Author: Stephanie

So tomorrow I leave Busselton for the fourth time in twelve months to get on a plane to the other side of the world. This time however there is a joyous occasion to go to as well as seeing lots of friends and relatives I’ve not seen for some time. It’s going to be a sort of “Savage Garden tour take two” as there will be a great deal of driving to be done during which I can listen to my favourite band and there will also hopefully be some catching up with people who haven’t met me as Stephanie yet. While I’m sure they will all be positive meetings there will no doubt be a considerable amount of telling my story which I still find hard in places and need to draw upon the words of my favourite Savage Garden track in order to get past it.

My last full day in WA was spent partly at our house build in Nannup where I have been preparing the now locked up house for having the insulation and plaster board done. As it has been a public holiday here I thought it a good time to compare our idyllic south west with what I am going to tomorrow. The drive to the Nannup property is 68 kms door to door (I can say that now that the door has been fitted!) and once I had set course down the Vasse highway just a few kilometres from home the contrast was fully visible. From there to getting into the town of Nannup I overtook one car and met just 2 vehicles coming in the opposite direction over a distance of approximately 55 kilometres. The sun was shining, the was hardly a breath of wind and the temperature was already making its way towards a top of 24 degrees, all this when we are just five weeks from the start of winter! Autumn is such a wonderful season in the south west of Australia, perfect temperatures for most things with cooler nights which I must confess we have been counteracting by the use of our wood burning fire. There really is nothing to compare with the glorious warmth given out by a fire of this type especially when it is primed with a couple of chunks of well dried out Jarrah. It warms right through to your soul! I am not expecting any of the former when I reach the UK on Friday, no driving for long distances with almost no traffic, not much chance of 24 degree days of being warmed in the evening by a wood burning fire but it will be good to be back all the same, I am so looking forward to seeing all my friends and relations even if the place has too many cars, too many days when the mercury struggles to get into double digits and a greyness which we just don’t get here. I remember someone telling me when we first arrived here back in 2006 that the sun shines on 360 days out of the 365/366,  at the time I didn’t believe them but it’s true and even though we are heading for winter I will miss the place, our friends and our pets! Hopefully the sun will shine while I am in the UK so I don’t miss home too much!

I was up early today in order to get set off to Perth in good time. I had two tasks today, first was to take the old body off the Amarok to a guy who deals in them for accident repair jobs. It must be a fairly profitable business judging by the amount of stock he has at his warehouse. He paid me $550 for mine delivered but if you happen to damage just the tailgate and priced up a replacement it would cost between $1500 and $2000 so it is cheap stock if you can afford to keep them until someone wants one! Then it was a drive to west Perth to see my gender specialist. I haven’t seen him since March last year so there was lots to tell. He is a lovely man, he has been very caring with me since he dropped the bombshell about me being born intersex in December 2015 and today was always going to be difficult as I seem to have complex issues which need attention. We talked for some time about the things which have happened to me since I last saw him then as I expected he asked if he could take a look. I undressed and laid on the bed with most of me covered up. He said he was going press in various areas and  asked me if it hurt, he started quite high up which was fine but the nearer he got to the swollen area the more it hurt. He also pressed at the sides and the edges of my pubic bone before announcing that he thought it is bone issue rather than a tissue problem which he said is treatable. Then came the bombshell, he pulled the cover down, looked at me and said “wow, what a mess, you must be very disappointed” I couldn’t answer, the tears just rolled down my face, he apologised for being blunt, I dried my eyes and told him I am indeed very disappointed. I got dressed and went back down to his desk. We talked about options for treatment and options for further surgery. I must have been with him for almost an hour and as much as I was upset about what he said it is only the truth and I already knew it.

This brings me to something I just have to mention. I am so blessed to have all of these professional people around me who care about me. My doctor, the psychologist, the gender specialist, even the lovely lady who does my IPL treatments who’s machine broke on Wednesday so she couldn’t do my treatment and therefore doesn’t earn any money, they all care for me for some reason. Then there is my lovely neighbour who does my beauty treatments, I am so lucky to have all these people around to support me and to take some of the pressure off my poor suffering parter Denise. I will get through this rough time and come out the other side a stronger person.

