Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I have a trachea shave scheduled at 8:00am MT USA today (4 Jan). The surgeon said my Adam's Apple was average sized, so I am hopeful for a nice result. The original plan was for my daughter to drive me home because my wife is sick. Now my daughter is sick! Luckily my wife got much better overnight.

I realize this is minor surgery, but it is the first surgery I have ever had in my life. Even so, I am calm right now. It is another step in the journey...I'll post an update when I can.

Safe journey hon.

I know it won't be like my shave!!!!!!

Get well soon.

Yays! I had a minor surgery, too, and it was life changing! Let us know when you're done.

Hugs, Devlyn

Hi Jessica_Rose,

  If things went as scheduled you have had the close shave by now. I hope it went well for you. We will be waiting for an update. I would like to have this procedure done myself if I ever resume moving forward. So I will be watching for you to tell us all about it when you can.

Hugs,
  Laurie

All is well, and I am back home. Procedure took about an hour. Incision was above Adam's Apple, but not as high as I expected. My throat is definitely flatter than it was. Will need to wait for swelling to go down before I can get some good 'after' photos. Right now my neck looks like Chuck Norris used it for practice! Already took one Percocet and have an ice pack on it. Throat feels bruised, but no trouble talking softly or eating stuff like soup and crackers. Laughing at this time is not recommend! That is a bit painful. Thank all of you for your support!

Glad it all turn out okay. I want to see pictures when you feel comfortable enough to show their handiwork.

Hugs,
   Laurie

I will definitely post some photos within the next few days. I expect there are several people interested in having this procedure, and I will be happy to answer any questions folks may have.

I almost had to reschedule. I was sick last week. Today was actually the first day I felt almost back to normal. My wife is napping on the couch between coughing fits, and it caught up with my daughter yesterday afternoon -- she is also sick in bed.

Playing a little Typhoid Mary? Passing your cold on to them?.

Unfortunately that is the case. I tried to be selfish and keep it to myself, but I seem to have failed.

The soreness in my throat is greater than I expected. I can speak softly without issue, and swallowing is not too bad, but laughing is not recommend at this time. Ice packs do help quite a bit. I am also having muscle cramps in my feet and lower legs. I'm trying to drink more water in case I am dehydrated.

I will apologize if I happen to repeat some info. I am using my phone to make today's posts and my phone skills are limited.

I know about those fancy phone limitations. I'm almost phone illiterate myself. I get those foot cramps too. dehydration could be the cause so saly and water is a yes. Something a podiatrist told me is to stretch the foot and calf muscles. Try grabbing the toes and ball of the foot and pull up with legs straight or facing a wall from a few feet away and lean forward on it and raise up onto your toes until you feel the pull on the feet and calves.

It might help.

Hugs,
  Laurie

 I know I was relieved after having mine done. It meant no more of people staring me right in the throat and calling me "sir". Mine was quite large, and even my general practitioner said the surgeon did a good job.  My 2 inch scar is barely noticeable, and then only because it is more pink than the surrounding skin.
For those with Adam's apples smaller than what I had, you should expect even better results. :-)

Thanks for the words of experience Lady Sarah.

I am not out yet, but my Adam's Apple was definitely holding me back. If you don't have much hair you could wear a wig, if you want larger breasts or hips you can use various forms of padding, and many facial features you may consider flaws can be overcome with makeup. Outside of wearing turtlenecks all year, I am not aware of any ways to effectively hide an Adam's Apple. Even if I have a noticeable scar I should be able to hide it reasonably well with some concealer.

I will be wearing turtle necks until the incision heals enough that I can use some concealer. Since most people don't really pay attention to a male's Adam's Apple, I am hoping the change will go unnoticed by most. I expect some people will notice that something is different, but they probably won't know exactly what the change was.

A before and after photo. I realize the angle is not exactly the same and the lighting is a bit different, but it should give you a good idea of how big the change is. The before photo was taken the night before surgery, the after was about 3 hours post surgery. There is some swelling, but it does look like the surgeon flattened it out pretty well. These are the first photos I have ever posted to an online forum.

