With less than two weeks to go, I thought I would start this thread. I'm very excited to be leaving a week from tomorrow for Buenos Aires. Here is the schedule.
Oct 9 - Leave home
Oct 10 - Arrive in Buenos Aires
Oct 12 - FFS with face & chin lift
Oct 19 - Breast Lift / replacement of old implants (mine are 26 years old)
Nov 1 - return home
There was simply too much to do in one surgery so it is being broken up into two procedures as you can see in the schedule. The reason being that it's not a simple BA, but I have old implants that have to come out.
I wired the money on Thursday and received confirmation from Amanda this morning that it was received. Hurray for that! Looks like I'll be packing bags this week!
Rhonda
Wish you the best.
May your time away from home go swift and be uneventful.
Thanks, Dee!
I'm planning on the following for the FFS.
- Forehead Type III
- rhinoplasty
- fat injection to lips
- jaw / chin
- face / chin lift
I'm not sure yet about the trachea shave. I also don't know whether or not a blepharoplasty will need to be done. We'll discuss it when I'm down there.
I was originally going to do the chin lift and face lift in a second procedure, months later, but I'm getting enough bone and cartilage removed that I was concerned that my skin would be pretty loose, flabby and wrinkled between procedures and I would be unhappy as a result. It would be a pain to come home after the FFS and feel like my face looked older and feel anxious to get ANOTHER surgery due to the first. That, I decided, would be a terrible result.
Here is what I look like (before) without makeup.
http://imgur.com/F1IF6wi
http://imgur.com/RR61NQy
http://imgur.com/bPtREcM
And here I am with makeup
http://imgur.com/uZurlkQ
How exciting !! You look really cis in those pictures too, best of luck and a speedy
Recovery
Thanks Markie!
Well, my bag is mostly packed. Only last minute things to put in it. I leave on Sunday and I'm pretty anxious to get this all started. There are so many things I'm not looking forward to. It will definitely be an ordeal, but it will be worth it many times over.
I know that my when this is over my self-confidence is going to go up tremendously.
I appreciate all of the positive comments that people have made about my appearance as it is. I believe that I have gotten skilled, over the years, of doing what I can with my features, but I'm really looking forward to not having to work quite so hard at it. Not always having to do my hair and make-up in a way to minimize this and maximize that. It will be good to go swimming or jogging or use a shower at a fitness club and not even think about how I look. To feel free and self-confident in my appearance all the time. Also, to not have the severity of my features compounded with an aging face.
My next post in this thread should be from Buenos Aires!
Bon voyage 😊i will be thinking of you everyday
Rhonda!!!
I will be sending lotsa good thoughts!!!...Stay in touch my friend!!!
Hugs!!!!
Ash :)
Rhonda, I think you are doing this for all the right reasons. It is incredibly liberating for me to look in the mirror now (after FFS) and know that I don't need to wear my hair a certain way or wear makeup in order to feel confident enough to be seen as a woman.
It's going to be expensive, painful, and pretty much awful in so many ways... but it will be sooo worth it! :) I'm very excited and happy for you! Hope you have a safe trip and a quick recovery!
Update Oct 11 2PM: one day before FFS
Landed in BA yesterday. Amanda was waiting at the airport. It was fun to get to finally meet her in person after so many emails and a couple of phone conversations these last couple of months. Got settled in my apartment and bought a few groceries. Amanda had to get back to her office so I spent most of the afternoon on my own exploring a bit and trying to stay awake. I didn't get a full night sleep on the overnight plane trip, but didn't want to nap and throw off my sleep schedule.
Today has been busy so far. Amanda collected me in the morning for testing, testing and more testing. We went to a little clinic where first I got x-rays, then blood drawn, (after blood draw, you finally get coffee after overnight fasting, thank goodness!) then breast imagery, then EKG and examination by a cardiologist. All that before 11 am.
It all moved fairly quickly. For those used to the typical facility in the USA, this experience would have been a bit different. The building was older, examination rooms were small and furniture was simple and old. Even the elevator was tiny - only holding 3 slender people and had a manual door.