There is no escaping the fact that I am going through one of the toughest periods of my journey at the moment. I am in constant pain even though I am dosed up on morphine every day and at the moment it is very difficult to see how and when it will improve. My GP is doing a great job and looking after me the best she can but sadly having had no previous experience of transgender surgery she is limited in how much she can help me. While she will never possess the beautiful kindness that my previous GP has, in her own way she has gone above and beyond the call of duty in trying to sort my problems out and I thank her constantly for her time and efforts.

Sadly this is not being reciprocated from Philadelphia. After waiting 10 days for a Skype consultation I set my alarm for 4.15 on Friday morning in order to make myself presentable for my 4.30 appointment but it sadly never materialised. As there is some confusion as to which Skype address to use I covered both bases and by using Denise’s iPad as well as mine, had them both set up in front of me, online and ready for the call but it never came. I then received an email telling me that she had tried but couldn’t get an answer. Whether she was using my old Skype address which was in my old name I don’t know, after replying to the email and saying that I had been ready and waiting since 4.25 was sent another email showing that she had tried to contact someone but nothing to say which address she had been using. I have been very flexible over the last 10 months or so in accepting calls at silly hours when in reality she could have been more thoughtful and called me early in her day so it would have been late evening here but I so need to speak to her that I am willing to either stay awake or get up very early to do so. Anyway I have requested another appointment only this time I have asked if I can call her instead of her calling me. I guess that we will never know the true story, she says she tried and I know I didn’t get any calls so it will remain a mystery.

Having had 8 medical appointments in the last couple of weeks I am exhausting most of my options. Neither the ultrasound or the CT scan revealed anything and the gynaecologist, as lovely and kind as he was, couldn’t shed any light on what is causing the pain or treat the source of the constant bleeding as he also doesn’t have any experience of transgender women. So the time has come to look further afield and I have contacted numerous people in different places such as Sydney (no reply, not even a polite sorry can’t help!) Thailand (some definitely not interested, others want every single detail, photos etc before committing to even seeing me) UK (need referral before doing anything) so it seems an up hill battle to say the least! Anyway we will see what this week brings, hopefully some good news at last.

Throughout all my trials and tribulations there has been one constant in my life who has brought me back from the brink on many occasions. I am of course talking about my best friend and soulmate Denise, she is the most amazing part of my life. I often think back to the day my Boss’s wife came into my office back in October 2012 and said to me that there was a lady at the golf club looking for some companionship. She told me who it was and my thoughts went straight to the day I delivered her new Xtrail Ti in August 2011. It was a wet day and I pulled up in her drive, picked up the paperwork from the front seat and headed for the door. She answered to door and asked me in, we completed the remaining paperwork and I suggested we go outside in order for me to show her through the features of her new car. She politely but abruptly declined and announced that she could read the manual. I was a little taken aback by this as the Nissan brand was new to her and has some somewhat quirky features especially when it comes to the stereo and setting up the Bluetooth, I thought for a second then said “well if you are sure? You can always call me if you have any queries” and left. My colleague who had come to collect me was surprised to see me out of the house so quickly and not heading for the car in order to do the handover but we left and that was that. I had spoken to her numerous times since and sorted an issue out with the folding mechanism on the rear seats which was faulty but can’t say it was a particularly friendly relationship. Consequently I did nothing about contacting her with a view to asking her out. I wasn’t looking for a relationship of any kind, I was enjoying being on my own and being able to be Stephanie whenever I was at home. I wasn’t in the best of health either as I was waiting for an appointment to sort my raging toxic thyroid which had got to the stage of me not being able to sleep or relax in any way so the thought of a relationship didn’t excite me much. It wasn’t until some time later that I was introduced to her best friend who was in the market for a new car. Like Denise she was handballed to me by the boss as he didn’t really know what deals and specials were on at the time. While out on the test drive she asked me to call in at the golf club in order to show her best friend who turned out to be Denise. I parked in the car park and sure enough Denise was just putting her clubs into her car, little did I know that it was pre-organised so I came into contact with her again. After returning to the dealership to do the paperwork I was told in no uncertain terms that I needed to call Denise and ask her out. It was almost a condition of the sale! Anyway, I did and the rest is history as they say. It has turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life even if I was a little bullied into it. She is my absolute rock and has the biggest heart of anyone I have ever met, gives far more than anyone should have to, she is my world.

 

It’s been some time since I put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard as it were but the last week has been one of the toughest I have endured since beginning my journey some 18 months ago. There have been some incredibly low and dark periods but also some highs.

