Hello :)
i am back from my roadtrip of 10 hours to see dr.bensimon at montreal for a consultation.
I have heard from people that the staff at entrance wasnt polite . Actually they were very nice with me .. i am former french it could be the reason. The place was super clean and looked professionnal i have nothing to say on that.
Dr. bensimon called me on time , he asked me what i wanted as surgery. He listened to me then he laughed a bit and said something like : You dont need all this stuff. come with me i will explain and show you why.
He said that my face was very feminine and it was just like if a cis-woman was asking for surgery to him ( things to be done) ( it was great to hear this comming from a surgeon)
Here is what he said:
-I dont need any forehead modification, my forehead doesnt have any bossing, is almost straight and look feminine. He said that its the kind of slope he gives to forehead when he does one that require it. It doesnt worth the scars
- I dont need modification to upper eyes bones, all i need is a little lift of the skin and it will remove the "bossing"
- My nose is what he needs to focus on and it will feminize my face the most. He said that my radius is low and it will be hard to make it even and maybe not possible but he is positive that by changing my nose shape, it will fit with my forehead . Dr bensimon is selling you what you need and what is possible, not a dream . I appreciated him to be honest.
- My chin looks ok but i would benefit from a chin contouring.
- My adam's apple DEFINIVITLY need to be shaved
- My lips would benefit from augmentation
- My eyelids - where the eyebrow is at need to be lifted a little to eliminate extra skin. He proposed a drop of bottox.
- He also recommended me to not do hairline lowering. He said that for 1cm it doesnt worth the scar from ear to ear.
- Then we talked about breast. I wasnt sure if it would be a good idea or not to have implants so early. He said that i can wait another 6 month if i want to see if there is further growth but even after that i wont be satisfied and i will request a Breast augmentation anyway. He said that it wont change anything if i do it now or later . He tested 2 different size on me and we decided that a real full C cup was the right size to look natural . I asked him for D but with further growth i will probably reach it according to him.
Here is the quote :
The canadian dollar is very low compared to USD currently
-Rhinoplasty : 6820$ CAD / 4771$ USD
-Chin contouring : 4720$ CAD / 3302 $ USD
-Tracheal shave : 4475$ CAD / 3130$ USD
- Breast augmentation with sillicone implants : 7895$ CAD / 5523$ USD
Total : 23910$ CAD / 16727$ USD the hosting fees would have been of 865$ for a night but he said i will be ready to go right after.
Duration of the surgery : 4.5 hour
I am having the surgery in middle of february . i am so excited ;D
(it should be around 25000$ with bottox injections i think)
Ummm... wow! That's a lot of work. I hope it goes well! Good luck.
I decided to cancel my surgery date and to explore with more surgeons as i still hate my forehead/ orbital rim/ nose so much and i cant believe that it cannot be fixed. I sent images/requests to a few surgeons ... suck that i will have to wait but i want to be happy with myself.
I am so depressed.. i made a huge step then back to NOTHING ... i feel like crap :icon_ashamed: :'(
Edit: i will undergo the surgery with him. all he mentionned needs to be done anyway. If later i feel it is not enough and if i do have the money, i will do my forehead/orbital with another surgeon
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FozAA24K.jpg&hash=9510644275b0ac1e2657035767c069899b9c4e06)
OMG u tried false lashes like I said. They look really good.
Quote from: Angélique LaCava on January 14, 2016, 02:18:32 PM
OMG u tried false lashes like I said. They look really good.
yup i listend to you :) it took so long to recieve them omg.. i should have ordered from china instead thats crazy
Quick selfie was took at job this morning
The dr told me that i will have to go out of hormones 2 week before the surgery to eliminate blood cots chances.
Anyone know if this include stopping the cyproterone acetate too? I dont want my T to raise :(
From all the research I've done everything says the estradiol Is Wat causes the blood clot.
