This is an account from a close friend that I had the pleasure of being there from the time the decision was made to booking the flight and getting on the plane to go there, and having the operation and returning home.

It should be remembered that there are other surgeons that do the operation and that includes one here in NZ, and it is a must that when deciding on having the operation that the surgeon is the one you want after many hours of research, which includes the internet and books as well as the counsellors as once operation has been done it cant be put back the way it was in good working order.

There is a site on the internet that allows the public to look at all the info as well as the books and surgeons and counsellors http://www.Transgender.co.nz and there are a lot of links there to continue the wider search.

The whole process should take up to 18 months to 2 years from the time of starting transition to actually having the operation if it is done any earlier then there could be problems down the road like in regret or blaming others for the end result that you took

But it must be made very clear that whatever decision you make it is your responsibility and blaming others for allowing it to happen is a big cop out from you. YOU are the person that wanted it done, as you set about to make sure that all that you came in contact with were made aware that this is what you had to have and no amount of persuasion from the professionals or close friends changed your mind.

So the decision you made is your OWN and you have to take responsibility for it. You may very well decide to have the operation after reading this story but it all comes down to you making the choice and you taking ownership of that decision so be damn sure you get it right the first time as there is no second chance to put it right

Dorothy Joan (Dot)

Http://www.Transgender.co.nz

This is an account of Karen Cindy Lewis

From the day she flew to Thailand

And I was her support

This is my diary of

Cindy’s ordeal

And Triumph

20/03/05

Day 1 Sunday

Flying to Phuket

I rose 4am showered and dressed had breakfast then closed the house up and waited for Cindy to arrive and pick me up to head to Auckland for our flight to Phuket. She duly arrived Enfemme (dressed as a female) as this was her normal dress for close on 2 years.

Cindy arrived and away we went and headed to Auckland to arrive at the airport around 6.30 am as a requirement you have to be checked in 2 hours before the flight this applies to economy passengers. Once checked in one can then buy duty free goods and then continue to board the plane (Singapore Airlines), throughout the flight the flight attendants were very polite and always use the correct words in relation to Cindy this was just great to see and the whole flight was fantastic in that the service was just great and I would recommend using them again to fly. The flight took 10 hours 25 minutes to arrive in Singapore where we landed at Changi Airport, now this airport is so big that they have so many escalators there as the walking would sure take it out of some people.

We had a layover of around 3 hours before our final flight to Phuket this was with Silkair airlines. Now if you want to do some shopping this is the place to do it and at duty free prices and I took advantage of it and brought another flash card for my camera as the one in the camera was to small and as it turned out just as well I brought it as I took 695 photos.

The flight from Singapore to Phuket takes only 1 hour 40 min’s and they serve a meal en route not to the standard of Singapore Airlines but still worth eating. We arrived at 7.30pm and the usual customs check and the passport stamped (From the time you leave NZ always make sure you have your passport on you as you can be asked to produce it).

The hospital driver was there to meet us and to take us to our hotel, the Imperial Hotel in Phuket town, and here is where the passport needs to be shown to the hotel staff and its standard practice to produce the passport when booking into any hotel in Thailand, this was just one night but if one was staying there a couple of days then I would recommend another hotel as comfort was not part of it.

                                                                                              
                                          Cindy at Changi Airport                                                                                Imperial Hotel

21/03/05

Day 2 Monday

Booking in to the hospital

The time is 6.30 am and now we are working in Thailand time which is 5 hours behind in relation to New Zealand we both showered and dressed and went to the café across the road where we had a good feed of bacon eggs and tomatoes with bread slightly toasted for only 80 Baht $2.90nz. Now there is a big difference in how we have shops in NZ and the shops in Phuket and it goes like this you have the road then a smallish footpath then the shop which is totally open to the public so the passing public can stop hop off and take 1 or maybe 2 steps and you are in the shop the whole front of the shop is open to fresh air and most shops have just an open floor and you can see anything being done food wise or repairing appliances.

Now the one thing you have to come to terms with is the number of motor scooters with a population of over 288 thousand people plus you can say that there is one motor scooter to every person, well almost now they are used for transportation of goods and people and there are even motor scooter taxis. Next you have a lot of 4 x 4 vehicles with a double cab and open tray at the back and likewise theses are used to transport massive loads and no wonder they are had it by the time they get here, and as for big trucks well they are there but few and far between. The motor scooters have as many as 5 people on them which just blew me away as well as Cindy the traffic police here would have a field day there but its all part of the culture, lifestyle and its amazing that there are not many deaths caused by it. The buses are something to behold as well, they don’t have windows as it would be to hot as. Then the tuk tuk’s they are small Suzuki motors on a car frame and it has a canopy on it but the sides and back are open to the weather. Now if you can just go in into the street and soak up the atmosphere

As it’s a real eye opener.

At about 9 am the hospital driver Sarrot came and picked us up from the hotel and took us to the Phuket International Hospital (the service is free to the international patients who are having SRS and you can use the driver to show you around Phuket for free if you go outside of Phuket town then there is a charge around a 500 Baht = $17nzd.) Now make sure you have your passport handy as it will be required, once inside they come from all over the place but they seem to know what to do, then the reception people will sit you down and ask for your passport and then take down all the particulars and what it is that you will be having done and like any hospital you get the arm bracelet telling you who you are, it is a good idea before coming to have the blood works done along with the EKG and an x-ray of the lungs as this will save you money and time and they can check to see if all is well. You will have your blood pressure taken and weighed then you fill in a form and sign it which says they are not liable if something bad goes wrong. Once all that is done you are told to wait there for Dr Sanguan to come and see you, he arrives about 9.45 am to 10 am and has a chat with you and then tells the nurses to show you to your room for the next 14 days? But before going to our room Cindy was taken to have an x-ray taken.

Dr Sanguan Kunaporn arrived in the room and went to Cindy who was told to hop on the bed so that he could see what is there and advise you as to what depth he would be able to get with what is there and if you want it any more in depth the that would entail a skin graft which is extra. I discussed with Dr Sanguan about having the BA (breast augmentation) and he said it would be done but towards the end of the hospital stay for Cindy So Cindy will get up to 4 to 5 inches in depth which she is happy with I will get the BA and I am happy with that. So now we wait until around 4 pm when Cindy gets the dreaded dose that will send her racing to the toilet and she will be going most of the night, as well as the bowels have to be completely empty and no food so I can sit back and watch Cindy trot off to the toilet and it looks like an early night for us both, later that night the nurses came in and shaved Cindy in readiness for tomorrows op, so see you all in the morning. Footnote (the hospital office requires the payment once you are settled in your room and before the op) the amount to pay is $7000usd plus if a skin graft is done then add a further $800.00 usd. As of July 2008  the cost is now $10200 usd & $1500usd respectfully

22/03/05

Day 3 Tuesday

The operation

Well the day started at 6am wakeup for Cindy and have shower (when it comes to do with the lower part of the body like waist down as most nurses will check on each day and replace an ice pack and the general body). I on the other hand showered and dressed and ordered breakfast and generally stayed around just in case I was needed.

At 7.30 am the drip was put in and we sit back and wait till about 9.30 10 am when the nurses and the attendant arrived and wheeled Cindy off down to the Operating theatre, so I followed right into where the prep work would be done and shown where ICU is which is straight across from the Operating theatre and told that that Cindy would be there from around 6pm (footnote here is that the op takes about 6 hours if its just SRS, if the BA is also being done then add another 2 or 3 hours on to the total so between 6 to 9 hours). I was not going to be there in the theatre to watch the Operation and I would recommend that you not be there while it’s being done.

The procedure within the theatre needs to be explained by Cindy right up until she goes off to sleep so with that here is Cindy’s account of what happens there in theatre.

Once in the theatre I moved myself across to the operating table or more likely the chopping block or slab. I was hooked up to the oxygen monitor and my left finger and on the right arm had the blood pressure monitor wrapped around. And the anaesthetist was reading a syringe to inject the knock out punch into my drip. It was not long when Dr Sanguan arrived and asked am I ready the bright theatre lights were switched on and adjusted and then the injection went in and a mouth piece place over my mouth and nose told to breathe in and the next thing I knew was telling Dot to rub my sore arm in the ICU room 6 hours later.

