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Shauna Ford’s story of her SRS in Bangkok Thailand
with Dr Chettawut Tulayaphanich M.D

It is almost the first birthday of the new Shauna. Was it really a year ago that I left England for that wonderful south East Asian country of Thailand? Yes it was.

It was with trepidation that I left my home in Nottingham England tickets in hand headed down the M1 motorway by myself to Heathrow airport, Words of my mother echoing in my ears from the phone call I had received from her that morning are you sure you know what you are doing after almost two years of very limited contact she finally decides on the day that I am flying out that she will come with me and hold my hand whilst I go through my srs surgery. Oh well mums are mums

Won't dwell too much on Heathrow... parked car in park 4 less airport plane get on next stop Dubai/ Dubai airport very clean straight in the smoke room and smoke a packet of cigarettes got a coffee at starbucks coffee shop nearly died at £3.00 for a latte.

Two hours later board another Emirates plane and settle down for finale journey into Bangkok arrive at Bangkok airport at 18.20 local time really starting to get nervous now. Got through customs got passport stamped and then am in the arrivals area where hundreds of Thai guys are all touting for taxis.

Spot a card with my name on it being held by a delightful young Thai lady who introduces herself to me as Tair... speaks English well and we are soon on our way out of Bangkok airport heading for down town Bangkok what an eye opener (Thaïs tend to drive a little bit wildly and I don’t think the highway code has been translated yet into Thai)

After about 45 minutes we pull into a large hotel complex (the ban suri ramma) and Tair gets me booked in and settled in my room for the night and explains she will pick me up and check out of the hotel in the morning.

The first night could I sleep it was hot I was alone and I was I frightened what would happen was I doing the right thing would I survive the op endless thoughts went through my mind that night should I go back to England and wait for the NHS to make my dreams complete I had come so far was I brave enough and strong enough to go through it by myself years of being unhappy I was so near to my goal but so far away and so alone.

The morning came quickly and I showered and waited for Tair to pick me up to take me to the doctor’s clinic. Tair arrived spot on 12 o’clock and of we went to the clinic to meet a man who within 24hrs was going to be performing my op god was I nervous

All my doubts disappeared when I was introduced to the doctor he is a fresh faced guy who appears to be about 25 yrs old with an amazing humility and the ability to make you feel at ease he spent ages talking over the procedure and how he would perform the op answering all my questions in depth and I felt completely at ease (I always have followed my instincts about people and feel I am a good judge of character and everything felt right about this guy from the first moment)

Well after a couple of hours of very intense questioning and having seen my paper work and examined me in every detail and I was fully aware of all the complications that could arise we agreed on 500cc breast implants and vaginoplasty... the breast implants would be carried out first and the vaginoplasty second (this was due to me being overweight and also smoking 30 cigarettes a day he was a bit unsure as to what my reaction to the anaesthesia would be and wanted to er on the side of caution)

It was also explained by the doctor to me that I had an awfully small penis (due mainly to the atrophy caused by the hormones) this would lead to shallow depth of my vaginal cavity I felt that this would be no real hardship and he assured me that he would do his best to give me as much depth as possible.

Next stop the hospital just up the road from the hotel Tair in the driving seat as ever (chauffeured around I could get used to this I thought)

The hospital was quiet large the doorman took my case and I was whisked of for a barrage of tests /bloods urine weight height E C G history everything was fine then of to my room.

Nice room with Juliette balcony over looking the local school and a building site and could see and hear the local mosque and call to prayers morning and night.

I settled in for my first night in the hospital knowing next day was going to see an end to my search the culmination of my years of pain and suffering the pain I had had to endure to get to this stage I could taste it` it was so close.

The nurses came an introduced themselves to me (what nice people the Thai people are) anything I need ring the bell the fridge in the room has cold drinks in it TV/ settee fresh flowers and I can smoke on the balcony.

I had been prepped the night be fore and now was the day today it happens the final chapter two porters arrive and wheel me to the operating theatre do I run do I say no a thousand thoughts screaming through my head is this what I want YES this is what it has all been about finally my dream has come.

Into the theatre the Dr is there and his team all dressed in green as I am placed on the table the Dr asks if I am ok and am ready and all I could think about was would I wake up would I survive the op. Is this the last thing I would see in my life a Thailand hospital ceiling.

God did I hurt as I awoke... did any body get the No of the truck that hit me I felt like I had been run over my head hurt like hell and so did my leg where was I who was I what am I doing here I had lost it completely nurse I need a pee its ok Shauna pee in the bed no way I had lost all my dignity already and I am not going to start peeing the bed at 40 yrs old we argued for 5 minuets before it was explained that I had had a catheter fitted and did not need to pee (weird effect Thai anaesthetic had on me next thing I was in my room).

The Dr appeared in my room as if by magic and explained that everything had gone really well better than he anticipated and he had managed to get more depth than he thought he would.

If I wanted more depth he could do more surgery at a later date if I lost some weight.
The relief was fantastic the pethadine was better I floated around the ceiling the nurses came in what seemed like every two minuets I had never had so many bed baths my breasts were great and I felt at peace at last things were right six days I laid in bed all I saw in the morning was the Dr and Tair between my legs going very good its all healing well.

Day seven and eight
I am well on my way to recovery I still have my catheter in place but I can get out of bed and walk with my bag onto the balcony and yes I am still smoking. My bag and I are pretty inseparable and have spent lots of time on the balcony together looking out onto the open countryside and beyond that the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.

Day ten
Its time to leave the hospital and Tiar duly arrives to take me back to the Banni siri Rama place hotel my cases are placed in the car and a few minuets later we are at the hotel. I have got Tiar to book me a chalet type room away from the main hotel and it is just a short walk through the lovely manicured gardens to my chalet. The chalet is airy well equipped with air con TV small kitchen everything I need plus a local cat who has taken a great liking to my shoes.

I spend the next few weeks recuperating and seeing the Dr every morning and taking taxis out into the local areas for a bit of sight seeing (the temples or WATS as they are known are well worth the visit)

The floating market is well worth a visit to (and is now used in the UK as an advertisement for Jacobs Thai bites) I still smile when I see the add

Well its time for me to return to the UK my time in Bangkok has been wonderful and it filled me with great sadness to leave and I the Dr and Tair both took me to the airport to see me off. When we arrived at the airport I felt very emotional and I had to tell the Dr and Tair to leave me and go home, as I know they wanted to see me onto the plane but I knew if they had come inside with me I would have found it to emotional and I would have been in floods of tears.

The journey back to the UK is pretty uneventful boy did I know I was home when I got out of the airport at 5.30 am and it was freezing minus two (its so good to be home)
I felt elation as I drove back to Nottingham I remembered the scared and worried feelings I had on the way down I did not even know if I would ever come back and here I was a month later having been seen and concurred and am still alive to tell the tail. (Got the t shirt for that now)

It’s not for every one to take the course of action I did and what I did I did for myself for me it was right and it has been a lonely journey fraught with anguish and pain but the main thing is the hardest part of my journey is now over and now I can begin to live that has always eluded me

To my dearest friends in Thailand I say thank you from the bottom of my heart and I will never forget your friendliness and the care you showed me whilst I was with you.

ANYBODY WISHING TO CONTACT ME CAN DO SO
sford@ntlworld.com or shaunaford@ntlworld.com