Yeson voice feminization surgery

[Jennygirl]

I paid up front on the first day I had an appointment, and then 400 right before the botox injection.

Luckily I had brought with me exactly 400usd to keep in the hotel safe for traveling expenses or in case my card got stolen. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to pay for the botox (my bank shut down my card and would not reactivate it because I couldn't speak over the phone to reauthorize it). In desperation, I whispered over the phone to verify myself and I was worried sick that I had messed something up. Then they froze it again immediately after I made my first ATM transaction.

Also very luckily, my friend had enough to cover for my food expenses until we got back to the states. I THEN had to go into the branch location to try to convince a blank employee I was myself, even though I don't look the same as my male ID- still without being able to talk.

I forgot how much of a nightmare my bank was. Ugh. Always make sure you let your bank know in every possible way that you will be traveling. Being in a foreign country without access to your bank account is nerve wracking to say the least! I DID let my bank know several times both on the phone and at the branch beforehand and the "card protection services" still managed to screw it up. By the end of it I was calling them "card jerkoff services". I could never say it though, only write 😉

On the plus side, I paid the botox charge in cash and there was no conversion rate at all so I saved some money there. 😛

[Kiwi4Eva]

I paid up front on the first day I had an appointment, and then 400 right before the botox injection.

Luckily I had brought with me exactly 400usd to keep in the hotel safe for traveling expenses or in case my card got stolen. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to pay for the botox (my bank shut down my card and would not reactivate it because I couldn't speak over the phone to reauthorize it). In desperation, I whispered over the phone to verify myself and I was worried sick that I had messed something up. Then they froze it again immediately after I made my first ATM transaction.

Also very luckily, my friend had enough to cover for my food expenses until we got back to the states. I THEN had to go into the branch location to try to convince a blank employee I was myself, even though I don't look the same as my male ID- still without being able to talk.

I forgot how much of a nightmare my bank was. Ugh. Always make sure you let your bank know in every possible way that you will be traveling. Being in a foreign country without access to your bank account is nerve wracking to say the least! I DID let my bank know several times both on the phone and at the branch beforehand and the "card protection services" still managed to screw it up. By the end of it I was calling them "card jerkoff services". I could never say it though, only write 😉

On the plus side, I paid the botox charge in cash and there was no conversion rate at all so I saved some money there. 😛

Sorry, I forgot to mention that...yes, I to paid the $400 for the botox in cash.  Except (because they ->-bleeped-<-ed me around) I only paid $200.  (see previous posts about my experience)

[sarahb]

All the documents I've gotten from them have said that full payment is due during the first consultation (the day before surgery). I am a week away from surgery and haven't had any requirement to pay in advance. Although, if I wanted to I could pay beforehand using a wire transfer, which they said does have to be made at least three weeks prior, likely to make sure everything goes through ok. But if you're paying with cash or credit card then it's due the day before surgery.

Jenny, I've been stressing about my bank too. They said they put a note on my account so I shouldn't have any issues, but I sent a message to them to double check that it's correct. Although I do have my American Express and I'm hoping I won't have any troubles with that, but if I do I'd like to know that my bank card won't be declined.

[anjaq]

that sounds good. So if you happen to fall ill and get a cold or whatever, you have not already paid and then maybe need to find a way to refund the money. I mean not in your case, I  am sure you will avoid any colds and such 😉 - but generally for others who go there.

BTW: https😕/www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,153240.html

[Jennygirl]

Sarah- I would try to get through to the department within your bank that deals directly with identity protection, or whichever department actually puts the card in a "protected" or disabled state.

You could also call back in a few days and see if they have indeed notated your account. Even after two attempts with my bank, nobody could see that it had ever been notated that I would be traveling.

It's really good that you have your American Express as a backup either way, but with the amount of prep you are doing you probably won't need it 🙂

[sarahb]

Sarah- I would try to get through to the department within your bank that deals directly with identity protection, or whichever department actually puts the card in a "protected" or disabled state.

