Plausible Surgery Cover Stories

[ZombieDog]

I have a number of friends in an online community that do not know that I'm a transman.  I pass with them, they've seen my face and heard my voice, so they think that I'm a man.  My concern is that I'll have to tell them that I'm getting surgery when I go for my top surgery and I obviously can't tell them that I'm having my breasts removed and having a male chest sculpted.

I could, of course, say that I'm having a private surgery and that it's none of their business but this is a fairly close community and I'll be talking to them while I recover.

So I guess I need a cover story.  Some kind of surgery that a relatively young(re: 30 year old) guy would have done as a non-emergency.  I'm not going to lie about being in an accident as well as about the nature of the surgery.  It needs to involve at least a week period of recovery.

Do you have any suggestions?

[Arch]

You can just call a spade a spade...gynecomastia surgery. But if that's too close for comfort, what if you say that you are having some large but benign growths removed from your torso? Do you expect these people to be asking for specifics, or are you trying to preempt them?

[MacG]

Tonsillectomy... Can be scheduled. I had my tonsils out at age 40. I'm assuming you don't  speak with your online friends.

So can cholecystectomy (having your gall bladder removed), especially more plausible if you're at all overweight.

[Declan.]

You can just call a spade a spade...gynecomastia surgery. But if that's too close for comfort, what if you say that you are having some large but benign growths removed from your torso? Do you expect these people to be asking for specifics, or are you trying to preempt them?

Gynecomastia came to mind right away too. Same scars.

[Kreuzfidel]

I just said my surgery was to correct a birth-defect.

[Ayden]

I have told people I'm having surgery. That's it. They haven't had the poor taste to ask me what it's for and I haven't offered. I told the one person who asked because he lacked social grace that I was having a preventative procedure. Technically true. I'm preventing myself from going through another summer of wearing these stupid binders

[Adam (birkin)]

I'm wondering if there's even a need to concoct a backstory to the surgery. I think you might be overthinking this a bit, tbh. I don't plan to tell anyone at work why I am going to be away, and should anyone ask I'll take Ayden's approach and just say "surgery" because most people don't ask the details. Like when I was at the hospital yesterday I met a woman and I asked if she worked there, and she said "no, I'm a patient." I wasn't about to ask her what she was there for because obviously something like that is a sensitive topic.

I figure if someone kept pressing I'd honestly just tell them "sorry, but this is something I'm not comfortable talking about. Thank you for being concerned about me, but I am OK."

[Alexthecat]

People at work irl were more asking than my online buds. I only told one of them online and I don't think he's told anyone. Both parties knew I was having surgery.

[JayDawg]

Gynecomastia came to mind right away too. Same scars.

Yep, I'd go with this. If they do ask, you can say, "Guys, this is pretty embarrassing... I'm having gynecomastia surgery. I've been self-conscious about my moobs for a long time, and finally decided to do something about it."

I can't think they would be anything but supportive.

-Jay

[Sebryn]

Just tell them surgery. Period. End of story. I've not had one person who didn't already know I'm trans ask what type of surgery. The repairing a birth defect one is my person favorite if someone asked. That ends the questions usually I'd think.

[David27]

As with whats been said a lot people generally don't ask specifics if you say you had surgery as it could be construed as very private.

However, the other intern who I don't think knows I'm trans thought I had back surgery because my arm movement was bad the at the 3 week month.

[Bimmer Guy]

Since this is an online community, why do you have to tell them anything?  You can still be online while you recover.

My coworkers think I just took a couple weeks vacation. I told my boss I was having "elective surgery"  The only reason why I mentioned surgery at all to her is because I wanted to use sick time. I said elective because I have a history of a serious health condition and I didnt want her to sorry.

[ZombieDog]

Thanks for your replies guys.

This is a pretty close group of friends who, while we only meet online, have seen pictures and spoken to each other through voice.  So if I say I'm going for surgery they're going to be concerned and are close enough that if they asked what kind of surgery, I'd want to have some kind of answer to give them.

I suppose that I could very well say that I have gynecomastia, I hadn't really thought of that(talk about not seeing the forest for the trees, eh?)

[Bimmer Guy]

Thanks for your replies guys.

This is a pretty close group of friends who, while we only meet online, have seen pictures and spoken to each other through voice.  So if I say I'm going for surgery they're going to be concerned and are close enough that if they asked what kind of surgery, I'd want to have some kind of answer to give them.

I suppose that I could very well say that I have gynecomastia, I hadn't really thought of that(talk about not seeing the forest for the trees, eh?)

You seriously don't even have to miss one day of online time.  Write/interact with them prior to surgery that day.  You will probably be wiped out the rest of the day/night, but you can certainly be back online as usual the next day.  Honestly, Zombiedog, there is no need to even mention it unless you all have a 3 hour gaming session every night or something.  That might be a bit too draining to do.

[aross1015]

I really don't see the need to tell them you are having surgery, unless you are just close like that.  At a job or other location (school, irl group, etc) where you are physically interacting with people and need to tell them you are having surgery because you might need to take time off (school or job for instance) or because you will be needing to do less physical activities/will be physically limited for a while, it makes sense to tell them you've had surgery, but for an online forum, nah. 

[kitty]

I just said my surgery was to correct a birth-defect.

I would suggest this as it's not exactly fabricating an excuse