After Reconstructive Surgery....

well if your wondering what this is about and havnt all ready read my other thread then please read that before reading this one.

Reconstructive Surgery.

Well yesterday i woke up for the last morning with flesh tunnels, the last time i had to put them in after sleeping, the last day people will stare at me because of because i have guaged ears.
Well we got up around 7am to get ready for breakfast and to head out to catch the tube toLondon Bridge from Victoria.
We changed tubes and got on a Northern line train, well it was extremly packed when we got on, and i could see all these buisness folk in suits taking a peak.
I had been feeling very emptional all morning thinking shall i sharn't i?..... but i got to the hospital of London Bridge and checked in. I was early by 45mins, but i had some forms to fill in and a registration form too.
Well 9.30am my surgeon Mr Inglefield (plast) arrived and took me straight into the small opps room, i filled out another form for consent and we had a talk through exactly what was going to happen, then he got on with his job while i just lay there.
He marked out when he needed to cut and to leave me enough to make another ear lobe, he gave me 3 injections of Xylocaine which is a local anesthetic into each ear lobe, it was kind of a sharp sensation but it worked really fast, the nurse had every thing ready on the trolley that he had asked for to proceed with the surgery.
Well I didnt feel a thing during the whole opp which was nice, though I wouldn't have minded just feeling one of them to see what it would have felt like without the anesthetic.
The only thing i could feel during the whole opp was a little pulling while he was scalpulling off the lobes and putting in the god knows how many stitches in to repair and reshape my new ear lobes, there was a weird sensation when they were being cauterized to stop some of the blood.
Once both ear lobes were finished I was shown my new ears with a mirror, i was taken back a little with shock, a vision of a mass of stitches holding my new lobes together. The shape looked nice but not my ear lobes the first look of a new extreme modification, i was happy with them, i knew it would take me some time to be able to readjust to my new look, i know some of you will be thinking but its a small change, not emotionally it isn't, i still even now wriing this feel very confused and full of emotion.
Well i got them taped up and some after care forms to read and was told some things that i need to do if some thing happens like a trickle of blood, so i walked out of the room to an awaiting nancy, she was took back, it felt like she hardly recognised me, she loved the new look , we had a quick chat and headed out for some retail therapy in Camden for an hour.
As we got out side of the hospital, it was strange, we were both looking around for people looking at me but it wasn't happening, even on the tube to Camden no one was looking, except on guy who told me my right lobe was trickling a little down neck line.
Arriving at camden was strange, we headed straight to coldsteel piercing studio, and they gave me some medi wipes to clean my neck and had a chat with them about my opp, we talked about so many things about being accepted in a community and they have found even in Camden they get [censored] for looking different, i totally didn't expect to hear that. It was nice ot chat with them and get their views and to be told someon that they new had had their tunnels removed.
Even Martin in Oddballs was trying to figure what was different with me, was funny to see his second glance.
Well the afternoon passed and we caught our train back home.
I was feelingbattered and bruisew and swollen, but i felt good about myself, i went into work and every one was so taken back it was nice, we had dinner and collected Matt our nephew and he was touching his earlobes and asked me where my ears had gone, he is nearly 3 years old and this touched me more than any thing else in my life, he still knew it was me but i was such a nice thing.

Well today i am going to venture out and see if people notice, and best of all it is Cristmas day today as my parents are coming to visit us before they fly out to australia for 4 weeks over christmas, i wonder what my moms going to say when she sees me?

I will get some photo's done and i will edit this post when i have them so i can put a before and after picture for you all to see.

well feeling confussed and anxious i am going to leave you and write more later.

thanks for every ones support on the other thread, it was touching.

major congratulations mate.

im seriously happy for you.

really pissed off that people can be so shallow when it comes to what people look like though.

makes me think about how i treat people when i see them.

Hope u feel better soon PK, glad to hear everything went well and to plan, hope everyting works out with the narrowminded people of the world,

Take it easy

Glad it all went ok babe. Hope they heal up super fast!
Wishing you both a lovely Christmas and a great New Year!

Congrats - it takes alot for a decision like this - especially choosing to conform at least you have done things that as well as partly being your own decision but for the better - and i bet you look good with or without (havent seen pictures)

Wow, down the dreads and down the tunnels. I get really stressed at people being shallow for how others look, (though it seems to be too easy to dismiss people on that basis). Go you, and good luck in the job now that you'll get it

It must be mad to look in the mirror and find something so radically different so fast. I feel a bit freaked just reading your post so it does come across....thanks for sharing, quite interesting stuff....

Good luck with it anyway....

Thinking of you darling

Lisa

It takes someone with incredible strength of heart and conviction to change themselves in such a way..and to uderstand fully that they are the same no matter what they look like. So many change their looks to try to change themselves to prove they are something they are not. Instead you are remaining true to yourself while facing a difficult change, which is awe inspiring in this day and age.