On the other hand, in spite of it being busy, I was amazed at how quickly and efficiently I was processed through all these tests. We literally came in and Amanda took a number like at the DMV and then she settled up the bill at the end. The largest receipt that I saw that she had was 550 pesos which is $36 US and that was for breast imagery I think. Quite a difference from what we are used to seeing in the US.
The breast imagery wasn't mammography, it was an ultrasound. The technician put the jelly on each of the girls one at a time and went over them to image them. Amanda stayed in the room to translate. It may have taken 5 minutes.
Argentine culture seems to be extremely casual. People greet each other warmly and I was surprised when the woman cardiologist greeted me with a mutual exchange of kisses on the left cheek. This was the same greeting as with my landlady here. Oops, getting sidetracked... I love traveling and experiencing other cultures!
I needed to produce my passport about 3-4 times during today's proceedings, so it was a good thing that I had not left it in the lockbox in the apartment.
Amanda and I take taxis to get to appointments. When I'm on my own, I've been walking around.
Later today Amanda comes to get me to meet Dr. Rossi to discuss tomorrow's surgery. Now that I'm here, it feels like things are accelerating at an ever faster pace. I suppose once surgery actually happens tomorrow then time will slow down as I go through the process of healing.
I hope that this blog is useful to those considering Argentina as a option for FFS. I'm trying to give you girls a bit of a feel for what it is like to come down here and do this in this country and medical system.
Update Oct 11: Night before FFS
I met Dr Rossi this afternoon. He explained the surgery at great length and allowed me to interrupt with questions - which I did. I was glad that I had a written list of questions. It's easy to forget all the things you want to bring up in the excitement of it all.
Not too many surprises. One thing that did surprise me is that he intends to advance the tip of my chin a bit. He'll shorten it but also bring it forward. I don't understand this so much, but he was quite certain about this so I'm trusting him. Anyway, too much detail to write about here on all the specifics about my surgery.
I was going to ask him about fat injections to my cheeks and smile lines but before I even brought it up he examined my face and recommended it very strongly. I told him that it was on my list because looking at pictures of the younger me, my cheeks are not as full as they once were. He had to check that I had enough fat to extract. He seemed confident that he can get enough fat from my abdomen. He only needs about 30cc, he says. He will be injecting fat in my cheeks, smile lines, upper lip and under my eyes. So, I'm hoping to look about as young as my daughter (kidding, that will be the day). Seriously, I was happy about this, because my cheeks and face were fuller when I was younger and it did look more feminine as well. This is an area where the aging of my face was not helping and I was worried about how my masculine bone structure would compound with loss of fat in my face. I'm glad to get both the change in bone structure and the replenishment of fat.
Tomorrow is the big day! I probably won't be able to add to this for a few days.
Good luck today!!!!!
I think the fat transfers are a good additional, particularly for us older women. :-)
You probably won't see this post before surgery, but take care and remember the first couple of days post-surgery are the worst. You'll look much better in a week.
Hi Rhonda Lynn,
I've just seen your posts and hope that your surgery went well for you.
I'm flying down to BA on Monday evening for a hair transplant with Dr Szyferman on the 20th.
If you're feeling well enough I'd love to meet up for a coffee at some point. I'm there for 5 nights and am staying in San Telmo.
Feel free to PM me.
Julie
Oct 14:About 36 hours after surgery.
Everything went well. The care has been amazing. It's hard for me to type due to my swollen eyes, so I will write more later. When I got into the operating room all the doctors and technictions were so nice. They flirt a little too which - at least they did with me because they figured out that i didn't mind. Dr Angel (can't remember last name) asked me what music I liked and soon I was listening to Abba. I didn't get though Dancing Queen before I was in dreanland. The surgery took 8 hours.
After waking up, I was.a little panicked because it took me about two seconds to figure out where I was but they calmed me down very quickly and I realized what was going on. THe first night was a bit hard but Sofie was there the entire time to put a wet washcloth on my lips and talk to me. She was so sweet, I could not have asked for better care.
In the morning Dr Angel took off a lot of bandages and said that I would be released about noon. My surgery ended at midnight, so this would be only 12 hours. I could then see a little through the slits under swollen eyes and breath through my nose.