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FmHzchVQ.jpg&hash=bab30607d66883eb0caf3e3be313a5c0c8d5860b) (https://imgur.com/mHzchVQ) (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FKgGqZSQ.jpg&hash=58d7d247692d94ca9eaa00b7c53258475b20ad7a) (https://imgur.com/KgGqZSQ)

I believe the after is quite swollen. It looks like it hurts. but I think the bump is pretty well gone.. I think mine is large also you can see in in my avatar picture

Yours does not appear to be much larger than mine was, I expect a decent surgeon could do a nice job on it.

It is definitely uncomfortable, but one percoset every 4 - 6 hours seems to be doing a good job. The prescription calls for one or two tablets at my discretion. I am not a masochist, but I prefer to stay with the smallest dose that will manage the discomfort. The ice packs are also helping quite a bit. I expect it will take several days for the swelling to subside. I will post more photos as it heals. I am really glad I got over my cold before I did this. I cannot imagine how uncomfortable a coughing fit would be right now!

Overall the pain is not too bad. Speaking in a soft voice is painless, but swallowing still causes noticeable discomfort. I felt bad for sharing my cold with my wife and daughter, so I actually cooked dinner for them today. My culinary skills are quite limited, but the cheese omelettes were enjoyed by all.

There is another way of hiding you Adam's Apple and thats women's scarfs. I had quite a collection because I hadn't planned my surgery so soon. Fortunately I only needed them while I was part time and I had surgery before I went full time.

Quote from: Jessica_Rose on January 04, 2018, 08:53:08 PM
A before and after photo. I realize the angle is not exactly the same and the lighting is a bit different, but it should give you a good idea of how big the change is. The before photo was taken the night before surgery, the after was about 3 hours post surgery. There is some swelling, but it does look like the surgeon flattened it out pretty well. These are the first photos I have ever posted to an online forum.

Amazing! You must be glad that's gone, I'm happy for you. Would you please also post a photo when it is all healed up? I'd love to see how it looks without any swelling.

Quote from: Dena on January 04, 2018, 10:14:03 PM
There is another way of hiding you Adam's Apple and thats women's scarfs. I had quite a collection because I hadn't planned my surgery so soon. Fortunately I only needed them while I was part time and I had surgery before I went full time.

LOL!  Yes, I've a drawer full of everyday and dress turtlenecks for the cool season, and dozens of scarves for the warm weather.  Friends started giving me scarves as gifts, as they thought I was just really into them.   :D

I am still in stealth mode and I don't see too many guys wearing scarves at my office, so in my current situation that may not work very well. However, once I transition it would indeed work well and would definitely be functional here in Colorado!

I have to sleep with my head elevated for a few days. Although I normally sleep on my back anyway, sleeping in an elevated position just seems odd to me. I woke up several times overnight, so I took advantage of the interruptions to take antibiotics and pain meds, then re-apply an ice pack for a while. I do feel much better today, which is good because I have an electrolysis appoint at 10:00am. We planned on just working on or above my jawline until I get an OK from my surgeon.

I will post more photos in the coming days. The swelling and bruising appears to have gone down quite a bit overnight so I will post an updated 'after' photo within the next few hours. There is only one co-worker who knows about me, so it will be interesting if anyone notices the change once I can lose the turtlenecks.

I have a follow-up appointment via phone today and office visits on 8 Jan then 14 Feb. The surgeon used dissolving stitches, but I am not sure how long they will hang around. I really do need to find out when I can shower again!

I am glad it went well, Jessica.  Congratulations! 

And thank you for posting the photos.  I am considering getting mine done when I get GRS (whenever that is), so the before and after shots really help.

Today's photo looks MUCH better. The ice pack appears to have removed the ink on my neck along with most of the bruising and swelling. Moving my head more than about 30 degrees to either side, tilting my head back, and swallowing are still uncomfortable, but overall it feels much better today.

