"Such a great team!"

I had my full hysterectomy performed at New Victoria and had a great service. I was worried about being gendered correctly (as a trans man) due to the kind of operation but the team has been nothing but respectful and using my correct name and pronouns with ease.

Although there was some difficulty finding my ward details at first, they quickly found where I was supposed to go. Throughout the process, I had several team members (surgeons to nurses) provide me information on procedures, further overnight care in hospital and any information.

During the anaesthetia administration, I was having a small panic attack but they calmed me down with oxygen and made conversation to make sure I was going to relax. I felt much better when I woke up because of their support.

They had notified me that they found a small amount of endometriosis and sent it off for biopsy, which I’m very thankful I was told about. They also warned me about the physical effects I’d feel for a few days including stomach tenderness and throat dryness. I appreciate being prepared for the sensory issues I would have.

The team have been great at supporting my pain management and helping me get to the toilet too. Such friendly staff who are willing to have a conversation and provide a range of treatment options. Sally and Grace were looking after me overnight - I really felt at ease recovering in a quieter hospital and didn’t have to wait as long for assistance. They were wonderful at handling my anxiety and are absolutely the kind of people I’d recommend to others.

They were very on top of observations and making sure they were okay, as well as making me comfortable in my overnight room. 

Overall, I had a really great experience with the operation. The whole team were great and should get a massive thank you from myself and the highers up :)