I have always admired you PK, for so many reasons, part of which are your courage and honesty. Thank you for sharing this very personal experience with us all.

I hope you find peace and comfort very soon.
With much love, no matter what you look like....


Pele

So I'll just send you a $50 gift certificate to the Gap or Old Navy and you should be all set.

(hrmmm... American Reference I guess)

Love and Support

Please, Banana Republic, NYC.

Actually, PK's more of an Urban Outfitter's type.

Hey, PK! We gonna see photos any time soon?

Glad to hear it went well pk; great write up of the procedure.

I think it's great that you've documented this and I'm sure it will be useful for any one else who's considering getting rid of their tunnels.

Look forward to seeing you at Sheff PIP anniversary.

as long as they sell chicks clothing, cos that fits my arse better.

thanks guys, my mom is here and she loves the difference in me.... i am still kinda stoked out, feeling sore and tender too, i want to change my dressing, but i am having my stitches out on tuesday morning so i might just leave it on untill then due to being at work for the next few days.

This year is going to be a wicked christmas, though i will miss my grandma this year , but heres to a fresh start but not a new me, i just look different as i always have done.

Did they at least give you good pain meds, dude?

Much respect.

Like it has been said, must have taken a lot of courage.

Not sure what too say. uhhhh how about more hugs?

Woo Hooo
Went and looked at some of the PITP videos last night in memory of the tunnels.
Sounds like you are very happy with your decision.

I'm glad everything's going with your ears.

Here, have a hug

no pain meds mate, all i can feel in my lobes right now is the healing trying to fight the swelling and make them heal, they just feel a little sore but not enough pain to take meds for it.

I cant get used to people not staring in the street, no second glances no nothing. That justs proves me right in that no matter what you look like as long as you look the "norm" people are more accepting and have nothing to stare at. Have some thing done to your face or a deformity them people stare, touch their own faces, talk to the person next to them, snigger to them selves.

I put it down to education myself, people should look into why society wants to change and change the way we look, change the way we act and the way we are to others around us. Most of all how we are accepting to them, we as people havn't changed, we are the people who make them feel accepted when they are around us, its a two way thing but when you look on it as a whole its not going to happen that way that many people arn't going to change the way they look at people who are a little different, it looks like a loosing battle.
I feel i have noticed it more due to the vast ammount of towns and cities i have been to as a performer and looking the way i did, but maybe now i have done my part, people have seen how far people want to change the way they look and for me that will never end, as long as now i am not going to be judged on first apearances then that is fine, but it makes me happy that the people i have loved and had as my friends in the past 8 years and those people that have accepted the way i looked loved me for who i was and never judged me.

Whats in store for now? well i have made an appointment with my GP to have my stitches removed on tuesday the 22nd december then i am going to have a damn good christmas this year.
I had a phone call yesterday from my surgeons office to see how i was feeling and how every thing was going, this morning i recived confirmation of my second consultation with him for tuesday 27th jan to see how the healing has gone and to see if there is any thing else left to be done. I feel that i couldn't have had a better surgeon, they have been so wonderful and upfront, friendly and helpful that its took me back a little.

Still one last thing, i keep going to remove my tunnels at night as i get into bed and again this morning went to put them back in, seems strange not to have to do that any more, one of those forces of habit.

Well yesterday to cheer myself up i went an ordered my new unicycle erm nothing like a bit of retail therapy to cheers ones self up is there. [dave its the new onza if your wondering which one]

well guys, i am going to go and get ready to goto work.
be kewl nad thanks.

PK, congratulations on the successful removal of your tunnels.

I'm so happy that the surgery went fine, no problems. How long did the surgery take?
It's so amazing to hear survival stories (heh hopefully not) from someone so respected, and the recovery status updates.

It still pisses me off that people judge, but hey, I guess that it's just human nature to look if something is different. And (as Pele said), it takes a very strong person to go through such a dramatic change like that.

*hands you some get-well candy*
Kinudin

PS
Have a great, spiffy Christmas ^_^

i was in the theatre room for 70 mins.

R

20" , i saw that vid a few days ago..... cant wait until its released, makes muniac look crappy.

For tunnelless PK...

I so glad that the surgery went well for you my friend... much respect

me

so i used to look some thing like that one above.

and i finally got around to snapping some new pics with my cam of my ears.

enjoy.....
me
me
me

It looks like the guys from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy got to you!

Seriously, PK, you look great. I know it's not who you feel like, and my guess is that you probably startle yourself every time you look in the mirror. But the fact is that underneath that cover, you're the same amazing guy who I met in Sheffield.

And besides, now you don't have to worry that your dreads might light on fire!