|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 3:05 pm
I've booked my final surgery for January 31st which is fast approaching. Having began transition five years ago I'm very excited to begin the last step. With testosterone and chest surgery behind me, I've decided to pursue genital surgery to complete my transition. I know that not many people have GRS, especially FtMs, however for me it is something I've wanted for a long time and feels necessary for me to do. I will be having phalloplasty with scrotoplasty and implants with Dr. Toby R. Meltzer in Scottsdale, Arizona. I chose my surgeon after three years of rigorous research and consultations with several surgeons. I'll be the first FtM in my province to have gone through this. It's kind of scary not to have anyone in person to talk to about their experiences but I've met so many helpful people online that I feel really confident and excited about this.
The surgery itself is a multi-staged procedure. The initial creation of the phallus and scrotum will be done on January 31st. I will then have to return every three weeks for three minor revisions. After that I will need to go back in another three months [six months after the initial surgery] for yet another revision plus the insertion of the permanent testicular implants. Six months after that [a year from the original surgery date] I can go to have my erectile prothesis installed. So while I say my final surgery is January 31st, the whole process will take over a year to finish.
I live on the east coast of Canada and due to the extreme distance I've decided to actually spend three months in Arizona, rather than flying back and forth. I can't say I mind this decision as skipping Canadian winter for the second year in a row sounds absolutely delightful to me. With this in mind, I want to make a real trip out of this experience. I don't want the whole adventure to be entirely surgery-focused. I want to make this a life-changing journey in general. A couple friends and I will be hitch-hiking from Atlantic Canada at the beginning of January, all the way down the east coast of the states and then straight across the southern states till we reach Arizona. After the three months there, we will be going to San Francisco, then traveling up the west coast back to Canada and going back across Canada on foot again. The whole trip may take anywhere from 4-6 months.
So rather than this whole thread being dedicated to my surgery, I thought maybe we could have a discussion about GRS in general? I don't have many suggested topics so I'll leave the floor open. All I ask is that you are respectful of other people's choices and the choice of words you use to discuss GRS. I won't tolerate any discussion that is fear-mongering myths and generalizations, nor putting down anyone's genitalia. So please, talk about whatever you want to on the subject as long as you keep in mind it is a very sensitive topic for most. Talk about whether you want GRS, don't want it, haven't thought about it, why, why not, what you would want, not want, what your fears and hopes are etc. I don't think we talk about GRS often enough in an open and safe space such as this guild. I know many of us here are in the earlier stages of transition but that doesn't mean we can't talk about it.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 6:21 pm
Oh my god that's so exciting! Scary, but so exciting, I hope everything goes smoothly, congratulations. That's so wonderful to read about biggrin Please do post about it after the first surgery if you can, I really would love to hear about it!
I'm set on getting a transplant when they have a higher success rate, but I can wait for that. Geez Nios, you make me so excited to just THINK about getting top surgery. I've got butterflies, damn, I really hope everything goes perfectly for you!
Curious, how do they do the testicular implants? I haven't read up much on them, are they silicone?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 6:51 pm
Thanks! Keeping my fingers crossed that it all goes well. Despite it being a major major surgery, I'm managing to keep my risk factors pretty low by doing the minimal amount of surgery to get the results I really want. But complications can happen to anyone so there's always a possibility. I'll definitely keep you all up to date on how it goes!
As excited as I am about the possibility of a transplant, I really don't think I have enough optimism and confidence in them becoming a widely practiced and affordable means of GRS for FtMs any time soon. I don't think waiting is a bad idea, it's just simply not something that I want to do. Also, I think realistically if it does become possible some time in my life time, I don't think having a phalloplasty would complicate or stop me from being eligible for a transplant. I think it could just be switched, you know? I'm leaving my options open for making changes later if I really want to.
As for your question, the testicular implants I'll be getting are made of silicone though I have heard of saline filled ones.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 9:30 pm
That is true, if money wasn't such a factor for me, that'd definitely be an option!
I was just wondering since, well, testicles have such a specific feel, I wonder how realistic they are. Time for some research. biggrin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 2:51 pm
You might find this website useful. It's a website for testicular cancer survivors discussing whether or not they want implants. The testimonies have been pre-selected so I don't know if there is any bias to them by being presented that way. But it's interesting to hear cis men's experiences with having no testicles or having testicular implants compared to their biological ones. Most of the comments seem to be in favour of opting out of the implants.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 11:19 pm
Nios You might find this website useful. It's a website for testicular cancer survivors discussing whether or not they want implants. The testimonies have been pre-selected so I don't know if there is any bias to them by being presented that way. But it's interesting to hear cis men's experiences with having no testicles or having testicular implants compared to their biological ones. Most of the comments seem to be in favour of opting out of the implants. It's interesting how the guys who opted out had mostly sex/appearance reasons (like, women don't care or looks don't matter) and the guys who opted for an implant had reasons like being more complete.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 6:42 am
Yeah I found the quotes really interesting too. There were a lot more guys that chose not to have them than I would have expected.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 11:48 pm
Nios Yeah I found the quotes really interesting too. There were a lot more guys that chose not to have them than I would have expected. Yes that too! For all the societal messages that guys are all about and only about what's in their pants it's interesting to see so many guys say it doesn't matter or they barely even notice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 5:00 pm
Wow, you'll be done after this. Other than the follow up procedures, I imagine... congratulations!
I'm still searching for a doctor for my chest operation. Considering my finances, it's impossible to leave my province but it IS covered by medical care - at the price of three freaking letters from psychiatrists and psychologists, which you must pay and that is enough to bring me down to poverty, so...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
![[Envy v.4]'s avatar](https://a1cdn.gaiaonline.com/dress-up/avatar/ava/c5/56/4a0a4e6e1556c5_flip.png?t=1299705103_6.00_11)