Cyproterone Acetate lowers blood pressure, something that isn't desired when you undergo surgery. Talk to the doctor about it but you may only need to quit it a few day before surgery instead of 2 weeks before surgery.
I am glad your surgeon is taking a minimal approach. Your face is feminine and I can see where what he proposes will make a difference in your face. Something I learned about plastic surgery a long time ago is the less that is done, the better the outcome. Sometime to many procedures produces a over operated look which doesn't appear real. You aren't after a new face, just a feminine face with a few improvements.
Yes, we didn't have FFS when I saw a plastic surgeon but I ask about my nose and adam's apple. After he evaluated both, I ask if he would add anything to the list. His opinion at the time was a face lift in about 20 years. That was how I knew he really had my best interest at heart. It has been over 20 years and I have decided that I will attempt to age gracefully and avoid the face lift.
I don't know if i'm late with this suggestion, or if your willing to travel, but there is a surgeon here in Vancouver that does FFS. Dr. Cameron Bowman
Thanks Dena. I paid the deposit today, it is confirmed i am getting all the job done on Feb 15th.
I asked if i have to stop the cyp acetate too and they said that i have to be off of it 15 days prior surgery... I worry a lot about the crap it will do to my levels after ... :(
15 days is a drop in the bucket. I wouldn't worry too much about it. You're going off HRT to take a giant feminizing step. You're basically completing 2 years of breast growth, and facial feminizing in a day. I know it's hard, but I'm sure you'll have forgotten all about the couple weeks without hormones once you have recovered from surgery and you look in the mirror.
Wishing you the best of luck with the surgeries!
Cyproterone acetate (also raises blood pressure and increases water retention) and oral bio-identical estradiol slightly raise blood clotting while non-oral bio-identical estradiol doesn't. I personally stopped cyproterone acetate 4 weeks before SRS because it takes time to leave your body and things to normalize. I believe the reason why certain medications and hormones need to be stopped is due to hospitalization and immobilization following surgery, not the surgery itself, which increase the risk of blood clots. So, in your case, since you leave the same day of the surgery, I don't quite understand...perhaps something to clear up with doctor.
It is my understanding that bicalutamide and GnRh agonists (leuprolide acetate, goserelin acetate) are anti-androgens that need not stopping as they don't affect clotting. Progesterone, finasteride also don't. And finally, non-oral bio-identical estradiol (which brings T levels down on its own), as mentioned above, shouldn't logically need stopping because it puts us in the same situation as genetic women who undergo surgery...in other words, genetic women have ovaries, they produce estrogen and despite this, they can undergo surgeries so common sense dictates that estrogen delivered the same way in us (directly into the blood) needn't be stopped and besides, studies have shown that this route of administration doesn't increase clotting risks. Most probably, though, your surgeon doesn't know this and prefers to be overcautious.
Science and logic aside, in the end, it is imperative you follow your doctor's instructions. You could try and discuss with him, mention these things to him and see if he changes his opinion/agrees. If he does, then switching to patches/gels/injections (+ bicalutamide or GnRh agonists) will help keep T low and you more stable emotionally before and after surgery. If not, then do as many do, make the best of it and tell yourself it is only temporary, that in the end, the surgery will get you closer to your goal so that it's all worth it in the end. :)
I hope this information helps.
The only time I ever stopped hormones prior to a surgery was 3 days before my SRS.
Good luck with your surgery. I hope you'll be satisfied.
I had a dream tonight where i was getting the surgery. It was so real omg. I woke up and i was sure that it had happened, i was even feeling pain on my breasts due to overnight growth . What an experience hahah . less then a month :)
Your so beautiful Archlord, its hard to imagine you needing surgery. Its your body and yours alone though, so you do what you gotta do :) I really hope everything works out for you. Biggest hugs Xxx
Ps dead jealous of your false lashes skills. I've got a box, but I haven't dared stick them on yet. This is coming from the woman who accidentally glued a paint brush to her tongue :)
Quote from: Moomin on January 16, 2016, 09:48:39 AM
Ps dead jealous of your false lashes skills. I've got a box, but I haven't dared stick them on yet. This is coming from the woman who accidentally glued a paint brush to her tongue :)
Hhahhaha it was my first time trying false eyelashes. It was like 6AM , i looked at instructions it was written to apply glue and wait 30-45 seconds before . I did wait like 1 minute, i tried to apply it on my skin then the glue went like... everywhere!!! omg.. it took me 3 attempt to have it right.
