Is It Too Early For Me?

[MeganRose]

I've been thinking a lot more about SRS recently, which I guess is only natural. I've been full time for about 2 months now, on HRT for just under a year, and my appearance and voice are now feminine enough that I don't have any problems with people seeing me and treating me as a woman. I do still have a bit of hair removal to get through (at the moment I still need to shave on average about once a week, but the hairs that do come through are mainly white and are barely noticable), but barring that, I definitely see the next major step in my transition as SRS.

I want to be able to have the surgery in Australia, which does limit my options a bit as to choice of surgeon, there are only two that I'm aware of, and one isn't performing any surgery at present, though this may change in the future. My therapist tells me that in his experience both of these surgeons require on average a RLE of 2 years, which means that if I do decide to go with either of them it won't be until January 2009 at the earliest.

In order to make SRS a real goal, rather than just something that might happen in the future, I need to know exactly what the target is so I can plan on as to how I can reach it. If it isn't going to be until then, which it probably won't be seeing as its most likely going to take me at least that long to get enough savings together to afford everything to be able to have the surgery done here, and I don't really want to have such a major procedure done overseas so far away from family and friends, do you think it is too early for me to be investigating my options? I feel like I need to know that SRS is a realistic goal, I want to know what kind of results I can or can't expect and I want to know what the cost would be. I wasn't expecting for surgery to become a priority for me this quickly, it took me almost three years of counselling before I accepted that starting HRT was something that I needed as opposed to something that I wanted, and now after only 2 months of living as a woman I already seem to have made up my mind that I need surgery.

Megan

[cindianna_jones]

NO it is not too soon.  Plan for it.  The fact that you can plan is a big plus in your favor. It will make you successful.  The world needs you as a complete person. The more you futz around with this, the less we'll have you.

I'm sure that you know about what to expect as far as results are concerned.  If not, then we need a new topic. 

Chin up!

Cindi

[MeganRose]

I'm sure that you know about what to expect as far as results are concerned.  If not, then we need a new topic. 

Well yes, I'm pretty sure I know what the surgeon would be doing.

I guess what I want is confirmation that he can do it for me. Which just isn't going to happen, I'm not even allowed to make an appointment for a consultation until I have completed RLE. Something I'm just going to have to accept, I suppose.

Megan

[cindianna_jones]

I'm so happy for you Megan. I look back at my own life and smile knowing some of the wonderful things you will experience.  Don't fret about the surgeon.  You've got lots to work on and money to save.  You'll be fine!

Cindi

[Suzy]

Megan,

I would think that planning this early would be an enormous advantage if anything.  I'm a little envious that you are at this state at this age.  Enjoy the journey and come up with a workable plan.

Wishing you all the best!

Kristi

[Maud]

well, this is something I've thought allot about (massive understatent) lately.


One thing is that these are still early days, I transitioned very quickly after comming to terms and very easily, now I'm four months in and I'm pretty happy with my life in general, my body has reacted well to hormones (started them just under two months before going FT), now I'm over 1/3 my way to getting my SRS letters and I feel I should really be planning, it's the only thing that really bothers me on a day to day basis other than my boney arse.


For a while I was dead set on saving up a ->-bleeped-<-e load of money and going to the best surgeon money can buy (suporn), then I realised, oh ->-bleeped-<-e I don't want to be in debt and there's no way I could save up on my own accord faster than like three years and bugger that, then I considered bowers by going with someone else at the same time it'd be cheaper and I could afford it but it's not a dead cert, this could happen and i'm still considering it, but I'm not 100% on it, if it can all happen smoothly I'd do it but I'm not counting on it.

More recently I've seen more results from bellringer and thomas, earlier I had seen a few scary looking ones though they were either very early thomas results which looked a bit, well, odd. and while logically I think I should go to the right surgeon for me not based on convenience it is damn convenient to just pop down to london and into charring cross for a week and then recover nearby

Also there's a choice aspect, I don't like the idea of being just assigned to a surgeon and that's it, though I recently found out that I do have a choice depending on which PCT I apply to, I could go to either thomas if I apply to lothian PCT or bellringer if I apply to westminster PCT. thomas seems to have a better reputation but I've not seen all that much of him, I know exactly what bellringer would do for me and i'm ok with that but I don't really know much about thomas...

All in all I've come to the same conclusion I started off with, stash the money away but the NHS is probably what's going to happen, espcially as I'm 8 months or so from referral and the surgery waiting list as it is now would plonk me exactly where it's convenient for me and give me enough time to recover before my third year of university; summer 08 and it wouldn't cost me a penny.