Photos: Pre surgery, 3hrs post surgery, 1 Day post surgery

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FmHzchVQ.jpg&hash=bab30607d66883eb0caf3e3be313a5c0c8d5860b) (https://imgur.com/mHzchVQ)(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FKgGqZSQ.jpg&hash=58d7d247692d94ca9eaa00b7c53258475b20ad7a) (https://imgur.com/KgGqZSQ)(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FbEGtswR.jpg&hash=ec661951c9b8c294d99458d26bc17d38d55a635e) (https://imgur.com/bEGtswR)

  It is definitely looking better Jessica. It's bound to be still sore. Heck girl, they just got done cutting your throat!! Of course it hurts.

  I tried to get a sideways picture of mine but I have too much neck fat to show it well. Mine doesn't look too bad from the side, but straight on it is very noticeable. I am very conscious of it because  you cannot miss it and is a dead giveaway. As long as it's there I will never be taken as a woman. I am sure that is how you felt about yours. My adams apple is probably my biggest concern physically closely followed by those parts hanging below the belt. Next would be my voice and last my beer belly waist. They all keep from from being comfortable as myself but my bigger problems are those in my head.

Hugs,
   Laurie

I had my first follow-up appointment via phone yesterday. I can shower again! I can replace the tape if it falls off on its own, but I am not supposed to pull it off. I can't speak at my normal volume yet, but it is getting better. There is no raspiness or hoarseness at all. I can turn my head side to side with much less discomfort. There is still some tightness when tilting my head back, it feels almost like I have some tape on my neck! I also feel like I have to clear my throat frequently. The area is still a bit swollen and tender to touch, but there is no obvious bruising. I plan to skip my pain meds this morning to see if I still need them.

Photos: Pre surgery, 2 days post-op
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FmHzchVQ.jpg&hash=bab30607d66883eb0caf3e3be313a5c0c8d5860b) (https://imgur.com/mHzchVQ)(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fm7ps2eb.jpg&hash=bbc89cfebc6ba1868ab29ea1e916a2b38107359f) (https://imgur.com/m7ps2eb)

Progress is great Jessica but don't push it. Healing is done on it's own time table not ours.

Laurie

Congratulations, the progress photos look good.

I had my thyroid cartledge shaved and placed behind the cricoid cartledge on 12/11/17. My scar is directly over where my Adams apple was, it was very small. I am using coconut oil and vitamin E oil on the scar. My scar is definitely decreasing in size.

Good luck in the healing. 

It is looking greaaaat!

Yawning is still somewhat uncomfortable, but things are steadily improving. My range of motion has increased quite a bit and my voice is stronger. There really isn't any notable pain anymore, I stopped taking the percocet yesterday and have not noticed any difference in comfort. I have a follow-up on Monday, hopefully they will pull the tape off then.

Pre-op, 3hrs Post-op, 72hrs Post-op
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FmHzchVQ.jpg&hash=bab30607d66883eb0caf3e3be313a5c0c8d5860b) (https://imgur.com/mHzchVQ)(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F9IUkhOs.jpg&hash=1b2712d5688521eb16f7db990976d24e2b013e4f) (https://imgur.com/9IUkhOs)(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FUlBaTSo.jpg&hash=221da474f4784bef88a8f5cc38a43bd5ef961086) (https://imgur.com/UlBaTSo)

I had my follow-up appointment with the surgeon today. He said everything was looking good. He mentioned that he had had been a little aggressive during the surgery, and that he had overlapped some of the muscles to help provide a smoother appearance. He also said that my voice should continue to improve over the next few weeks as the swelling continues to go down. A nurse replaced the tape over the incision with a much smaller piece, and the surgeon said I could remove the tape this weekend and begin using concealer if I want. I got some silicone sheeting which is supposed to help the scar heal more smoothly, and I will also get some vitamin E oil as Rachel suggested. I'll post some new photos once I can remove the tape and see what the incision looks like.

Hi Jessica,

I know I was omitting something. I need to get the silicone sheathing. Thanks heaps.

Odd, my scar on the left of center is flat and not very noticeable and the right is raised a bit and noticeable.