July 17th, 2008
I had noticed some spotting on the pads I've lined my panties with, and some continued soreness and pain that I felt should have been getting better. So I took some pictures and sent them to Dr. Chettawut to ask him if this was normal, and if not, what to do about it. He wrote back that a minor surgical revision was probably necessary. Ok, he also wrote that it wasn't anything to worry about and there was no urgency in doing anything yet, but I was all worried and upset about the revision that anything else he said was ignored. So I called him directly to ask what I should do - Go back to Thailand? Could someone do it locally? He re-iterated that it wasn't urgent and what he saw was very common and normal in the process of healing. Also, that someone locally could do the work. He also mentioned, that perhaps it could just be cauterized, and that too could be done here in town. He'd done some cauterizing with some electrial instrument before I left Thailand.
So I made an appointment with a local doctor who performs labiaplasty and said he has done revisions for trans people in the past, and I had that appointment yesterday. Having already been upset and worried about the situation in the first place, I was very apprehensive going in, and worried that because it was still sore, that when the doctor examined me, it would be painful, and I'd worried that something would be wrong and that would just make me freak out even more. Of course, when we fear the worst in a situation, it usually isn't as bad as we thought and things turn out fine.
NOT IN THIS CASE, HOWEVER!! He took a look and used his cotton swabs to check it out, which was at best uncomfortable, as the area he looked at was sore. He then announced that he was going to use a chemical cauterizing agent to seal off the exposed blood vessels (or something like that). Since Dr. C. had done cauterization before, I knew it could hurt some, but it was a procedure he mentioned could help. So I was Ok with him doing the procedure, but knew it would likely hurt. Anyway, he told me that the chemical agent might hurt a little, or I might not even feel it. OMG! Oh I felt it all right! it was so painful, it felt like I was being tortured! I'd have gladly given secret information to make it stop, but that wasn't an option. I was lucky to have a good friend along to hold my hand through all this, and I'm very glad for that too! Even after the doctor was done treating me, it still burned for a while, and I was shaken up for several hours. He did prescribe vicodin, which I filled immediately after leaving and that helped me relax and get some rest.
I looked at it that evening, and used a cotton swab to clean off some small amounts of dead tissue, and the pain and soreness I'd felt in the first place had mostly gone away. By this morning, it looked even better and I'm feeling fine. Unfortunately, I have to go in next week as well for a check up and he indicated I might need another couple treatments!! OUCH OUCH OUCH. I will be taking my vicodin before hand, and have a friend driving me in. It won't stop the pain, but it will make it easier to deal with.
Hopefully my last blog in this site, will read something like, 'everything has healed and no more need for cauterization or revisions'. Ideally no more treatments will be necessary. I can't recall a worse pain. I suppose other things have hurt just as much, but nothing worse.