And yes I was away for close on 4 hours looking and buying things that we needed during the day food wise and then clothes. I returned for tea and cleaned up and by that time it was around 6pm and this meant that I would be able to see Cindy after the op In ICU. Now here it can be a bit scary so for the people who may be a bit squeamish its best not to go and then wait until the patient comes back to the room looking like nothing ever happened, and the example is my observations only and this may not apply to one and all BUT be prepared just in case.

I entered the ICU and asked to see Cindy and checked to see that everything was as it should be and that there were no problems during the operation and was told that nothing untoward happened, Cindy was still suffering from the effects of the anaesthetic and the speech was at best not coherent but there were a few times that she was aware of my presence and asked me to rub her arm which seems to be causing her some discomfort but this would last for a short time and she would slip back into incoherent language. Cindy’s facial expression seemed to be somewhat distorted and the twitching was quiet noticeable as well, which I must admit disturbed me a bit but when one considers what has taken place over the last few hours one has to take into account all of that plus the drugs that is going into her

So around 7pm I departed back to the room and went and had a walk and then watch a bit of TV and then off to bed to await the arrival of Cindy in the morning.

            Phuket International Hospital                                                               The operating Team Phuket International hospital

23/03/05

Day 4 Wednesday

The return of Cindy to her room

I woke up at around 7.30 am and made the bed and showered and waited for breakfast to arrive and once that was done await the arrival of Cindy back to the room from around 9 am onwards.

I went out of the room to go and get some hot water in a flask as they don’t have hot water like we have it here in NZ; the only hot water is from the shower and its not really hot more like Luke warm. I opened the door and walked out into the corridor and who should be coming down the corridor just the one and only Cindy with a big smile on her face and it was from ear to ear, no need to ask how she is as one can see if on her face.

The attendant brought Cindy into the room and got her back onto her bed and from there it was a hive of activity for the best part of an hour, just doing the normal checks and making sure Cindy was okay and if she needed anything, once the nurses had left Cindy wanted her laptop hooked up and there by her so that she could be in contact with one and all, (footnote if at all possible bring a computer with you as it will save you money. They have laptops for hire but can be rather expensive so if possible bring your own or borrow one)

At about 10.30 am Dr Sanguan arrived and did an inspection of the area where Cindy had been operated on and we were informed that the op and everything associated with the op had gone according to plan and that the healing process had already begun which was good news for Cindy, she was also told that she could sit up and even put her feet over the side of the bed but not to Stand (Advice Here do as the surgeon instructs as he has done many ops and is only to aware of the problems that if the patient fails to follow then complications may very well occur and this in turn slows the healing process).

The appetite has returned given the fact the night before what ever was in the stomach would have gone down the loo so a hearty lunch was devoured very quickly (Footnote it is best to eat soft foods for a few days until the bowel movement is back to normal, soft food makes it easy to pass and if its solid and dry you could damage the good work of the surgeon as the rectum is right next door to then new vagina).

About 2pm the nurses walked in with a nice bunch of flowers and it was done in a wooden frame with a handle and it really is lovely and this was give to Cindy from the staff on the floor as well as from Dr Sanguan and those people that work along side of him. I can say that this kind deed brought a tear to Cindy’s eye although she tried in vein to hide it from me but I sure did notice it well done hospital staff you are the best at what you do.

The rest of the day was taken up with just general chatter and tea and heaps of coffee and a nice walk for me before I go to bed at night and of course the computer is there for Cindy to use and she is sure making use of it as she will be in bed for close on 10 days and most of that time she will be hooked onto the VAC its vacuum something? Else this keeps the operated area sealed so that the healing can be faster and better, as well a catheter and an epidural which is placed on or near the spine and then they bring the tube around to the front of the body and tape it there as this save rolling the patient over as it will be used in about 5 days time

The Day after the operation with the flowers

24/03/05

Day 5 Thursday

Feet on the side of the bed

The morning started at around 2:15 am when the nurses came in and did a blood pressure and temperature check and just check on Cindy and also to check the packing. Now also in conjunction with the packing which is sealing the vagina the VAC is there this helps stimulate healing but also on the outside of the packing there is a cold ice pack and this is changed about every 4 to 6 hours, it will be done for as long as the pack is there which is around the 10 to 12 days.

Sleep was broken at 6:15 am in the morning with the B P and temp and ice pack changed then a nice bed wash for Cindy and yes there were 4 nurses there to do that job and a fair amount of humour from Cindy as well. (Footnote it is important to stop all forms of medication at least 5 weeks before the op and one is a drinker of beer or spirits then that also need to be reduced to 1 glass a day beer and wine. Now as for the smokers please remember that the healing process is slowed down significantly that there could be complications so the recommendation here is give up or reduce the intake as much as possible).

At around 8:30 am we had breakfast and waited for Dr Sanguan to arrive and do a check and advise as to what Cindy needs to do I.E allowing Cindy to go for small walks and to take it easy and make sure she had she had a nurse on hand the first time, but everything else was as it should be and in the afternoon the packing would be changed. Cindy was wheeled back to the operating theatre to have the packing changed. This one is the first for Cindy with a possibility that there could be another one before the skin graft and it is determined by Dr Sanguan for the packing to be changed and as it turned out it was most uncomfortable as Cindy was waiting an hour for Sanguan to arrive they brought a TV for me to watch but after awhile the nurses changed the channel to a Thai speaking program. What they do is put your lower half waist down to sleep and this will happen and any packing change like you can’t feel your feet for at least an hour after the operation.

Once back in the room Cindy was able to catch up with her emails and the like and have a chat with me and also to see if she needed anything while the legs weren’t functioning

The next major thing of concern is bowel movement given the fact it is now 3 days since the major op and bowel movement should have started but sad to say not in Cindy’s case so the inevitable will happen like an laxative now off course it does not take long for it to work so one has to be ready with the commode and the nurses are well prepared. The main thing here is that the solid matter if being hard and dry can cause bleeding hence the need to have a soft food intake until bowel movement is functioning properly well the laxative failed to work so the next step is the enema and trust me it did work but having assistance and doing it on ones own is another so we wait and see if Cindy will be able to continue to have bowel movement naturally. The Rest of the day was taken up with conversation tea and watching television and Cindy on the laptop and so off to bed around 10.30pm for me.

25/03/05

Day 6 Friday

Rough Night for Cindy

Well another has dawned and it’s nice and fine and warm with a nice breeze blowing and no rain in sight, but a rough night for Cindy what with no real bowel movement and Cindy desperately wanting to go, so its back to enema and yes that has helped a lot and this allows Cindy to be able to go for some short walks but rest and being on the VAC is the most important issue here as well as the antibiotics and sleeping pills makes it a lot easy for Cindy that’s because up to this point Cindy has had no pain what so ever even after the op.

This afternoon Cindy went for a walk up to the nurse’s station and rested along the way so the walk lasted something like 20 min’s with several stops on the way there and back again, and when Cindy got back it was back to bed to rest. Cindy decided to have a photo taken but all one could see is the packing and all the offending parts missing. So the rest of the day was going for a walk and resting and staying hooked up to the VAC. The night came and we watched TV and Cindy going onto the internet

                                                                                                      The packing

26/03/05

Day 7 Saturday

Advised on packing change

Well the day has dawned with a slight hiccup because around 12/30 am this morning we had a thunder and lighting with wind storm and it was spectacular and it even the knocked the power to the hospital completely for about 10 min’s with that finished we settle back to bed and sleep only to be woken again by the nurses at around 7 am to do the regular checks which means BP temp and empty the urine bag which has been attached to Cindy and will remain with her until the day that the packing is to removed from her, so that she is then on her own to then go to the toilet and relieve her self in the normal way but a first for Cindy when it happens, also the nurses wash and check the dressings and dress Cindy ready for the day to unfold.

After breakfast Dr Sanguan arrived to check Cindy and the packing and advises Cindy that he will need to change the packing again and has scheduled Cindy in for 4 pm the following day so the skin graft is put back one day which means it will be done on Wednesday this coming week.

So the rest of the day is one of rest and more rest for Cindy and for me to go out and do some retail therapy shopping, as well as watch TV and some Movies which we can get from the nurse’s desk and some of them are really good and as well Cindy was able go onto the internet and chat with her friends & Daughters in NZ.

