Hey everyone! I'm Macy/Hearth (She/Her/They/Them) 🏳️⚧️10/6/21 and Proud⠀⠀⠀ I'm an amateur bassist, aspiring chef, gamer and sloth! Also trying to graduate from my last year of medical school ~ Welcome to my little ramblings!
出發前一天，我如常在早上回到醫院洗傷口，之後護士便替我在附近房間提取 COVID-19 樣本，同日約下午五時，我便回到醫院提取檢測報告列印本。2022/01/28, one day before my return flight, I went to the hospital for wound dressing in the morning as usual, and afterwards a nurse collected the sample for me in a nearby room. A printed test report can be collected in the late afternoon that day.
醫院也會給我是次入院的醫療紀錄，包括有關是次手術及適合乘搭飛機的醫療證明、出院總結、術前驗血報告、肺部 X 光列印本。
medical certificate, discharge summary, pre-operative blood results and a printed copy of chest x-ray
再看一次返港文件 Check again the documents for returning to Hong Kong
1) 護照及香港永久性居民身份證 Passport and HKID card
2) 健康申報及檢疫資訊申報及其 QR code：QR code 於 48 小時內有效，建議上機前完成。Health declaration and quarantine information declaration and its QR code: valid for 48 hours, do it before your return flight.
3) 香港指定檢疫酒店至少 21 日入住預約確認信 Confirmation letter of at least 21 days of stay in one of the designated hotels for quarantine in Hong Kong
4) 返港航班預定起飛時間前 48 小時內採樣 COVID-19 RT-PCR 陰性結果報告，檢測需由 ISO-15189 認可的化驗所進行。Report of COVID-19 RT-PCR negative result done within 48 hours before the scheduled departure to Hong Kong, by an accredited laboratory complying with ISO-15189. The hospital fee includes a COVID-19 RT-PCR test before returning to your home place.
5) COVID-19 檢測化驗所的 ISO-15189 認可證明文件，列印本或電話截圖也接受。以下為當時 Kamol 醫院使用的化驗所。A separate documentary proof of ISO-15189 accreditation of the laboratory that did your COVID-19 RT PCR test. A printed copy or a screencap on your phone are accepted. The link below is the laboratory used by Kamol Hospital when I was there.
BKK 機場至 Kamol 醫院，或是回程時從 K Garden 酒店到 BKK 機場，醫院都會提供接送服務，無需另外費用。Kamol Hospital provides transportation from the BKK Airport to the hospital, and from K Garden Serviced Apartment to BKK Airport when you leave, with no extra charges.
到達曼谷 BKK 機場後，便會查核泰國通行證及相關文件，然後通過海關。Upon arrival of Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), Thailand Pass and relevant documents will be checked, and then you'll go through the customs.
離開海關後，就會看見十數個服務台，各代表好幾間曼谷隔離酒店（當時 K Garden 的服務台在最右面的 1 號）。Right after leaving the customs, there'll be more than ten counters, each representing a number of quarantine hotels in Bangkok (When I was there, the counter of K Garden was on the rightmost, that's no. 1).
負責職員會跟你核對名字及有關文件，然後帶你到機場門外的私家車，司機也可能會拍下你的照片向上頭報告。After confirming your name and relevant documents, the counter staff will lead you to the limousine waiting for you just outside the airport. The driver may take a picture of you aboard to report their duty.
從機場直接到 Kamol 醫院，到達後醫院職員/護士便會帶你到病房。以下的連結就是標準病房房間。圖片是房間洗手間內提供的物品。You will be brought from the airport directly to Kamol Hospital. Their staff/nurse will bring you to your ward room. The link below shows a standard ward room. The picture was the items found in the bathroom provided by the hospital.
我在曼谷時間約晚上 11 時到達曼谷機場，到達房間約凌晨 12 時。我是住在 6 樓的房間，一直都是同一個房間。I arrived in Bangkok time on 2022/01/10 at around 11 PM. I got to my room at around 12 PM. I lived on 6th floor, in the same room until I was discharged.
2022/01/11
到達後第一個早上，就有護士進來我的房間，為我配戴病人手帶，抽取 COVID-19 檢測樣本，並會進行抽血。In the next morning, a nurse came to my room to put on a patient's bracelet for me, and collect a COVID-19 test sample. She also did blood taking for me.
一般驗血包括全血細胞計數（如血色素、白血球、血小板數量）、肝腎功能、乙肝丙肝，以及HIV 檢測（醫院/診所一般會徵求病人測試 HIV 的意願，並簽署同意書。我是在翌日簽署的）。Common pre-operative blood tests including complete blood count (e.g. hemoglobin, white blood cells, platelet), liver and renal function, hepatitis B & C markers, and HIV testing (It is a common practice for hospitals/clinics to have your consent for HIV testing. I was given the consent the next day).
我在當日下午便收到 COVID-19 陰性檢測報告。I received the report of being COVID-19 negative in the late afternoon on the same day.
住院時間當然有三餐供應（手術前後時間除外），大約是07:00 吃早餐，12:00 吃午餐，17:00 吃晚餐。Three meals are of course included during the time in the hospital (except before and right after surgery). Approximately 07:00 for breakfast, 12:00 for lunch, and 17:00 for dinner.
