thailand

Thailand.

I flew to Thailand on 5th August to have GRS (Gender Reassignment Surgery) and AM ( Augmentation Mammaplasty).

Performed by Dr Suporn Watanyusakul at the Suporn Clinic, Chon Buri, Thailand.

Monday 6th August

I'm sat here in the hotel, my emotions are all over the place, one minute I'm scared witless the next I'm so happy I cry.
Am taken across to the clinic at 10am to be measured for my breast implants, eventually deciding on 510cc which should give me a nice 'D' cup.

At 11am the transport arrives to take me to the hospital. After what seems like having every test possible I'm shown to my room '802'

All rooms have a balcony, and mine has a sea view, not that I'm going to be doing a lot of admiring the view! I'm left twiddling my thumbs until the doctor is free.

Hotel Room View

Hospital room view.

Dr Suporn shows up at around 4pm and talked me through the procedure that he would be using, he then examined me.

and pronounced himself happy with the amount of 'donor' material I have, I then have to wait for the anaesthetist,

who shows up half an hour later with a great opening line;

"I'm the lady who's going to put you to sleep, if your nice to me I'll wake you up again"

At around 6pm I have my last pre-op meal, McDonalds Cheeseburger and Fries.

At 7pm the nurse comes in to give me a shave, and administer an enema, and the 'nil by mouth' sign is hung on the door.

Tuesday 7th August
I am awoken at about 7am, I didn't have a good night's sleep although I had asked for sleeping pills during the night.

Am given some clean pyjamas' and put on a trolley to be wheeled down to the operating room.

The paranoia that has been with me ever since I arrive in Thailand is now starting to reach fever pitch, I certain that

someone is going to tap me on the shoulder and say something like "Sorry, Miss Coleman but I afraid you can't have the

operation". Reach the OR and am given another pair of pyjamas' to change into and a different trolley to climb onto.

Pushed through into what I presume is the prep room, and asked to remove my pyjamas' (why did I remember all the fuss with the pyjamas?)

Immediately 5 or 6 people swing into action putting compression bandages on my legs, (to prevent DVT) and a nice green turban to keep my hair in place.

Dr Suporn appears with the anaesthetist, and they both tell me not to worry.

Am asked to sit up for the obligatory photo, At the same time 'put to sleep' when I fall backwards I am assumed to be asleep.

Pre-op Photo

Immediately pre-op I should be deliriously happy, actually I the biggest bag of nerves I've ever been.

Tuesday 7th August/Wednesday 8th August

I know I was properly brought around after the op but can remember absolutely nothing about it.

The 1st thing I can remember is awakening around 2am on the morning of the 8th with an excruciating pain in my chest.

The nurse from the clinic was there (they stay with you, on your first night post-op), she arrange pain relief (Morphine) and

something to put me straight back to sleep.

Wednesday 8th August

I awoke around 7am still with the excruciating pain in my chest, it was in fact the bandage across my chest, which was violin string tight!

Dr Suporn arrive shortly afterwards just to let me know everything had gone OK.

I had severe nausea and for the next 2 days was made to keep a bowl on my stomach 'just in case'

Due to the nausea which didn't leave me the whole of the rest of the time I was in hospital I didn't eat anything at all but lived off

the Saline/Glucose drip and Morphine jabs

Friday 10th August

The bandage across my chest was cut (but not removed) to remove some of the tension, and pain.

Monday 13th August

Bandage completely removed from chest, what a relief.

Dressings removed removed from genitals, Dr Suporn had a look and said something in Thai to the nurse but didn't do anything,

nurse reappeared with 2 pillows which she wedged either side of the bed to stop me opening my legs

Tuesday 14th August

Dr Suporn reappeared at about 7am removed Virginal drain and catheter and then the packing. A stent was inserted to show me how much depth he had achieved 7”

He then gave me a mirror and showed me his work and concern, the right side Labia majora was quite badly separated although the rest was in good order.

They left me the mirror so that I could alternatively look/burst into tears for the next half hour.

Prior to the packing being removed

Day 7 waiting for the packing to be removed, high on morphine.

Thai nurse then appeared to get me up and give me a shower, at this stage I hadn’t been out of bed for 7 days, I can remember standing up,

the next thing I remember is being given smelling salts to bring me around as I had feinted

(something I was to do several times over the next couple of days, which was a cause for concern)

Returned to the hotel at around 11am, and collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep for 6 hours straight.

Clinic staff appeared and woke me up having been let into the room by hotel security as apparently they had been banging on the door

and calling me on the room phone, with no response. Was shown how to dilate properly left for 1 hour and checked on again.

Wednesday 15th August

Seen by the Dr Suporn, where he explain his concern regarding the separation, he also removed the excess fluid from around the breast,

I didn’t really take much in as I was an emotional wreck, and just cried the whole time

Friday 17th August

I am acutely homesick, I think about home all the time and so want to be back there, I burst into tears at the littlest things,

and have had to stop looking at things which remind me off home. Tonight I cried for 4 hours solid until I eventually fell asleep,

having exhausted myself.

Wednesday 22nd August

Seen by Dr Suporn he was still unhappy with the level of separation I have, so I was taken upstairs to the clinic operating room

where he completely restitched the right hand side along with some cosmetic improvements.

Thursday 23rd August

Visited Nong Nooch Tropical Park, which is where I meet this fellah

Me and Tigga

Me and 'Tigga'

Friday 24th August

Seen by Dr Suporn again, he pronounce's himself happy with the restitched right hand side.

He show me the internal works and says it is all nice and clean and healing nicely.

There is still some concern over the amount of fluid build-up around the breast implants, a consequence of which I

have to have 'Boobie' massage every 3 hours whilst the clinic is open.

Monday 27th - Thursday 30th August

Impossible to do much due to the amount of massage I have to have, I spend most of my day around the clinic, chatting

with the other girls that are here, or just looking out of the window people watching, its amazing how much it changes during

the day, from relatively quiet in the morning, to a hive of activity in the evening as the street traders all come out.

Friday 31st August

Final inspection with the good Doctor today.

I lay on the bed spread my my legs and he pronounce's "It Good, you can go home" (He was aware of just how homesick I was),

I don't think my smile could have been any bigger.

Still some concern over the boobs but he's happy that the massage's have had the correct effect and the fluid is now almost nonexistent.

The Good Doctor

The man who made my dreams come true

Dr Suporn Watanyusakul

Special Mention

Erin / Ayrin

Erin Miller

Erin looked after me whilst I was in Thailand, nothing was ever to much for her and she was always available at the end of the phone.

I'm pleased to say that Erin found her soul mate in Thailand and as they say in the books, "lived happily ever after".

'Bonne Chance' Erin, maybe one day our paths will cross again.