(Footnote here taking your own laptop computer will save you a lot of money as I learnt from experience I decided to hire one from the hosp cost you 3 thousand baht which equals $107 deposit and a daily

Charge of 300 baht which equals $10:00. Now I find that this is rather expensive so bringing your own is the way to go and make sure it has wireless capability as this will be faster than dialup but dialup will work)

If you have your own computer the cost is a deposit on the wireless card of 1500 baht which is refundable when it is returned and there are no other charges to pay

27/03/05

Day 8 Sunday

Rest with walks

Like the other 3 days Cindy has spent a lot of time in bed connected to the VAC and having cold ice packs placed by the packing as this helps the swelling with the urine bag still hooked up it’s a case of waiting for the next stage to happen

Dr Sanguan has been in and done his check with Cindy and he will replace the packing tomorrow so after 10pm tonight she won’t be able to have any more food, so with that knowledge Cindy has had a hearty breakfast and no doubt the mid day meal will be consumed as well as the evening meal at around 6 pm with a few drinks of coffee to round off the day.

I would like to point out here that the TV channels are in Thai but you have 2 that are English one is the movie channel and the other is the History channel so books or computers and videos are the main thing for the patient to wile the days away when confined to the hospital which is about 14 days. Be also aware that the mossie’s here bite so if you are allergic to them make sure you get some repellent from the nurses or buy it yourself

                                                                                               Where’s the slippers

28/03/05

Day 9 Monday

Packing to be changed

The day dawned and the usual things were done for Cindy like blood pressure and the wash and bag emptied but no breakfast for Cindy as she is off to have the packing changed which means for about 2 hours after Cindy gets back to the room she wont be able to get out of bed as her feet will be numb as which is my opportunity to play with her feet until she can feel it but folks don’t try this at home. The time it takes to change the packing from the time Cindy left the room and the time Cindy arrived back is around the 2 hour mark

So the rest of the day is spent for Cindy to rest with a little exercise during the day, this also allows the support person time to do things for themselves as well as go shopping and buy food that we like so as to have a good diet intake.

Now the Supermarket is about 100 meters away form the Hospital so a nice walk is recommended and the fresh air does one good although it will be hot from anywhere from 28 plus to 38 degrees so wear light clothing that will allow the body to breath. Clothing is very cheap there so for what it is worth don’t take a lot of clothes with you as you can buy clothing for under 500 baht =$17.00 plus. Now in the supermarket’s its hard to barter so some of the side stores there will barter so always have a go as you may get some items a lot cheaper

A lot of shops in Phuket will expect you to barter so never accept the first price you are given the other thing is that they have open markets every day where you are expected to barter and this we found was more related to Patong beach, make sure when you go shopping its late in the evening when is cooler as during the day it can get very hot, so what we did was plan trips for the day and shopping at night anytime from 6pm on is fine.

The day as been a good one for me as well as for Cindy as I brought some food like bananas grapes and milk and some cheese yes I found some Chesdale cheese slices so we sure did have a good night with that and we slept well and as for Cindy she is still a little concerned about the bowel movement so we wait and see what happens tomorrow

                                                                                                       Patong Beach

29/03/05

Day 10 Tuesday

Rest

Well the day has dawned nice and bright with a temp of 28 at seven in the morning and will climb to around 34 in the shade but in the sun around the 38 to 40 mark

At around 9/30 am Dr Sanguan arrived and did the inspection and advised Cindy that the scrotal skin graft would be done on Wednesday, which means then after the skin graft Cindy will have to remain in bed for 3 days and no feet on the floor, so the time will be spent watching TV and being on the internet along with the support person being there to do things for Cindy as and when needed.

I was able to find out that another TS was going to have the op as well so I went and made myself known to her and offered my services to help her if and when she needs it. Andrea is from Spain from the city of Barcelona and this is her 5^th attempt to have to operation and when the op was meant to be done she ended up with a slight fever so the op was postponed by one day. So I will keep in touch with Andrea and let everyone know how she gets on. So now Cindy will be able to get up and go for short walks and its recommended that she do it as tomorrow she will have the scrotal skin graft.

Cindy is still having a problem with bowel movement so another suppository was administered but to no avail so it looks like the dreaded enema is to be done and it took just a few mins. for it take effect but now one hopes that Karen will now be able to go under her own steam so we wait for it to happen

This afternoon the hospital staff brought in another bunch of flowers based on the same theme as the first one that Cindy received which has blown Cindy away as they are really lovely so well done to the hospital staff you are top’s. The rest of that day has gone along as one hopes with no major problems so it’s a good night and it’s all on for Cindy tomorrow with the scrotal skin graft

30/03/05

Day11 Wednesday

Scrotal skin graft

The morning arrived and I was up bright and early as I was off to the airport with the driver to pickup Karen who was coming over to have the SRS with a BA (Breast Augmentation) now Karen is friend of Cindy s who lives in Auckland, now never bet on the times given that one arrives on time as was the case with the flight which has Karen on it.

It was meant to get in at 7.25am only to find the it was put back to 8.25am which meant I could have breakfast and go down and wait for the driver to come and pick me up but when we got there we found that the plane was now due in at 9.45 am then add on time to clear customs and immigrations so its around 30 to 45 min’s when that was all done Karen emerged looking a bit bewildered that there was someone waiting for her.

Karen was waiting for her friend who was coming from the states on a later flight and was going to hang around the airport to wait for her friend Michele but it was better for us to head back to the hospital where I would be dropped off so that I could be there waiting for Cindy to come out of the operating theatre after the skin graft was done. Karen was able to meet Cindy and have a quick chat with her and then head back to the airport to await the arrival of Michele. From there I was able to have drinks and await the return back to her room.

Now the info which relates to the skin graft is an account from Cindy her self so Cindy heads of to the operating theatre and then this is what follows.

Once again I am on the slab and like the others was hooked up to the monitors and the Anaesthetist was fussing around the drip getting things ready to inject the liquid to freeze my legs from the waist down. While this was going on two nurses who were busy pinning my scrotal skin to blocks to clean the hair follicles fascia and fat off before creating a tube around a tubular packing material.

The anaesthetist injected the drip and epidural tube and asked if I could lift my legs I tried but it seemed as though an elephant was holding on and they felt very heavy after a few more minutes the elephant was sitting on them as no way could I move them not long after the surgeon came in and after the normal greetings started to do his work on me.

I was wide awake all through the 1/30 hour operation but could not see anything as my vision was blocked by the sheet placed across 2 drip stands. Once that skin graft had been done the epidural was then removed from my back so that’s one less thing being stuck in my back I soon was back on the trolley being wheeled back to my room and pulled back onto the bed by means of a board placed on the trolley and bed under the sheet and 3 or four nurses pulled on the sheet and I was on the bed and had to stay hooked to the VAC (vacuum assisted closure) after 4 days I could get up and walk around the bed as long as I was still hooked up to the VAC this is the account from Cindy above.

And I had a beer to celebrate the coming of Cindy becoming a woman congrats Cindy I bet there’s a big smile on your face a mile wide now for the next 4 days Cindy stays in bed with complete rest so end the day and we arrive with one woman and a support person.

                                                                                                      Ride em Dorothy

31/03/05

Day 12 Thursday

Bed rest day 1

Well the day has dawned and the order of the day is bed rest for Cindy and the reason is that’s the scrotal skin graft was done yesterday and it means for the next 4 days no going anywhere for Cindy.

The other problem which is of concern is the bowel movement or the lack of and now what with the last stage being done any forceful pressure requires the person to hold the packing while going to the toilet and the reason for doing that is the fact that in pushing there is a possibility of the packing popping out. SO TRY NOT TO PUSH HARD. Then make sure that anything that the Cindy requires is done for her so as to make sure Cindy remains in bed.

This morning Karen from Auckland will arrive to sign in so I will go down to the main area to wait for them to arrive and assist the processing for Karen to have her operation on the 1^st April 2005. Once the processing has been done and Karen and Michele have been taken to their room. Karen and Michele will come and visit Cindy and have a good old chin wag as the 2 of them know each other well.

