Lola's Story
Hi there!
I went to Dr Chettawut in December and would like to share the experience with you. It was written shortly after I returned on 3 Jan 2004.
I am finally feeling up to writing about my trip to Bangkok. I have been at home for a week now and will start work on Monday 12 Jan (to soon but I do not have any more leave)
My partner and I left a month ago from Cape Town to Jo'burg to Hong Kong and finally to Bangkok. First bit of advice: avoid three flights; it's very painful to fly so much coming back! We were picked up at the airport in Bangkok by Dr Chettawut's wife Tair. She is very lovely lady. We were taken to our hotel, Royal Princess Srinakarin Hotel. It's a very nice hotel and all the rooms are air-conditioned. We needed it although we were there in the middle of winter! December is the middle of winter but since Thailand is so close to the equator the climate is very different to ours (South Africa). On Mon 16 I changed all the travelers cheques to Thai Baht. 180 000 Baht (R35 000 or $5 000) was what I had to pay before surgery. I paid it over to Tair the doctor's wife.
We then returned to the hotel. We went to the shopping centre next to the hotel, Seacon Square Shopping Centre. About the same size as Canal Walk in Cape Town. We had a Thai lunch of fried egg noodles and chicken which was a bit greasy but tasty. With every meal or snack in any restaurant you get
water and ice without asking for it! Food and clothing is very cheap! It's like a half price sale in every shop!
Monday afternoon Tair fetched my partner and me from the hotel for my appointment with Dr Chettawut at his clinic. Dr Chettawut is a very nice and gentle man. We spoke a bit about Bangkok and the hotel and then we went to his consulting room where we talked in more detail about my expectations and what he offer. We discussed this with emails as well during the last few months. He examined me and took some photos. I had an orchidectomy some 2,5 years ago which left me with a scrotum that shrunk very much and my penis shrunk quite a bit over the last three years. He advised me that he could give me about 4 1/2 inches with what I had available. (it turned out to be 5 1/2 inches!!!) He provides the outer labia, neo vagina opening and a hooded clitoris! He said there might be the possibility of a delayed skin graft but
he will not know until he starts with the operation. It depends on factors like skin elasticity. We had a clear understanding of what I want and what he could provide. I wanted a realistic appearance with a sensate and hooded clitoris and the 4 1/2 inches he promised.
Tair took us back to the hotel, we rested a bit and then had supper in the hotel. I had been on a soft food diet for one day already ( cereals, soup, fruit juice, milk) and all I could find on the menu was clear chicken soup. My partner had a Thai green curry. She has a great love for hot food! We went to sleep quite early. We booked out of the hotel and Tair fetched us to take me to the hospital. It was quite different to what I am used to. I was taken directly to my room on the tenth floor where there were two beds, one for me and one for my partner. She stayed in the hospital room with me and could eat anything from the hospital menu without me having to pay anything extra. Well we were greeted by very friendly Thai nursing staff. I changed into the normal hospital 'sleepwear and got into bed. There was some TV channels, but only national geographic and one movie channel and an daily English paper. I had been given laxatives both evenings before my admission. At 11 am a nurse arrived to shave my perineum area for the op. I received more laxatives and at 4 PM I was given an enema. At 6 P.M. I was given something called 'Swift' for a final bowel clearing. Believe me it was very swift!!! Took the sleeping tab at 11 pm.
Woke up early and waited for the op at 10 am. My partner and I had a few serious chats about our life together and what it means to us. I was not nervous at all until nursing staff arrived with a wheel chair at 9 am! I got into to wheel chair and my partner was allowed to accompany me to the sterile line in the pre-op area. I said good bye and became very nervous. Once in the operating theatre I was shaking very much because of fear and had one last bowel movement in the recovery area. I was wheeled back into the operating theatre. Still shaking a lot I was covered with blankets and the anesthetist finally found a vain on my arm. I was then greeted by the Dr and his nursing assistant and asked if I am ready! The next thing I woke up in recovery. Once I was fully awake I was taken back to my room where my partner had been waiting for some time! We were very happy to see each other. The op took 6 hours and I was in recovery for 3 hours. Dr Chettawut came to see me once I was back in my room and advised that everything went very well and he did not have to do a skin graft and that he achieved an extra inch of depth to 5 1/2 inches with what I had to offer him! Marvelous! The next few days were spent in little to no pain, watching TV, complaining about the horrible soup that was available, reading the paper, sending SMS's back home,etc. I was visited by the doctor everyday. The nursing staff was wonderful and my partner and I grew fond of a few nurses as they go out of there way to please and speak English. My partner went shopping at nearby shopping centers as we both agreed that I am sleeping a lot and obviously can't move. I was quite exited about her stories of her shopping trips and items that she bought.
After 4 days the plasters and packing was removed with no pain what so ever! The doctor inspected his work and advised that everything looks good. The catheter would be removed on day 5 and on day 6 if I could 'peepee' and 'poopoo' as the nursing staff calls it I may return to the hotel. All went according to plan but I was not prepared for the pain of a catheter being removed! My partner had bought some chocolates for the nursing staff and we handed these out during the course of the day as the shifts would change and we would not see some of them again.
Tair fetched us at 8pm and took us back to the hotel. Going back to the hotel was wonderful. My partner could come and go now as she pleased and we are 3 minutes away from the shopping center. The comforts of a good hotel is wonderful and the staff is wonderful and friendly. I managed to go down for breakfast every morning! I enjoyed as much food as I could as I was very weak. My partner went out to get take aways most days and to do some shopping while I recovered in the hotel room. I eventually managed to join her for a trip to the shopping center next door! This was very difficult but to get out was a bonus!
The first day back at the hotel I was visited by the doctor and his nursing staff. They inspected everything and there was smiles all-round. They then showed me how to dilate my new vagina. I was not allowed to do this myself until day 3 in the hotel. After that I was allowed to dilate myself but only with them present. Things progressed well and my partner and I went to the most up market shopping mall in Bangkok by taxi. This was quite nice but it was all the best brands in the world at real prices. So it was window shopping and pasta and Starbucks Coffee only. We also went on a sight seeing tour of 3 temples and the city. This was fantastic but I could not walk very fast and climbing any stairs was very difficult. I often broke down in tears when my energy run out as I am not used to being so completely exhausted.
I was recovering well and the doctor was pleased with the healing progress. We decided to try and change our flights to come home earlier and we managed to get flights 3 days earlier than what was planned. Before the op We were hoping to actually travel a bit in Thailand but please take my advice to do your sight seeing and shopping before you have surgery! Also try and take your partner or a good friend with you, I am sure that this speeded up my recovery and helped with the boredom faced by being cooped up in a hotel room.
I have been at home for 1 week now and I am feeling better day by day. I have had some pain during dilating which I did not have in Thailand but it seems be normal from what I have read on the web. I drove my car for the first time again today when I took my two dogs to the nearby park. I missed then very much and had some tears in my eyes when I saw how they enjoy to run and play with other dogs!
Costs
Dr Chettawut $5 000 = +- R35 000 @ R7 / US Dollar when I exchanged my money.
A bit less now.
Airfare for 2 people: R18 000 Try and book more then three months in advance
Hotel 3 star including breakfast: R462 / day = R6 468 for 14 days
Spending money, shopping, airport tax, Taxi, food, etc = R5 000
Total costs +- R65 000
I hope that my experience can be useful to any of you planning to go to Thailand or having surgery locally (South Africa).
Regards
Lola