You could also call back in a few days and see if they have indeed notated your account. Even after two attempts with my bank, nobody could see that it had ever been notated that I would be traveling.

It's really good that you have your American Express as a backup either way, but with the amount of prep you are doing you probably won't need it 🙂

I just called my bank directly today and had them add a note so my card is ok. They didn't mention anything about a previous note already being there, even though I had online communication with them that said they added it (twice). Thanks for the suggestion, I feel confident now that the note is there. I also asked about the daily limit being increased.

Right now my bank card has a daily limit of $2,500, so if I had to use it to pay for the surgery if my Amex is declined for some reason I wouldn't be able to. They do allow me to call on the day of the transaction to increase it temporarily, however, it only lasts until the end of the day. The problem is that Seoul is 16 or 17 hours ahead which would put it on Sunday when I'd have to call to have it increased, since my consultation is on Monday (South Korean time). I asked the guy on the phone about it and he didn't know, so he asked his supervisor and they are now going to test some things tonight to see if they can have the limit raised for more than a day to accommodate me. It's not guaranteed that it'll work, but it's awesome that they're trying to work with me and figure out a way to get it done. They said they'll give me a call tomorrow to let me know if it'll work or not! That's pretty awesome customer service!

In the end though my bank card is only there as a backup for the Amex, so hopefully I won't have any issues with the Amex. I did double check the Amex website and they explicitly say that there's no need to inform them of international travel, so that, along with the fact that I've already called them, gives me even more confidence that it'll be fine.

[abbyt89]

Sarah - I'm sure everything is going to be fine! I can't believe it's so close!!

I know it's been a while since I posted - sorry! If you want to hear an update I've uploaded one here - sorry it's kind of long!

https😕/soundcloud.com/abbyev89/susans-message-11-7-2013

[Shantel]

Sarah - I'm sure everything is going to be fine! I can't believe it's so close!!

I know it's been a while since I posted - sorry! If you want to hear an update I've uploaded one here - sorry it's kind of long!

https😕/soundcloud.com/abbyev89/susans-message-11-7-2013

Abby, your voice tonal quality and pitch is just fine. The only difference between your voice and Jenny's is that you are two completely different people. I think you may have to work on your delivery at some point, but that may just be because you are making a tape and not actually having a one-on-one conversation with somebody which would come across as more natural. When making a tape you will speak in a halting manner and suddenly go to a quick staccato with each sentence, you're going to have to modify that to a more typically female conversational tempo.

[amZo]

Sarah - I'm sure everything is going to be fine! I can't believe it's so close!!

I know it's been a while since I posted - sorry! If you want to hear an update I've uploaded one here - sorry it's kind of long!

https😕/soundcloud.com/abbyev89/susans-message-11-7-2013

Very nice female voice.  🙂

[sarahb]

Sarah - I'm sure everything is going to be fine! I can't believe it's so close!!

I know it's been a while since I posted - sorry! If you want to hear an update I've uploaded one here - sorry it's kind of long!

https😕/soundcloud.com/abbyev89/susans-message-11-7-2013

Thanks Abby. You're voice sounds really good, btw. How are you coming along with loudness? Do you feel like you've regained your loudness 100%, and is your overall upper range still increasing?

Oh and congrats on FFS in a couple months!! So excited for you 🙂 Keep us updated on how that goes and post pictures!

[LizMarie]

Abby, your voice tonal quality and pitch is just fine. The only difference between your voice and Jenny's is that you are two completely different people. I think you may have to work on your delivery at some point, but that may just be because you are making a tape and not actually having a one-on-one conversation with somebody which would come across as more natural. When making a tape you will speak in a halting manner and suddenly go to a quick staccato with each sentence, you're going to have to modify that to a more typically female conversational tempo.