So it’s getting to a stage the haka should be done to welcome another Kiwi to Phuket. The rest of the day is taken up with meals and the nurses coming in and attending to Cindy from taking her BP to washing to toilet issues as well as checking on the packing and change the ice packs and moi attending to other things that Cindy may want from the shops and the like. Yes bowel movement has started up all by its self as Cindy had to go to the toilet so she is relieved and it’s to be hopped that it will continue naturally

1/04/05

Day 13 Friday

Bed rest day 2

Well the morning dawned with all the usual checks being done on Cindy and then after that having breakfast

And after all of that there is one big smile on Cindy’s face J J J J I wonder why it could be that she now is all woman as that’s the only thing that has changed. The other Karen from AK will now be in the operating theatre ready to have her op so the very best to Karen and hope it all goes well for you given the fact that you will be having the BA as well.

Now who should walk through the door is none other than Dr Sanguan who is meant to be in theatre doing and op and he has just told us that Karen is on the slab but in good hands, so I can only guess that the BA is being done first then the SRS after that. Dr Sanguan has just done an inspection and is very pleased with what he sees and is very pleased with Cindy progress in healing. The other good news it that Cindy is now back to a normal bowel movement so all is going well for Cindy As well as that Cindy will be able to sit on the side of the bed but no feet on the floor and remain on the VAC, and this will be like this for the next 2 days?

I along with Michele who is Karen’s support person will go to the ICU to see how Karen has feared and just to check that all is well with her and to our surprise she was there but still groggy from the anaesthetic but we were allowed to go to her bed and see her and to our surprise she woke up and was coherent, so we had a good chat and she remembers going into theatre but other than that it was when she was in ICU she will be monitored for the rest of the night and if all is well in the morning she will then come back to her room. So great news all around for the NZ girls so I guess the next best news is that I will be admitted to the hospital for the BA to be done and along with that I will have an EKG as well as blood tests and x-ray’s and I am ready to have it done would have liked to have the lot done all at the same time but I came over as support for Cindy and that’s what I will do.

Just a (footnote here Andrea who is from Barcelona in Spain is well and is back in her room and is also one very happy girl. So now I can settle down for the rest of the day and rest for tomorrow it’s all on for one and all)

2/05/05

Day14 Saturday

Feet on the floor day 3

The day has come with fine weather and a temperature of only 22 degrees at 7/30am which is just nice for us girls but it won’t stay that way for long as its set to climb up around to the 33 mark during the day.

As per the norm for Cindy has her usual checks and bed bath but is now complaining of having a sore bum which I guess is understandable given the fact that she has to stay in bed for the min of 3 days. It thought a game of tidily winks would help but hey wrong choice so it’s back to the drawing board on my ideas of entertainment.

At around 9am Dr Sanguan called in and did his inspection of Cindy and its going so well that’s she can stand on the floor for short periods of time by the bed. So that’s good news for Cindy and Karen from AK is now back in her room and is now settled in and sleeping.

It should be noted here that from the time Cindy has had the op to this date that she has not been in pain and its all to do with on how they managed that and I was very surprised by the statement from Cindy that she had no pain so well done Dr Sanguan and your team you are tops in what you do.

This afternoon I will head down to the main area of the hospital to have the tests done so that Dr Sanguan can check them and all being well the BA for me will be done on Monday morning the reason for this is that I have a symptom called DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) or poor circulation which is associated with smoking so my advice don’t smoke.

The rest of the day has been taken up with visiting the other girls and doing the shopping and getting myself ready for the operation here’s hoping

3/05/05

Day16 Sunday

Packing VAC and catheter removed

Or urine bag and then Cindy will be shown how to do the dilating and care for her new vagina, this will entail on how to insert the stent’s. So come on Dr Sanguan Cindy is rearing to go.

Like most things in hospital Dr’s do things at their pace not when the patients want it to happen and its not going to happen this morning well it will happen we hope. The usual things have taken place for Cindy like the normal bed wash and BP and empty the urine bag. And then its breakfast as per the norm, so the morning passed uneventful and the midday meal has arrived

A catheter and demonstrating on Cindy on how it’s done so Cindy you are getting your man and having a thrill with it wellllllllllllllllllllllllllll keep yourself under control Cindy we don’t want you to get to carried away and Cindy was amazed to learn that she would get close to 5 inches in depth which is just great.

Now the long awaited beer for Cindy which I went and got for this auspicious day, when Cindy is free from any unit that has kept her in the room for close to 10 days, and with Dr Sanguan giving his blessing for Cindy to have it .After the beer I was then able to ask Dr Sanguan as to how my results were and its great news and that he will be able to do the op for me which is really great and it looks like it will be done on Wednesday.

A footnote here (please consider when having SRS to have the BA done ether before or after as I do believe that it sure does take a lot out of the body. The trauma is such that the pain was felt to begin with and what with the SRS being done waist down is very traumatic just that alone and then on top of that you have the BA this then has effects to top half and again it is very traumatic.

The way that I have planned it is I think a very well planned way of being a support person to the one having SRS and you can have the BA which is only at max 2 days and the support is still focused on the one who has had the SRS take this in as another option when having these types of operations and the effects that are inflicted on the body)

Now as for me I have been told that I will have the BA tomorrow and have been given a room as well so I will move some of my gear into it now which is next door room 16

The payment is required once you have settled in the room and know the day that the op will be done, and in my case the amount is $2500.00 US Dollars which equals out at around $3,500.26 based on today’s currency of 0.714233.compare that to the same op being done here in NZ and it would cost you in excess of $8000.00.

But the key here is to buy the US dollars while the exchange rate is high that way you get more for your money.

I will have the op with the implants being put on top of the chest muscle but as a rule its done under the muscle and the option to have it inserted either under the arm pit of below the natural breast where a fold is so that when the scar heals it will be very hard to see given that the bra will cover the breast or the bikini top will do the same. So the choice to have one or the other rests with you and I chose to have it under the breasts and it makes it easier for the surgeon to insert there but I stress that is my preference. The end result should be around a 16C cup

04/04/05

Day 17 Monday

Well here I am in my room and have showered and shaved and I await the nurses to do their checks on me and then advise when the drip will be applied to me, also to make sure that I have not had any food during the night.

I went and checked on Cindy to make sure all is well with her and to get anything that’s she may require and she also told me that the new plumbing is working just fine as she had to go to the toilet 3 or 4 times during the night. The reason for the number of time is because the bladder muscles have not be working for close to 14 days so it is expected that it will take a few days for them to start working properly and sleep will be an all night affair well Cindy does hope so????

At 7am the nurses arrived and inserted the drip once that was done all I had to do was sit back and wait for it all to happen and at around 9.30am the nurses and the attendant arrived and transferred me onto a another trolley and wheeled me out down the corridor past the nurses station down to the lift then up to the 4^th floor and into the side room where I waited to go into the operating theatre. Once in there the nurses and attendant transferred me on to the operating table.

They sure have a lot of nurses there doing many things and one was by my side all the time just giving assuring words to me that all is well then Dr Sanguan arrived and things began to happen then all of a sudden some one turned out the lights don’t know why but I woke in the recovery room with Dr Sanguan saying hello to me and told me it was all over and that I would be there for a short period of time to ensure all is well with me then I would be able to return to my room.

I arrived back in my room around 1 pm and was greeted by Cindy and the tables are turned a bit here as I am in bed and Karen is allowed up and is also doing the dilatation’s on her own now and is getting to a depth of 5 inches which is what Dr Sanguan said he would be able to achieve for Cindy so she is one happy woman.

I have now had some food which was great and a cuppa tea which has settled me down very nicely and having done that the hosp staff and walked in with a lovely flower arrangement and the flower arrangement is just fabulous that’s to the hosp staff for the wonderful thoughts it is such a wonderful thing that you do and it just makes our day in being the recipient of such wonderful people you do yourself proud. So ends a fantastic day where Cindy is doing her thing and free of any hospital equipment and myself having had the BA one sleep well tonight well I am hoping.