Other than the pain in my throat from the tube, there wasn't much other pain. I was worried about whether I would manage getting up to dress with limited sight, but it all went okay. I had to use my fingers sometimes to help my eyes open.
With my raccoon eyes, it's hard for me to tell what the final result is going to loo look like, but one thing I can tell is that I will look very different than the way I looked before.
I just now took these pictures. They're a little gruesome with all the bruising, but there it is!
http://imgur.com/WkAA4qA
http://imgur.com/b6PvV8U
http://imgur.com/jOfzosm
Hi Julie, I will message you about getting together. Hopefully I will be out and about near the end of your stay.
Congratulations!
Glad to see you are up and moving around.
BTW, you have a nice smile in your pictures, you must be happy.
Congrats!!! So excited for you! You will see how much a difference and how it can change your life! HUGS!
Well done , happy for you : )
Well done brave sister!!!! :)
Congrats on your surgery, well done!!
Look forward to hearing from you too!!
J
congratz and best recovery to you! =)
Oct 15: 3 days after surgery.
Thanks for all of words of encouragement everyone. Sorry for not taking the time to respond to everyone individually, but I do check the tread and enjoy reading your well-wishes very much.
I'm spending a lot of the day with the compression mask on and then trying to ice as much as I can. Then when I occasionally stop to eat something or make a little order out of the general disarray.
Amanda is lovely coming by each day, checking on me and bringing food from a deli. I haven't had a lot of appetite, but today I had more than yesterday. I also am just feeling really happy and optimistic. Perhaps its the weight of the surgery finally off my shoulders. The bruising and swelling has gone down somewhat around my eyes and seeing is no longer difficult as it was the first day in the apartment (yesterday). Actually, I've been listening to a lot of music and when one favorite song came on I couldn't help but dance a bit - pretty much normal for kooky me.
A tip for those going to have FFS, bring music and audiobooks!! I had not realized that I would be semi blind or icing my eyes for days at a time. Pandora doesn't seem to work down here. Amazon music does though. Anyway, listening is a great way to pass the time while icing and compressing.
Oct 16: 4 days after FFS
I started experimenting with concealing and feeling a little cabin fever decided to go out and take a walk. Amanda said that when I did start to go out (she probably meant next week) I look the same as a rhinoplasty patient which people get all the time. I decided "why not?" It was good to get out. Yes, some people looked I'm sure they must have thought it was either as Amanda said or a car accident or whatever. Nobody cared, the world didn't end.
The color I mixed for the color-correcting concealer was about a clay color. The bruises are very dark blue. Tomorrow I'll try for more pink by adding more yellow - not that it has to be perfect, I'm still swollen and have more stitches than Bride of Frankenstein. But its nice if people don't see the dark eyes at 40 feet.
http://imgur.com/i5iRSct
Wow Rhonda even with all the bruising and swelling theres a major change !
Walking around is a great idea, it really helps to get out and about. Also, going out Mon-Fri everyone is on a mission to get to and from work. They may notice you, but they are not going to stop and stare, they have their own daily grind to get through. Have the residents started wearing colors yet? When I was there I noticed how everyone seemed to wear the same dark/gray clothing. It was so apparent I even commented to Amanda about it. She noticed it too when I brought it to her attention. :-)
Take care and be well.
Quote from: Rhonda Lynn on October 16, 2016, 04:02:41 PM
Oct 16: 4 days after FFS
I started experimenting with concealing and feeling a little cabin fever decided to go out and take a walk. Amanda said that when I did start to go out (she probably meant next week) I look the same as a rhinoplasty patient which people get all the time. I decided "why not?" It was good to get out. Yes, some people looked I'm sure they must have thought it was either as Amanda said or a car accident or whatever. Nobody cared, the world didn't end.
The color I mixed for the color-correcting concealer was about a clay color. The bruises are very dark blue. Tomorrow I'll try for more pink by adding more yellow - not that it has to be perfect, I'm still swollen and have more stitches than Bride of Frankenstein. But its nice if people don't see the dark eyes at 40 feet.
http://imgur.com/i5iRSct
Quote from: markie on October 16, 2016, 08:19:54 PM
Wow Rhonda even with all the bruising and swelling theres a major change !
