What I did to prepare for Meta and a little more

Some people have been asking me what I did to prepare for surgery. I have scattered throughout my blog the different things I did to prepare but I think it would make sense to mention it in a post specifically.

I will also go back and try and tag the posts that I did previously.

To prepare for surgery I started taking cranberry extract pills to promote urinary tract health. I also started taking vitamin C to boost my immune system. I began trying to drink more fluids but wasn't as successful pre-op as I could have been.

I also had been saying for weeks that I wanted to get back in the gym and workout. About a month before surgery I finally got off my butt and got my membership. I worked out 4-5 days a week. Focusing on my core and cardio. This resulted in me losing about 6 or so pounds and building muscle which was great for such a short amount of time.
I also worked on doing a lot of stretching so that I wouldn't stiffen up so easily post op.
I also made sure to increase my fruit and veggie intake

In terms of medically I made sure to see my Primary care Physician and get a physical done about 6 or 7 weeks prior to surgery to make sure that if there was any issues they could be addressed in time for surgery. I had an EKG done which came back fine. I had other surgeries in the past so it was actually quite easy for me to deal with anesthesia. I guess I should also add that I am allergic to eggs and the one they most commonly give people has an egg based ingredient so I can't use that one. It seems lucky for me because I never feel nausea after anesthesia. I just feel like my eyes are heavy for a few hours. I am always completely alert but just can't keep both eyes open at the same time. I can only open my eyes one at a time because they feel like they weigh a ton. Outside of that I bounce back from anesthesia quite fast!
I also donate blood a month before surgery. The reason for this was 2 fold 1) I build up red blood cells more now since being on T and donating blood regularly keeps my RBC count in the perfect zone for me.
2) I get time off work for being a regular donor.
The time off came in handy to see my doctor to get my medical clearance for surgery.

I guess that is all

Lower surgery planning and Decision making

I realize that transition has to just flow and isn't a race. I feel like though I can set goals and time frames life happens and that is not a sign of failure but just part of life. Sometimes things not working out the way you want works out better in the long run. My process to start T is an example of that so is my hysto process. If my plan would have worked out for the way I wanted to start T I would have been dealing with a lot of stress and drama with the clinic I originally wanted to go to.

With regards to my hysto if I had it when I wanted I would have an abdominal scar AND I would have had to deal with a longer recovery process. I am a positive thinker but at the same time if things don't work out the way I want with this initial insurance claim it might work out better. Now that my hysto is out of the way I can focus more on deciding different aspects of my lower surgery. Many people think of lower surgery as "THE BIG SURGERY" but it is more like "Surgeries" even if done at the same time different aspects have to be thought about.

Do you want a meta?
Do you want a phallo?
Do you want a meta as a deliberate first stage of a phallo?
Do you want a vaginectomy?
Do you want urethral lengthening?
Do you want testicular implants? What size?
Do you want expanders before your implants?
How far do you want to travel?
How will you pay for it?
How will you deal with complications?

All of these questions to answer I feel makes it okay if you need "a little more time". Now that I am really focusing on my lower surgery exclusively I am certain more than ever that I want it BUT at the same time there are aspects of surgery that I have to finalize for me in my head. For such an important decisions I realize it is okay to take time and there is no rush. Do I want surgery now? HELL yes BUT if it doesn't happen now I will not be as devistated as I thought . It would just allow me more time to plan.