The nurses’ positive attitudes really got me through that week. It was so easy to be around them, they were all so compassionate.
From the moment Maddie Boylan, a transgender woman, had her first consultation regarding gender affirmation surgery with Jonathan Keith, MD, a plastic surgeon at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, she recalls knowing that he was going to be perfect as her doctor.
“My parents and I did a lot of research on different places and surgeons for a super long time and Dr. Keith seemed to be the most trusted and he had a lot of great reviews,” shares Maddie. “When we finally met with him, he was very informative. He’d ask if we had any questions and we would say no because he gave us all the information we needed from before surgery through to the recovery process.”
When it came time for Maddie’s surgery day, she likes to describe it as a “surreal moment.” Maddie remembers feeling an overwhelming sense of comfort from those around her ranging from nurses to her parents. “I was even able to have a conversation with Dr. Keith before heading into the operating room,” says Maddie.
Knowing her recovery would involve a week-long stay in the hospital, Maddie was most nervous about being bored, miserable and in-pain during the entire stay. However, it turned out to be quite the opposite. Although she was in some pain, she shares it sometimes felt like she wasn’t even in the hospital.
“The nurses were checking in so often. Their positive attitudes really got me through that week. It was so easy to be around them, they were all so compassionate,” shares Maddie.
“I always look back and reminisce a lot about the experience because it was such a beautiful week in my life. It went so smoothly,” she shares. “It is such a huge procedure and has a grueling recovery process, but the nurses really made it so easy and comfortable when I stayed there. They handled it perfectly.”
After being discharged and recovering some more at home, Maddie was right back to her normal daily activities within two weeks. Currently, Maddie is attending community college, majoring in graphic design, with hopes to go into that career field one day.
“It has been such an honor to have Maddie as a patient. She has an incredible ability to find the positive in any situation. Patients like her bring so much joy to our practice,” says Dr. Keith. “It was not only a pleasure to get to know Maddie, but her entire family who have been very supportive throughout this process. Maddie is destined for great things.”
Recently, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center has been re-designated as a ‘Leader in LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality’ Designation by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Learn more about CBMC’s LGBTQ+ services.