                                                                                        Dot resting after B A operation

05/04/05

Day 17 Tuesday

The day dawned on another fine day but sad to say at about 9/0pm I was sick as not sure why but having washed and shaved and the nurses doing their thing by way on the normal checks and having had breakfast I was able to settle down and enjoy the day. Now Cindy is now dilating all on her own but she says it’s a bit of a pain but she knows she has to do it and I will be there to make sure she does

As for pain well I do have to report that I had none during the night but did find it a bit hard to lie on my side, there is some pain but it is very minor and not even worth taking any pain medication. The elastic bandage that I have around my breasts will be removed by Dr Sanguan this morning and then I will get to see what my breasts are like and to what size bra I will be wearing.

At around 9/30am Dr Sanguan arrived and removed the bandage and I was fitted a surgical bra which I am informed that I will need to wear it every day but at night I can go without so as to allow the breasts to drop so that they look more normally as the skin is very tight and they sure do stick out so there’s not much chance of hiding them not that I want to any way then I will be shown when I come back for my check-up on the Monday on how to massage my breasts so as to be able to move more naturally.

We have been told that tomorrow we check out of the hospital and then in 5 days time we come back for our checkups and all being well we can head home or go sightseeing. Cindy is getting some exercise and has visited the Karen in room 17 and Andrea who is from Barcelona in Spain and has had a good chat with them while I rest and get out gear ready for our departure tomorrow. Along with that Cindy has to head back to her room and rest as she finds it a bit hard standing on her feet for to long as the pressure is impacting in the from above the vagina where a bone/muscle was amputated and I understand that the other girls have had this part done as well so they may well feel the effects when they to stand on their feet.

The advise given by Dr Sanguan is to take the exercise in small stages and this way the body is allowed to heal as well as having the exercise that is needed given the fact that you have been flat on your back for at least 10 of the fourteen days and thereby the body muscles need to work again but without overdoing it. So rest and a small amount of exercise is the order of the day then tomorrow it’s all on when we depart the hospital for our hotel in Patong beach.

06/05/05

Day 18 Wednesday

Well the day has dawned to be a nice hot day plenty of sun and where we can check out of the hospital and head to the hotels for some serious sight seeing and shopping retail therapy but first we have to get ourselves ready. And yes even today we had the nurses come in and do a check on our physical well being and have our breakfast and then do the packing. But bearing in mind that in 5 days time we will have to come back to the hospital for our last check-up before we head off back home.

I went and moved all my gear into Cindy’s room so that when Dr Sanguan came to do his check’s on us both we would be able to leave as soon as possible after that so with that in mind we had breakfast, then morning tea and tidied up again and waited then lunch time arrived and we had that and cleaned up and waited some more.

Finally at around 1.30pm he arrived and did the inspection of Cindy first and gave her a clean bill of health and then moved onto me and did the same thing. We were given our appointments for 5 days time which is on a Monday which works in well for us as we will heading off to Bangkok straight after that for 2 days.

Once all the formalities have been done we can then take our bags down to the main entrance oop’s I mean we had a young man come and put them on a trolley and take them down for us as lifting is a No No for us at the moment and that will apply for at least 2 to 3 weeks.

Now the hospital driver is very nice and is there to help in any way he can and he will provide you with transport during the day to take you anywhere in Phuket footnote here (by giving him a tip of say around 500 baht = $17.85 NZ on a daily basis will be of a big help to him and he is more likely to help even more so).

We waited about, ten mins for him to arrive and he loaded the bags into the car and away we went off to Patong beach and to our hotel which is Patong Bayshore hotel. And wow its worth the money as it has everything we want and all for 1200 baht = $42.85 per day with breakfast provided free Just a note here that it pays to make sure that the room you are staying is on ground floor if there are no lifts as walking up stairs will hurt the person that had the SRS. The next big thing to remember is that to stay out of the sun and the hottest part of the day and that most shops don’t open until 10am or a bit later.

We found that going out at around 6pm and later is the best time as the shops are all open and the activity is just beginning and there are bargain’s to be had and everyone comes out to party on the beach and in the bars. The night scene is something to behold if you go with the flow you will enjoy every minute you are in Patong beach I know I did and I am sure Cindy did as well. We went out and had a nice sirloin steak down the road from us at a bar called. "The Hole in the Wall" and what a meal I could not finish mine nor could Cindy. With this in mind please when you go to Patong beach just soak up the atmosphere and enjoy every minute of it.

After a night of looking around and having a meal we returned back to the hotel and our room and went to bed and it was nice to fall into bed and fall asleep fast as so night all

                                           Goodbyes to Karen & Michele                                                                               Cindy & Dr Sanguan

07/04/05

Day 19 Thursday

Now this is the fun part of being in Phuket and especially staying in Patong Beach where the tsunami hit and here we are 3 months later and you would be hard pressed to see any of the devastation that occurred on Dec 26th Last year2004. The accommodation is something to die for as you are surely treated as gods in that nothing is to hard to do and no place is too far that one can’t get to it.

Then there’s the shopping if you don’t see what you want they will do their best to get it or make it for you and at a price you barter for at the time you buy it never accept the first price they quote as it’s expected of you to barter or haggle e.g. if you buy a t shirt and they ask for 650 baht, one can get it for around the 400 baht mark or a bit less. But never get angry with them as it’s so easy to say never mind I will get it from another shop further down the road and at my price. Now if you walk away the price quoted is of the table so it’s a fair bet that the price is now in the favour of the shop owner so you may have to pay a bit more that you expected.

Just another reminder that most shops in Phuket don’t open until after 11 am and most pubs open from 1pm onwards and got right through to the early hours of the morning. Now we found that shopping during the day was the hottest part of the day so we switched to shopping from around 4pm onwards when it was a bit cooler

Footnote (the temperature is around the 24 from around 7am in the morning and then it climbs to around the 33 in the shade and close to the 40 degrees in the sun) so use a moisture cream and a sun block if you burn easy.

At 7pm tonight we are off to see Simon’s Cabaret now this is a must see night club show where the costumes are fabulous like we could see ourselves in one of them it cost us 650 baht = $23.00 NZ for the front row seats

Then the good part is that you get to meet the girls after the show and you can have your photo taken but at a cost to you which is normally around the $1000 baht = $35.00 NZ it’s their pocket money and for some it allows them to have the SRS operation with Dr Sanguan.

After the show one can party or shop or head down to the beach where the water is nice and warm or head back to ones hotel and partake of the

hotel amenities which are available

08/04/05

Day 20 Friday

Tonight we went to see Phuket Fantasea this is very much like the US style promotions in that there are a lot of side shows with one thing on their mind and that is to get your money out of your pocket and I have to say the goods we brought was of a very high quality and barter is the name of the game, and the food before the main performance was of a high quality, and you will find you wont be able to take any photos in the main pavilion which was just amazing to see and elephants walking past us about 12 feet away and this was in the auditorium Cindy was her usual self and up and about having photos taken with the leopard cub then did the next thing having a ride on an elephant and just a few days after having SRS .

Once back at our Hotel Cindy went and did her magic trick as she calls it (Dilation) and then away we went back onto the nightspots in and around Patong Beach, once that was done we headed back to our favourite bar its called the Hole In The Wall where one can get a NZ meal like steak and mashed potatoes, peas, gravy roast potatoes.

The night is very young here as all the side stalls come out and setup and the food just permeates down the road and back up again, now where food is concerned the meal can last as long as 2 or 3 hours depending on what you order and that the drinks continue to flow to your table. The Thai’s love their food so if you have not tasted Thai cooking then do so.

Now it’s a must when staying in Patong that you head to the beach at night and sit there and wile the night away being a bit of a romantic but hey one can dream and sitting on the beach at night it’s very easy to do.

There are bars right on the beach so one does not have to leave it to get a drink and or food and as well there is plenty of entertainment taking place.

Time to head back to the Hotel late in the morning and sleep or jump into the swimming pool wellllllllllllllllll.

                 Cindy feeding a baby Tiger Cub                                                           2 days out of Hospital and riding an Elephant

                                        Bayshore’s pool                                                                                 Bayshore Hotel

09/04/05

Day 21 Saturday

We Rose nice and early and showered and headed in to the dining room for breakfast (most hotels incorporate breakfast in with the daily charge) and it opens up from 7am through until around the 9.30am and everything you want is there and the nice bit is that they have a lady there who cooks the eggs as you want them so that they are nice and hot which I made sure I had every morning.

