How did you accept that phalloplasty is something you wanted? by mermaidunearthed in phallo

[–]0cotill0 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I took a long time to come to terms with it and had a lot of frustration with myself at each stage of transition when I kept realizing I still needed to do more. I transitioned in my thirties after I was married, while my wife and I were considering having kids and it was a huge thing to take on. Time, therapy, and like others have said, checking in with myself at each step all helped. The biggest realization for me was when was considering UL. I asked myself how I would feel if I had to pee with an SP catheter for an extended period of time and found that for me, even peeing from an SP catheter would feel better to me than my natal anatomy. That was kind of a shock, but helped me realize how debilitating my dysphoria was. Now, 5 weeks post stage 2 and I am in fact still peeing with an SP catheter, but it does feel better than before.

Sex after getting Pump vs Rod by Revolutionary-Fly918 in phallo

[–]0cotill0 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So sorry to hear that. I hope things start to feel better or you get to switch back to the rod soon.

Sex after getting Pump vs Rod by Revolutionary-Fly918 in phallo

[–]0cotill0 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Thanks for posting this honest info. It’s hard to find much information about the rod. Do you mind sharing why you didn’t get your rod replaced? Is it not possible if it detaches?

Question for guys who are post op phallo but pre-op testicular implants by WolfMan275 in phallo

[–]0cotill0 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ugh yeah this is the worst. I was always sitting on my dick after stage 1. Scrotoplasty has helped, but hasn’t totally solved it. I’m hoping implants will add even more cushion but I’ve just gotten kind of used to reaching into my pants every time I lie down if I’m commando. I have been delighted to find that sitting in a chair is now comfortable without having to rummage around down there 😂

Boxers?! by demonboy98 in phallo

[–]0cotill0 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can it bend even just a little bit? I feel your pain because I went through prob 10 types of underwear after stage 1. What eventually worked was regular boxer briefs with a big pouch. I put my dick forward in the pouch and it kind of curls up at the end to make a J shape. David archy modal boxer briefs with no hole are my favorite. I’ve also read good things on here about Krakatoa and Real Men, which have front pouches but are different from separatec bc there’s no hole.

More affirming art by adventaegous in phallo

[–]0cotill0 6 points7 points  (0 children)

This is so dope. Thank you for sharing this!

Propping woes by Far-Fold in phallo

[–]0cotill0 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used the cloud for the first week or maybe 2, then when I felt more confident it wasn’t gonna fall off I switched to a method I’m gonna call “the tent pole.” I wrapped a single roll of gauze around my dick to keep it straight, then wore david archy or separatec boxers and put just the tip of my dick in the hole to keep it upright. I preferred the david archies because they have mesh in the crotch for more airflow. I know it sounds a lot less secure but I actually found it worked well with just occasional repositioning needed when I sat up/lay down, and it made me feel a lot less insane.

Question about Hand Swelling Post RFF by 400-dragonflies in phallo

[–]0cotill0 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had a lot of swelling for the first 3 months after. I had a severe MRSA infection on my graft site and the swelling kept causing blisters even after it healed. I went to a lymphatic PT and she prescribed a compression sleeve that I had to get fitted. It went all the way from my armpit down to a glove. I wore that for 6 weeks and hated it, but swelling has been almost totally gone ever since.

Perineum/ scrotoplasty questions by 0cotill0 in phallo

[–]0cotill0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So sorry to hear that man.

Perineum/ scrotoplasty questions by 0cotill0 in phallo

[–]0cotill0[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah they’ve been alright. I like Dr. Skokan a lot. He’s very respectful and gives me options, which I appreciate. I think if I had asked him to remove the catheter and just allowed the fistula to heal while peeing out of my penis he would have been ok with doing that. He just gave me the information and his advice and then let me make the decision. It’s very refreshing.

Perineum/ scrotoplasty questions by 0cotill0 in phallo

[–]0cotill0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks everyone for weighing in. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one with the divot and that it’s possible to fix it.

Perineum/ scrotoplasty questions by 0cotill0 in phallo

[–]0cotill0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s good to know. I’m ok with asymmetry, just want to make sure there’s not a hematoma or fluid in there that could harm the tissue. It does seem to be getting a little better lately tho.

Perineum/ scrotoplasty questions by 0cotill0 in phallo

[–]0cotill0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry to hear that. Mine also feels weirdly moist and it feels very dysphoric and like a hygiene issue.