Thank you Markie! I know! I was not expecting so much change, really. Even without being able to see my nose yet and with my chin quite swollen. Each day a little more of my new face emerges and I like what I'm seeing.
Quote from: deeiche on October 17, 2016, 07:37:18 AM
Walking around is a great idea, it really helps to get out and about. Also, going out Mon-Fri everyone is on a mission to get to and from work. They may notice you, but they are not going to stop and stare, they have their own daily grind to get through. Have the residents started wearing colors yet? When I was there I noticed how everyone seemed to wear the same dark/gray clothing. It was so apparent I even commented to Amanda about it. She noticed it too when I brought it to her attention. :-)
Take care and be well.
Thanks for the advice, Dee.
Today I went out twice. Once with Amanda and then later on my own. Both were short trips. Still, you are so right that getting out really lifts my mood. I'm sure that it must help with the healing.
Tomorrow I see Dr Rossi again.
Amanda says that I'm doing very well. I feel that I am too. There have been a couple of difficulties, like a nagging headache and not much appetite. Both are getting better though.
Quote from: EmilyMK03 on October 08, 2016, 03:19:07 AM
Rhonda, I think you are doing this for all the right reasons. It is incredibly liberating for me to look in the mirror now (after FFS) and know that I don't need to wear my hair a certain way or wear makeup in order to feel confident enough to be seen as a woman.
It's going to be expensive, painful, and pretty much awful in so many ways... but it will be sooo worth it! :) I'm very excited and happy for you! Hope you have a safe trip and a quick recovery!
Thank you so much, Emily. I'm so happy for you that you feel liberated by what you see in the mirror. I am starting to feel a little of this too. As I was getting ready to go out on the street today, yes, I had the nose cast and bruises, but my face, OMG, my face is female! No square jaw, no heavy eyebrows. The swelling under my chin, I can tell, is really going to take a while to get to normal, but I know it will be worth waiting for.
Thanks too for saying that I'm doing this for the right reasons. I suspect that some cis friends when they see I've had cosmetic surgery will think it was frivolous. However, I just know that my sense of well-being is going to be so boosted by this.
Quote from: KarmaGirl on October 14, 2016, 06:43:49 PM
Congrats!!! So excited for you! You will see how much a difference and how it can change your life! HUGS!
Thanks KarmaGirl, I had been trying to keep my expectations low so as to not be disappointed. Now I'm allowing myself to hope for more.
Congratulations on getting trough the surgery successfully.
You can already see a difference even with all the swollen and bruised tissue.
Dr.Rossi is on the top of my possible surgeon list right now but i was still a bit worried about chosing him but as far as i can see pretty much all accounts of surgery with him are generally very positive.
I won't pester you with any of my questiosn right now as you are recovering but i hoped i could maybe talk to you about your experience later before i make my own trip to buenos aires.
Have a good recovery!
Quote from: Blueberry on October 17, 2016, 07:09:28 PM
Congratulations on getting trough the surgery successfully.
You can already see a difference even with all the swollen and bruised tissue.
Dr.Rossi is on the top of my possible surgeon list right now but i was still a bit worried about chosing him but as far as i can see pretty much all accounts of surgery with him are generally very positive.
I won't pester you with any of my questiosn right now as you are recovering but i hoped i could maybe talk to you about your experience later before i make my own trip to buenos aires.
Have a good recovery!
Hi Blueberry, I would be happy to share my experiences about Dr Rossi. Welcome to Susan's!
Quote from: Rhonda Lynn on October 01, 2016, 02:38:38 PM
SNIP
Oct 19 - Breast Lift / replacement of old implants (mine are 26 years old)
SNIP
I will be sending good thoughts your way tomorrow.
As to those cis friends, well... you might consider making them wait? Just until everything's settled? I ran into a married couple at the airport by chance, several months after the work was done. They didn't recognize me. I had to re-introduce myself, and the look on their faces as their jaws dropped... but, alas, it was followed by that familiar "we're not actually comfortable with this whole transition thing" look, so I guess they really didn't count as friends.