Once we had breakfast we headed back to the room and did our thing and decided what to do for today, I choose the swimming pool and bar come restaurant and Cindy wanted to go shopping well when Cindy goes shopping anything can happen and it did as I was to find out later in the day, beats me where she gets all her energy from and of course being a woman one never knows what she will do next.

After the midday meal Cindy said she was going to have her hair dyed and extensions put in well I never thought she would have it done but when she came back I was Just blown away with the transformation and it showed with a big smile a mile wide and the comment thank goodness I don’t have to wear the wig any more and I could see her whole persona had changed and what a change it was Well Done Cindy what will you get up to next.

The rest of the day was taken up with walking around Patong beach and buying gifts for the grandchildren then head of to our favourite bar for a well deserved meal and drinks

10/04/05

Day 22 Sunday

After breakfast it was decided that Cindy would go on the internet and show the family the new Cindy and from what I can put together they were very pleased to see the new Cindy and the smile that goes with it.

From then on it was no holding back Cindy from the make pleasure of window shopping but slow down she did as it got to hot around midday she we retreated to the pool and bar to cool off and yes the drinks were hitting the spot every time.

Come around 6 pm we headed off to our favourite bar for a meal and more drinks and from there we went for a walk down to the beach and watch the entertainment and chat with the locals.

Now during the day Cindy heads to the hotel room and does her magic trick and this is done 3 times a day so it’s spread out and it allows her to rest for awhile which is a must and of course I massage my breasts 3 times a day as well and rest at the same time

11 /04/05

Day 23 Monday

The day has dawned nice and clear and warm as and the big check-up is the topic of the day and then we head off to Bangkok for 2 days to tour around.

We booked out of the hotel and waited for the driver Sarrot to arrive and take us to the hospital which he duly arrived at around the 8.30 am time and he loaded our bags into the car and away we went to Phuket International Hospital as our appointment was for 9.30am after the check-up Sarrot will take us to the airport

Having arrived at the hosp we enter the main entrance which looks like A & E to us here in NZ they took our names and also needed to check our passports and then all we needed to do was sit and wait for Dr Sanguan to arrive at around the 9.30am time.

Once there he then took me into a side room to check that the breast implants were okay and that the healing process was doing its job once that was done he then showed me how to massage them. Now this will take around the 3 months and at least 3 times a day. I was given a clean bill of health and thanked Dr Sanguan for his time and his attention to giving me the very best, then it was Cindy’s turn and away they headed off to the surgery which meant that Cindy was on a table but with her legs in stirrups position and wide apart so that Dr Sanguan could see into the vagina and remove any stitches from within and also check that it’s healing in the way that Dr Sanguan would like it to heal. Cindy soon arrived back in the main area with a clean bill of health.

We also took the opportunity to head back up the ward to say our farewells to Karen and Michele and Andrea then on the way out bid our farewells to the nurses at the ward station. Once back on the ground floor we headed out to our car and a new adventure in Bangkok and whatever it may hold and the new-year celebrations which we wanted to be a part of. We had planned to stay in Bangkok for 2 nights. The flight took only and hour and 40 minutes and the many islands below are a sight to behold and to land in Bangkok was just amazing there was a steady stream of people coming and going with long queue’s to book in and board the planes, we headed over to a counter where we paid 650baht =$23.00 NZ for a taxi to take us to our hotel and we were really surprised to see that we had a brand new London Taxi luxury personified and took us to the Regency hotel

                                                                                         Regency Hotel Bangkok

12 /04/05

Day 24 Tuesday

New Years Eve’s celebrations

Bangkok Style

Now as Hotels go the Regency Hotel it is one helleva great fantastic hotel the service was second to none in the way that they looked after us, the food and accommodation was just spot on. We were on the ground floor and just outside our door was a open space and other rooms running around in a horseshoe shape and in the centre you could look up and see all the floors above as well as the sky and on the ground there was a fish pond that had goldfish and turtles and other fish of unknown species with ferns and flowers and yes even a bird cage there with budgies, and the whole picture is one of sheer delight and a real romantic place to sit and contemplate whatever one wants, just a hopeless romantic maybe but I sure loved it.

The room has the internet provided at a cost and the beds are really comfortable and the usual fridge is filled with spirits and beer at a cost of course, one tends to leave that alone as it can be a bit expensive. Now I have got to say the breakfasts there are fabulous and anything that needs to be cooked is done there while you wait or at best brought to your table within a minute or so. The food is cooked to ones requirements which is what I like and a friendly smile comes with it and that’s free and priceless. The evening meal we had wiener sniztel the first night we arrived and it tasted so good that they had it each night, now I have had this before and not a fan of it but when it was done the Thai way it was really delicious it just melted in the mouth with the juice of a lemon it made it even more tasty. The good part is really that you go to the 3^rd floor to have your meals and yes even there the sky can be seen as well as the rooms off the balcony as it added to the whole atmosphere.

We had breakfast Then returned to our rooms to clean up and get ready for the big day and we really did not know what to expect except for the fact that it was in the new-year celebrations so a good time could be had,

now as for shopping and the like its pretty much the same as in Phuket things don’t really get going until around the midday, so it gives a chance to walk around and have a look at our leisure but bearing in mind the moment you step outside you will be hit by the heat as well as the taxi cab drivers trying to sell you anything and everything, so its best to work out where you want to go and what you want to see and if it involves a taxi to get there then there’s a price that one batters on so that both are happy with and away you go.

Now we had planned to go on the sky-rail and head to a shopping centre which has 7 floors of shopping in it and the top floor is just for food to eat and sit and rest, we had noted that when we were going to our hotel that the sky-rail was just at the end of our street no more that 500 yards away so we were able to walk to the overhead bridge that takes you to the sky-rail itself, and it is important to write down the name of the station you get on at so that when you head back you know where to go. Now Cindy is the girl for that she had a sense of where she is and where we go and how to get back so that side of it was left to her as I would get lost very easy.

At about 10/30am we walked to the sky-rail which was about a 5 min walk then we had to walk up 3 flights of steps which exhausted me half way up then when we got to the ticket office we brought our ticket’s which cost 40 baht ($1.42) then from there we walked up another flight of steps to get to the platform, and wow when it arrived and the doors opened people rushed out and the reverse also happened including us then we found that we had to stand all the way. We travelled about 3 kilometres to where there was a shop that has 7 floors of shopping and that what was what Cindy was going to do shop and shop but in the end I do know that she brought something and I brought zip. We then decided to go to the café to have something to eat and I must say the food was sight to behold. We also found that you don’t pay when you get it as it goes onto a card you get and when you go to leave then you pay. Then we headed back to the sky-rail which is linked to it once on the platform just wait a few min’s for one to come along.

12 /04/05

Day 24 Tuesday

Continued from previous page

New Years Eve’s celebrations

Bangkok Style

Now Cindy is a whiz when it comes to directions and away we went and yes we got of at the right station but sad to say Cindy found a nail technician and had to have her nails done, so now she has to get used to dilating with new nails. Now we were also lucky in that it was the New Year celebrations and we were in for a big surprise. With this in mind we oops I mean Cindy was scheming as to what the next days activities would consist, the devious wench had it all planned so all I could do was settle back and enjoy.

At around 6.30pm we decided to head to the restaurant for our evening meal which was the same as our first night wiener schnitzel and yes I got Cindy’s lemon and squeezed it over mine which just added to the flavours, now of course the Thai food is a whole new experience and like most Asian countries the main dish is rice and with the Thai's they are no exception and the meal seems to last several hours.

After our meal we went back to the room for Cindy to dilate and then to go onto the internet and once we had both chatted with friends back home we closed the computer down and headed off to bed, to await the new day and what it has to offer us so goodnight from me and goodnight from her dreamland awaits us both.

                                        Dot & Cindy at the snake farm                                             New Year celebrations with plenty of water

13 /04/05

Day 25 Wednesday

New Years Day celebrations

Bangkok Style

Return to Phuket

The day dawned and yes at 7.30 am the temp was around the 26 degrees and set to climb into the 30’s, after showering we then headed to the dinning room which is on the 3^rd floor there on the tables were fruits of all kind there and breads and you just help yourself to what ever you want. I went to the breakfast chef and placed my order of bacon and 2 eggs and then the chef informed me that he would bring it to my table when ready we had to walk down some steps to where the tables were, and there were fruit juices which we both partook and ordered our hot drinks as well I with tea and Cindy with coffee, within a few minute's my breakfast arrived and yes it was cooked to perfection and I guess we were there for a good 45 minute's just eating and chatting.

