FYI, Mister was banned for six months back in the fall, mid-September. So he's about halfway through the ban. He was given the option of apologizing. I assume that he hasn't chosen to do so.
Post Merge: December 26, 2009, 05:59:34 PM
I have heard that Meltzer in Arizona will do top surgery without a letter if you are legally male on your driver's license. I've heard that Brownstein does not always require a letter. But this is all hearsay.
Some therapists will write you T letters after a session or two if you present them with solid evidence that you have been living as male and have your head on straight. I don't know about surgery letters. But it might be worth checking out--you can find a couple of practitioners in your area and write to them. Explain your situation, see if they will do a sliding scale, etc. Are you insured? They might cover therapy if it's written up right.
I pay $135 a session, out of pocket, for my therapy. I don't want evidence of this therapy on my medical records, so I didn't go through insurance. My therapist says that he always has a few people on a greatly reduced rate, and he recently offered to cut my rate considerably. LGBT centers often have counseling, too--maybe free or very very cheap.
My first endo visit was somewhere between two and three hundred--I don't remember now. He gave me a consult, a brief physical, and my first shot for that price. I got blood work through insurance and took the labs in with me on my first endo visit. I hate to think how much it would have cost otherwise. I got three-month blood work also covered by insurance (my GP is pretty cool) and I'm hoping that my last labs will also be covered. I haven't heard back yet on that. My follow-up endo visits are under a hundred dollars.
I get T through Strohecker's at the moment and pay under sixty dollars for about four and a half months' worth of T, needles, and alcohol swabs. Don't know if I'll stay with them.
My top surgery was $7500. My surgeon had done some FTM surgeries before, but he is a local guy, not fully on the radar. I think he did a good job; the nipples could be smaller and a little better placed, and the scars are still prominent and could be a bit lower. But I was big and somewhat lopsided, and I scar easily, so take that into consideration. I opted for a pedicle procedure, which a lot of surgeons don't do, because I heal poorly and was worried about losing nipple sensation. I'll be having minor revisions next month--a couple of tucks on one side--so I'll look better soon. I have great sensation, by the way, and I didn't have to pay for travel or accommodations.
I did get a letter from my therapist for both T and surgery. My surgeon wanted the letter, but I don't know if he waives it for other guys. I know a guy who's been living as male for maybe eight years, since he was about eighteen. He used the same surgeon. I don't know if he had to produce a note. I think some surgeons will waive the note, depending on your circumstances.