Several years down the line, I ran into a woman from way back, like the last time I'd seen her was seven or eight years before I transitioned, and now it's the same time after, so she had no idea who was standing before her. And this time, I just let the past stay in the past, and started a new acquaintance.
And it's funny, I had dinner with some other transitioners barely eight days after facial surgery, right after I'd gotten back from Portland, and they saw so much more in the result than I was capable of at the time. Everyone was so happy for me, and that really kept me going as recovery seemed to take just so much time.
It's so hard to tell with all the swelling, and some of it takes several months to subside. But Rhonda, this really looks like a very good result -- the work around your eyes is already profound.
Give it time. It settles in slowly. It's a gift that keeps on giving. For the rest of your life.
When you finally get to take a shower, pay attention to how the water falls differently down your face. Three months out, spend some quality time in the mirror -- what you thought were familiar expressions of wonder, happiness, pouting, and so on... will look different. Play around with them. Revel in them.
This isn't about being pretty. It's about being "right."
Quote from: Sophia Sage on October 21, 2016, 12:15:05 AM
[...]
And it's funny, I had dinner with some other transitioners barely eight days after facial surgery, right after I'd gotten back from Portland, and they saw so much more in the result than I was capable of at the time. Everyone was so happy for me, and that really kept me going as recovery seemed to take just so much time.
It's so hard to tell with all the swelling, and some of it takes several months to subside. But Rhonda, this really looks like a very good result -- the work around your eyes is already profound.
Give it time. It settles in slowly. It's a gift that keeps on giving. For the rest of your life.
When you finally get to take a shower, pay attention to how the water falls differently down your face. Three months out, spend some quality time in the mirror -- what you thought were familiar expressions of wonder, happiness, pouting, and so on... will look different. Play around with them. Revel in them.
This isn't about being pretty. It's about being "right."
Hi Sophia, You're right. I am having a hard time right now seeing the changes through the swelling and bruises. Thanks for the words of encouragement! The healing process feels very slow right now.
As I get closer, I'm starting to think that will be the hardest part. Not being upset that I can't see the real changes right away
Just remember, we of all people know how to do patience.
UPDATE Oct 21: 9 days after FFS, 2 days after Breast Implant Replacement
I had my breast surgery two days ago. It was rather a long wait. There was a rather large protest downtown that caused traffic problems and delays. As a result, my surgery was delayed a couple of hours. Hating to sound like a complainer, only I had been fasting since the night before so waiting in the hospital lobby from 1pm until about 3pm with a headache from low blood sugar was very unpleasant. I was quite poor company for Amanda I'm afraid. She told me at one point that she was hungry for her lunch but wouldn't eat in front of me. I told her that I could not be held responsible for what I might do. :)
Anyway, when I went back to the surgery area, Dr Appiani spent about 10-15 minutes drawing all kinds of precisely measured arcs and lines on my breasts.
Then I went back to the actual surgery room and they started prepping me. Dr Appiani put some Abba music on for me. We chatted a little about the play Mamma Mia.
I noticed several people poking their head into the entrance of my surgical room while I was sitting up getting prepped. Dr Appiani explained that everyone was quite amazed at the result of my facial surgery because they had seen me a week before. An orderly even had my pre-op photos and people were looking back and forth between that photo and my face. Anyway, that was fun and interesting.
Then they had me lay down and I started seeing stars so I knew I would be out soon. When I woke up, I could feel quite a bit of pain in my breasts which I told them about. They gave me an injection right away. I was then wheeled to a room where Sophia was. The same young woman who had cared for me overnight after FFS. This time, however, I could see her!
It was 7pm and the doctor said that I would be released to go home at 10 pm. However, Sophia said that if I wanted to stay overnight in the hospital, it was no problem.
During the next couple of hours, I rested and chatted with Sophia. By 10pm I decided that I was okay with going back to the apartment. It took some time to get checked out and wait for a taxi.
When we got to the apartment it was after 11pm. Amanda met us there and had a new set of medications for me. She made sure that I was settled and then left me to get some rest saying that she would be back the next day.
