Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Scheduled with Cardenas 5/16/2014 -  Pre FFS Photos: http://s1282.photobucket.com/user/jgirlpacific/library/   
I'm having:
Brow bossing reduction (type II possibly type III)
Rhinoplasty
Eyebrow lift (minor)
Hairline correction
Jaw/Chin reshaping

We might do my lips but we'll make that judgment call during the in-person consultation the day prior to surgery. 

Wish me luck!

Adios

-J

I am so happy for you! Already looking great in your pre-ffs pics. Can't wait to see how you'll turn out after the surgery. :)

I too am booked with Dr Cardenas on the 21st of June, so I'll be keeping a close eye on this thread, for obvious reasons, haha.

One question: Do you know if he changes his technique depending on the type of forehead? Mine is pretty similar to yours, and I am only getting my brow bossing shaven down, as opposed to a reconstruction typically done on type iii foreheads. I wonder if shaving is effective enough to feminize my forehead.

OMG you have the same forehead as me and yesterday I was just about to post a post of who went to cardenas for FFS Type 3 cos I'm going with him soon. Will you post the post op update in this post itself. Please let me know so I can bookmark it or will you post in a separate thread.

I will update this post with my experience in Guadalajara within 2 weeks following surgery and will post actual photos a month or two after I've had a chance to heal a bit.

Good luck! Definitely gonna watch out for your posts!

You're gonna look great, you are already pretty and I think a great candidate for FFS, more of a finishing touch in your case, rather than a kick start as used by many...  Can't wait to see how great you'll look!

Thanks! Isn't it amazing what hair and makeup can do? Pulling my hair out of the way reveals the masculinity in my face...  All-in-all I've done well but like you said, it's the finishing touch.  Ok FFS minus 5 days!

you will look amazing after , you have a tremendous head start. good luck and a speedy recovery

OMG!! im so happy for you girl!! Im saving all money i can so i can go with Dr C too.. Plzz let me now how dos it go.

Thank you, Ingrid. I promise to return and update everyone. T minus 4 days...  I'm excited but feeling anxious as well... I guess that is normal and to be expected probably :)

Good luck, hope it goes well!

I'm always a little bit jealous of girls getting ffs, no way I could afford it :(

X

Yep... thats normal!! but dont worry.. there are a lot of girls who have gone FFS with him ;) im pretty sure you will be another in some months.. and thats great!

Dont worry about coming to mexico, I live here and to be honest it is not dangerous.. :) ... Perhaps you see a lot of things in TV but..  Guadalajara or Mexico City are very safe places to stay :) ... 

Thank you Ingrid Alicia and f_Anna_tastic :)

I had my FFS with Dr. Cardenas on 5/16 and it is now going on day 4 of recovery... All-in-all it has been a very positive experience but my face is still quite swollen so the jury is out on how good the results are, but so far I think things are shaping up pretty well.

What I had done:

* Brow bossing type II reduction
* Hairline correction
* Rhinoplasty
* Jin/Jaw reshaping
* Fat infiltration to the lips
* Trachea shave

Some things to note if you plan on going to Guadalajara to see Dr. Cardenas:

* I HIGHLY recommend staying for a 2nd night in the new hospital 'Innovare' -  I was able to book an extra night on the fly for about 300 US dollars.
* Learn some basic Spanish - While Dr. Cardenas and his team do speak English fluently, the nurses and other staff at the hospital do not, however, they are very professional and will take good care of you (they know the drill)
* Bring a friend with you (even better if they know some Spanish) who can stay with you for the first 3 nights at the very least - The first 3 nights of recovery are the most difficult
* The recovery residence is very nice and tranquil and Vicente will see that you get to all your appointments, he's really great.

I will post full before and after photos when I'm more healed, in a couple of months or so.

If you have any questions about my experience in Guadaljara please contact me.

