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I am so happy that I did. The 6 hours after surgery have not been the best of my life but till today I never really felt pain. I also was surprised that I could breath through tje nose. I think it is not anymore necessary to put something in after surgery. Breathing through my nose is so comfortable :-)
My chin needea a major rework. But the scar inside my mouth is also not an issue. I can eat and drink quite normal, except that I have to wear a removable bandage which I can take off now for eating and showering.
My forehead (brow bossing, forehead...)also needed a major rework. I choosed the combination wiuth eyebrow lift and hairline  lowering. This may leaves a scar which will maybe be covered my a second hair transplantation. My hairline was lowered by 2,5cm which helps me a lot.
In some areas I have little sensation but there is no place where I have no sensation. I also can move all muscles. After surgery there was no bleeding.

In three days the stitches will be removed. I had no hairloss so I can cover the scar.

I had some of the best hours of my life after surgery.my passing is now incredible better. It is really a life changer. And no bleeding, no pain, no infection, it seems to be very safe now.

Do it, it will change your life!

Lara

Picture was taken on day 4 after surgery

(https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t31.0-8/p600x600/10015134_262749977232096_732302396_o.jpg)

You do look like a real woman now. Congrats!

Wow Lara - that does look like a fantastic result!!  And you did it in Spain, which is very useful indeed for me...

Please keep sending the occasional update

Hugs
Julia

It's great that yo have had such a quick recovery with so little bruising. Did they use the cooling mask? 

Looking good after so few days out of surgery!

Who did the work in Spain? Facial Team?

Yes Facial Team did it and they used thecooling mask. Of course I have swelling and bruising but it is far less than expected.
Although wearing the bandage and the cooling mask was not my best experience. But I think it helps a lot. Till today pain is more or less non existent but I am on low dose Ibuprofen. It seems to me that Facial Team chooses a more minimal approach. But they still changed my chin and forehead very much. These feature have been very masculine and strongly visible.

Please feel free to ask if you have any questions. I will try to post an update if someone is interested.

At border control they thought I am the wife of a good friend who just cares about me. We visited Gibraltar.

Lara

Facial Team does very good work and as you say a minimalist and natural approach.

Please include pics once all the swelling has gone down.

Congratulations!!!  ;D

Yeah, Lara, seeing your results so far, and since I live in Madrid, I've just started speaking to Facial Team to see how scary their prices will be. 

Do they offer discounts for friends and family ;-)  lol?

As far as I know they do not offer discounts :-(

But I very strongly recommend to have a FFS and also to choose Facial Team. Only Dr. Van der Dussen woulda similar choice.

After 10 days off after surgery I will start working tomorrow. I am nervous because I will be my first day as woman at work.

Kind regards,

Lara

Congratulations, Lara. I am so looking forward to seeing the post-swelling pics :) Best of luck at work tomorrow, I'm sure you will be fab!

I think even your 4 days post-op pic looks good, just slap some makeup on and you're good to go!
Your results are making me reconsider Facial Team somewhat, I was not enthralled with their work from the pictures on their website, especially the foreheads, but I think I should remind myself that I have a weird forehead anyways and probably shouldn't rely on pictures alone and rather actually consult the doctors myself. That's a thing to do over the summer when I have more free time.

GOOD LUCK LARA!!!

Hey girl, send us a picture of yourself all dressed and ready for your first day in the office!

Hugs
Julia

As I write this you will be back at work and impressing everyone with the new you. Tense times, but very rewarding, too. Sometimes support can come from those you thought least likely to do so.

They've done a good job at Facial Team.

You look fantastic after such a short amount of time post-op.

Love :-*

Quote from: Lara1969 on March 24, 2014, 11:00:50 AM
As far as I know they do not offer discounts :-(

But I very strongly recommend to have a FFS and also to choose Facial Team. Only Dr. Van der Dussen woulda similar choice.

After 10 days off after surgery I will start working tomorrow. I am nervous because I will be my first day as woman at work.

Kind regards,

Lara

You go girl.  You look fantastic and it will get even better!!!

Hugs,

Jen

Congratulations!!!
and the best for your future

Thank you all!

Swelling is still there but I look better every day.

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/1173815_265487210291706_1684587729_n.jpg)

hübsch!
Like watching a butterfly emerge :)
lucky girl!

Looking good Lara!!    I think you said you were going to start work this week as the real you.  How did it go?  Please tell us???

