Anything about top surgery/T?

[Zunden]

If any of you guys who have actually done this stuff would just publish any info you have on top surgery and T, I'd really appreciate it. I have all of no method of getting info besides Google (I already know more than my doctor, sadly enough), so... Yeah. Particularly, with the surgery I'm interested in what it cost you, if your insurance covered it at all, if it did--what did you have to do/pay (and what insurance do you have?), how you felt about it after, if you had to go back and get anything fixed, how much getting things fixed costed, surgeon recommendations in SF Bay Area of CA or Tacoma, WA if applicable, etc. For the T, what method are you on, how much does that cost you how regularly, where are you actually getting it from, etc... I know this is a lot, but honestly I can't seem to get a straight answer...anywhere... If you have even just part of this info, or anything else you think an 18 y/o pre-op ought to know, it'd be muchly appreciated.

[Brendon]

Make an account on transbucket; it has a lot of pictures from different surgeons, and it typically includes how much the surgery cost. The rest of this can probably be found in the forums here; use the search feature.

[Adio]

I'll answer you questions and then give you some helpful links.  Also, if you use the search function on this site, you will find a wealth of information.

I had top surgery with Dr. Garramone in Florida in early June 2011.  Cost was $5900 USD for the surgery itself, another $1000 USD or so in travel and hotel expenses.  Insurance did not cover anything except for meds.  I felt kind of sick after surgery because I had a reaction to the anesthesia.  I am not seeking a revision at this time.  If I did want a revision, the fee would be waived for one year after surgery (if the procedure could be done in his office). 

I can't speak about him from personal experience, but Dr. Brownstein is a surgeon in San Francisco, CA.  He has been practicing for over 30 years and is very experienced with top surgery.  A lot of guys go to him and are satisfied with the results.  However, I must stress that he and Dr. Garramone are not the only surgeons out there.  Everyone's body is different and results vary depending on many factors.  Please research and find the surgeon that is right for you (if you decide to have surgery). 

I've been on T since December 2009 (19 months or roughly 1 1/2 years).  I do IM (intramuscular) injections every other week.  It costs me $60 every 5 months (give or take); I order it from Strohecker's Pharmacy in Portland, OR.

Helpful links (may or may not be SWF):
This is Susan's wiki.  Very helpful, lots of good info about various trans topics including surgery and hormones.  https://www.susans.org/wiki/Main_Page

Targeted at trans men.  Great info on testosterone and various ftm surgeries.  Also includes tips on clothing, hair, and packers and prosthetics.  http://www.ftmguide.org/

Dr. Garramone's website.  http://www.transgenderflorida.com/

Dr. Brownstein's website.  http://www.brownsteinmd.com/

Pictures of surgery results (top surgery, bottom surgery, as well as some mtf surgeries).  Must sign up to access info.  http://transbucket.com/

Ethan Daniel's transition website.  He documents his experiences thoroughly and includes pictures of himself on T and after surgery over a period of 5 years.  http://www.ftmtransition.com/

Yahoo has a ton of great groups for ftms.  The two I'm most familiar with are http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ftmsurgeryinfo/ and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheDecidingLine/  Both require you to join yahoo and then join the individual groups.  I'm sure there are other relevant groups as well.

Good site for finding local resources.  http://t-vox.org/index.php?title=Main_Page