A word about Pain management

Physical twinge can be one of concerns prior to making the decision to undertake phalloplasty;

I'll try and sound the most realistic without exagerating nor undermining the level of discomfort that you can expect whilst not be anguished by it.

I'd like to insist that it is quite important to feel in the right environement for time of  recovery, it plays a role in your mindset and mental readiness, being optimistic , trustful and positive about the outcome will definitely assure a smoother and faster healing. As much information you can read about post-op , Your body (and so does your mind) only in the end decides how to react to such an intervention, and as for other surgeries (such as chest or hysto or else), times of healing and tolerance to pain vary a lot and proper setting helps.

In my case, that included first of all having no outward pressure of any kind, so as not to feel helpless and guilty of not being physically capable of doing things and living as usual. Having someone around is recomforting and soothing as long as that person is neither stressing nor expecting you to get better by the day. The key is to accept being in a temporary position of mild incapacity, knowing that it won't last forever and neither pushing it nor get depressed by it because of social pressure. Along with a good deal of efforts (both mental and physical) to not remain inert and "beatened" by the post-surgery state, you still have to give your body a rythm, and make the best to get a coherent alimentation, as minimal as it can be sometimes.

I can't say it was a walk in the park but as intense as discomfort has been at times, it's already behind.

Phallus was what hurt the most at first, and felt quite heavy for 3 to 4 weeks, that goes as well , the weight reaches a tolerable level after a while -

Now Balls was something to handle, its plain and simple, there's no way you can stand up for more than a few minutes for almost 4 to 6 weeks - Its important to manage bouts of getting up and walk a little but you can't do it for very long at first -

I managed a walk for about an hour after 1 month but still had to wait another 2 weeks to make a full day out and about - Before that balls are really sore and best is to rest..and eat well too -

Medication is needed for the first 4 weeks , make sure you have your own antibiotics and painkillers;

they provide it for the first week in hospital but then you want to have your own -

Precisions on immediate post op (first 15 days to 4 weeks)

First month is the hardest part, it is quite intense and you want mental organization to remain cool n easy and medication is definitely necessary, but sound medication is what works best too -

TIP: Some painkillers are not strong enough on immediate post op and there's no point shoving too many in your throat at once, best is to ask your GP for slow-released painkillers so u only take one every 10 hours or so -

2nd TIP : Instead of getting some pills as antibiotics (Augmentin) I got them in powder (that you mix with water), and that was a lucky guess; not only that makes it easier to swallow but also helps a great deal to manage a toilet, and boy is that welcomed when you have stitches all around your genitals..

3rd TIP: Get some medication for muscle stiffness, its great for body relaxation and it makes you Sleep too, despite the pain -

Regarding physical recovery

It's now about 4 months since the surgery and i thought i would give a first impression about sensations and overall physical feel -
First thing i can say now is that yes, body did take a good shock even if i've been mobile for over a good 7 weeks now ; am still in the process of slowly getting back to sport, articulations do feel a bit rusted and overall strength have definitely lowered in capacity!
 I tried to cycle 3 months post-op  and that was too Early, i did have 2 or 3 really nice rides but then sitting was an issue and i got first soreness below testicles .. does that sound stupid? No 'cos on the moment, it was tempting and felt okay giving it a go.
After giving it a second thought I decided to give a try at swimming instead, (wearing a short top to cover donor site scar..) water is less brutal and can only be fine to stretch articulations n muscles;
Even that takes a lot of energy and u want to do stretching exercises as well if you want to avoid getting cramps.
It may sound obvious but it's actually not; the first weeks of getting mobile again, it feels as though you're back to normal and that you can just get on with it as before - But I've only found in Time following that first recovering, that my body still needed gradual strenghtening and that rushing into physical activities could still entail inflammation or soreness -
It's a tricky one finding the balance between the want to be fully active again and realizing that ur body is actually slower ..
Best for now being to taking it easy, acknowledge that it will take a few more months before  i get full energy back , exercise n stretch on a daily level while respecting physical limits.

To make peace w/th all that, I go for walks in the park, watch others sweat and run, sit on a bench..not quite a super-hero yet..

About stitches

A quick word about stitches and removal -

Visible Phallus stitches - the ones you see when you look down - are quite large and you should be able to have them taken out by a nurse, about 4 to 5 weeks post-op - I went to a local hospital on my return and it was done in 10 mins, without having to go through my GP -

Once you are clear about what intervention you went through, any hospital would just take you in and give you a hand with removal of stitches.

Then the nurse tried to take the ones from the lower part of the phallus, at the back, and that was too sensitive, there is NO Point in insisting, just have her stop if it hurts and come back later -

I was regurlarly checking mine myself up until the moment when i could pull on them without pain, thats when they're ready to go -

I waited another 2 to 3 weeks before taking the rest of the stitches out - under the phallus + around the testicles - at that point i was able to give the nurse a hand by holding the testicles and make space so she could access the stitches and make a clean and fast cut.

Make sure you check all the area before getting up so that there's no "leftover".

Its worth the waiting,

and it feels amazing once they're all out , wow -

TIP: As for any medical intervention, you are always given time approximation about how long you should or not keep catheters, stitches, or else, do bear in mind that you're the only one who can really tell how it feels and when u think is the right time -

Do allow yourself to wait a week more if it is still painfull, if ure not ready to void directly from your phallus,

there is no point rushing it and recovery will go faster even if you extend waiting time at first -

It's your body, it's your brain, no one else can know better -