Thanks,
Jonnie

Quote from: jgirl76 on May 19, 2014, 01:32:28 PM
I had my FFS with Dr. Cardenas on 5/16 and it is now going on day 4 of recovery... All-in-all it has been a very positive experience but my face is still quite swollen so the jury is out on how good the results are, but so far I think things are shaping up pretty well.

What I had done:

* Brow bossing type II reduction
* Hairline correction
* Rhinoplasty
* Jin/Jaw reshaping
* Fat infiltration to the lips
* Trachea shave

Some things to note if you plan on going to Guadalajara to see Dr. Cardenas:

* I HIGHLY recommend staying for a 2nd night in the new hospital 'Innovare' -  I was able to book an extra night on the fly for about 300 US dollars.
* Learn some basic Spanish - While Dr. Cardenas and his team do speak English fluently, the nurses and other staff at the hospital do not, however, they are very professional and will take good care of you (they know the drill)
* Bring a friend with you (even better if they know some Spanish) who can stay with you for the first 3 nights at the very least - The first 3 nights of recovery are the most difficult
* The recovery residence is very nice and tranquil and Vicente will see that you get to all your appointments, he's really great.

I will post full before and after photos when I'm more healed, in a couple of months or so.

If you have any questions about my experience in Guadaljara please contact me.

Thanks,
Jonnie

thanks for the update Jonnie, cant wait to see the new you, have a speedy recovery

You are going to look even more fabulous after FFS :) Goodluck and cannot wait to see and hear how it all goes for you :)

Im sure you will look amazing... :) Congrats girl!!! DO you think you could let me see some pics?? ;) Plzzz :D

Here are a couple of teaser selfies; I will be posting more meaningful straight-on and profile before/after comparisons once I'm healed more. Suffice to say that I'm preliminarily thrilled with the results... Dr. Cardenas has done a great job for what I needed. Can't wait to heal up!

http://s1282.photobucket.com/user/jgirlpacific/library/Cardenas%20FFS%20post%20op%205%20days

-J

PS recap of procedures completed:

* Brow bossing type II reduction
* Hairline correction (corners only)
* Rhinoplasty
* Jin/Jaw reshaping
* Fat infiltration to the lips
* Trachea shave

Oh girl! U are lookin' freakin' amazing ! So pleased and happy for u! More more as u r healing paahhlease!! Thumbs up!

Wow... Yep  even now, that it has been so few time after surgery, you are fabulous much more feminine .... Congrats!!! And about the type II forehead reshape, it seems he did a good job! :). about the recovery?  how is it going?

Carly thanks for the compliments, you're so sweet :)  I will definitely come back to post some more photos once I've healed up more.

Ingrid Alicia -  As for the recovery (day 7) it is going well (I'm in Guadalajara still) but I will be forthright and honest, the 1st 3-days of recovery were difficult. This is not specific to Dr. Cardenas but for anyone undergoing full FFS with any surgeon. I think it's important to note (not everyone talks about it) when one has jaw/chin surgery the incisions are made inside of the mouth one WILL inevitably swallow a good amount of their own blood during surgery. After coming out of general anesthesia you will have nausea and what goes down must come up... When I awoke and started throwing up blood I was in a state of sudden shock until I realized it was normal. I was also surrounded by hospital staff and they were ready to aide me.  As for recovery time, I'm recovering very quickly and I'm really pleased! I'm already venturing out to the local Starbucks for Frappucino :)

In summary the recovery is difficult but it is definitely manageable and the results are worth it. I recommend to anyone undergoing full FFS to stay for 2 nights at the Innovare hospital as I believe it helps with recovery to receive hydration and pain management intravenously during that time.

