By: Grace Bock
Like many who
identify as trans I have put a great deal of time and energy into researching
this unique life experience. When it came to looking into an orchiectomy it was
no different. Countless hours were spent reading personal narratives, educating
myself about the procedure itself as well as in choosing a physician to perform
the procedure. As has been the case many times in the past the resource I relied
upon most was the Internet due to the wealth of available information.
We’ve all
heard the old saying, “timing is everything”, when it came to scheduling my
own orchiectomy this old adage held true. This summer was to be a busy time for
me in that I was selling a home and moving to a new city to continue graduate
school at a top-notch university. Additionally, I had also undergone a two-stage
procedure on my left eye prior to my relocation requiring a great deal of
careful planning. The goal was to squeeze the orchiectomy between settling into
my new city and the first day of the fall semester in late August. I was hoping,
too, to find a surgeon in a locale a friend and I would find desirable for a few
days of rest and relaxation. Whereas this may sound like a misguided way of
making such a decision, things worked out wonderfully in my choice of Dr. Harold
Reed at the Reed Centre in Bay Harbor Island, Florida.
I first became
aware of Dr. Reed on the TWR web site where I was able to link to his own site
(a link can be found on my main page). There I found a great deal of useful
information about Dr. Reed’s experience, which was an important element in
choosing a surgeon. Being satisfied with what I saw I decided to send an email
to learn more. Much to my delight it was Dr. Reed himself who responded to my
inquiry and this direct contact has continued to this day, nearly two weeks
post-operative.
It soon became apparent how thorough Dr. Reed is. In many ways he goes beyond what others may require with respect to psychological and medical clearances prior to performing a procedure. Yet this attention to detail is perhaps indicative of the final outcome. I am in good health and had had a physical shortly before my decision to undergo an orchiectomy; however, there were other tests that were requested. In fact, my medical clearance with the Reed Centre, for a procedure done under sadation, seemed more thorough than one done by a prominent teaching hospital under general anesthesia. Also standard to Dr. Reed’s practice is that his patients are required too obtain two letters of psychological clearance, one of which must be from a psychiatrist. Soon a date was scheduled for early August, flights were booked, reservations made at the Bay Harbor Inn and soon we were on our way.
The procedure
was scheduled for 9:30 on a Thursday with a 1:00 PM consultation the day before.
Upon our arrival on Wednesday I was immediately impressed with the appearance of
the reception area, which is elegantly decorated and very comfortable. Both my
traveling companion and I were greeted ever so warmly by Anne and asked to
complete some paper work. I had heard so much about Anne during my research and
found her to be just as others have; she is wonderful! Upon completing the forms
it was Dr. Reed himself who invited me back into the clinic – prior to joining
him, Anne had me provide a urine sample. Once in his office Dr. Reed introduced
me to a visiting surgeon who had authored an impressive text on genital
reconstructive surgical techniques. After reviewing physical and lab results my
general practitioner had provided, Dr. Reed then ran through a list of basic
health questions. He was warm, with a good sense of humor, yet a bit
business-like at the same time. I was relaxed and confident – good thing –
in that the physical exam was next.
If you’ve had
a physical before – and you will if you get to this point – the details are
not important. I will offer, however, that during the exam Dr. Reed did make me
laugh! Once the physical was complete I had time to talk more with Dr. Reed to
ask last minute questions. Since I had a good understanding of what to expect we
spent just a few moments together as he described exactly what the term radical
bilateral orchiectomy meant and then outlined what to expect post-operatively.
We covered topics such as the pressure dressing, pain management, and
antibiotics. Before I know it we were on my way out into the Florida sun
The next
morning I arrived at 8:30 AM; a schedule change had been made so I was invited
to come in earlier. I was shown to a locker area and bathroom in which I would
undress and lock away my belongings. I then made myself comfortable in the
recovery area and a short time later was escorted into the operating room and
assisted onto the operating table by Anne. Moments later I was all hooked up,
Dr. Reed had begun my IV, sedatives were introduced, I was shaved, a local
anesthetic was injected, and the rest is kind of a fuzzy memory. I believe I
have some recollection of the procedure, however, the next real memory was that
of lying comfortably in the recovery area with an ice-pack on my surgery site. I
dosed for a while until I began getting hungry. I was fed a nice lunch and was
feeling wonderful, ready to go by mid afternoon with a prescription for
antibiotics and pain killers and an open invitation to stop in the next day for
a post-operative check up.
Up and out and
into the Florida sun by mid afternoon. It was a bright sunny day and it felt
good to be outside. Although my movement was some what restricted by the
pressure dressing, I felt no pain. In fact, I never did feel the need to use
anything other than Extra Strength Tylenol to manage the slight discomfort when
I stood up or sat down. Although I was hoping to lounge by the pool that
afternoon and get some sun – I couldn’t go to Florida without improving my
tan – I opted for the comfort of my bed for the next couple of hours. By
evening, however, my friend and I were out on the veranda enjoying the balmy
evening. We ordered room service and called it an early evening, however, not
before we both checked in by phone with those we love.
The next morning we were wakened by a call from Dr. Reed around 7:30 AM. Being that he had several patients at the Inn, he was coming to do rounds and offered to stop in to see me as well saving us a walk to the clinic. His visit was brief, a quick check up and he was on his way. Next visit was planned for early the following morning, Saturday, prior to our departure for the airport. We spent the early part of the day around the pool and later at a mall on the bay in downtown Miami. We did walk quite a bit that day and I was surprised how well I felt! Next morning the dressing was removed, I was cleaned up a bit and sent on my way with some final instructions. Dr. Reed offered a handshake but I felt a hug was more in order, which he graciously returned.
In conclusion,
I have nothing but wonderful things to say about my orchiectomy experience. Much
to my delight, there was only minor discomfort and the recovery has been rather
uneventful. Both Dr. Reed and his staff were a joy to meet and I will likely
consider them again as full SRS is in my future. I come to this conclusion in
that they delivered exactly what was advertised with professionalism, style and
grace. Most importantly, perhaps, I was treated wonderfully! Additionally, I
would recommend the Bay Harbor Inn. The service there was good, the food
wonderful and the proximity to the Reed Centre a plus. Lastly, however, I am not
offering a blanket endorsement of the Reed Centre as “the” ultimate in trans
related surgical facilities. What I am saying, however, is that after carefully
researching my options, and there were quite a few to choose from, I found the
Reed Centre to offer the best for me with the end result a satisfying
experience.
Tuesday, August
19, 2003
An
Afterthought:
Here it is
nearly six months later and my impression remains the same. One problem I have
heard about orchiectomy prior to SRS is scarring. However, my experience is
quite the opposite – there is no scarring and the operative area is as soft
and smooth as has always been the case.
At the moment I
am beginning to plan SRS for next year. Although there is a desire to proceed
sooner, time is tight – after all; good things come to those who wait. The
Reed Centre is my choice for SRS due to its service, attention to detail and a
warm comfortable feeling I felt the first time around.
January 20, 2004