2022/01/12
早上醫院護士/職員便帶領我離開房間，到醫院 3 樓登記處進行入院登記，並紀錄健康狀況，包括目前服用的藥物（如有需要，請帶備平常用的男性荷爾蒙藥物，向護士查詢能否在這段時間注射藥物。我在用 3 個月一針的 Nebido 而且剛好不用在那段時間打針）、個人病史、家族病史、生活習慣等等。Nurse/staff led me to the 3th floor in the morning. Firstly, for admission registration. Then a nurse enquired about my health conditions including my medications (Bring your own testosterone if needed, and confirm with nurses if they can do injections for you during your stay. I've been using Nebido, with one injection every 3 months. Just happened not needing any injections during this trip), past medical history, family history, and lifestyle etc.
然後我便會見整型外科醫生 Dr. Kamol Pansritum M.D.，檢查後，醫生便跟我商討不同上身手術類型的好處壞處，主要是比較 O-scar 及 U-scar，最後是確認了做 O-scar 切口的上身手術。Next, I had a pre-operative consultation with the plastic surgeon Dr. Kamol Pansritum M.D.. After examination, he explained the pros and cons of the O-scar VS U-scar incision of top surgery. We decided on the O-scar one eventually.
接下來便會到旁邊的拍照室，有專人替你拍攝術前相片以供醫療團隊作臨床之用。醫院只會拍攝上身部份，不會拍到臉（一般包括不同角度，向左向前向右，還有左邊右邊 45 度）。還會照肺部 X 光。After that, I was led to the photography room nearby for clinical photos. Not your face! Only the chest (Usually from different angles. Turn to your left, right, facing forward, 45 degrees to the left and right). Also taking a chest x-ray.
最後，醫院職員會跟我再講解手術詳細一遍，並且簽署手術同意書、全身麻醉同意書、HIV 測試同意書、醫療照片同意書等文件（這間醫院一般來說，身體沒有任何大礙，手術前無需跟麻煩科醫生會面，也未必需要做心電圖）。Lastly, their hospital staff went through the details of the operation with me again, and I signed consent forms of the top surgery with peri-areolar incision, general anaesthesia, HIV testing, and clinical photos etc. (In this hospital, if you have a good past health, you may not need to see the anaesthetist or do any ECG before the operation).
當然還會處理醫院餘款（我在出發前已電匯全數金額，醫院也替我向曼谷的銀行確認了付款，我亦要付銀行手續費 THB 100），並收取收據。Of course I also settled some remaining payment (I used bank wire transfer for the whole amount before I came to Bangkok. The hospital also confirmed my payment with their bank. I paid THB 100 more for the bank charges) and got the receipt.
這間醫院裏每件病人衣服都是這個可愛小羊哈哈，是開胸式綁繩的，上身手術後便會發現是很方便的設計。Every patient's clothes has this cute sheep haha.
重點來了，我在隔離期間已經可以進行手術。 Here's an important thing. My operation was done during Alternative Quarantine.
我到曼谷時候的規定是 7 天酒店隔離，酒店隔離文件也準備好了。而實際情況跟醫院聯絡人一直給我的指示一樣：到埗後作一次 COVID-19 檢測，確認陰性結果後，再下一天做可以做術前準備，2022/01/13 便可以做手術了。When I arrived at Bangkok, the COVID-19 requirement was a 7-day Alternative Quarantine. Hotel confirmation letter for these 7 days were prepared too. The actual arrangement was completely the same as what the hospital contact person had told me: do a COVID-19 test the next morning upon arrival, if it's negative, I can proceed to pre-operative preparation the next day, and do top surgery on 2022/01/13.
手術後，我繼續留在同一間病房房間，直至 2022/01/17 中午，7 天隔離完成，醫生也看過情況良好，便可以出院了（不用隔離的話，大概完成上身手術後 1-2 天便可以出院吧）。After the operation, I stayed in the same ward room until completion of the 7-day quarantine, and after seen by the surgeon. I was discharged on 2022/01/17 in the afternoon (If no quarantine is needed, one possible can be discharged 1-2 days after top surgery).
2022/01/17: 完成 7 天隔離及出院，入住 K Garden 酒店 Completion of a 7-day Alternative Qurantine & discharged from the hospital, then stayed in K Garden Serviced Apartment
2022/01/21: 乳頭縮小、拔左右引流喉 Nipple reduction, removal of bilateral drains
I started my journey in the summer of 2021, and as of writing this post it’s been 239 days on E. I’ve come a long way, but there’s still a ways to go...I remember feeling so dysphoric that I could barely function, barely get out bed because doing so meant hating myself in the mirror once more. My life has gotten so much brighter with lovely people helping me on my journey, and I want to pay that forward by making resources as accessible as possible to people who might need it.
Quarks-HK
When I started my journey, Quarks was the most instrumental. It’s a community of transgender youth, advocates and allies :) It’s become my new home, and everyone there is friendly, open-minded, willing to help and loving!
Here’s their Discord Link as well as their Facebook and Instagram!
Transgender Resource Center
Their website has a bunch of information on trans-friendly doctors (from GPs to Psychiatrists and Endocrinologists), the medical information of transitioning, and various legal topics (e.g. legal name changes)!
Prince of Wales Hospital Gender Identity Clinic
PWH is home to Hong Kong’s only integrated gender clinic. Their services include referrals to psychiatrists, endocrinologists, clinical psychologists and social workers! It’s an all-encompassing clinic, and cheap (around 100HKD per follow-up)...but the waiting list is getting longer and longer. When I went, it was about a 6 month wait to see the psychiatrist and a year-long wait for the endocrinologist queue...
I’m going to keep updating this Masterpost/Thread with resources as I go along. I hope that it helps you in starting your own journey, and that it shows you...that transitioning is possible in Hong Kong :)
gummygunk
pixelskylines
discoholicmusic
jbbartram-illu
theartofmadeline
