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Trouble with Surgery Decisions

Started by AgentVermont052, January 24, 2018, 01:27:34 PM

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AgentVermont052

I am ftm so that input would be preferred, but I am open to input from mtf as well  :)

Ever since I discovered I wanted to transition physically, I keep flip-flopping on what surgery I actually want. I know for top surgery I only have one option available (unfortunately also the most expensive) due to how large my chest is.

But as for bottom surgery, I just have no idea. I've researched all my options nearly to death and I still don't know what's right for me. I know the pros and cons of them all and that doesn't help, or it makes me change my mind. I'll spend weeks or months 100% sure then wake up and be like "No I want the other one."

I am 100% sure of getting a hysterectomy first. I've wanted one ever since I learned what a uterus was and way before I understood and identified as a transgender individual.

But I don't know after that. Some days, I don't mind what I look like down there. It doesn't bother me much. I could live my whole life with just a hysterectomy and be okay. But then I'm thinking a urethral lengthening would be fine. Then I go to meta then obviously the phallo procedure. Then flip flop between the two. Then it's just an endless cycle of what I want. I know the risks and precautions with them as well, but I know with the right surgeon I'll be okay.

I'm just wondering, without trying to pry for info, how did you decide what surgeries were right for you? I'm just worried I'll decide on one and then post op wish I'd gotten something else. Did discussing it with your doctor/surgeon/therapist help?

But then, this is a huge life changing procedure/surgery for me and others as well, so it's probably just nerves.

Tell them to make it count.
Jorge-052

Every great moment in our history began with a dream.
Alec A. Ryder Sr.
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Kylo

At the moment I'm thinking minimally. I'm not a big fan of hospitals, pain, surgery or recuperation so the chest is the surgery I can't be without but the others are still up in the air. And could be for some time.

Sex isn't a priority for me so bottom surgery isn't either tbh. If it was I'd go for phallo I suppose. If just having external male bits was, meta.
"If the freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."
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SeptagonScars

I'm not sure how much help I can be of, cause I've always pretty much known that I wanted meta for bottom surgery since early on in my transition, but then I have struggled between the options of meta or not doing anything at all or what exactly to do if meta. My dysphoria has been fluctuating too, over the years, and my coping mechanisms were sometimes helpful sometimes useless, which made an impact on how important I thought me having bottom surgery actually would be.

I know it can definitely be overwhelming, but know that you don't have to decide right away or even years from now. Give yourself time to take breaks from trying to decide as well, and time to process the different options available. And also maybe try to think of what would be most important functions for you rather than which surgical procedures, if that makes sense. Like for example instead of thinking if you'd want UL, ask yourself if it's important for you to be able to stand to pee and if so how important.

While sex is important for me, it's not in terms of penis size because I've never been into the idea of penetrating someone else. I prefer being on the receiving end of that, but not piv. Over all sensation and ability to orgasm are then of higher priority for me while I don't mind having a small penis as long as my external parts look male. And I really get dysphoric about my front hole mostly cause I get very excessive lubrication and there's no way I can stop its constant flow, so I do opt for a v-ectomy for that and other reasons. And hysto is of lower priority for me but is pretty much necessary when going for v-ectomy so I mostly go with it for that reason. I don't want kids either way. So for me making bottom surgery decisions with my sexuality in mind, would be very different compared to someone who does like penetrating a partner or to receive piv, for example. That's also an important note.

For me, figuring out what I wanted for bottom surgery was not like I just knew everything at once. Some things took longer for me to decide over while others were easier for me to know more quickly. Some procedures are more pressingly important to me/of high priority, while others are more like "I think I'd regret it if I opt out of this one" but of lower priority. I think what helped me starting to get to a final decision was trying to see the full picture instead of just procedure by procedure and thinking about how it could realistically affect my every day life when post-op and healed up.

I might be lucky to have a very vivid imagination, but if you're also quite good at creating mental images of a possible future, I think that might be a good thing to do too cause it has helped me trying to figure out how I could likely feel about actually having either procedure I was considering as well as what I wasn't considering just to compare. For me it was almost like I had to back-track myself and stop myself to ask why I was always so sure I didn't want phallo just to be sure I had my reasons in order and knew what I was rejecting vs. what I was getting myself into.
Mar. 2009 - came out as ftm
Nov. 2009 - changed my name to John
Mar. 2010 - diagnosed with GID
Aug. 2010 - started T, then stopped after 1 year
Aug. 2013 - started T again, kept taking it since
Mar. 2014 - top surgery
Dec. 2014 - legal gender marker changed to male
*
Jul. 2018 - came out as cis woman and began detransition
Sep. 2018 - stopped taking T and changed my name to Laura
Oct. 2018 - got new ID-card

Medical Detransition plans: breast reconstruction surgery, change legal gender back to female.
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CMD042414

From the beginning I knew I wanted phallo. Never any doubt. I don't want a meta at all. To start I wasn't very dysphoric at all but the closer I get to my surgery date the more I am uncomfortable with my current junk.
Started T: April 2014
Top Surgery: June 2014
Hysterectomy: August 2015
Phalloplasty: Stage 1-August 2018
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MeTony

I can't decide either. But atm I'm going for meta. The phallo pics I've seen in Sweden don't look natural. Also I'm not very keen on removing a muscle from my left arm to do a phallo.


