Castration concerns

[Terra]

well i've been off hormones involuntarily for the last 6+ months. Getting to discover lots of things I would have been happy not knowing. One such pearl is that male facial hare continues to develop all the way until you are about 30, which means I have to get more laser now. Joy.

So to prevent this from happening again I plan to get castration by next summer. Hopefully this will make recovering from the last 6 months of T easier and maximize my future laser sessions and hormone therapy. But I have been told doing so will make my future srs more difficult. But i'm 25 and will probably be almost 30 before I can afford the surgery anyways. I just want this damn T out of my system...permanently!

Will this really make my life more difficult in the end or not though? Will I need extra paperwork for doing it?

[girl_ashley]

Easy there, calm down, you'll be just fine.  I am nearly 30 now and just started HRT a few months ago.  Be glad you are already getting HRT at your age, there are plenty of girls here who didn't start until much later in their lives.  Be thankful for what you are getting now.  When you start HRT again, make sure you go on Spiro, it will lower your T levels to truly acceptable levels. 

You would indeed be better off served by not having the castration.  Save your money and no need to put yourself through an extra surgery.

[katgirl74]

Orchiectomy, what you call castration, does not make srs more difficult. All it involves is removal of the testes, and no skin is removed. Many SRS surgeons have a preference about where and how the incisions are made, which apparently makes it easier when doing SRS down the road, so you may want to talk to whoever does your orchiectomy about this. Every major SRS surgeon says that this does not make SRS any more difficult, so do not worry about that. If it's going to be five more years regardless, it's safer for your body not to have to take as much spiro and E for all that time as well.

[Terra]

oy, been looking over the prices, while it doesn't seem to cost as much as srs, it seems to average about 1/4 the cost anyways. >.<

Once, just friken once, i'd like things to be easy. But we can't go breaking the pattern can we?

[Janet_Girl]

I had my Orchie last September and it was the best ting I have ever done, next to SRS.  I have not only  stopped Spiro, but reduced my estrogen.  Mine was done by a doctor who does SRS, so he knew where to cut and how the scars might come in to play.

He did require two letters of recommendation before proceeding.  But the good thing is if I use him, he will use those letters for SRS. 

If you are going to pursue SRS within the year, save your money.  If not, go for it.

By the way mine cost $1500 in Oregon.

[Terra]

Bowers, which seems the closest srs doc, costs up to $4K. Maybe I should got to Oregon instead. Who did you see?

[Jessica.C]

Once, just friken once, i'd like things to be easy. But we can't go breaking the pattern can we?

LOL... I couldn't have said that better myself

I had my done in Feb for $2500 from Dr Kedia here in Cleveland OH. That's half what others were talking. I would ask some local Urologists.

[K8]

I would ask some local Urologists.

That's good advice, generally, but there is only one urologist in this town, Terra, and you do not want to talk to him about an orchiectomy.  You might try some nearby towns.

Almost any urologist should be capable of performing the surgery, since they remove testes that are cancerous.  The problem is finding one who is OK with doing it if the testes are healthy, plus the problem of scarring affecting furture SRS.
 
I believe Bowers says that if you plan SRS in two years to save your money rather than getting an orchie.  With a five-year timeline, it sounds like a good idea to me.

- Kate

[Janet_Girl]

Bowers, which seems the closest srs doc, costs up to $4K. Maybe I should got to Oregon instead. Who did you see?

Dr Tuan Nguyen in Lake Oswego.  His email is drtuannguyen@comcast.net

[Debra]

Dr Tuan Nguyen in Lake Oswego.  His email is drtuannguyen@comcast.net

My Adopted mother had hers done with him as well and recovered well. She is very grateful.


I am not looking fwd to that 2 weeks without hormones before my surgery, I hope no hair grows back during it =/

[katgirl74]

Jerica,  two weeks is too short of a time frame for any physical changes to occur, so don't worry about that. You only have to be concerned with any emotional swings or even hot flashes.

[Debra]

Jerica,  two weeks is too short of a time frame for any physical changes to occur, so don't worry about that. You only have to be concerned with any emotional swings or even hot flashes.

Thanks, that's something at least. Definitely not looking fwd to those 2 weeks still tho hehe

[Jessica.C]

Terra, I don't know where you live but you could always get a plane ticket fairly cheap. My Dr here in Cleveland that did it is right near our airport

[Terra]

Terra, I don't know where you live but you could always get a plane ticket fairly cheap. My Dr here in Cleveland that did it is right near our airport

Might be looking  into that.

On a side note I found out something interesting today. As part of my requisites for getting my CNA class done I have to get a series of shots and vaccinations. The easiest way to do that was actually to drive to the next town over and get them done at a public wellness clinic. Turns out that unlike this town, they are EXTREMELY nice to transsexuals in said clinic and were sympathetic when I had to divulge my history, even got me back on hormones. (Yes! )

Anyways one of the nurses convinced me to talk to the case worker in house about maybe finding funding for my surgery. I didn't hold much hope but figured it was a what the hell kind of deal. Turns out, there actually is foundations out there that are willing to help you if you are financially in need of help getting it done. Seems some of them will even help with FFS but I am far more concerned with down low then up top at the moment. So any orchie plans are on hold while I try to fit in this new information. I just might, just might, be able to get my surgery in the next few years rather then the next five.

[MsFierce]

Might be looking  into that.

On a side note I found out something interesting today. As part of my requisites for getting my CNA class done I have to get a series of shots and vaccinations. The easiest way to do that was actually to drive to the next town over and get them done at a public wellness clinic. Turns out that unlike this town, they are EXTREMELY nice to transsexuals in said clinic and were sympathetic when I had to divulge my history, even got me back on hormones. (Yes! )

Anyways one of the nurses convinced me to talk to the case worker in house about maybe finding funding for my surgery. I didn't hold much hope but figured it was a what the hell kind of deal. Turns out, there actually is foundations out there that are willing to help you if you are financially in need of help getting it done. Seems some of them will even help with FFS but I am far more concerned with down low then up top at the moment. So any orchie plans are on hold while I try to fit in this new information. I just might, just might, be able to get my surgery in the next few years rather then the next five.

How did you find these ''Foundations''? I would love to get some help.

[Terra]

Well I only found one by calling the marci bowers center. At this point i'm seriously looking at tailand and maybe they can help. Maybe. *shrugs* Might be others but don't know yet.

http://jimcollinsfoundation.org/how-to-apply/

[K8]

Turns out that unlike this town, they are EXTREMELY nice to transsexuals in said clinic and were sympathetic when I had to divulge my history, even got me back on hormones. (Yes! )

Turns out, there actually is foundations out there that are willing to help you if you are financially in need of help getting it done.

Both of these are really good news.  Go girl!

- Kate