Oh my gosh! Your results turned out so well! It seems he does a lot better with foreheads than people give him credit for. I'm ecstatic as ever now! Four more weeks til my surgery with Dr. Cardenas.  :)

I appreciate you posting pics so early during the recovery as well. I was thinking of messaging you in order to ask for some result pics privately, as I know you weren't originally going to post pics til a few weeks from now, and I couldn't wait because my surgery is fast approaching. But you went ahead and posted the pics here.  :)

Hi Roni,
Yeah I decided to post a couple pics because I'm healing so well! Sucha surprise! Thanks for the feedback, I think he did a good job on my forehead too. In my case we got rid of the bossing, but type II does not set the forehead "back"... I don't think I "needed" it per say, but I could have opted for it. We did agree right before surgery that once he got in there and had a "look around" that if type III was required then I wanted it and he would do it.  Make sure you have that conversation :)

PS - If he recommends an upper lip reduction make sure he sees you smile first. He recommended it to me and I agreed initially, but I changed my mind last minute because I already show a lot of gum and teeth when I smile and I felt the reduction could exaggerate that. I expressed the concern and in response he wanted to see how my lips were resting once I was "under" and would then make a determination if the lip reduction was a good idea OR if fat infiltration would be a better option. He ended up doing the latter, so I'm glad I spoke up. Once you get to that pre-surgery consultation you get so excited you can forget your own name... make sure to write out your list of questions. Have a clear primary strategy going into the operating room but also an alternate strategy, plan B if plan A doesn't work.

Good luck! I'm excited for you! This is going to be the longest 4 weeks of your life, you know that right? :0

Good luck and happy healing

Rhi

I have seen his results from a few girls and EVERY single one I have met (I have met about 3 different girls who have went to him) they all have a sightly scar across the forehead from his hairline advancement. One of the girls is about to go to Zukowski to have everything redone because she didn't like his improvement and another had to get her jaw redone because he didn't shave it down enough (I am unsure of who she went to).

All 3 girls still wear wigs because other than bangs there is no way to cover the scar.

Quote from: Tsallysummers on May 22, 2014, 04:42:22 PM
I have seen his results from a few girls and EVERY single one I have met (I have met about 3 different girls who have went to him) they all have a sightly scar across the forehead from his hairline advancement. One of the girls is about to go to Zukowski to have everything redone because she didn't like his improvement and another had to get her jaw redone because he didn't shave it down enough (I am unsure of who she went to).

All 3 girls still wear wigs because other than bangs there is no way to cover the scar.

This comment, written in a less than good English seems like a put down comment, written very much in the same broken English and with similar put down lines that Samantha..? uses to promote dr DiMaggio and to put down other surgeons. It isn't at all fair competition to try to compete on these boards by attacking other doctors particularly on a thread of a girl who already went to Cardenas and is very happy.. It's just unfair and weird.

And if you are genuine then how is it that you know so many girls who have gone to him and are unhappy? Are you part of some social group of ts women? Uhmmm please ignore me completely if you are genuine but I smell a rat.

Quote from: jgirl76 on May 22, 2014, 02:10:36 PM
Carly thanks for the compliments, you're so sweet :)  I will definitely come back to post some more photos once I've healed up more.

Ingrid Alicia -  As for the recovery (day 7) it is going well (I'm in Guadalajara still) but I will be forthright and honest, the 1st 3-days of recovery were difficult. This is not specific to Dr. Cardenas but for anyone undergoing full FFS with any surgeon. I think it's important to note (not everyone talks about it) when one has jaw/chin surgery the incisions are made inside of the mouth one WILL inevitably swallow a good amount of their own blood during surgery. After coming out of general anesthesia you will have nausea and what goes down must come up... When I awoke and started throwing up blood I was in a state of sudden shock until I realized it was normal. I was also surrounded by hospital staff and they were ready to aide me.  As for recovery time, I'm recovering very quickly and I'm really pleased! I'm already venturing out to the local Starbucks for Frappucino :)

In summary the recovery is difficult but it is definitely manageable and the results are worth it. I recommend to anyone undergoing full FFS to stay for 2 nights at the Innovare hospital as I believe it helps with recovery to receive hydration and pain management intravenously during that time.