Having had our breakfast we went back to the room to give Cindy time to dilate and get herself ready for the day and yes Cindy’s plan was revealed we are to go to the Snake Farm but by way of a long boat which will take around 45 minute's’ with stops on the way for shopping. Going this way you see a lot more of the normal life that abounds the river and the skyscrapers hotels and business blocks that are on the edge of the river and almost every one of them has their own jetty, then there’s the tug boats and a heap of long boats with diesel motors on them that when they open them up they sure get up and go and the spray from it just means that you get wet as but it does not take long to dry out so no real worries there just sit back and enjoy every minute of it

Once we arrived at the farm we were entertained with the snake show which is put on by the locals then once that was over one could have their photos taken with a snake wrapped around ones head and shoulders which we both did and had our pics taken, on heading back to the boat we got showered with water now it was not done to cool us down but this is the custom with the new year celebrations and the throwing water over another person signifies washing away the past year ready for the new year and little did we know but more was to come but bring it on we were up for anything and everything that was going happen during the day before we headed back to the airport to fly back to Phuket, the whole trip took around 2 hours but I think we got bit more than that.

Once we had docked and headed to our taxi it was head off back to the hotel in preparation to fly back to Phuket and we noticed that the celebrations were in full swing and we were not about to miss out on the fun, so we asked the driver to take a detour and to take in the sites of Bangkok well what a ride we visited the palace and saw the police/or military standing guard at all the places that had access to the palace and these guys were carrying sub machine guns and I would have it as a guess they were loaded and ready to fire that too me was the most scary thing I have ever seen and in peace time.

Now the police here in NZ are not allowed to carry fire arms and when they do then there is a special branch just for that situation, but to see the local police on the street with guns strapped to their side just blew me away. We saw temples that were decorated beyond belief and they showed great respect for them, we also saw status of past kings in a big open space and the respect shown to them again is why Thailand is a wonderful country to visit, all the while we were heading back to our hotel well the driver took us down some streets that were very close and it became clear that what we saw and were about to become a part of was the fun bit.

We stopped and all of a sudden the car was bombarded with a flour and water paste and it was on the front windows the side windows including the hand print’s of many young people celebrating the new year and on the sidewalk passers by would cop a bucket of water over them and in return out would come the water pistols and it was all on. We made sure the windows were wound up and the doors locked as they tend to open the doors and throw the water over you and its all in good fun we moved and had to stop again so I wound my window down and taunted the people on the side walk and I was aware that at some stage water would be heading in my direction and sure enough it did and I coped it as I was a bit slow to wind the window up but hey we were there to enjoy the celebrations and the friendly people.

13 /04/05

Day 25 Wednesday

New Years Day celebrations

Bangkok Style

Return to Phuket

Well we eventually got back to the hotel and cleaned up and seeing as we were still too early to head the airport so we decided go for a walk down the road an enjoy the celebrations first hand and yes I got soaked with a young girl opening my t-shirt out and pouring the water down me much to Cindy’s delight I was happy and the young girl went away with a big smile I guess in the knowledge that she had poured water over a visitor and to see that I was okay with it not like some visitors about our age walking down the road 2 women and their husbands and they were shaking their fists and telling them not to do it and I yelled out stay indoors if you don’t want to get wet and for my effort they were a bit rude but hey who cared I sure didn’t on the way back we stopped off at the corner bar to have a meal and a drink and just watch the comings and goings of the bar staff who were into the celebrations as well and were wet as well.

Now I have to say I would not have missed it for all the tea in china as the saying goes and I am sure Cindy felt the same as she was keen as to be into everything that was going and for some one who should be taking things easy well I have to say that SRS was never going to slow Cindy down that’s for sure .After we finished our meal we headed back to the hotel to pack and await for our taxi to tack us to the airport,

We paid our hotel and bid farewell and headed to the taxi and I have got to say when we hit a toll motorway the driver threw the speed limit out the window as we were hitting 180 at stages and yet it was well sign posted at 90 but we arrived in one piece at the airport which was a blessing and duly found our ticket office to book in and I must say the domestic terminal was just chock full of people and queues all over the place.

I sometimes wonder if they ever end up in the wrong destination, but I digress once our luggage was booked in we then headed to the waiting lounge to board the aircraft and the end of our holiday in Bangkok came to a close when we touched down in Phuket. Sarrot our driver (he is also the driver for the Phuket international Hospital) picked us up and took us back to the Bayshore Hotel in Patong, once we had got our bags that were stored for us at the hotel we had them taken to our room and got that all sorted out then we headed to the bar for a well deserved drink after that we headed back to our room and went to bed. This was a wonderful experience to be able to go to Bangkok and enjoy a few days away and its something that I will always treasure and I would say that that goes for Cindy as well

So A big Thank you Cindy for giving me the opportunity to be a part of that wonderful trip

14 /04/05

Day 26 Thursday

The arrival of Andrea

To Bayshore Hotel

Well today is one of another surprise as a friend of ours from the Hospital is arriving late in the afternoon

It gives one the feeling that we may have a monopoly here of Trans people in the hotel but it’s all good news the staff here are just great and treat us with the greatest respect and use all the correct pronouns.

The Day started out like most days with Cindy doing her Magic tricks as she calls it (Dilating) and it appears she has a problem that she can’t get the last stent in so she will wait and see how it goes for the rest of the day

We headed off to have breakfast which is a real pleasure as the service is just so spot on that we enjoy it and it’s close to the road and the windows are wide open and of course one always has to say no to the tour guides who sit outside the hotels just ready to pounce on you each one has tours that they will take you but money is never discussed until you are ready to go then its haggle time until both sides are happy.

Now with Cindy one never knows what she has in store for the day and today is no exception it appears that we will be heading of to the Phuket Snake Farm to see a snake show as well as the monkeys show. Now I have to say that the snakes were not kept in the best of surrounds and the smell is a little bit strong but I guess it’s the way it’s done in Thailand. Once the snake show was over we headed across the way to where the Monkey show was to take place now.

This show was very entertaining and the monkey do interact with the visitors and to me that is money well spent when that happens and the welfare of the Monkeys is very good but again they are tied up when the shows are happening now I would say that they would have cages at the back where they can be just monkeys once that was over we headed back to the hotel to relax now the drive as such is fine but the roads to and from are a bit bumpy so it may be worth taking a cushion to sit on. Once back at the hotel we went to the bare and had a few drinks and found out that Andrea had arrived at the hotel so we welcomed her and left her to unpack and rest and told her we would see her later in the evening when we went for tea

We headed down the road the 3 of us to the bar called The Hole in the Wall where one can get a nice NZ meal like NZ sirloin steak, mashed potatoes, peas, gravy and some roast potatoes but be sure to let them know how you want the steak cooked now if you like the steak rare then rare is more than likely what you get but I asked for mine to be medium to well done and got medium rare not what I asked for but the rest of the food was great and I will make sure they get the steak right next time.

Andrea informed us that there would be 2 more arriving tomorrow so now I think we will rename the Hotel Trans Hotel and it seems the hotel has got a name already for being very Trans Friendly once the meal was over we went for a walk down the road to take in the atmosphere and then head back to the hotel to retire to bed

        From the Monkey Cindy buying Monkey Balm                                            Dot after chasing Cindy around town all day

15/04/05

Day 27 Friday

Karen and Michele arrive

At Bayshore

Today is a big day in that we have Karen and Michele coming to Bayshore from the hospital where Karen had her SRS this we found out from Andrea yesterday so the Bayshore has been renamed TS Patong Bayshore hotel. Now as per the norm it has turned out to be nice and sunny and very warm and is expected to get to around the 33 degree mark plus and strangely enough I have found that I don’t get sunburn but in NZ I would have blisters anywhere the sun touches and todate this has not happened. Karen and Michele arrived and have gone n their room to freshen up and then head down the road to do a bit of shopping

Cindy woke up and was not feeling to well so we have decided to take time out to rest this morning and then in the afternoon we will head down to the new Bazaar way down the bottom of the road closer to where Simons is that is because we have seen it there and there are at least 20 rows and in each row there are at least the same numbers of stalls so we should get a great deal in clothing, watches and jewellery. The afternoon arrives and at about 4 pm Andrea heads off down the road to do a bit of shopping closely followed by Cindy who is going to have a fitting done for her new outfits, I decided to stay at the hotel for a bit more R and R.