I know several cisgender women who speak in that quick staccato, and every single one of them is a geologist, engineer, or computer scientist. 😉

[Shantel]

I know several cisgender women who speak in that quick staccato, and every single one of them is a geologist, engineer, or computer scientist. 😉

Hmm you may have clicked on a valid point, I don't know what Abby does. I think her voice has changed beautifully and hope I didn't upset her with my comments, I'm not here to hurt people's feelings.

[LizMarie]

Hmm you may have clicked on a valid point, I don't know what Abby does. I think her voice has changed beautifully and hope I didn't upset her with my comments, I'm not here to hurt people's feelings.

I didn't see it as hurtful, Shantel! 🙂

My intent was simply to point out that it appears that some women adopt more "male" speaking habits when working in what are usually heavily male dominated fields. In my experience, often those same women revert to more feminine speaking habits outside meetings and the office, such as at lunch, Friday happy hour, etc. 🙂

[Shantel]

I didn't see it as hurtful, Shantel! 🙂

My intent was simply to point out that it appears that some women adopt more "male" speaking habits when working in what are usually heavily male dominated fields. In my experience, often those same women revert to more feminine speaking habits outside meetings and the office, such as at lunch, Friday happy hour, etc. 🙂

Oh gotcha hon, makes sense!

[Carlita]

Abby, your voice tonal quality and pitch is just fine. The only difference between your voice and Jenny's is that you are two completely different people. I think you may have to work on your delivery at some point, but that may just be because you are making a tape and not actually having a one-on-one conversation with somebody which would come across as more natural. When making a tape you will speak in a halting manner and suddenly go to a quick staccato with each sentence, you're going to have to modify that to a more typically female conversational tempo.

I agree with you Shantel about Abby's pitch and tonal quality being just fine. The voice on this recording is well within the norm for a female voice - whatever the pitch in Hz might be. So the issue now becomes one of speech patterns, modulation, inflexion, character ... just the general ways of speaking that help us distinguish between male and female speech. And I'm sure that's a matter of relaxing into a new voice, learning to 'own' it and then just letting the woman inside come out and speak as she wants to speak.

And one thing's for sure, Abby ... no one's going to call the voice on that recording 'Mister'!  🙂

[Shantel]

I agree with you Shantel about Abby's pitch and tonal quality being just fine. The voice on this recording is well within the norm for a female voice - whatever the pitch in Hz might be. So the issue now becomes one of speech patterns, modulation, inflexion, character ... just the general ways of speaking that help us distinguish between male and female speech. And I'm sure that's a matter of relaxing into a new voice, learning to 'own' it and then just letting the woman inside come out and speak as she wants to speak.

And one thing's for sure, Abby ... no one's going to call the voice on that recording 'Mister'!  🙂

Thanks Carlita, you said it so much more succinctly than I was able to.

[anjaq]

I totally notice that. If i am talking at work with the geologists, I tend to do different voice patterns than if I am in a circle of women only. Its situational.

[abbyt89]

Hmm you may have clicked on a valid point, I don't know what Abby does. I think her voice has changed beautifully and hope I didn't upset her with my comments, I'm not here to hurt people's feelings.

Oh gosh of course not! And yeah the staccato/the way I talk in that recording is moreso me not really knowing what to say haha.

But anyway thanks for the kind words everyone 🙂

[abbyt89]

Sorry for posting more recordings - I know it's a lot!! But I've been doing a lot of work with my voice today and have two different voices at a pretty big difference in pitch (~20hz) and I'm curious what you think sounds better.

Message: http😕/vocaroo.com/i/s1HM6f6XAov2

Voice 1 (205hz): http😕/vocaroo.com/i/s0JzL23LqAVz

Voice 2 (185hz): http😕/vocaroo.com/i/s1PwDIsek91Z

[Kiwi4Eva]

Abby, if I were you...

I wouldn't stress so much with your voice.  Do your exercises and let it happen, naturally.

That's what I will be doing.  And, I will never try and "drop" my voice again, to talk like a man.  I don't need to do it anymore, and it would be counter-productive.

Rest - Relax - and let it happen. 🙂