(This is guest blogger M again to avoid confusion all comments in parentheses and italics can be attributed to me and all other comments are from Taylor). Today is a much better day; I am feeling a lot better after getting some sleep and managing to keep some food down. The morning of surgery M and I took a cab to the surgery center and got there before 8:00 a.m. I checked in with the nice pregnant woman at the counter who had me sign some paperwork and collected our final two payments: $850.00 to the anesthesiologist in a cashier’s check and the remaining $1,700.00 on a credit card. The diagnosis for surgery on my paperwork was female to male transgenderism thus I was listed as male on all paperwork and on my wristband and was referred to as such by the staff. Although recognizing the importance of this for many other patients in these circumstances, it seemed to me another illustration of the idea that if you are trans identified you still have to pick male or female. I was very relieved to have gotten through the paperwork and made the final payments (me too!!!). I spent the time between completing that and being called back observing other people in the waiting room as it helped keep my mind off of the upcoming surgery. After I was called back (I had to wait in the waiting room while this was happening, you think that they would have more comfortable chairs although the staff was so nice that it made up for it) I was taken to a small room where the nurse gave me a consent form and went over my general medical history. She then gave me a gown and support stockings and foot booties, which is the closest I have gotten to a dress and pantyhose since high school! She also gave me specific instructions as to how Dr. Brownstein wanted me to wear them all. My clothes were place in a laundry basket and put under the bed that eventually was wheeled into and out of the operating room. I then went to the bathroom and when I returned I was asked to lie on the bed so the nurse could start my I.V. Before she placed the I.V. I had to take out my tongue ring and held on to it to give to M who came to visit me shortly. M was able to hang out with me in the pre-op area until Dr. Brownstein came to make markings on my check, I assume to assist him knowing where to cut. (I was starving at this point so had breakfast in the cute Mediterranean café in the building I also went over to the hospital during this time to buy Taylor a gift from the gift shop…the surgery center staff took my cell phone number in case they needed to get a hold of me.) Dr. Brownstein, the assisting nurse, and the anthesthesiologist all made separate visits prior to the time I was wheeled to surgery. The assisting nurse had given me a sedative before I was wheeled into the operating room and I only remember the trip down the hall and being in the room for about a minute. When I woke up I was in the recovery area and much of the details for a little while are hazy. What I do remember is being helped to get dressed and another nurse talking loudly to a man who had just been wheeled into recovery. M then was allowed to come back to see me. (Actually it was about an hour after Dr. Brownstein came out to tell me that the surgery was complete and had gone very well that I was allowed back in the recovery room. It was a long three hours and I highly recommend that if you are in a similar situation that you take a friend with you as I was somewhat of a nervous wreck). The nurse gave us instructions related to medication and the emptying of the drains. After observing her empty one, M was asked to try to empty the other. This went well and we were given some more instructions on aftercare before I went to the bathroom again and put my tongue ring back in. The staff called us a cab and waited with us until it came and wheeled me out. (I would just like to say that the drains were one of the things I was most afraid of although I had been assured by someone who had had the surgery that they weren’t that bad…thanks Ethan!…they look to me like clear tops to a turkey baster and are safety pinned to the binder that she is wearing around her chest. They have to be emptied into little cups every 6 hours and then the measurements of the fluid have to be recorded). Much of the rest of the day is a blur but as I was instructed to keep ahead of the pain and not play catch up to it, I haven’t been in pain although have experienced general discomfort. I’m off to take a Percocet induced nap but hope to be able to take a walk to a local restaurant for dinner tonight. More soon--Taylor