Now it came to pass that unbeknown to me that Andrea, Cindy, Karen and Michel would all meet up with one another at the hole in the wall so after a long time and no one coming to see me I decided to go for a walk down the road to see if I could see them and as I was passing the hole in the wall here they were sitting down having a drink oblivious to my walking past them. So I joined them all and even the bar owner Lea and his wife got into the swing of things and even had his photo taken with us girls which I am happy to report that the photo was framed and hangs in on the wall in public view and Lea is very proud to have it there and anytime we are there just call in and we will be well looked after

We ended up getting back to our hotel after 11pm and bed and sleep was not a worry for any of us and a great night was had by all

Our Photos on the wall

16/04/05

Day 28 Saturday

James Bond Island

PHANG-NGA BAY

Southern Thailand

Well as per the norm and you can be sure of one thing in Thailand that the temperature is going to be around a constant 25 in the morning rising to well over the 30 mark by midday and as a rule nice and fine blue skies with very little wind, so when we rose and showered and Cindy did her magic trick (dilation) we would then head of to have breakfast now of course the breakfast is included in the daily charge so we made it a point to have a hearty breakfast and there is always plenty of fruit and cereal with plenty bacon and eggs done the way you want plus other hot food to enjoy. As our dear mums and dads would say having a good breakfast in the morning sets you up for the rest of the day in the right frame of mind and I tend to agree.

Cindy noted that while dilating the size stent had come down from a 6 to a 5 and even that was a struggle but again do not force it but continue to dilate at a regular time each day as the size will get to increase or decrease depending on what you have eaten and exercise and bowel movement of course there are other problems that will occur female related like thrush HAPPY WOMANHOOD J J J J

With breakfast over and done with we will be heading out to a new and exciting adventure today which it to go to James Bond Island (PHANG-NGA BAY) in the afternoon so its rest for Cindy as well as moi as the trip will be a full half day and it will tax Cindy in every way possible and no doubt me as well as there will be a lot of walking plus a boat ride, now I am very eager to get going as they say it’s a real treat and the things one sees will be amazing so come on 1pm.

The bus trip was well worth the time as they played the James bond movie (The man with the golden gun) they played the first half going there and the second part on the way back to the hotel. The trip takes about an hour to get to the boats but with a stop on the way to Monkey Cave or Wat Suwankuha and of course its very tourist orientated to make the tourist shell out their dollars. There is a cave there that has at the very end a lot of steps and you can get blessed there which is meant to bring you good fortune, as well there is a very large golden Buddha which is lit up so one can take photo’s and the other thing is that there are vendors there to sell you monkey food so you can feed the monkey’s, there were also vendors there for food for oneself to consume.

Back on the bus we are back into the movie and heading for the town where we disembark our bus and don life jackets for a 45 min ride flat out with the spray coming up and hitting you in the face so if you don’t want to get wet don’t go, the 2 of us sat in the middle of it where the spray will catch you but if you sit as far front as possible then you should be okay, now we went to enjoy the day and whatever came our way we would be happy to receive and it must be said that the guide and the locals enjoyed us and our antics along the way.

Once we had landed on James Bond Island we were able to wander around and take photos and some of the shots where in the movie so that was great and yes there were vendors there selling souvenirs of the island and other trinkets that weren’t but hey who cares I never brought anything from them.

Then it was time to head back but with a stop in a fishing village Pan Yee where there was a restaurant and again a place where you could buy souvenirs and have your photo taken with the monkeys but it costs you then away we went but a different route back to the boat landing. There are 41 islands there and not all of them are inhabited

And we never stopped until we reached the boat landing and from there into to the bus and the rest of the movie on the way back home and we arrived back at the motel at around 6.45pm which is a long day.

So a rest is in order then head off to our bar for a meal and for Cindy to have another fitting her new Gown

The head back to the hotel after looking at the shops and all the entertainment it was around 11 pm when we went to bed

Feeding the Monkeys at Monkey Cave                                                                                                The Golden Buddhist inside the Cave              

                                            Dot on Bond Island                                             Cindy on Bond Island

                                                                                Pan Yee Fishing Village Restaurant on Pan Lee

17/04/0516/04/05

Day 28 Saturday

Rest and or window shopping

Well the day started with breakfast at the hotel which lasts for around 45 mins, then checking our emails and from there we could go to the swimming pool to lounge about or head off down the road to do more window shopping and head off down to the beach to do a bit of swimming and sunbath on the deckchairs and walk along the beach. The day was worth taking time to relax as on Tuesday we would be heading home to New Zealand the midday meals were down at our local pub as well as the evening meals and then relaxing by the pool with a few shandy’s or top shelf which ever you prefer

18/4/05

Day 30 Monday

Rest and or window shopping

What you see above is pretty much the order of the day with the exception of doing the packing for the trip home tomorrow

And Cindy goes and picks up the 2 gowns she had made at a local Tailor.

                                                    And Cindy had to model the gowns for Dot and the flowers she presented to me

                                 The Gang at The Hole In The Wall                                                                            At the Reo Restaurant

                              L to R Karen, Dot, Andrea, Michele, Cindy

                               Dot receiving a lesson in the Thai language                                        Dolphins statues abound in Phuket

                                               A power boards nightmare                                                    Every one rides the scooters

19/04/05

Day 31 Tuesday we fly home

Well the time has come for us to depart Phuket and having paid our bill we waited for Sarrot to arrive and pick us up and head off to the airport we are due to fly out at 12.30pm and fly to Singapore where we wait for around 3 hours and then board our plane for home but in order for that to happen one has to go through the procedure of Check In and immigration.

Well checking in was fine and we checked our luggage right through to Auckland airport then went through Immigration now all was well until the officer checked our Passports and discovered we were overstayers and that was because and not being our fault but the travel agent in New Zealand not checking the number of days one can stay in Thailand without a visa which is 30 days and we had overstayed by one day and yes we had to pay a 200bht ( $7nz ) fine each and our passports stamped ,so a fitting climax was had by the 2 of us.

Well alls well we were allowed to leave and we then headed for our plane and our journey of returning home which I must say was an overnight affair and to top it all off we had the under 19’s rugby junior All Blacks on our flight and the blighters were noisy all through the flight home and at 10.30 am we are on our way home to Hamilton

                              
                                                Approaching Auckland International Airport

Home again loading the duty free goods

into the car at Auckland Airport

Thanks to Peter, Cindy’s son in law for transporting us to and from Hamilton and the Auckland Airport

7 months later in December 6^th to 29^th 2005 Cindy was back in Thailand

Having photo shots with Tigers and Elephants at the Crocodile farm Bangkok

And back in Phuket Dec 12th stayed in the hospital looking after Dorothy for 8 nights who had her SRS on Dec 8^th and and we both left the Hospital Christmas eve Christmas day saw Cindy back at Pantong beach .

On the 28^th Dec Cindy was lapping up the Pantong beach sunshine before head back home the next day red as a beetroot.

Dr Sanguan and the nurses of Phuket International Hospital Phuket Thailand

Karen Robson of Auckland New Zealand

Michele of the United States of America

Andrea of Barcelona in Spain

And the main person to whom this story relates to Karen Cindy Lewis (most people know her as Cindy)

I wish to thank you for allowing me to be there for you and write this journal

Dorothy Joan Gartner

Footnote

Cindy applied to the Family court on the 24^th April 2005 to have her Birth Certificate changed to F And also Her Female Name. The result is that on the 16^th Aug 2005 Cindy received her Birth Certificate showing sex as Female and the cost of obtaining the Birth Certificate was $76.00 the total cost of proceedings By way of a solicitor as of 30^th Sept 2005 is $2276.00 now the times and amount may vary from solicitor and where the papers are lodged and this serves as a bench mark when you apply to have your Birth Certificate changed to show your new gender

It is now possible to apply direct to the Family Court By filling out the required forms and an Avadavat on your

Transition history without having to go through a lawyer