Firstly, I'd really like to apologise that my first post on this board is nothing but a rant... Sorry!! I just really need to get this off my chest. I'm not looking for anything really, just somewhere to vent.
Ok, so where i'm at. I've had my stage one phalloplasty done last year in august. I had stage 2 done at the beginning of this month. It was done down in London with the London team at St Peters Andrology centre. I live in west yorkshire. There's quite a distance between us. Stage one wasn't so bad, all that was required was a standard post op check up which i had at 5weeks. The second stage however is turning into my worst nightmare when it comes to dealing with GP's up here and London. It's not London's fault, they're fantastic. The issue is this massive gap in knowledge of such proceedures amongst GP's... not just GP's but nurses and hospital staff too! I had my drain out after one week which London couldn't do because there were no appointents available. I spent... excuse me. I wasted an entire day trying to get that thing removed! My own GP's nurse hadn't got a clue. 3 times she called the hospital down south where I had the op to talk her through how to remove it. She couldn't. She tugged and it felt like she was ripping my insides out with it as well. Her suggestion? A+E. God forbid anyone should ever need A+E. Lets just say six hours, one dose of morphine, one dose of laughing gas, a nurse and a gynocologist later after many emotions, pain and uncomfortableness, a urologist walks by and one small tug and it was out. I commend that guy! Friend of Mr Christopher's too. Seemed to be the only one out of the whole lot that knew what he was doing.
But A+E? Oh man. Not an experience I'm going to remember lightly. The NHS staff are so overworked, underpaid and under trained it was unbelievable! And it's a sad thing to have to witness. My heart honestly goes out to them.
Anyways, lets move on shall we. Today. I'm meant to have gone down london to sort out cath spigot with some hopefulness of having it removed. Haha, well that didn't happen! Ok, so maybe the start of the day was my fault? A bit of an issue popped up and I wasn't able to make it at the last minute. By now i'm fed up of this catheter. It's a pain in my smooth cheeks, I just want to be able to sleep right, shower right without the fear of it slipping and tugging... Have a flipping bath! Oh my days... a bath! I can dream... So anywho, I call's London, tell them I cant make my appointment and if it's ok for my GP to take over. Oh yes, absolutely fine! Fine my flippin' monkeys doorbells! (excuse me). I called my GP. "Oh no, we dont deal with caths." and they gave me a number for the district nurse. "Oh, we dont deal with caths either!" they say! So I called my local hospital! "Sure!" they said, "We'll do that for you!" I gets there and they're all "Oh no, we cant do that. You have to go down London." pretty much refused! At this point, may I add that after todays emotional rollercoaster I was at this point so close to breaking down and crying in front of these nurses. I just wasted what little money i did have on my attempt at going to London this morning. Arranging yet another trip is going to squeeze me completely dry. So i'm getting all festered about being skint.I'm getting all festered that there is no one. NO ONE! up here in West Yorkshire that knows a bloody thing about anything and is able to help even in the slightest. When you feel rough after an operation and the recovery time is slow and endless and peniless and full of emotional frustration... having to face what feels like the land of no hope is enough to bring anyone down. I left their office without saying goodbye because I knew the second i would try open my mouth, a flood of tears would follow. Not in public. I'm a man for gods sake!
I've since contacted Sara about my dilema and she has told me there is no other option than to go to London for this. So I am forced to spend money that i havent got and another five days flinging this catheter around with me to enjoy it's ooze from my stomach and it's utter inconvenience, uncomfortableness and sometimes pain from where its situated.
I honestly didnt think such simple proceedures would be so difficult to find a local nurse trained in. The knowledge of checking wounds to determine if all is well, knowing how to remove a cath, talking a patient through learning how to pee again. Sounds so simple, but it's obviously not. How can the government be so neglective of one of our most basic needs - Health??? Yes, the NHS is free, something I am entirely thankful for to no end. And the nurses and doctors do try their best with the little recourse they have available to them. My rage right now is not with them. My rage is with this cr*p hole of a government that just hasn't got a clue. I'm sure there was a time when the men in suits were looked upon as intelectual beings worthy of respect. Now... everytime i open a newspaper the only definition i see is a bunch of clowns.
By the way, I honestly hope I haven't put anyone off phalloplasty surgeries!!


I will relax now. I feel much calmer now that i've unloaded everything off my chest! I'd like to commend anyone who's actually sat there and read through my whole 'rage-off'! You deserve a cookie. Think i'm going to have a brew, some pizza, and continue my game
