Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I'm curious to hear what other guys have to say.  For me it was top surgery.

Surgery, hands down. instant gratification....and surprisingly easy to get through my insurance. T has been a much more gradual process as far as body changes. Despite feeling fortunate, monitoring body changes from T seems slower than I'd like.

Starting T was awesome but top surgery beats it easily. Getting rid of THEM really freed me from many inhibitions and insecurities I used to have. It gave me enough of confidence boost to stop wearing packer.

Definitely chest surgery for me!  The best investment I ever made, hands down!  Changed my entire outlook on life.  Though I have been on T for 4 years, I still have doubts and concerns about it.  Absolutely no regrets about the chest surgery.

Personally I'm more excited to start on T than any surgeries.

Quote from: Remiie on May 13, 2015, 03:31:21 PM
Personally I'm more excited to start on T than any surgeries.

It will be interesting to see if you still feel that way after you are on T and are scheduled for/have already had top surgery.  That is why I decided to only poll people that are on T and have already had top surgery....you might be surprised.

Surgery definitely. As fun as my second puberty is, nothing beats being shirtless and completely comfortable.

Quote from: Bimmer Guy on May 13, 2015, 04:33:27 PM
It will be interesting to see if you still feel that way after you are on T and are scheduled for/have already had top surgery.  That is why I decided to only poll people that are on T and have already had top surgery....you might be surprised.

To be honest I'm actually deathly afraid of going in for any surgeries and might decide not to go for top surgery in the end, though I do hope I can muster the courage (and the money) for it eventually. Generally though my chest doesn't make me feel that dysphoric so its not much of an issue for me. All in all though I think every step is very exciting! I mean, every little change from your first binder, your first masculine haircut, going on T to your scars healing from surgery.

I'm not a generally excitable person, so it's hard to tell if I'm looking forward to something or not. That being said, I'm definitely looking forward to getting my top surgery done in about twenty days.

Prior to T, I was essentially shut up in the house and refused to leave. I'm much more sociable these days and turning my life around. Top surgery will allow me to really be free, I think.

I honestly have no idea.  If I added up the pros and cons, HRT would win for simply the amount of desirable effects (which is pretty much all of them).  But top surgery is no small deal either.  Be able to run around shirtless, no more binding, no more manicles (yes, that is what I am calling them), be able to just go swimming and not think about it, feel confident in male change rooms... Yeah, it's tough.  It can't come soon enough, that's for sure.

Just wanted to give a *bump* for more votes!

I read the title and for some reason interpreted "Top" to mean binders. Binding was more exciting for me than any other step.

But I love t and how it shapes me, and I had awful chest dysphoria so top surgery was a miracle for me. I think it's a pretty close tie for me but I clicked testosterone.

I can't say that either were really that exciting tbh but I picked T. T probably did the most for my mental well being. Surgery has been a relief and has made my life somewhat easier, but healing has been slow.

My physical chest dysphoria was always much worse than the social dysphoria about being perceived as a girl. I even put off starting T for a long while because I thought it might interfere with getting insurance coverage for top surgery.

I have kind of been wishing that I could have top surgery first just because it's the most obvious female characteristic on me so I can see that it might be more exciting.

Both were great, but top surgery was the best for improving my self confidence and everyday comfort. My HRT has been slow due to having to be on a lower dose, but a good boost to overall mental and physical health.

Surgery... I could have mentally pushed through better as androgynous with no boobs that male with boobs. I got it done first for that very reason. Its really actually probably the best thing that ever happened to me in my entire life.

Definitely surgery. I'm not on T yet but I already have a somewhat androgynous leaning towards masculine body. I'm hairy all over, have a masculine face, and I'm working on bulking up for a masculine figure. Though T will help the rest come naturally. But I'm more excited for surgery because I absolutely despise binding.

Quote from: GnomeKid on May 24, 2015, 03:51:45 PM
Surgery... I could have mentally pushed through better as androgynous with no boobs that male with boobs.

Same here.

I got it done first for that very reason. Its really actually probably the best thing that ever happened to me in my entire life.

I feel the exact same way.

Surgery! It finally happened yesterday 8) My reasoning is my breasts were constantly a state of extreme anguish when I was able to cope easier knowing some men who didn't have particularly masculine secondary sex characteristics - deep voice, facial hair, straight up and down bodies.

i've been on t for 7 months now so the excitement is dying down and i'm ready for surgery. currently waiting to schedule it..... which will take 2-3 months. i'm nervous as hell, but i know that i need and want this. so much of my anxiety derives from my chest/worrying if my binder is okay today.

Quote from: palexander on June 03, 2015, 07:07:42 PM
i've been on t for 7 months now so the excitement is dying down and i'm ready for surgery. currently waiting to schedule it..... which will take 2-3 months. i'm nervous as hell, but i know that i need and want this. so much of my anxiety derives from my chest/worrying if my binder is okay today.

I'm in a similar boat right now, so I totally get that feeling. Someone from my healthcare provider's surgery board was supposed to get back to me two weeks from my referral. It's been two weeks as of today. If I don't get a call by Friday, I'm storming down there with an army. /endsarcasm

For me, the major results of T, such as facial hair, started really quickly so a lot of the first few months' enthusiasm has died down into a simple "huh, that's new" every few weeks/months. I'm SO ready to be able to strut around shamelessly shirtless all summer, plus binders really suck to work out in. So I'm definitely voting that surgery is more exciting, long-term.

Quote from: AndrewB on June 03, 2015, 07:16:32 PM
I'm in a similar boat right now, so I totally get that feeling. Someone from my healthcare provider's surgery board was supposed to get back to me two weeks from my referral. It's been two weeks as of today. If I don't get a call by Friday, I'm storming down there with an army. /endsarcasm

For me, the major results of T, such as facial hair, started really quickly so a lot of the first few months' enthusiasm has died down into a simple "huh, that's new" every few weeks/months. I'm SO ready to be able to strut around shamelessly shirtless all summer, plus binders really suck to work out in. So I'm definitely voting that surgery is more exciting, long-term.

+1

i think that when you're pre-t, you're infatuated with the idea of having a deeper voice or facial hair because you never had it. once the changes start to roll in (voice, facial hair, fat redistribution, muscle mass change) there's only one (or two, for some) thing left and that's top surgery.

pre-t = you want t more to sound and look the way that you've always seen yourself
on t = you want the surgery to complete yourself

Well I had to pick your third option because I'm not one of the cool kids yet.  :P

But I wanted to bump the thread for more input and thank those who have answered already because it confirms my own decision to go with top surgery first. I'm a few months out but soon...

Quote from: Bimmer Guy on May 13, 2015, 04:33:27 PM
It will be interesting to see if you still feel that way after you are on T and are scheduled for/have already had top surgery.  That is why I decided to only poll people that are on T and have already had top surgery....you might be surprised.

Yeah, it's a good question. I've got a meeting scheduled in roughly 2-3 months, so hopefully if lucky, I'll have my surgery in November/December this year. If not so lucky, somewhere Spring next year. T was really important though, but since I haven't had any major physical changes in almost a year exactly as of this writing moment, it's a little meh to me. I wish it would help more than it does.