Thank you for this, after reading this, now I know that If I start throwing up blood it would be normal, it may not be cute to mention but it is practical and I much rather now that it is normal. Thanks for the heads up Hun x

Quote from: calicarly on May 22, 2014, 05:21:08 PM
This comment, written in a less than good English seems like a put down comment, written very much in the same broken English and with similar put down lines that Samantha..? uses to promote dr DiMaggio and to put down other surgeons. It isn't at all fair competition to try to compete on these boards by attacking other doctors particularly on a thread of a girl who already went to Cardenas and is very happy.. It's just unfair and weird.

And if you are genuine then how is it that you know so many girls who have gone to him and are unhappy? Are you part of some social group of ts women? Uhmmm please ignore me completely if you are genuine but I smell a rat.

My english was fine dear WE ARE ON THE INTERNET, I didn't come on here to trash talk no reason for you to attack me, If I wanted to get nasty I'd say something about all the grammar mistakes that come up when I quote you.

I am from Texas, which isn't too far from Mexico, and so of course I know girls who went to him since he is one of the closer FFS surgeons in the area. I didn't read she already had the surgery done when I commented I thought it said 6/16 and I only read the first post.


You shouldn't attack someone before making sure the other person is who you think they are, and if you would have done a search you'd have seen I have posted pics on another thread and have never said anything negative to anyone.

Quote from: Tsallysummers on May 22, 2014, 04:42:22 PM
I have seen his results from a few girls and EVERY single one I have met (I have met about 3 different girls who have went to him) they all have a sightly scar across the forehead from his hairline advancement. One of the girls is about to go to Zukowski to have everything redone because she didn't like his improvement and another had to get her jaw redone because he didn't shave it down enough (I am unsure of who she went to).

All 3 girls still wear wigs because other than bangs there is no way to cover the scar.

My surgery was completed on 5/16... I'm 7 days post op and have posted some selfies already. Have a look... I don't need to wear a wig.
Truth be told, there is no such thing as scar less forehead surgery... it depends on the patient where the incision will be placed. Some surgeons place it at the hairline and others behind it. I have a friend who had hers behind the hairline, she lost all her hair there and it didn't grow back. She had to have 2 sets of hair transplants done costing 10k (no joke) - Anyways, I started this post to document my experience, provide my pre-FFS photos and then come back to share my experience and results. Your comments were rash and out of place.

Hi friends  :police:

That will be quite enough fussing about

Keep on topic and post within Susan's guidelines (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,2.msg27408.html#msg27408) or find something more productive to do with yourslves

Any more rule violations and penalties will be issued

Thank you

V M

Quote from: jgirl76 on May 22, 2014, 06:05:18 PM
My surgery was completed on 5/16... I'm 7 days post op and have posted some selfies already. Have a look... I don't need to wear a wig.
Truth be told, there is no such thing as scar less forehead surgery... it depends on the patient where the incision will be placed. Some surgeons place it at the hairline and others behind it. I have a friend who had hers behind the hairline, she lost all her hair there and it didn't grow back. She had to have 2 sets of hair transplants done costing 10k (no joke) - Anyways, I started this post to document my experience, provide my pre-FFS photos and then come back to share my experience and results. Your comments were rash and out of place.

Trying to give someone advice before they get a surgery from a surgeon you have many girls complain about isn't rash, it's called trying to help.

Quote from: V M on May 22, 2014, 06:16:42 PM
Hi friends  :police:

That will be quite enough fussing about

Keep on topic and post within Susan's guidelines (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,2.msg27408.html#msg27408) or find something more productive to do with yourslves

Any more rule violations and penalties will be issued

Thank you

V M

I will just leave the thread.

Your comments were rash because I already had surgery when you posted them... 
Every surgeon has their bad outcomes and complaints, ALL of them... so you are not really doing anyone any favors by warning them against one particular surgeon, at least where the BIG names are concerned. Thanks for leaving the thread. -J

Topic Locked

Thank you

V M