It’s been three months since my vaginoplasty, and two months since laser eye surgery.
Healing has been going well on both fronts. As far as my eyes go, I see better than I ever did with glasses in good lighting conditions. In poor lighting, when looking at bright objects such as crosswalk signs or screens, there is this visual effect accompanying these light sources that reminds me of what things look like when you have tear drops in your eyes. There was also a bloom effect around bright lights and this seems to have reduced significantly. It may take up to a year for my eyes to heal fully.
With regards to my genitalia, I had a bit of a scare two weeks ago. I had discovered a growth in my surgical site. It looked like parts of my insides had fallen out of my body. After communicating with the overnight nurses at the recovery facility, it turns out it was hypergranulation. It’s a common complication. I went to see my doctor, and she necrotized the tissue. Over the next week it simply disintegrated with grey bits lining my underwear. Otherwise bleeding has ceased, and the surgical site has been healing quite nicely. I figure I’ll post photos at the six month mark. This too may take a year to recover fully.
The follow-ups between laser eye surgery and bottom surgery have been starkly different. For laser eye there was an in-person follow up the next day, next week, next month, and now at the three month mark following the procedure. With bottom surgery, which was far more complex and expensive, I was on my own. Nothing ever came of the surgeon’s assurance he’d see me in a month following surgery. There was an automated email for two weeks, then nothing. I sent questions about bleeding that went unanswered. I heard nothing for three months. When the complication occurred, they did respond but asked questions for a different surgery than the one I had, then when I corrected them they gave me instructions to follow that were again for a different surgery. It reminded me of how bad communication in the lead up to surgery was.
Neither surgery have been a source of much thought as of late beyond medical recovery. It all feels so normal. I adjusted to life without glasses immediately. I don’t miss constantly cleaning lenses, having my breath fog my sight, or minding the frames. As for having a vulva instead of a penis, that too was a quick adaptation. I don’t miss my penis, the sex, the spontaneous erections, the bump it made in my underwear or taking four diuretic pills a day. Having a vulva with a clit isn’t exciting, it just is. It reminds me of my breast growth during second puberty. It just was. Things might as well always have been this way.
I’m glad I did these surgeries. They are a testament to how far I’ve come to be able to make these big steps in my life. With that, I conclude with my instagram stories during the course of my surgery and ensuing stay in rehab.