The week’s problems started last Saturday when dilation became very difficult again. I stood in the shower after enduring considerable pain and felt the warm water running over me. Having a nice shower with perfect temperature water and just the right amount of pressure is one of life’s little  luxuries as far as I am concerned, a bit like getting into a freshly changed bed with perfectly ironed, crisp sheets and pillow cases and that lovely smell of fresh linen. For some reason I looked down and to my dismay there was a pool of blood in the bottom of the shower rapidly increasing in size and two streams running down the insides of my legs. I have been loosing blood after dilating for some time but not to this extent. As the blood ran down my legs tears ran down my face. This just can’t be right I said to myself. After a while it stopped, I completed my shower and got out of the cubicle quickly grabbing some tissues so as not to leak all over the carpet in the bedroom. I dried myself, folded the towel on the bed and sat down contemplating my next move.

The week was always going to be challenging as I had a number of appointments to attend. The first was Tuesday and a visit to the Radiology place in town for an ultrasound of my mons area. This was always going to be tough as I can hardly stand any pressure on it at all and she was going to want to press pretty hard on it. My GP also wanted an ultrasound doing from inside as well which was going to really hurt but the sonographer explained that it was not possible due to the small space inside. I was pleased to hear that!. The ultrasound confirmed that there is no sign of an abscess or any collection of fluid and it is most likely a mixture of scar tissue and other material which should have drained away after the surgery but didn’t so has gone quite solid. So after all that and a bill for $200 I was really no further on. We returned home, thankfully I had been chaperoned by my best friend and soulmate Denise who dropped me back home and went off to work. Sadly the afternoon went down hill from there, I somehow just couldn’t get off the downward spiral which plunged me into deep depression, it was like September was happening all over again and before I knew it I would be back in Philadelphia’s Hahnemann hospital under the knife for the third time. I tried lots of ways to busy myself to get out of this dreadful state of mind but nothing worked. I just went further and further down until I sat on the bed and took all of my various medications out of the drawer, put them on the bed next to me and stared at them wondering how many I would need to take to cut the thread. It’s a horrific place to be. As I sat on the bed looking, thinking and sinking a miracle happened, my iPad started ringing and announced that I had a FaceTime call. It was my first wife calling from the uk to tell me her good news. She took one look at me and asked what was wrong, I could hardly speak but managed to convey my state of mind. She was quite stern with me to start with but eventually managed to get me to talk about what was happening and somehow brought me round for which I am very very thankful. What made her call at that very time I don’t know but it stopped me doing something very stupid.

Wednesday’s appointment was with my GP, hopefully to discus the results of the ultrasound and talk about the next step. Unfortunately the results hadn’t arrived from the radiology place so there was not much to talk about but I think she could sense my feeling of despair. We discussed the option of stopping dilating and just allowing the vaginal passage to close up, it’s not what I really want to happen but as I never intend to use it as it were there comes a time when quality of life becomes more important and having lived with various levels of pain for the last nine months or so I have to say I am close to that point. Chronic pain just grinds you down and and eventually consumes you like it almost did on Tuesday. My GP was very caring and persuaded me to keep going at least until I have seen the gynaecologist on Friday, we discussed lots of options for if and when I need further surgical attention but came to the conclusion that Philadelphia is too far to go and too difficult to communicate with. I am truly blessed by the medical support I receive locally, I was disappointed when my previous GP left the practice but I am warming to my new one.

Thursday’s appointment was a little different but with just about as much pain, it was a visit to Chelsea who is attempting to rid me of my facial hair and hair from various other places. Even though it is painful I know it is necessary and at least she does it with a smile on her face, I guess that could mean she likes administering pain but I think not as she says “sorry” after just about every zap. There was a lot of zapping this visit as she is now attending to my  white hairs as well which are very stubborn indeed. One thing that makes it better is that she gives me a hug before and after the treatment which somehow helps! The general pain level had subsided a little by then and I was hopeful the the new painkillers, antibiotics and my anti inflammatory tablets were doing a job even though I realise it must be temporary thing taking all the tablets.

