Quote from: Northern Jane on October 16, 2013, 06:37:18 AM
That's GREAT news!
Don't do anything in a hurry. Take your time and investigate all the possibilities before you make a decision!!!!
Personally I would want an evaluation by an endocrinologist next. What are your hormone levels, testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone? Estrogen levels tracked for at least 30 days would be even better. Those tests will tell your endo if your ovaries are pure ovarian tissue or a combination (ova-testes) and if they are trying to function as ovaries. If they are producing estrogen and not much testosterone, they are worth hanging on to and you may even be able to have children (with a little help from medical science). If they are producing too much testosterone you may want to consider having them removed or if they are non-functional, they will have to be watched for cancer (which is a risk with unusual tissues).
If you have "some vaginal tissue" there is a possibility of a vagina being constructed that would connect with what is already there (providing there is a cervix) but it isn't going to be "your run of the mill sex change" and needs to be done by a specialist.
You are very lucky to have found all this out now! Forty years ago I was never properly tested and what was removed at SRS was probably ova-testes and I was 60 before I found out I have a uterus. If that was the case today, I MAY have been able to have the children I always wanted albeit by surrogate mother.
Be careful! Don't make any rash decision and don't let anybody talk you in to anything!
I would like to add to what is said above. If I sound like I'm preaching, please know that I'm offering suggestions in the hope you can learn from my mistakes. Once you see the endo, ask for a referral for a QUALIFIED gynecologist. That is going to be hard to find but the endo should be able to find one. Between the two, they will be able to figure out the tissue composition and possibility for proper functioning of your ovaries. The hormone levels are one way to do this but a good detailed scan (MRI or even ultrasound) will add to the accuracy. (They can adjust the MRI scan to look at very fine details and they may not have ran the scan you had to that level of resolution.)
I would be very curious about your poorly formed male organs, particularly about the prostate. Typically, in cases like yours, the vagina/uterus will can be attached to something and may be attached to the prostate, which can change the nature of any surgery. It's not a bad thing or a good thing but is needed information. Your urologist should be able to tell you this information right now.
Once things get more put together, the gyno you find should be able to find you a qualified surgeon or surgeons. It may end up being two surgeries: one with a gyno and one with a surgeon who does SRS who could get the nerve system correct so that sexual sensation as a woman would be there.
Someone may suggest exploratory surgery. Make it very clear they can look, if absolutely necessary, but they cannot take anything out – nothing. Then, they can go over the results with you and your parents and other doctors and make a plan. It's too easy to mess things up during an exploratory surgery.
Lastly, you are intersexed. By law, they have to cover necessary surgeries to correct this condition. I'll get additional information on this and post it here.
Tears of joy for you.
Hugs,
Jen