Julia

Not much to write. Everyone wanted to see me and overall the reaction was quite calm. I received some compliments and a few people did behaved different. Maybe two or three people seem to have a problem with my transition but they do not said anything because overall the reaction was positive.

So I think an open transition is a good solution.

The bad news is that the subsidiary will be shut down where I work for. Me do nit meet the strategic goals of the board. So I start my job search currently.

Lara

Hi Lara

Well, it's fantastic that you had a good start - you are very lucky!  I'm sure your first day was a never ending flow of curious people, and definitely the immense majority are simply curious and just wanted to see you and wish you well.

It is never good news to hear that your company, or job position is being closed down, but maybe this is a good thing for you?  I assume you shall receive an indemnity payment which will be good for some months?  And also, you would then have the great advantage of going into a new company where people don't know you as the girl-who-used-to-be-a-guy!

By the way, can I ask you one thing:  you mentioned getting hair extensions - did you finally do this, and can you tell me more?  (If I can get from my current early Audrey Hepburn hair to something long I would really want to do it!)

Hugs!
Julia

Dear Julia,

Yes I have micro bonded hair extensions with European hair. It is way better than wearimg a wig and I am extremly pleased with the extensions. The hair stylist did a great job and they are invisible. Of course these type of hair extensions can damage my natural but I can even make a ponytail which is not possible with all sorts of extensions.

Because of my job it is likely that my  companies pays a outplacement agency to help find a new job. Currently I do not pass that well after the surgery and I am still in the beginning of HRT. My voice is also still not good enough.

Lara

Thanks Lara - I appreciate the info - I shall investigate this type of hair extension.

In all events, you have been astonishingly strong in the way you have approached your transition,  and you probably pass far better than you imagine - we are most critical of ourselves! :-)

But I understand totally where you're coming from:  I've just in the past few weeks started to go out socially as a girl, and I know how much courage you need while you're still working on voice, face, clothes, body!  It's damn SCARY to do, but as we say in English, you can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs, and to become the girl you need to be takes real effort.  I'm not very male-looking, but I am male enough that people do look at me in the metro, or wonder what I am. 

So yeah, we work-in-progress girls have an interesting and challenging time.

Hugs
Julia

Yeah they did an awesome job, you look great :) I have mine in about 2 months and was thinking about that cooling mask they use. Do you wake up with it on? That would feel so odd to me. First thing you sense is this intense cool pressure on your face.

Quote from: Nisky on March 31, 2014, 09:12:25 AM
Yeah they did an awesome job, you look great :) I have mine in about 2 months and was thinking about that cooling mask they use. Do you wake up with it on? That would feel so odd to me. First thing you sense is this intense cool pressure on your face.

I didn't have my surgery by facial team, but I have never heard of anyone waking up with a cooling mask already in place. Your immediate recovery is more important than any swelling at that stage. Once you're out of recovery and back in your room, you'll be given help and instruction on how to put on the cooling mask, but that will be once they are happy you have recovered from the anaesthetic.

Caroline
x

I woke up with the cooling mask on. That was indeed strange. But later I loved this cooling mask and enjoyed it. Till tody I am cooling some parts of my face when I am at home. I think this one reason why the bruising and swelling has gone away fast. It helped also to get up early as possible and I took a protein shake with Vitamin C and Glutamin with me which should suppor the healing process.

I am still happy with the results and that I have done it, this is a picture from today with make-up.
(https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/s720x720/1393755_267835273390233_1503314704_n.jpg)

If I look feminine in the morning I am happy. That is the same with my voice :)

Lara

Hi Lara - you are looking truly excellent - I've been paying special attention to your progress as I like Facial Team's work and would be really happy to not need to go far from home for FFS. 

Had an interview with Dr Capitan today and it was especially interesting to get his insight into the parts he believes I could fix.   

Just need to rob a bank....

Hugs
Julia

I am not sure if robbing a bank would solve your problems, maybe it could cause some new problems ;-)

Interestingly Facial Team only suggested forehead work, chin and nose jobs to me. Whereas other surgeons suggested the full program with cheeks, nose and other stuff. I like their approach of doing just the necessary. Only Frans Norman van der Dussen has a similar approach.

Everyone says I still look very natural and besides the scar on my hairline the surgery is invisible itself only the feminizing effect is visible.

Lara

Quote from: Lara1969 on April 04, 2014, 02:14:02 AM
I am not sure if robbing a bank would solve your problems, maybe it could cause some new problems ;-)

Interestingly Facial Team only suggested forehead work, chin and nose jobs to me. Whereas other surgeons suggested the full program with cheeks, nose and other stuff. I like their approach of doing just the necessary. Only Frans Norman van der Dussen has a similar approach.

