FFS with Dr. Bensimon

[Melissa Forever]

Hello All,

It has been a while since I was on the boards, but I thought it would be a good idea to write about my FFS journey so that people can follow along or ask questions.

I had a consultation with Dr. Bensimon last week. We are going to be doing a scalp advance, forehead contour (I am Type II) along with orbital rims, Rhinoplasty, and possible chin contouring. I will also be getting breast augmentation at the same time. The consultation went really well and I found him to be very responsive and respectful. He also has a sense of humor which is super important. The deposit was 10% of the total surgery and was required in order to hold the surgery date of July 4, 2016.

Part of me is worried that all of this is unnecessary. That the changes will be too minor to make a difference. That all this money will be wasted for nothing. In my heart I know it is the right thing to do for me and if I didn't do it I would always regret it. I am told by people that I do not need it While that is flattering, they will never understand what it is like to look in the mirror and see so many masculine characteristics. On the plus side anyone I have heard of that was told that and had FFS, just ended up looking more stunning anyways. So maybe part of it is vanity and a desire to be pretty, but either way it is going to happen soon.

overall I don't feel excited or scared. I think it is still too far away to really feel anything about it. I do know this has been a dream of mine for a very long time. Like voice surgery it is another step to becoming my true self. I hope that FFS has the same effect as VFS did. Feeling confident with my voice help immensely when I went full time. It would just be great to not wonder anymore if people in the grocery store are staring at me because they think I am trans.

Melissa

[Paula1]

Hi Melissa,

Good luck on July 4th.

What a great way to celebrate Independence Day .... 

[archlord]

You'll be in good hands.  Looking forward for this

[Violet Bloom]

  I had similar to you (but no chin/breast work) with Dr. Bensimon in May 2015.  He has such a nice personality and is fully honest in his assessment.  I too had been worried the changes would be too minor, but I needed it to move on mentally like you say.  Dr. Bensimon is incredibly skilled at making a natural-looking face.  You will be surprised to see how subtle some of the adjustments he makes will be - be sure as I did to take lots of photos before and after.  Without these for reference it would have been hard for me to tell everything he accomplished and how it all fit together so well.  I took my final post-op comparison photos in September of that year once I was quite good and healed.

  My initial recovery was surprisingly quick, but the full results of my healing wouldn't settle in for a few months.  Don't get scared right after surgery if you can't see all the change you wanted appearing right away.  I look back now at the photos of my face from immediately post-op and still kinda see male.  At the time it was a vast improvement, but healing and hormones have changed me much more since.  I certainly have no regrets and I don't think you will either.

  I don't know if you got to read it but I posted a detailed account of my FFS story recently on the one-year anniversary.  (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,209362.0.html)  If you have any questions I've not answered so far, feel free to PM me.