The next day (yesterday) I definitely was feeling the fatigue of going though two surgeries in only one week apart. Dealing with pain and taking pain killers. Being inside a lot. Looking like a truck had hit me. Having a hard time taking a proper shower because of my nose bandage and now my breast bandages. It was all piling up on me. It's like the half-way point of a marathon. I'm exhausted, but know that there is such a long way to go.
Today, I've determined to go out for a short walk and get some food. I really need to see some sunshine and get some exercise even for a few minutes.
-Rhonda
Quote from: Sophia Sage on October 21, 2016, 11:51:14 AM
Just remember, we of all people know how to do patience.
This is somehow one of the most beautiful things I've read about being trans. :)
Thank you for all these reports, Rhonda Lynn. I hope you manage some good rest and heal up.
I have a really stupid question about FFS... do they let you keep your hair? :)
Here is a photo of me today with some concealer on to hide the bruises
http://imgur.com/cOqUVYM
Quote from: MeghanMe on October 21, 2016, 12:51:01 PM
Thank you for all these reports, Rhonda Lynn. I hope you manage some good rest and heal up.
I have a really stupid question about FFS... do they let you keep your hair? :)
There are a lot of sutures along the hairline and they may have done a limited amount of shaving right where the sutures needed to go. It's hard for me to be sure though with the combination of staples and stutters some of my hair is sort of caught in the staples and such so it's obscured. When all that comes out next week I'll be able to see better.
Anyway, you get to keep your hair.
Quote from: Rhonda Lynn on October 21, 2016, 01:35:41 PM
Anyway, you get to keep your hair.
Yay! :) I'm feeling kind of dumb now because your picture answered that question without me needing to ask...
October 25 - 13 days post FFS new photos!
Today the nose cast, tape and most of the sutures came out and I can finally see my face. Yay!!! So here are the first pictures where I have a nose! These, in my opinion, are the first ones where I don't look so much like "Senora got hit by a truck." I still obviously have a lot of swelling, (you can see a lot of it in the profile picture) but the shape is becoming more visible.
http://imgur.com/Xp1ONIJ
http://imgur.com/p0NoF5s
http://imgur.com/0eHsdKw
I'm overdue for an update. However, I don't know that I will get to it tonight. I've decided to go ahead with hair transplants, which is tomorrow morning, so I have to be ready for that and get to bed early on top of that.
Looking good Rhonda! Even with all the swelling and bruising, your face looks much more feminine AND younger! :)
Good luck with your hair transplants tomorrow!!
Wow you look so much younger .. and pretty too ....and your not even finished yet
What an amazing result : )
You look great, how old are you? :laugh:
Hair transplants too. You have more stamina than I had. Are you going to Dr Syzferman for hair transplants?
Quote from: Rhonda Lynn on October 25, 2016, 04:27:29 PM
October 25 - 13 days post FFS new photos!
SNIP
I'm overdue for an update. However, I don't know that I will get to it tonight. I've decided to go ahead with hair transplants, which is tomorrow morning, so I have to be ready for that and get to bed early on top of that.
wow looking great for almost 2 weeks post-op! woohoo!
Quote from: Debra on October 26, 2016, 07:20:14 AM
wow looking great for almost 2 weeks post-op! woohoo!
Thank you Debra! Honestly, this is the first time I've really liked the look of a photo of me since this started.
Quote from: EmilyMK03 on October 25, 2016, 06:24:10 PM
Looking good Rhonda! Even with all the swelling and bruising, your face looks much more feminine AND younger! :)
Good luck with your hair transplants tomorrow!!
Thank you, Emily! I was glad to have your thread as a guide to know that bruising and swelling do take a long time. Still I think you can't help but expect it to clear up much faster than it does. I get impatient, but at last I can get an idea of where I'm headed.
Quote from: markie on October 26, 2016, 01:43:52 AM
Wow you look so much younger .. and pretty too ....and your not even finished yet
What an amazing result : )
Thank you so much for the compliment, Markie.
You know, honestly, the face I see emerging looks to me like my real face. Perhaps some of you will get what I mean, but I feel like I totally recognize that girl in the photo and it's Me, the real me. Before, my face was always obscured.
Quote from: deeiche on October 26, 2016, 06:56:04 AM
You look great, how old are you? :laugh:
Hair transplants too. You have more stamina than I had. Are you going to Dr Syzferman for hair transplants?
