I had bottom surgery (PIV with graft) three months ago with Dr. Sutin at PAI in Bangkok and am thrilled with the results!

Ms. Charee, the liason, made the entire process a breeze. I was intimidated by the intricacies of a massive surgery like this but she walked me through the whole thing, before during, and after surgery.

Total cost was $13,000 for everything except the plane ticket.

Presurgery: Arrived three days prior. Visits to clinics for paperwork and testing. Nerves.

Surgery: Checked in to the hospital the night before. Laxatives to clear stuff out. Steril shower. Wheeled to the operating room. Woke up a few hours later feeling sore as hell.

Days 1-2 post-op: Morphine drip as needed...and it was needed. Very limited mobility. Eating, sleeping and watching anime like it was my job.

Days 3-4 post-op: Tylenol for a pain killer. Turning in bed was easier. Short walks around the room. "Packing" was removed (not fun but not painful either) and it felt much better after.

Day 5: Discharged from the hospital. Checked into the hotel Ms. Charee booked for me. The catheter was still in, which made walking and cleaning the surgery sight a chore.

Day 7: Return to PAI for a checkup, catheter removal, and dilation training.

Week 2 post-op: Dilating (30 mins) and cleaning (betadine douche) twice a day. Other than that, lots of relaxing and small walks.

This was the point at which it really set in that this new body was mine. Relief from dysphoria and moments of euphoria were profound. The trauma of the surgery was over and now I was getting back to a semi-normal life with the body I always wanted.

Week 3-4: More of the same. Pain decreased drastically. Swelling went way down. Dilating got easier. Had one final checkup with Dr. Sutin, got my gender reassignment letter & fit-to-fly letter then left for the airport! I got a wheelchair at the airport which helped breeze through security and avoid long standing and walking time. The flight itself wasn't bad, with a few Tylenol.

Week 4-6: Able to walk a few city blocks to run errands. Stitches finally dissolved. Dilating was much easier. Continued resting. Able to orgasm.

Week 6-10: Scaring and swelling are very minimal. Everything looks gorgeous aesthetically. Able to walk, stand and work as normal with just a little more resting than before.

Final comments: I am incredibly happy that I decided to go through with this surgery and chose the clinic, doctor, and liason that I did. For me, the pain, rest time, and financial cost were all worth it for peace of mind I experience now.

If anyone has questions, let me know!