Through all the pain and disappointment this week there was one very enjoyable event. My good friend had planned a test ride on her Triumph Bobber, I had a very brief run on Sunday but we intend to ride in the pride parade on the 24th from the City of Busselton offices to the bottom of Queen street and as I haven’t sat on a motorbike for the best part of 15 years we decided that a longer run would be a good idea. I so enjoyed it, the Bobber is more powerful than anything I have ridden before or certainly feels it anyway but with some kind and encouraging help I was good with it. There really is nothing like riding a motorbike and it has certainly wetted my appetite to get on two wheels again so watch this space?

Friday’s appointment was always going to be the worst of the week, it was a visit to Southwest Gynaecology in Bunbury. I have not seen a gyno before and I was just about petrified but once  again my best friend was by my side the whole way, even getting a front seat position to watch the gyno treating my ever increasing amount of granulation tissue. The silver nitrate treatment sounds worse than it actually is, when I tell people that I’m going to have the tissue burned away most people are horrified but as there are very few if any nerves in it I don’t actually feel anything until the day after when it is a very sore. The gyno was very king and gentle with me, I was his first ever transgender patient and we talked a lot about my journey. Unfortunately as he has had no experience there was little else he could do but gave me a script for yet more medication and wished me well.

Troughout all the trials and tribulations the week contained there is one constant in my life. She was the one who knew that transitioning was the right thing to do back in August 2016 and has been there for me throughout my journey. I am of course talking about Denise. She is my rock, my soulmate and my best friend and I could not have got this far without her help and love and I am forever grateful for having her in my life. Thank you so much Denise, I love you dearly.

 

Today has been a surprisingly good day in the circumstances. After a night bereft of sleep until after 3 am it finished a tough week on a high. The reasons for the very poor nights sleep were a mind full of stuff following a soul searching appointment with my psychologist and a niggling tooth ache which had gathered momentum during the evening.

I managed to get an appointment with the dentist, not the one I usually go to but in the same practice. When I made the appointment I explained that I was a patient of the practice but had changed my name, she found my details under my old name and said we could deal with the amendments when I came in. I thought it best to mention my new name so no one felt uncomfortable when I got there, she was fine and finished by saying “see you this afternoon Stephanie” I got there ten minutes early so we could get the paperwork done before the dentist was ready to see me and as soon as the paperwork was done I was called in. Thankfully my concerns that it was my crown which was causing the problem were incorrect and it is instead the wisdom tooth which is the culprit. The downside to that is it’s a specialist job as the roots are not defined very well on the x-ray so I have been referred to the guy who took the last one out for me.

As he is always busy I decided to go and make the appointment there and then. I walked into the reception, there were a few people around and both receptionist were busy dealing with people. I waited in line until one became free, she looked up and smiled at me and asked how she could help. I explained the situation and she asked if I’d seen this dentist before, I said I had and she asked me my name. I told her that was complicated as I had changed it since the last time. She gave me a change of details form to fill in and a pen so I sat down and started to write. The form was quite long and asked lots of questions but I waded my way through it and went back to the desk. By this time the waiting room was empty, I gave the form to the receptionist and she asked me to wait in case there any queries. She said “oh, you’ve changed both your names” I replied, “yes along with a few other things, sort of swapped sides as it were” she stopped writing and gave me a long hard look and said “I would never have guessed if you hadn’t told me” I said “honestly?” She nodded and I told her that was the best compliment anyone could ever give me. The other receptionist then added “you look great” I thanked them both and left feeling ten feet tall. That really is “All it takes!”

Today has been a harsh reminder of the knife edge I am trying to balance on at the moment and how easy it is to fall off. On Friday I had a Skype consultation with my surgeon in Philadelphia. I had sent photos the night before and the first thing she said was “you have a lot of granulation tissue happening there” while I already knew this it was still not what I wanted to hear as that was the first sign that the original surgery was going wrong back in August last year. This time though instead of going straight down the silver nitrate path which I was dreading she told me that she would send me three prescriptions for various creams and ointments which if used in the correct way might prevent the need for treatment with the silver nitrate. She offered to mail the prescriptions to me but as they are of no use over here I asked her to email them to me so I could take them to my new GP for her to convert into Australian scripts which I could then fill. Two of the creams were easy, one is a steroid cream and the other an oestrogen cream both readily available here, the third one is a little more complicated but I eventually got it sorted although it has to be ordered in so will take about a week to arrive. After discussing the scripts my GP wanted to have a look at how I am progressing and immediately announced that I had become tighter since the last time, not what I wanted to hear I can tell you. Add to these two bits of bad news the fact that the oestrogen cream then seems to have sent my hormone regime very haywire and I have well and truly fallen off the knife so today has been a bad day to say the least. There have been lots of tears for no apparent reason and all at inappropriate times so very frustrating. I did however have several better periods of time today, coffee with my good friend Chris this morning, tea with other good friends this afternoon and a very beneficial discussion with Denise tonight going over the things which have brought me down so hopefully I will be in better form tomorrow.