Thanks, Dee!
Well, I'm not feeling that young at this moment. The transplants took about 5 hours and I developed a headache toward the end. I did not feel so great at the end. I think the physical stress of all this has pushed me to my limits in a lot of ways. Yes, I went with Dr Syzferman.
After getting home and resting a bit, the headache has subsided, but I feel pretty worn out. I'm thinking that tomorrow will be mostly pajamas and Netflix.
It will be annoying that I can't cover the transplants for several days and they do look quite strange right there on my forehead. They did give me a baseball cap which won't touch the transplants and I will probably wear it if I need to go out.
Quote from: Rhonda Lynn on October 26, 2016, 05:25:47 PM
You know, honestly, the face I see emerging looks to me like my real face. Perhaps some of you will get what I mean, but I feel like I totally recognize that girl in the photo and it's Me, the real me. Before, my face was always obscured.
I know
exactly what you mean!! The face that you see in the mirror is a new face that you've never actually seen before, yet it also feels sooo right, doesn't it? It really is your real face, and now it's finally been revealed. It's one of the most affirming things I have ever experienced, really. In my opinion, FFS is the
real gender confirmation surgery. :)
As for the bruising, just know that it can take a long while... I'm 6.5 weeks post-op, and I still have some slight bruising under my eyes, lol.
Quote from: EmilyMK03 on October 26, 2016, 06:52:20 PM
I know exactly what you mean!! The face that you see in the mirror is a new face that you've never actually seen before, yet it also feels sooo right, doesn't it? It really is your real face, and now it's finally been revealed. It's one of the most affirming things I have ever experienced, really. In my opinion, FFS is the real gender confirmation surgery. :)
[snip]
You are so right, Emily. It confirms our identity for ourselves and others to see. Every time I thought about the rightness of it these last couple of days, of seeing my real face there, it was too overwhelming and I cried more than once.
Looking better and better, Rhonda! I love how you put it, that you're finally seeing your true face.
And you really are recovering quite well. I didn't really see my true face emerge for at least a month, and closer to two.
Quote from: EmilyMK03 on October 26, 2016, 06:52:20 PMIn my opinion, FFS is the real gender confirmation surgery. :)
Yes, this. It's facial sex reassignment.
Quote from: Rhonda Lynn on October 26, 2016, 05:46:45 PMIt will be annoying that I can't cover the transplants for several days and they do look quite strange right there on my forehead. They did give me a baseball cap which won't touch the transplants and I will probably wear it if I need to go out.
I'm very interested in this -- how many grafts? Where? What's the whole post-op recovery for this supposed to look like?
Quote from: Rhonda Lynn on October 26, 2016, 05:25:47 PM
Thank you so much for the compliment, Markie.
You know, honestly, the face I see emerging looks to me like my real face. Perhaps some of you will get what I mean, but I feel like I totally recognize that girl in the photo and it's Me, the real me. Before, my face was always obscured.
Yes Rhonda I understand and can relate to that :)
Hi Rhonda - I have an appt. with Dr. Rossi in December, so I've been eagerly reading your posts. I just wanted to reply this time because those latest pictures really made me say "wow" out loud. What a difference at your eyes!
Your most recent photos are very impressive.
I am currently int he final stages of booking my surgery with Dr.Rossi and T-Change myself
and have been really conflicted and anxious recently regarding if i really wanna go trough with it.
Seeing your results really does put me at ease a bit.
How much did you add onto the surgry for the hair transplants and how many transplants were done?
I am thinking about forgoing the hairline advancement in favour of transpants myself.
Quote from: Blueberry on October 28, 2016, 06:08:23 AM
Your most recent photos are very impressive.
I am currently int he final stages of booking my surgery with Dr.Rossi and T-Change myself
and have been really conflicted and anxious recently regarding if i really wanna go trough with it.
Seeing your results really does put me at ease a bit.
How much did you add onto the surgry for the hair transplants and how many transplants were done?
I am thinking about forgoing the hairline advancement in favour of transpants myself.
