What a great question. I'll answer as someone who had always thought that lower surgery (of whatever procedure) would be out of range, financially. Still, dysphoria and other reasons kept me motivated to stay somewhat current with what's out there as far as procedures and results. Now, with a new job, I find that I have a health insurance plan that covers SRS. (!!!!) There are some real challenges about accessing it (maybe for another thread, I dunno), but the matter has presented itself in a new and real way.
Short answer: I'm really glad that I am not starting "from scratch" to gather information and figure out what I want. However, over the years I've seen procedures come and go, some techniques improve, some procedures return to favor (abdominal flap, a.k.a. "suitcase handle," for instance)...so I'm glad I kept a moderate eye on things without driving myself buggy obsessing about details. (Obsessing about details, collecting information, etc is one of the ways that I personally deal with the unknown. Not referring to anyone else's patterns!)
Knowing I wanted lower surgery has also allowed me to position myself to see actual real current results...and avoid falling for the ignorant stereotypes that have been alluded to above. Yes- men who have had lower surgery will rarely show their genitals without good reason, and in a space where there is trust and respect. Even more than showing, discussing how a particular procedure intersects with one's sexuality is an even more delicate discussion. You won't find those happening on the open internet, in general.
I've been fortunate to see & feel a number of results in person, mostly metas. Yes, they can be used for penetrative sex, by themselves, or with gear that's also used for the same reason by non trans men. As a gay man living my life in the gay men's community, I've seen scores of non trans dicks. I've seen metas and phallos which would not raise an eyebrow (or would, in a good way!) in the locker room. Techniques, including preparation and healing (pre- and post- surgery) have really advanced over the last decade or so. Even for results which I wouldn't label outstanding from a glance, the men who have them have very high rates of deep satisfaction.
So I'd advise you to keep an eye on the main trends. See results whenever you can (best open opportunity for FTMS, in Philly end of next month). Save some money. Keep your paper trail in order, in case you get a job where you have health insurance that covers SRS (often stricter requirements than the SOC says). But most importantly, be aware of what amount of attention to this gives you hope, versus that which feeds your anxiety or dysphoria.
