Jyoti: The surgery is going to make shift a vagina.
I’m about to go down to surgery. It’s a pretty big operation.
Sue: Handing her over to other people isn’t easy.
Doctor Aliabadi: So as with any major surgical procedure things can go wrong.
Jyoti: Being intersex has definitely impacted myself esteem and my confidence.
Let’s do this s***.
I was born with a condition called intersex.
Sue: Isn’t that a beautiful color on her.
Jyoti: In my case it means that I don’t have any internal or external sex organs.
The last guy I told, he said that was like a deal breaker.
I’ve always seen myself as a girl. In July I’m having a reconstructive surgery
to create a virginal opening and the virginal canal.
Can’t start my day without a cup of coffee.
My hope is that this surgery will not only help me
in my romantic life but make me more sure of my self.
I’m good on this game. Anu: You think so?
I’m going to kill you again. Jyoti: Is he going to eat it?
Sue: I think he just wants to catch it.
Anu: But the last guy you met that was on a date with you Johnny.
Jyoti: I really like him but I just I don’t really
feel anything physical. Sue: Not a spark?
We can ask doctor Aliabadi if you are comfortable
about how he’s going to make sure that you can still enjoy it.
Jyoti: Yeah. Sue: Enjoy sex with guys,
because you are not doing this for them right?
Jyoti: No. Sue: you are doing this for you.
Jyoti: Hey who’s turn is it? Sue: Anu, a new vagina
Jyoti: Oh my God. Patrick: Really creative.
Jyoti: Okay can we, can we play?
Sue: Okay. For Jo there has been some dysphoria and a desire to completely embrace womanhood.
So she’s going to be having this done.
Jyoti: Be nice for a price. Yeah that I do that.
Sue: I’m worried about the immediate post operation pain and boredom she’s concerned about.
I mean to sit still for so long, she doesn’t sit still very easily.
Jyoti: S*** did you get that?
Sue: But I think in the long run this is what she really wants
and she’s never failed in her identification as female.
Jyoti: This is going to be like the appointment where
Doctor Aliabadi like kind of explains what he’s going to do in more detail. How are you feeling ma?
Sue: I’m good.
Jyoti: It’s kind of that feeling of anticipation
like me wanting to do it but also kind of being a little nervous about it so.
[Elavator ding]
Jyoti: Hi.
We’re here for Doctor Aliabadi.
Female Speaker: He’s here okay then i'll tell him do you want to do this …?
Jyoti: Do it out here. Female Speaker: Okay.
Jyoti: That is old, old, old, old. They’ve got to update.
Sue: You’ve got to see her in Black Mirror she’s awesome.
Jyoti: Okay. I don’t want to watch Black Mirror because you said like it was very …
Sue: Not this episode, this Is where Miley Cyrus shows her true self and it’s funny.
Doctor Aliabadi: Hi sweetheart. Jyoti: Hello.
Doctor Aliabadi: Good to see you again. Nice to see you,
should we go in the exam room together? Jyoti: Yeah.
Doctor Aliabadi: My name is Hussain Aliabadi and I am a pediatric urologist and
practiced for the last 30 something years.
Jyoti: Hello? Doctor Aliabadi: How have you been?
Jyoti: Tired, I’ve been working a lot and getting ready for college.
He has been doing it for a very, very longtime.
He’s very experienced but at the
same time he also is very good at recognizing what
that, this is for me.
Sue: You're snipping out a piece of the tubing.
Doctor Aliabadi: Good. Sue: And then you have to sew it
back together? Doctor Aliabadi: That's right.
Jyoti: They take a piece of my colon and they use that for the virginal canal.
Doctor Aliabadi: Of course as with any major surgical procedure things can go wrong.
But it has been quite successful for us in the past.
Then when you're under anesthesia, then we will …
Jyoti: Cut me open.
Doctor Aliabadi: That’s one way of putting it.
We will see which part of the intestine should be used.
Jyoti: Okay, let's do this s***.
Me and my mom are on our way to the hospital to get ready for the surgery.
Today’s the day that its finally happening.
Something that I've waited basically my whole life to do.
Hello? Doctor Aliabadi: Hello again.
Jyoti: Nurses came in got me prepped and ready.
There is my bed that I am going to be wheeled down in shortly.
Is don't do that.
My mom, my dad he’s back there.
This is Tigger. I've had it since I was three and my dad came and got me from India.
It's always been my comfort.
I will come back I’m going into surgery now.
Sue: Okay, so Jo’s in surgery now.
And all I can do is wait for the next four hours to find out how she does.
Jo’s being discharged today. How are you feeling?
Jyoti: I'm feeling sore.
The first couple of days I was bleeding quite a lot down there. And
I just remember thinking well, finally got a period
that I never had. Welcome to womanhood Jo.
Interviewer: How does it feel to be out? Jyoti: It feels really good.
I can finally see the light of day like actually be outside.
I’ve been in the hospital for about 10 days.
I have a lot of progress still to do.
But I'm very excited for the rest of this process. We are now on our way home.
I want food.
I’m sore.
Sue: Home sweet home. Placing your backpack in you your room.
Jyoti: Thank you ma.
Glad to be home but I'm very tired now and I'm sore.
Sue: Yeah, but it was not as easy as he thought it would be.
He had to try three different access points …
Jyoti: Oh wow. Sue: Before he could get it right.
So it was a long surgery it was supposed to be four hours.
And it was eight hours. Jyoti: Wow.
Sue: He said it was one of the hardest surgeries he's ever done.
I am so relieved that it’s done.
This was a huge hurdle to get over with Jo.
I for one plan on spending tomorrow as in bed for as long as possible Netflix bingeing.
Maybe I'll watch some stuff with you.
Jyoti: Yeah, I've been re-watching Stranger Things.
So there's this other one on Netflix. It's called the end of the...
Sue: I'm just really happy for Jo that she got what she wanted.
Jyoti: I'm excited to try new things and meet new people.
And have new experiences that I might not have otherwise had if I had not had the surgery.
Meds, meds, meds.
People are going to hate on all sorts of reasons of like,
why I shouldn't have done it.
At the end of the day it’s my body, my choice my decision.
I don't regret it whatsoever.
Sue: Do you think the vagina was a good choice?
Jyoti: Yes. Okay this is what I’m going to do.