Yup. I'm Non-op (more or less).

[Shantel]

Trust me you are not alone. I won't get bottom surgery for numerous reasons. It's expensive, it's risky, there is no guarantee your equipment will work right. For FtM bottom surgery it is not nearly as advanced as I would like it to be. The testicles one gets are silicone and you can only get erections with the phalloplasty via a pump, and they take large amounts of skin from other parts of the body to make it. If they start being able to grow fully functioning, cis looking genitalia for FtMs in test tubes and the surgery wasn't so risky I'd consider it then.

They probably aren't too far out on that sort of capability, nothing surprises me at the rate medical technology is moving.

[Tessa James]

This thread is a bit dated but highly relevant to so many.  It seems regrettable that anyone here feels they should have to justify or defend their sense of self and gender identity on a "Transgender" support site.
I spent over 3 decades providing anesthesia in the surgical suites of major hospitals and assure you that we do not have accurate knowledge of the frequency and severity of surgical complications.  In the US we have morbidity and mortality presentations but comparative data is vey challenging even for researchers to find.  The incidence of nosocomial infections is incredibly high and guess what, we don't have the best medical care in the world.  Take a category like infant mortality and little Cuba has better outcomes than our children experience here.  For profit providers are not interested in public disclosure.  Wealth and opportunity are not the only variables in making ethical choices for living a life that is true to ourselves. 
Transitioning is a journey filled with very personal decisions and a surgical scalpel is not realy a magic wand.  Individuals, not the peanut gallery must carry the weight, decide the risk and live with the choices.  The decisions a teenager or 20 yo might make relative to transitioning with a future of dating are far different than the choices a 50-60 yo with a SO might make?  Empathy and compassion please!
Again, what's with the straight jackets of a binary gender world where anatomy is destiny?  Were there no transsexual people before the surgical breakthroughs of the early 1950s?

Rock on gender rebels!

[natastic]

Rock on gender rebels!

Rock on

[kelly_aus]

Rock on gender rebels!

Pointing to her profile name..

[bethany]

When I had my first appointment with my doctor we talked about this very subject. she said "Even if you keep your male bits it wont make you any less of a woman"

Now I would like nothing more for them to be gone but because of being confined to a wheelchair and needing so much help to transfer out of it. (sorry if thats tmi) I will be keeping my penis, but hope to have an orchi at some point in time.

[V M]

Everyone whither non op, pre op or post op are welcome here at Susan's     Personally I couldn't care less if you decide to get surgery or not, but I'll be there to lend you support as best I can either way

[Nero]

DianaP,
That's NOT weird. I don't hate my penis, but I DETEST my balls. If I could get an orchi tomorrow, I would. It's WAY cheaper and less invasive than GRS anyway.

As someone not in possession of either, I'm curious about this. Why would the beans be more detestable than the frank? Just the T in em?

[Kevin Peña]

As someone not in possession of either, I'm curious about this. Why would the beans be more detestable than the frank? Just the T in em?

The beans produce testosterone, for starters. They also hurt more. I can't tell you how annoying it is to feel squished beans when riding a bike. 

At least the frank allows you to pee standing up... 

[Shantel]

As someone not in possession of either, I'm curious about this. Why would the beans be more detestable than the frank? Just the T in em?

Haha you are such fun Nero! Yeah, the testicles corresponding to the ovaries are hormone generators, they unlike ovaries are unsightly hanging there in a sack and painful as all hell when one gets whopped there. To most trans women they represent something detestable just as breasts are regarded by trans men. Not only that but they take up an inordinate amount of space and require some doing to conceal them when wearing women's shape revealing pants. But you already knew that, you just wanted someone to say it, you can't fool me Mr. 

[TerriT]

As someone not in possession of either, I'm curious about this. Why would the beans be more detestable than the frank? Just the T in em?

They are ugly, uncomfortable, irritating poison factories.

However my penis has provided countless hours of happiness and I'm really very attached to the thing. I don't need an erection to orgasm, so I'm not worried about that, but I would be scared that I couldn't after SRS.

[Amy Fox]

when i was speaking to my Dr he said that in most cases being on hormones is enough and that something like less than a fith of people who have GID / GD actually go for SRS, i have spoken to a few friends on the matter and they know a few people who have killed themselves after because they were less than impressed with the results so i think it's safe to say im non-op XD as long as i can pass as a girl and other people see me / treat me as a girl i'm happy

[Shantel]

They are ugly, uncomfortable, irritating poison factories.

However my penis has provided countless hours of happiness and I'm really very attached to the thing. I don't need an erection to orgasm, so I'm not worried about that, but I would be scared that I couldn't after SRS.

That was the turning point in my decision making process during my SRS pre-op consultation with Dr. Bowers. She had stated that there are an enormous number of sensate nerve endings in a cis female's clitoris as opposed to that of the head of a male penis which is severed during surgery for use later to construct the clitoris in the MtF patient. That being said, the successful reattachment of the nerves is micro-surgery and is somewhat of a crap shoot which depends on the nerve endings themselves growing, reattaching and becoming sensate once again. Even so, it couldn't possibly ever compare to the sensitivity experienced in a natal female and so as far as future sexual pleasure or even experiencing an orgasm goes, there are no guarantees! Since Marcie Bowers is a trans woman herself and a competent and skilled SRS surgeon, I assumed that she knew what she was talking about and I opted out. I do appreciate her honesty and candor.

