| Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance The process of preparing for SRS can be a daunting task. I received a plethora of paperwork from Dr. M�nard's office about a week after I talked to Claudette. I surprised myself by how eager I was to dive right into the maze of papers. This, indeed, was the project of all projects for me. I wanted this whole endeavour to go off without a hitch. I don't have a highly motivated, type A, personality. I'm more content to be the observer of life. Sitting back and watching things unfold around me has always been my comfort zone in life's little plays. I knew I needed to be more proactive in order to ensure I didn't leave anything on the table. I wanted to get everything out of this experience I could. Most of my time for the next couple of months was spent taking care of the mundane aspects of the upcoming surgery. There were so many things to organize, and yet the days seemed to pass by agonizingly slow. I thought about being in Montr�al just about every moment of every day and night. I sent them the required deposits, researched the required items to bring with me and set up the required lab tests. I remember going to Target to buy Always pads and disposable douche. It seemed like a fairly easy task until I got to the feminine products ailse. There had to be a dozen different types of Always pads. I wondered how I could be so naive to believe shopping for feminine hygiene products would be like going on a beer run! I turned to the douche selection hoping for an easier decision. I soon found myself cogitating over those options as well. I finally picked one out and turned back to the pads only to find someone there I knew (who wasn't aware of my transition). I spent the next ten minutes explaining to her and her daughter why I was loading up on feminine hygiene products. After that awkward situation was finally behind me I put my mind into deciphering the pads. I remembered a post-op TS once saying to get the super absorbent and super size. Whew! I hoped I wouldn't have to deliberate so much on all the other items I had to purchase! Some amazing things happened along the way. A nurse at the local health department, who did my HIV testing, gave me a wonderful tip on preparing for the operating room. She had been an operating room nurse at one time, as well as having had surgery herself. She told me about Belleruth Naparstek. Belleruth uses a concept called guided imagery to help people with a variety of health problems. I was somewhat familiar with creative visualization. The nurse told me she had listened to a CD entitled 'Successful Surgery' for a few weeks before she went into surgery. She also listened to another music CD from the set while she was under general anesthesia. She thought I might be interested in giving it a try. I was a little apprehensive at first, but I ordered the CD's anyway. I ended up listening to those CD's every morning, and evening before I went to sleep. I positioned myself as if I had my legs up in the stirrups in the operating room and let Belleruth guide me through the upcoming surgery. I did this for nearly a month before the surgery. I'm so glad I did! After all that time I spent listening to Belleruth I was totally focused and ready for the SRS. I could see the whole thing playing out in my mind and it was splendid! BACK NEXT |