Tony
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Elis

I know I definitely want meta; I know I definitely want the release and UL. But I don't feel that need to get it like I did with top surgery. Although it makes me feel happy and complete when I think about meta, being able to pee through my penis and having a more obvious looking dick. As I see it I have the choice of reaching my breaking point like I did before having top surgery; and felt I needed to do something right away; or get it done in the soonish future before reaching that breaking point; because I can't realistically see myself in the future without having had meta done. Right now I can cope pretty well with what I've got; bit it's concerning how dramatically that can change. Especially now I've had top surgery done and the only thing left to think about is the bottom bits
They/them pronouns preferred.



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SeptagonScars

Quote from: MeTony on January 24, 2018, 10:13:46 PM
I can't decide either. But atm I'm going for meta. The phallo pics I've seen in Sweden don't look natural. Also I'm not very keen on removing a muscle from my left arm to do a phallo.


Tony

I know what you mean, unfortunately phallo procedures in Sweden haven't progressed as far as in bigger European countries and US. They also don't seem to do microsurgery for better sensation/nerve hook up for phallo here. I think maybe surgeons here don't get as much practice to improve due to how low the population rate is. I've seen quite a few really good meta results from Swedish surgeons though. I mean, I notice things have been improving here as well over time, but it takes more time for this little country to catch up.
Mar. 2009 - came out as ftm
Nov. 2009 - changed my name to John
Mar. 2010 - diagnosed with GID
Aug. 2010 - started T, then stopped after 1 year
Aug. 2013 - started T again, kept taking it since
Mar. 2014 - top surgery
Dec. 2014 - legal gender marker changed to male
*
Jul. 2018 - came out as cis woman and began detransition
Sep. 2018 - stopped taking T and changed my name to Laura
Oct. 2018 - got new ID-card

Medical Detransition plans: breast reconstruction surgery, change legal gender back to female.
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November Fox

I wanted meta first, then phallo.

Reason is I am used to having a packer-sized package and I couldn't live without it. That and for me being able to have a semi-functional member for sex is important.

My wrists are just...not there, so I would have to chose a procedure that takes skin from elsewhere.

Give it time.
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AgentVermont052

QuoteAt the moment I'm thinking minimally. I'm not a big fan of hospitals, pain, surgery or recuperation so the chest is the surgery I can't be without but the others are still up in the air. And could be for some time.
I totally understand that. I don't mind those things that much, as long as I know I'm doing it for me and it will help me get healthy (such as surgeries for things I've had in the past). And it'll help to know the surgery will help me achieve something I want. But I do acknowledge it isn't for everyone for whatever reason, and that's totally okay! :)

QuoteI know it can definitely be overwhelming, but know that you don't have to decide right away or even years from now. Give yourself time to take breaks from trying to decide as well, and time to process the different options available.
That's really helpful, thank you. Over the last time I went from absolutely no bottom surgery to fluctuating between meta and phallo. But over time I've become to really just debate what would be best for me and my identity, as I know everyone is different!

QuoteAnd hysto is of lower priority for me but is pretty much necessary when going for v-ectomy so I mostly go with it for that reason. I don't want kids either way. So for me making bottom surgery decisions with my sexuality in mind, would be very different compared to someone who does like penetrating a partner or to receive piv, for example. That's also an important note.
That is a very good point and I actually didn't think about the part of how it might be tied in with a future partner (I'm currently single but want to be with someone some day). I don't plan on kids but I may freeze some eggs... just in case and then use a surrogate if me and a partner want a kid. I definitely want the hysto because of some major issues I have normally.

QuoteReason is I am used to having a packer-sized package and I couldn't live without it. That and for me being able to have a semi-functional member for sex is important.
I have a couple packers but don't wear them out all the time depending on where I'm going or what I'm doing. But I do feel a lot better and more... myself I guess? when I do wear one.

Thank you for sharing your input and discussing it with me. It's definitely given me a new perspective on some of the things I'll be dealing with (especially with some of you not in the US and how your decision is affected by access to certain medical procedures). I know right now, surgery is not an option due to my financial situation and lack of medical coverage. But hopefully that'll change soon! You guys are amazing and helpful, I appreciate it.

Tell them to make it count.
Jorge-052

Every great moment in our history began with a dream.
Alec A. Ryder Sr.
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Morgan78

I decided I wanted meta with UL when I daydreamed about transitioning while I was still trying to convince myself I was just gender fluid, not transsexual. Since accepting that I'm transsexual and pursuing transition, I haven't changed my mind. I'm not terribly impressed with the phallo pics I've seen. Very few seem to end up looking natural, and I fear that would make me just as dysphoric as I am now with a vagina.
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Nate

QuoteI can't decide either. But atm I'm going for meta. The phallo pics I've seen in Sweden don't look natural. Also I'm not very keen on removing a muscle from my left arm to do a phallo.

They do not remove muscle from your arm. Just the 3 layers of the skin

---Epidermis is the top layer of the skin, the part of the skin you see.
---Dermis is the second layer of skin. It's much thicker.
---Subcutaneous fat is the bottom layer.

Then they take a graft from your leg or butt depending where you get your surgery done and put it on your arm

Your muscle remains intact


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MeTony

Quote from: Nate on February 10, 2018, 02:22:42 AM
They do not remove muscle from your arm. Just the 3 layers of the skin

---Epidermis is the top layer of the skin, the part of the skin you see.
---Dermis is the second layer of skin. It's much thicker.
---Subcutaneous fat is the bottom layer.

Then they take a graft from your leg or butt depending where you get your surgery done and put it on your arm

Your muscle remains intact


Ok. I have a swedish friend who said they picked a muscle from his left arm. But I'll wait and see what the docs say when it is time. I believe the surgeons and techniques gets better with time.


Tony
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