This compared to flying off half way around the world paying about £6-8k recovering in unfamilar surroundings and then flying back to england safe in the knowledge that if anything went wrong with my bits and bobs that I'd be financially screwed by going back to have it fixed up and all this would be for some asthetics and maybe a little mucusal tissue? Besides I don't think I have the material for bowers' technique and if I did bellringer offers a similar op anyway.


Is it worth thinking all this through? Definitely, but it's not worth obsessing over it too much, I've just got to the point where it's the only real trans related stress in my life other than that I don't have any dysphoria, not with the rest of my body and not with my life.

[MeganRose]

Is it worth thinking all this through? Definitely, but it's not worth obsessing over it too much, I've just got to the point where it's the only real trans related stress in my life other than that I don't have any dysphoria, not with the rest of my body and not with my life.

That is pretty much the same place where I'm at right now. Everything else gender-related seems to have been overcome, the only thing blocking the issue from being settled for once and for all is a bit of time and about $18,000 AUD. Not that that's in any way insignificant, but it seems such a minor thing to achieve compared to the things I've managed to achieve and overcome so far, fears overcome, barriers broken through.

I guess I've kind of got used to lining up the next hurdle, thinking about it for a bit and then taking it on at full pace, being surprised that I haven't knocked the whole thing over, and then moving on to the next. It kind of makes me wonder: what happens when the race is over? When there are no more hurdles to overcome?

Here's hoping that I take first place, and retire to a life of peace and quiet free of controversy and media attention .

[Julie Marie]

Some people spend years planning and saving for a vacation.  I'd say it's certainly not too early to start preparing for SRS. 

I can relate to the sudden desire to have SRS.  Once you start living full time you realize there's things you still can't do as a woman because you haven't had SRS.  More important though is the feeling inside oneself.  When that tells you it's time, it's time.

I wish you all the best in your transition.

Julie

[Maud]

At this point it's like as things get better it's rubbing the need harder to home, I had a fab night tonight, made new friends hung out with a few old ones and got a little intimate with one of them, no one had a clue about me nor did the boy I took back to mine and fooled around with for a while.

I wish I could function as any girl does, it bothers me deeply that I can't.

[MeganRose]

OK, so it's definitely not too early now.

I know which surgeon I'll be seeing, and I know how much I'm up for. He asks for approx $15000 AUD for a one-stage procedure, and of that goverment health and my private insurance will pay for about $2500. And more to the point, he's not really that concerned about the 2 year RLE that I was previously told was required - as long as I get my two letters it shouldn't be a problem.

So - all I need to do is save $12500 and I should be right. By the time I have the money letters shouldn't be a problem.

Time for me to find a better paying job, I think. The sooner this can happen, the better.

Megan

[Rashelle]

It's never too early to start planning. Along the lines of planning don't forget to take into consideration time off from work and paying the bills during that time, things needed such as a stockpile of ky (or equivalent), pads, Etc.

[melissa90299]

Megan,
I have a friend in recovery named Megan Rose, anyway I think you are ready now actually, notwithstanding the HBSOC requirements.

[asiangurliee]

I wasn't expecting for surgery to become a priority for me this quickly, it took me almost three years of counselling before I accepted that starting HRT was something that I needed as opposed to something that I wanted, and now after only 2 months of living as a woman I already seem to have made up my mind that I need surgery.

Megan

Me too, the male part bothers me more and more. I 've been on HRT for 3 months and i understand that i still have to think about how starting HTR was "something that I needed as opposed to something that i wanted. "

[shiva]

Hi, not sure where you all live but I'm in Australia. As far as I know we have a monopoly on good doctors in certain areas but I'm not sure about the SRS areas.... But if you've heard good things, well, that's what counts. Oh, and one thing I've wanted to ask since I first saw your avatar: Meagan Rose, is that girl in your avatar actually you?

[MeganRose]

Oh, and one thing I've wanted to ask since I first saw your avatar: Meagan Rose, is that girl in your avatar actually you?

Um, no .

HRT has been good to me, but not that good. Thats Shirley Manson - singer from the band Garbage?

Give me a few more years and I'll catch up to her  .

[Lydia]

Hi Megarose,

I'm in Australia (Melbourne). I'd be interested in any details on your surgeon (name, location, experience etc) that you might have. If theres any value for you I can provide you with details of the surgeon my clinic in Melbourne will be recommending.

Please PM me if you like.

Lydia