[suzifrommd]

When I had my first appointment with my doctor we talked about this very subject. she said "Even if you keep your male bits it wont make you any less of a woman"

Wow, this is a hard one to swallow.

I really, really, really want it to be true. I want to be just as much of a woman as someone with proper geometry below.

But I feel like it must take a Wonder Woman level of self-acceptance to ignore anatomy.

How do people do that?

[Nero]

When I had my first appointment with my doctor we talked about this very subject. she said "Even if you keep your male bits it wont make you any less of a woman"

Wow, this is a hard one to swallow.

I really, really, really want it to be true. I want to be just as much of a woman as someone with proper geometry below.

But I feel like it must take a Wonder Woman level of self-acceptance to ignore anatomy.

How do people do that?

I do it. Not sure how. I think being in intimate relationships with men helped. I could see that I was no different than they are. They just have some extra flesh hanging off them. It's nothing they did to be 'legit'. They were just born that way. Oftentimes even cis people are insecure about their genitals for one reason or another. Am I that different from a guy who doesn't feel like a man because his parts are smaller than average?

Are you really that different from a woman who feels less female because of the 'odd' shape of her vagina?
Some of the women with 'proper geometry' you may envy may feel terrible secret shame and inadequacy because of some 'wrong' aspect to their parts. Even to the point of avoiding intimacy. Look at all the women getting genital procedures.
It's all just flesh and nobody had any say in what they got. I'd rather keep parts that work than trade them in for a prayer.

[kelly_aus]

Wow, this is a hard one to swallow.

I really, really, really want it to be true. I want to be just as much of a woman as someone with proper geometry below.

But I feel like it must take a Wonder Woman level of self-acceptance to ignore anatomy.

How do people do that?

I think that any one who transitions should have that level of self acceptance. Why? Because anything less than 100% self acceptance is a set up for disappointment and even failure.

I am a woman. No if's or but's.. And it matters not what is in my pants.

[suzifrommd]

I think that any one who transitions should have that level of self acceptance.

Not sure how to interpret this.

Are you saying that if you don't have this level of self acceptance you shouldn't transition? Just keep living as a ... *shudder* ... man?

[kelly_aus]

Not sure how to interpret this.

Are you saying that if you don't have this level of self acceptance you shouldn't transition? Just keep living as a ... *shudder* ... man?

I was simply saying that you should have 100% self acceptance. I do, but have no idea where it came from. If I hadn't had it. I probably would not have transitioned - because I'd never have been able to cope with the things I cannot change. Or maybe I would have and ended up hating my life even more than I did.

This is my own opinion and as such, only really applies to me, but some of the things I see and read around here suggest to me there may be some truth to it..

[Shantel]

Wow, this is a hard one to swallow.

I really, really, really want it to be true. I want to be just as much of a woman as someone with proper geometry below.

But I feel like it must take a Wonder Woman level of self-acceptance to ignore anatomy.

How do people do that?

People do that because it's expedient for them to do so, and who knows what tomorrow will bring? Anyone can have a complete reversal and decide to go for it at a later time. Admittedly the female lower end presents a much neater little package, but for reasons like I had outlined in my earlier post including accepting and being comfortable in one's own skin, considerations for a significant other, cost of the procedure, and potential for a medical SNAFU just to name a few, many are making the decision not to have SRS. This brings to mind the crux of the story and the epiphany of the MtF person's close friend in the film entitled "The Crying Game." No-one should have to justify their decisions about this to another TG person since this isn't what determines gender. If we were to get all technical as has happened in some courts it would limited to DNA and we'd all be out to lunch.

[Jay-Bird]

People do that because it's expedient for them to do so, and who knows what tomorrow will bring? Anyone can have a complete reversal and decide to go for it at a later time. Admittedly the female lower end presents a much neater little package, but for reasons like I had outlined in my earlier post including accepting and being comfortable in one's own skin, considerations for a significant other, cost of the procedure, and potential for a medical SNAFU just to name a few, many are making the decision not to have SRS. This brings to mind the crux of the story and the epiphany of the MtF person's close friend in the film entitled "The Crying Game." No-one should have to justify their decisions about this to another TG person since this isn't what determines gender. If we were to get all technical as has happened in some courts it would limited to DNA and we'd all be out to lunch.

^ this, perfectly said in every way.
Our body is our own as are our decisions in life.
I have no immediate or future bottom surgery plans for myself and I reserve the right to change my mind at any time. (and it makes me no less a woman)
and now I feel it appropriate to quote a line or 2 from an old favorite
"What might be right for you, may not be right for some. It takes, different Strokes to move the world."

[Christinaaaa]

I am for sure non op. I'm with you there.also I'm attracted to females so keeping my down stairs will be pretty useful lol