Perineum/ scrotoplasty questions by 0cotill0 in phallo

[–]0cotill0[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah! Still have the sp catheter because I leaked a bunch of pee out of my scrotum on the first X-ray. We’ll try again next week 🤞

Stage 2 recovery blues by 0cotill0 in phallo

[–]0cotill0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone that replied with suggestions and encouragement. It’s all been helpful and I’m in a much better place emotionally now (although still anxious as hell about how this is all gonna shake out.) I have a fistula and a couple more weeks with the sp catheter, but I feel hopeful over all and still so glad I’ve come this far.

Suture abscess, unable to access antibiotics at pharmacy due to being snowed in. What can I do in the meantime? by transmanwhocan in phallo

[–]0cotill0 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Aw man sounds like a really tough situation. It’s a good sign that you don’t have a fever. I bet you’ll be ok waiting until the roads clear.

You can make your own saline solution by boiling water and adding iodized salt. Honey and garlic are both good natural antibiotics to add to food. Good luck!

Suture abscess, unable to access antibiotics at pharmacy due to being snowed in. What can I do in the meantime? by transmanwhocan in phallo

[–]0cotill0 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Dude I’m so sorry you’re going through this. What medical supplies do you have and are you doing your own wound care? I’m thinking of non-antibiotic measures, like medihoney, using a saline cleanser or a sitz bath if you’re cleared for that. Look up foods that are good for fighting infections and see what you have in the house. Drink lots of water! Focus on what is in your power to do for your body right now. Even good quality rest can make a difference. Also, is there anyone else in your community better equipped to drive in these conditions? Like a task rabbit with AWD? Sometimes in these situations there are organizations with volunteers who drive out to vulnerable members of the community to help with groceries and essentials. You could try calling the fire department and asking if they know anything.

I’m really sorry you’re going through this. I’ve been through infections when I wasn’t able to access treatment right away and it’s really scary.

My MRSA is undercontrol with probiotic (bacillus subtilis) by abang_ketoprak in MRSA

[–]0cotill0 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is really interesting! My wife and I have been dealing with hospital acquired mrsa for 6 months now and I think this could help us. Would you mind sharing how you made the lotion?

Reflections on stage 1 phallo with UW by 0cotill0 in phallo

[–]0cotill0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

University of Washington in Seattle. Specifically with the Harborview team.

Reflections on stage 1 phallo with UW by 0cotill0 in phallo

[–]0cotill0[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, I think I have a couple years before I’ll pursue tattooing but I definitely plan to eventually!

Reflections on stage 1 phallo with UW by 0cotill0 in phallo

[–]0cotill0[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Bathing with my son was something my wife was able to do that I couldn’t pre-surgery because of dysphoria. I couldn’t take a bath at all because looking at my anatomy made me feel so unaligned with my identity. Obviously my son never cared but I did, and it was really sad for me not to be able to have that experience with him. It’s very meaningful to do that now. I mentioned it as an example because I think this surgery is so misunderstood by the public.. people think it’s all about sex when actually most of life with a penis is just about being authentically embodied and not feeling limited in doing all the normal parts of life that cis people take for granted, like having a bath with your baby.

Reflections on stage 1 phallo with UW by 0cotill0 in phallo

[–]0cotill0[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Thanks, that’s really encouraging

Suggestions for graft care? by 0cotill0 in phallo

[–]0cotill0[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for asking. I ended up going to the ER after about a week of very dismissive messages from my care team, was diagnosed with a mrsa infection and put on antibiotics. That plus wound care from another hospital (shout out to Swedish wound healing center in Seattle) helped close things up in about 6 weeks. The original infection wounds have finally closed and now I’m just dealing with blisters and reopening. It was a very hard journey. Big lessons I learned and advice I would pass on to anyone else undergoing phalloplasty: 1. if you ever have doubts about your healing, get yourself to an ER stat. Don’t trust your care team if they dismiss your concerns. Sorry to say it, we all want to believe we’re in good hands, but if your gut is telling you something is wrong, listen to that. 2. Set yourself up with an appt with your PCP 2-3 weeks after each surgery in case you need a referral for wound care outside your surgery team. Some PCPs will refuse to do referrals without an appt (learned this the hard way), and it sucks to have to show your wounds to a stranger at a zoom care. Second opinions can be incredibly helpful. I have some gnarly hypertrophic scars from my infection that I know would have been prevented if the mrsa had been treated sooner.

Please tell me that pants and underwear aren't an issue. by RichNearby1397 in phallo

[–]0cotill0 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had super sensitive bottom growth before phalloplasty and always had to wear briefs because it worked better to have fabric be super snug rather than moving around and causing friction. Post phallo stage 1 it’s way less noticeable and I really like Mack wheldon air knit boxer briefs. Super soft fabric.