Yesterday they discharged me from the hospital. But I couldn't pee freely enough to even come close to emptying my bladder. So they had to insert a new catheter before my release. No matter where in the world you live, if you heard a faint scream of pain in the distance at about 5pm pacific time yesterday, that might have been me. Only slightly exaggerating. OMG... they had put in the earlier catheter while I was out cold. The replacement went in while I was wide awake, and... well, even trying to stay as quiet as I could, the other ladies in the whole 'Mother Baby Unit' must have thought I was performing natural childbirth in my room, without anesthesia! Pain spiked from zero to 9 in less than a second, then slowly back down to a 5.
By the time my family picked me up, pain was a manageable 2. I'm in my 27-foot camping trailer now, with my kitty for company. It's parked just outside my sister in law's home, where my daughter is staying during my recovery. I'm comfortable, safe, well-attended, and have my first follow-up exam and first dilation session this afternoon.
Anyone who thinks we undergo transition on a whim is outa their minds. The results will be worth the pain and the 2-3 months of careful recovery. But full medical transition is no joking matter. We pay a high price to be reborn!
