provide 3 hours of therapy daily)
  • POD 5 the head of the Plastic Department came with the plastics crew and asked me what I wanted to do and informed me that it was “abnormal for a person of my age and health” to be referred to a facility. I did not know how to respond, I wish I could be normal and be discharged too. Honestly, a bit disappointed in myself, I didn’t expect recovery to be easy but didn’t expect it to be this difficult either.
  • I saw Dr.Stranix and Ryan, his NP, today as well. Dr.Stranix reassured me that the phallus looked well and that’s all I can ask for at this time. Ryan has been good as well and did check my strength in my R leg, asking me to lift it. I tried and could feel my muscles flexing in pain but it didn’t actually leave the bed. He informed me that today (POD 5) would not be my day of discharge.
  • With PT, I successfully climbed 3 steps on the stairs! A referral to the Acute Rehabilitation Center was started, I do not know if I’ll qualify/for insurance coverage.
MVP/Things I wish I had/Amenities in the room
  • The new room still has a TV and a nice window to look out of.
  • Special mentions to their PT/OT team for making me feel safe and guiding me through quite literally almost every step I take.
Scared of pain so refused a Lovenox shot twice. FYI that's a blood thinner to prevent deep vein thrombosis. What a retard.
 
  • Informative
  • Like
  • Horrifying
Reactions: Crab Latte, Nobody owns a cat, Elim Garak and 37 others
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back