Quote from: archlord on January 13, 2016, 05:45:17 PM
Dr bensimon is selling you what you need and what is possible, not a dream . I appreciated him to be honest.
Archlord, I've also booked FFS with Dr. Bensimon. My surgery is coming up in April of this year. I just wanted to share that, I too sensed that he was only trying to sell me on what I actually needed. It seems like he had a good sense of what makes a face look feminine and is confident in his own abilities.
Best of luck with your surgery. I'm anxious to hear about your experience with everything.
Quote from: astrideva on January 16, 2016, 10:16:20 AM
Archlord, I've also booked FFS with Dr. Bensimon. My surgery is coming up in April of this year. I just wanted to share that, I too sensed that he was only trying to sell me on what I actually needed. It seems like he had a good sense of what makes a face look feminine and is confident in his own abilities.
Best of luck with your surgery. I'm anxious to hear about your experience with everything.
Nice. i will definitivly give feedback on my experience and results. Are you from Quebec too?
No, I'm from Ontario. Thanks for your original post, I hadn't come across any other posts about Dr. Bensimon from the past few years!
How did your surgery go?
For the scarring from the hairline lowering, is that from transplanting hair from somewhere else (like the back of your head)? I've always been wondering about hairline options. I think my hairline would be very similar to yours currently if you are thinking it was a problem (since mine isn't too bad, but there's definitely some recession).
Quote from: archlord on January 14, 2016, 03:09:54 PM
The dr told me that i will have to go out of hormones 2 week before the surgery to eliminate blood cots chances.
Anyone know if this include stopping the cyproterone acetate too? I dont want my T to raise :(
Estradiol is NOT a Blood thinner. It may or may not have an affect if used on normal basis, regardless if having surgery or not.
What you DONT want are Aspirin (NSAIDS) before Surgeries.
But it varies from person to person.
I will have my Gallbladder removed on the 29th and my Surgeon wants me to stop all medications EXCEPT Estradiol. I can take it the morning of the Surgery also.
Hope that helps, but...Listen to YOUR Doctor. :)
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,204276.01.html
This is my surgery thread . I am post-ffs and BA since feb 15th
Quote from: Jessika on February 25, 2016, 08:17:59 AM
Estradiol is NOT a Blood thinner.
But estradiol taken orally, especially non bio-identical forms increase clotting. This is why doctors ask to stop it, especially if there is hospitalization and long-term immobilization.
Quote from: KayXo on February 25, 2016, 09:18:16 AM
But estradiol taken orally, especially non bio-identical forms increase clotting. This is why doctors ask to stop it, especially if there is hospitalization and long-term immobilization.
Interesting, How can one tell which form the E is? Mine are pills (little blue ones).
Quote from: Jessika on February 25, 2016, 05:46:36 PM
Interesting, How can one tell which form the E is? Mine are pills (little blue ones).
By reading prescription labels on bottle. Estradiol (Estrace) or estradiol valerate is fine. Conjugated equine estrogens (Premarin), ethinyl estradiol are not.
Quote from: KayXo on February 25, 2016, 08:34:25 PM
By reading prescription labels on bottle. Estradiol (Estrace) or estradiol valerate is fine. Conjugated equine estrogens (Premarin), ethinyl estradiol are not.
I do read the labels and also get like 8 pages of description with it on Paper and I have never found anything that actually shows the difference or which version it is.
Ask your pharmacist to give you the name of the medication.