We all make our own journeys and some of us choose gender re-assignment. I have not for many reasons and will never choose either surgery or living full time as Pauline - those are my choices which I hope some of the more strident voices from the TS community will respect. In the same way that I respect those who make their choice to live full time or commit to surgery; I am aware of the struggle and the costs (not only financial but emotional and other) to those who go through their own journey to final surgery.

The Guardian has published Juliet Jacques journey through transition; today she talks about the surgery. For those who are interested - if you look at the link you can read about the surgery and also look back at all of her other steps she has taken on her journey. It is a moving account.

Pauline xxx


http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/aug/30/sex-reassignment-surgery-transgender-journey

Thanks for posting this, Pauline. A really interesting and well-written article

There's alot of things the same and alot of things different and it's good to see how others perceive the same sort of experience. I'm glad i went to Brighton mainly for the private room rather that a ward and the main nurse i met down there.

Its amazing how Charing Cross differs from Brighton in after care.

I went to Brighton as well, and the staff there just couldn't do enough for me, they were fabulous.

but is it NHS or private in Brighton?

The Nuffield at Brighton is private but you can be sent there by your GIC on the NHS for the op, Ellen went there fantastic place private room with your own bath room wide screen tv a view of the sea free parking and I was for a small charge ( for the meal ) I could have dinner with her.
The surprising thing was it is cheaper for the NHS to send you to Brighton that have the op in an NHS hospital.
So girls if your near that point of being offered the op go for Brighton every time.

Interesting advice, Xena. Sounds like a good idea.

My HNS Trust paid for my funding and they still do for any girls referred there by Greater Glasgow and I would agree with everything Xena put in her last post. If you are ready, opt for Brighton

It was a hell of a long drive 5 hours on the road each time and by the sixth time was driving me mad but Ellen got the best care and now is fully recovered and looking good in tight jeans.
And I forgot to mention Francine they have WiFi so we could keep in touch, it gets expensive booking rooms petrol, all that sort of thing but if your on the social we met a couple down there from the next town and the NHS had funded there travel and his accommodation for the the entire time she was in the Nuffield.
Just shows you what is available the NHS is great.

That's the next town to me

I flew to Gatwick from Glasgow and then got the train from there to Brighton after which I took a taxi to the hospital and obviously did the same trip when I headed back home. I kept my reciepts and handed them into my clinic and recieved back every penny that I had spent on my first referral trip to see Mr Thomas and then again when I had my surgery.

Thanks for this, will be very useful

Like Pauline said I have too many personal committments to do this but it makes me think.