Thankfully we have friends coming for dinner both tomorrow night and Saturday night which will take my mind off current issues, we do so enjoy entertaining people and I will be well and truly in charge of catering tomorrow as Denise is at work all day. Having got into the cooking thing only recently there is some pressure to get things perfect but I am getting more proficient at it especially timing so am really looking forward to the challenge. Hopefully our guests will be happy and we will all have very enjoyable evenings on both days. In reality the catering is secondary to the pleasure of being with friends but I want to do a good job as in keeping with my perfectionist nature!

The first week of 2018 has been an interesting one in several ways but positive. On a general health level I have made good steps forward. I started walking in the evening less than two weeks ago, at first fairly slow by my standards and not very far, perhaps one kilometre to start with but the difference it has made is enormous. I have always known that my mental health improves when I walk as I t helps me to sleep and gives me a feeling of general wellness. I am now up to doing the full five kilometre walk I was doing back in November, not as quickly as before round one in May but at a reasonable pace which I am proud of. This should also help me to shed those few kilos which I have put back on over Christmas and the new year period.

A new chapter has also begun in terms of my health management. On Thursday I had my first appointment with my new GP. She will never be like the previous one and I know I will never have the same sort of relationship as I have enjoyed with her but feel I am still in good hands. I must say her very direct approach came as a little surprise, she wasted absolutely no time  in getting me on the bed to have a look at Kathy’s handy work but offered a fair assessment of progress and some good advice about keeping it going so on the whole I think it will not be as bad as I thought. I would like to think I can get away from the regular visits I have had to the doctors over the last twelve months or so and move to a more normal situation.

Later this week we are heading down to Esperance for a few days. Esperance is probably my equal favourite place in the world (along with Busselton of course) – the town, the friendliness of the people and most of all the amazing beaches and scenery are just spectacular. We are staying in the same apartments we always do which are close enough to town to walk but far enough out to be quiet and we always get well looked after by the owner. It will also be good to catch up with my cousin and her family and introduce them to Stephanie. Esperance also holds a special memory as it was the first place I went out in public as Stephanie just over a year ago so it will be good to revisit the same places again one year further on, much more confident and at ease with myself.

Hopefully when we get back we will be able to make some progress with the Nannup build. I will be pretty restricted with what I can do but hopefully I can do some coordinating with the various tradespeople we use to get things moving. The windows should be ready at the end of the month so the next job will be getting them fitted and the cladding on the walls. We are so looking forward to getting it completed and spending some time in our dream place. We have so many ideas and plans to put in place to make a very special place indeed – one to enjoy ourselves, and also to share with friends.

As there is only one day remaining in 2017 I think it’s time to do some reflecting on what the year has meant for me.   It was always going to be a massive year but even I didn’t expect some of the things which have happened like a second trip to Philadelphia for one very big event.   It has very much been my year of discovery.

It has been the year I discovered what it is like to live as the person I always knew I should have been, and it has so exceeded any expectations I had. When I think back to the beginning of the year, when we first started telling people my plans, I had only been out in public as Stephanie a handful of times and they were in Esperance so it was unlikely that I would ever have been recognised anyway but it was so much easier than I ever thought possible to live as a female.   With the help of my soulmate and best friend Denise who has given me emotional support and helped me with practical issues such as makeup etc I have been very much at ease with my true self and it has just got easier from there.   My first outing in Busselton was a nervous occasion but made much easier by the company of a lovely lady on the same journey.   That occasion gave me the courage I needed to step out as Stephanie full-time.    Now, some nine months later the pure pleasure of walking around Busselton doing everything from shopping to general “little jobs” in a dress and heels gives me an unbelievable buzz and a sense of peace and happiness which I have never known before.

