Dorothy, been there, done that -- in 2010, so I remember what it was like. If you go to Brassard in Montreal or his partner, don't worry overmuch about pain. They have good drugs and a sensible schedule that you can modify some yourself. The most pain is sitting down in a regular chair for the healthy and nice family style meals, but a nice little inflatable donut helps a little with that, and kinda becomes your best friend for awhile. Though it was needed less, I often depended over several weeks after I got back, when doing something silly like driving 100 miles. One's own pain threshold is another factor, and I think I was lucky in that I do have a farily high one. Others did not, and complained a lot right up to the day of departure. After the great unveiling and removal of the stent, you will find sitting a bit easier. Brssard's recovery house (named after the weed that nourishes the Monarch Butterfly -- the symbolism is obvious yes, and there are many butterfly decorations around the residence) is great and the care is super. Now, in 2012, recalling pain is just a bit like a cis woman having had childbirth, the remembered pain is more and more hazy in the memory, and not so bad.....(like the old joke about evidence of which is worse pain, giving birth or getting a kick to the gonads for a guy --- The woman after awhile decides to go through it again and have another kid, but the guy NEVER wants to get crotch kicked again!). The pain of the surgery and recovery is not as bad as the kick, IMHO.

And the wonder of it all!! Seriously, only a year and a half from surgery, I have a hard time recalling ever being any different, of ever not feeling "right", except as a hazy memory like recalling highschool or college courses!!. The SRS is like icing on the cake. The hard part is coming out at the begining of transition and living and working in the early part before surgery and pre hormones. You're doing that. You will do fine.

CaroL