DISCLAIMER: I'm on a lot of good drugs so please be gentle if I come off as offensive somehow!

I'll edit my post with updates as I go. Pics if my trans surgery family wants to see em.

This is going to be a lot of detail so you are forewarned and forarmed before you go through this experience yourself.

1. Surgery started almost an hour late due to OR prep time. I'd rather they clean it very thoroughly after the morning surgery so meh, NBD. I'm gonna be here for a while what do I care exactly when surgery starts?
2. both surgeons came in and quickly talked to me before surgery. They're in a rush, I didn't have any questions, I had asked them all at my pre-op interview, like "can I please have pretty full labia AND depth?" Dr Bowers said don't worry sweety your vagina is going to be gorgeous. She clarified straight away that this is going to be within reason, AMAB people only have so much skin to work with she can't give you very long labia. We'll see if I agree with her once I'm all healed up. I'm betting I'm just going to be so happy I don't have to see a penis and testis getting out of the shower I won't mind if they're not long glorious labia. Anyone want to take bets? 😂
3. I was so SO hungry. all clear liquid diet the day before had me like 😩. I won't tell you about bowel prep the day before, just... Don't plan any meetings on bowel prep day, t rust me
4. Ask your surgeon if it's OK to clear the area by trimming or shaving a couple days before. I shaved the night before then did the anti-bacterial prep in the morning before I left home and it was so freaking painful. It burned and burned and burned, especially on my perineum where I should have used more shaving cream. 😭😭😭 it was like 5/10 painful, it was AWFUL and burned for hours. Do everything you can within surgeons orders to avoid treating broken/irritated skin with those anti-bacterial wipes!
5. My PIV line going in burned and was 4/10 painful until I went into surgery which took a while. I've had PIV lines before, they don't have to hurt this bad :/
6. All nurses/doctors/staff have been super nice and kind, only 2 out of probably 15 people that have talked to me have mid-gendered me (one of them twice and was very apologetic when I corrected her sternly the second time). I do not pass, but, my legal gender is female, my pronouns are written on my board, and, they have my freaking chart so be better people, I'm here for a gender affirming VAGINOPLASTY for f's sake!! OK OK getting off my soap box...
7. The nurses have all been really responsive and given me good drugs whenever I've asked (I'm white so ya know, sadly my black and brown family may have a different experience, I hope not). The only nurse I asked for permission to use their name was Brenden, he's a joy to work with. So good at is job, amazing bedside manner, friendly, joined in the conversation for a minute that my wife and friend and I were having about spiders 😂 so easy to talk to, was really considerate when my wife was sleeping in the room and was really quiet and kept the lights down, I couldn't have asked for a better nurse.
8. I had a private pre-op and now have a private room that's QUIET. Super thick door I can't hear anyone talk outside so I may actually be able to get some sleep I'm super sensitive to sound - so SO privileged to have good insurance and a tech job to be able to have this luxury of a nice room not to mention getting Gender Affirming Care to begin with!
9. bed is really nice, upper half/lower half controls on both sides on the railing where it's super convenient to reach along with nurse call button and every time I adjust a decent amount the mattress does this gentle inflation side to side action. Fancy!
10. I am vegetarian so picked the tofu with mixed vegetables for dinner with a brownie for dessert and it wasn't terrible! That's not fair, it was good actually, I'd be happy spending $10-$15 for it at a restaurant.
11. prepare your loved ones. You may be a really really chatty, loopy, say-anything weirdo on the pain meds/coming out of anesthesia. You might say some things you regret, you might propose to your SO which hopefully you don't regret 😂, you will have basically NO filter so prepare anyone who is accompanying you! This is not an open invitation or excuse to be an asshole mind you you'll still have a LITTLE self control just not a lot 😁