Another big discovery for me this year is just how many friends I have both here and especially back in the UK.  Our trip over there in August/September was a very humbling experience. Apart from a couple of people, who were either obviously uncomfortable with Stephanie or for some reason don’t approve of my transition, the rest of the huge number of people we caught up with were truly happy for me, which to be fair is all I want.   There were so many re-connections with people I had lost touch with for one reason or another, people I have worked with, friends of friends and also people who were friends of my parents which is all the more pleasing for me.    Their acceptance of me as Stephanie, and the fact that they were genuinely happy for me, meant the world to me.

As for the people both here and in the UK who don’t seem happy for me, for whatever reason, I do get it.  However having made an enormous emotional and physical commitment  getting to this point I will now take the advice of my psychologist who has gone to great lengths to get me to understand why I shouldn’t have negative people in my life.  If you fall into that category and have fallen out with me or simply can’t be happy for me I am afraid you will  not feature in my life going forward.

A further discovery in 2017 has been Darren Hayes and Savage Garden.  You may think that a strange thing to be considered a major discovery.   I have known of them and their music since they first became famous in the late nineties.  This time around, one line in one particular song has been the single biggest contribution to my dealing with the issue of my parents’ failure to enlighten me of my condition when I was born.  My psychologist was happy for me that I came to an acceptance of what happened when I was born through listening to this music.   I think because I had found it myself it has had more of an impact than the advice and teachings she has given me.  This is not meant to belittle her talent in any way as she has been truly amazing with me and has been one of my “rocks” this year along Denise and my GP, and will continue to be so in the months to come. If you are wondering what the song is, its “Affirmation” and the line is the fourth one of the song.   Trust me it’s worth a listen!   I have not yet come to a state of forgiveness towards my parents as my feelings are still very raw, but acceptance is the first step and I am so happy to have found it and Savage Garden in the process.    As an aside, our trip to the UK became known fondly to us as “The Savage Garden Tour” due to the fact that it was the only CD we had in the car and we got to know all the words off by heart over the extended number of miles we travelled.
There have also been some disappointments this year.    When I was told I needed further surgery “sooner rather than later” I have to say I was devastated.  As much as the people in Philadelphia were lovely to me, especially Kami the front office manager, I really didn’t expect to see them ever again. The decision to go back to Philadelphia rather than use a surgeon in Australia was pretty much forced upon me.   I spent a considerable amount of time emailing and talking to surgeons in Perth but in the end there was no one willing to put things right.  So unless I went to Sydney, which in the long run would have most likely cost me just as much as going to the expert in Philadelphia, then going back was the obvious choice.    The biggest down side to going back to Philadelphia is of course the traveling, 55 hours each way is massive even in business class and having a nice hotel in Doha for the 20 hour stopover but it had to be done and once again my rock and best friend Denise was by my side.   She must have had the worst day ever on the day of my surgery.    Firstly we were told my surgery would probably take two to two and a half hours, I was down for four! Then while she was stressing about me she received an email from her brother to say that her mum was in hospital after a fall! As you would expect from Denise, she took it all in her stride, wonderful woman that she is but the whole of this year has taken a massive toll on her and she is completely exhausted.
All in all though, 2017 has been an amazing year.   When I look back to that fateful day (just over two years ago) when I was first told of my beginnings and the following eight months of not knowing who I was or where I was going, it seems that I have come a long way.   Then, having come through the despair of that time to the decision to transition just sixteen months ago, the current physical discomfort I am experiencing makes me realise that I still have a long way to go.   I am very happy to be where I am today.  I know 2018 will be a year of consolidation and hopefully positive experiences – it will be my first full year of being Stephanie, the person I have always wanted to be.

I have now been home for a week and although there have been some challenges and some disappointments it’s good to be home. The pets all say they have missed me but I’m not sure about Bella, I have a sneaky feeling she gets utterly spoiled while we are away!

My recovery seems to be progressing in the right direction but in truth I won’t know if the main reason for needing the surgery has been a success for several months, after all, the first round seemed to be getting there until about the 4 month post surgery consultation where I was told that I needed further work so everything is crossed!