Ha ha.... if I was a banker I probably already would have robbed my bank lol  ;D

Yes, in my interview yesterday Facial Team were careful to recommend only certain interventions.  For example they didn't feel that my jawline and ears were necessary.  This is positive, since it's easy for us to get fixated on getting ***everything*** done!

Have a good weekend Lara

xxx
J

I'm glad everything seems to be healing for you GF. I'm sure you were nervous before the surgery.

I'm trying to schedule a simple face & neck lift. I'm a little nervous over this very common procedure. However seeing that you are very happy with your major surgery makes me feel like I really should not worry at all. Mine should take 2-3 hours & the surgeon is a very professional woman with numerous very satisfied women patients. She specializes in face lifts & facial surgeries for all ages of women

you look great !  :)

This picture was taken 7 weeks after my FFS:
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/t1.0-9/10291103_279025548937872_6222959791216115999_n.jpg)

I am still very satiesfied and healing continuies. The scare is barely visible.

Lara

You really look great Lara.  I'm probably going to get my FFS done with Facial Team this summer if they can accommodate me.

Hugs
Julia

Wow, you're looking great Lara! :)

Wow! So natural! Gorgeous! :D

Yeah was going to say it looks very natural, like they did just the right amount of stuff.Y

Thanks all! I makes me happy to read your words :-)

Yes I think they just made the necessary and avoided to make too much. I wanted to look like the female version of myself.

I am sure it was the right descision and I would do it again. I had the best days in my life after the surgery.

Lara

Very pretty! I wish I looked that pretty when I woke up in the morning, lol.

Do you a have a picture without your glasses?

Hey Lara, today I reserved with Facial Team for the end of July to get my FFS done!   Very pleased to have started the process!

Hugs
Julia

Great news! Do you know where you will stay?
Please let me know how it is going in July. I was so excited the days after surgery.

Lara

Quote from: Lara1969 on May 15, 2014, 10:29:06 AM
Great news! Do you know where you will stay?
Please let me know how it is going in July. I was so excited the days after surgery.

Hi Lara

I don't know yet where I shall stay, but if the place you stayed was good enough, would you share the name with me please !?   :)

Thanks
J

how long were you on HRT before going ahead with FFS?

I stayed in the NH Hotewl San Pedro. Which was only a 5 minutes drive away from the hospital. Taxis are available in front of the hotel. Rooms and breakfast were okay (3 stars) and I would stay there again. The location was really nice, lots of stores around there (and a pharmacy and supermercados) and only a ten minute walk away from the beach. I think I paid 500 Euros for 10 days.

I was three months on low dose HRT and I am on "normal" dose HRT and an AA since mid of April. I was very sure that I have not been passble without FFS with my age and my bone structure. I am unbelievable happy that I did it. Now it often happens that I cry because I enjoy my life so much. It never happend before. Just because I pass now. I am on fulltime since my FFS.
Every week my face now becomes more feminine as the people are saying to me. So my timing was perfect for me because healing still goes on and the HRT is starting to work. Also my beard becomes thinner. I make laser beard removal sind 15 months.

Lara

Thanks so much Lara for the hotel recommendation!

I am really pleased that things are going well for you, and that you are so happy with the results!!

Mmm, when I have my next trip to Berlin maybe we can meet for a coffee?  Or when you visit sunny Madrid?

Hugs
J

Oh it would be fantastic to meet you. But because out twins are born in two weeks it is unlickely that I will leave Berlin in the next months besides some short business trips.

Lara

Quote from: Lara1969 on May 21, 2014, 02:25:59 AM
Oh it would be fantastic to meet you. But because out twins are born in two weeks it is unlickely that I will leave Berlin in the next months besides some short business trips.

Oh my heavens.  Twins!   You're gonna be a mom!   Let the record show how JEALOUS I am!!   :D

Congratulations!

My small (!) victory today is that I spoke to my parents for the first time about my transition, and they support me fully.  After a week of growing stress for today, I am feeling very, very happy!

Great to hear! Everything will be fine after your transition. There are enough up and downs but I never regretted to transition.

Lara

Congratulations, hope you are loving the results :)

Quote from: Rhi on May 23, 2014, 10:58:14 AM
Congratulations, hope you are loving the results :)

I do love the results!

Lara