We have been home just four days and have settled back well apart from a niggleing bit of jet lag which for some reason we are finding hard to get over. I think the fact that our entertainment screens on the last flight were faulty so we were unable to watch anything for 10.5 hours except the flight plan maps has had a hand in this, we both slept for 6 hours which on one hand was great for the drive home as I wasn’t tired at all but it has made the jet lag thing much worse. Anyway we are happy to be home and very happy to be reunited with the pets as we both miss them greatly.
Since getting home I have put a considerable amount of time into finding a surgeon who is willing and able to carry out my revision surgery, the response from WA surgeons has been disappointing to say the least, I was recommended to contact one in Perth by the practice who have looked after my transition, the specialist was actually on holiday but his nurse practitioner called him for me for a second opinion and came up with a man they have used in the past but when I called was told in no uncertain terms that he only does top surgery not bottom so no luck there. I have also contacted two others who claim to do bottom end surgery but neither has had the courtesy to reply so I decided to go further afield and have found a very helpful man in Sydney, not ideal as we will still need to fly for four hours to get there, hire a car, sort accommodation etc but a four hour flight is better than a 24 hour flight and a different country so it looks like he will be the one. However, he thinks that I should wait at least another 2 months then he will attend to the issue at the bottom and the issue at the top in the mons pubis area which is still very swollen. He has told me that the swelling is very common after surgery of this type and is reasonably easy to fix but in waiting two further months with no dilating I fear this will cause a further problem as by then I will have lost much of the depth, difficult decisions ahead I feel, I am going to try dilating in different positions and possibly with different shaped dilators to see if I can make it last until the six month time so will see how it goes. The problem is that I am actually scared to try now as it became so painful over the last few weeks of normal dilating and I’m not a great fan of pain!
On the bright side, we have both picked up work, I have got a list of little jobs to do for a lovely lady who lives just a few kms from us in Abbey, this is the sort of work I really enjoy as it’s very varied, a couple of leaking taps, some holes in walls to repair and repaint, some decking boards to secure etc. Denise has got bookkeeping work, mainly from existing clients but further work all the same and we also need to progress with the Nannup project. We have been to Nannup today, it was lovely to see it again and made me want to get on with it asap, there is such a tranquility there, lots of wildlife and peace and quiet, I can’t wait to get it finished!
The weather hasn’t been as warm as we would have hoped but according to the forecast it should improve this week, we have been lighting the fire every night but not until late so it stays in and keeps the house warm throughout the night. We brought some firewood back from the block today but most of it is either wet or green so won’t burn too well, hopefully we won’t need it until next winter! Sadly if I don’t have my surgery until the end of November I won’t be able to do much swimming in the ocean this summer which is a real shame as it is so inviting, anyway it’s more important to get things sorted and there will be lots more summers ahead.