After a shaky start the weather in Busselton is now perfect, temperatures in the high twenties during the day but cool enough at night to allow sleeping without the aircon on and it’s set to continue that way until after Christmas. I have been doing a few little jobs but in general taking it easy. I have had several medical appointments this week which have all been good apart from Wednesday when I had my last appointment with my GP who is taking a sabbatical and has left the practice. I will miss her dearly, she has been a rock for me over the last five years and I literally would not be the person I am today without her help, she has been quite simply amazing. My appointment on Friday was with the lady who introduced me to my GP back in 2012 and what a talent. She practices a holistic type of osteopathy which suits me very well as it gets results without much pain, I guess you have to believe in the methods she uses or you might think it’s all a bit tame but on Friday she absolutely blew me away. I went into her office and took a seat next to her desk, we had a short discussion, I then took off my shoes, watch and jewellery and laid on my back. She sat at my head and gently put her hands around my neck and as usual I felt some small movements with her fingers but not much else, she then moved to my side, placing one hand under my sacrum and the other behind my shoulder, again a few light movements but certainly nothing painful. She then went back to my neck and then back to my side then announced that there was a problem in that the top was somehow not connected to the bottom. Now she had no idea what work I had had done in Philadelphia so I asked her what she meant by the top not being connected to the bottom when my toes and everything worked. She proceeded to try at my side again then I asked her if the position of the skin graft was relevant and lifted my blouse up,to show her the scar. Then she was happy, said that’s why I couldn’t get through, I was amazed, she had known that there was something which was interrupting the flow of information from my top to the bottom but had no idea about the skin graft, all this when she hadn’t done anything but just a few minor adjustments with her fingers while holding me and it gets better. She somehow joined up the two halves but announced that something was slightly out of line. She spent a little more time then I mentioned that my tummy button is slightly of line now, god knows how but it is slightly to the right. She had not known this without seeing it but the vibes were coming back to her we not from very far away and somehow she knew I was slightly out of line, what an amazing person.

Anyway it’s past my bed time so I will close now and look forward to a very good sleep hopefully, Christmas Eve tomorrow so am guessing the town will be manic so a good place to avoid!

Continue reading “Pleased to be back in Busselton plus an amazing talent.”

It’s now two weeks since my surgery and we set off on the epic journey home tomorrow or at least I am heading home, back to the warmth of Australia whereas Denise will be in the cold and wet of Wales until the 27th. I must say I had forgotten what real cold is like, we experienced some ordinary weather in the uk in 2016 but nothing like the temperatures here. I don’t think it has risen above freezing all day and the wind has a real bite with it. I think my blood has thinned in the 11 years I have been in the sunshine.

Last night we experienced a true Philadelphia staple, a philli cheesesteak, it was so good but what made the evening so special was the company. We had dinner with Kami and Jon at their home in south Philadelphia. Kami is the front office manager at Dr Rumer’s clinic and has truly been my saviour over the last twelve months since I first made contact with Dr Rumer’s office to talk about the possibility of coming to Philadelphia for my surgery. She has from day one been perfect with me, replying to each and every email promptly and following up on queries and questions that I have had over the last year. Her professionalism is truly amazing and she has absolutely made the difference between an ok experience and a perfect one. Having dinner with her and her husband was the icing on the cake as it were, the absolute high point of our visit.

The thought of 55 hours of traveling does not excite me at all but getting back home to the pets, my own bed and some sunshine really does. Unfortunately it’s a necessary evil, the thought of doing the second half on my own also doesn’t fill me with joy, I’m not a big fan of traveling alone at the best of times, thankfully Qatar Airways look after its customers very well especially in business class so I’m sure I will be in good hands. The other comforting thought is that my good friend Chris will be at the airport to collect me when I get back to Perth so I won’t have to go and look for the car in the huge car park or wait for a bus to take me to the right area and there is never a shortage of things to talk to Chris about so the trip home should be good.

I had my final appointment with DrRumer yesterday, she seems pleased with my progress up to now, there are a couple of things I need to attend to in the short term just to ensure the healing process keeps heading in the right direction. One of the things is to apply a small amount of ointment to a couple of sore areas so she gave me a prescription for a product called Santyl. I duly took it to the pharmacy along with another one for some more painkillers only to be told that for a 30g tube, the cost was us$234! I was a little taken aback as this equates to around $300 Australian so it better do a good job or I will be very disappointed to say the least. Anyway, onwards and upwards as they say, it was never going to be a cheap exercise and the cost wasn’t the issue, becoming the person I have always known I should be was the object of the whole thing and just as returning to Philadelphia was but a bump in the road, there will be more of them before my journey is complete and it will all be worth it in the end.