Amanda can get you a quote pretty quickly on hair transplants based on your photos. I probably had about 2000 transplants, but he goes by area rather than count. Amanda says that he has a tendency to underestimate how many he needs to do then ends up doing a lot more. It doesn't matter though, because you pay the quoted price.
I have no reservations about recommending t-change at this point. Dr Rossi and his team are skilled surgeons with a great eye to aesthetics and Amanda provides excellent service.
Quote from: corvidia on October 27, 2016, 06:18:03 AM
Hi Rhonda - I have an appt. with Dr. Rossi in December, so I've been eagerly reading your posts. I just wanted to reply this time because those latest pictures really made me say "wow" out loud. What a difference at your eyes!
Thanks Corvidia! Best of luck to you in December. You'll be in good hands. :)
Quote from: Sophia Sage on October 26, 2016, 09:12:03 PM
Looking better and better, Rhonda! I love how you put it, that you're finally seeing your true face.
And you really are recovering quite well. I didn't really see my true face emerge for at least a month, and closer to two.
I'm very interested in this -- how many grafts? Where? What's the whole post-op recovery for this supposed to look like?
Hi Sophia, I really appreciate your encouragement. There are some difficult days when looking in the mirror, I just am not happy with how things are going and I don't like what I see. I think the mind plays tricks on us when we're not feeling good and feeling a bit depressed.
I wasn't sure whether I would post an image of the grafts because at the moment they really don't look good at all. Right after you get them you can't cover them at all because they are very fragile and you don't want to dislodge them. I'm going to see Dr Syzferman today so I might have more information about the recovery process.
Here is what they look like now so you can see the area they cover. There is a little gap between the graphs and my hair because they shave just a little of your hair as they go so that they can get the graphs right up to your hairline. They say it takes about 3 months for the follicle groups to start growing. Dr Syzferman packs them in very tightly as you may be able to see.
http://imgur.com/24vftGL
The redness is a lot of tiny scabs because as the graphs get pushed in there is a tiny amount of bleeding in some places. I'm told that the scabs fall off in a few days so I hope that this redness goes away along with it. Also after a few days I'll be able to cover it with my hair and/or a scarf or headband.
Chin up cheer up Rhonda you look fantastic ...really honestly : ) hang in there
Hi Rhonda,
Thanks for the heads up on what the grafting procedure can look like. Helps to know what I might be getting into.
As to what you're seeing in the mirror... you ain't seen nothin' yet. Your nose is going to settle down. There's bony swelling that takes months to dissipate. The bruising and puffiness will linger for several more weeks. And obviously there's going to be a wait on your hairline -- iirc, it takes a couple months for such grafts to fall out, followed by a year of growth. You're still in transition.
We see before and after shots, it looks instantaneous, but it really isn't. It takes a while. I actually had to have revisions on my jawline six months after the fact, as everything hadn't quite settled evenly.
And memories fade.
Think of this as a mountain you've climbed. You're on the downslope now, it really does get easier, though you still need to be careful not to trip and fall. Because there's still this giant mountain to descend before you finally get to the other side of it. So go easy on yourself. Ya hear?
Don't worry, once the face isn't so swollen you will see a lot more! Just take care of yourself. It'll be a little rough for a while and then it will all settle. I am just barely starting to the results without the swelling. Sometimes it takes up to 6 or 8 months to see the final results.
There a part of me that misses my swollen face. Because you can't see any wrinkles that way! LOL
I'm so happy to see you doing well.
Many HUGS!
KG
Looks like my appointment might be coming up pretty fast.
I hope it's ok for me to ask you some questions about the stay in buenos aires.
Are you able to withdraw money while you are there or did you have to plan ahead and bring everything in cash?
Looks like apartments have to be paid cash if you take the option to book them trough amanda. Do you pay in peso or USD? Can you exchange other currencies for USD anywhere there?
Did you get any kind of travel insurace for your trip?
I looked into it but elective surgery seems to be a reason for cancellation pretty much everywhere and i can't find a plan that would cover me even for things not related to surgery like theft.
I never really travel abroad so i am a complete idiot regarding this stuff.
I see a visa is not needed for a stay of under 3 months.
Did they ask you for the purpose of your stay at the EZE airport?
Lastly what's the weather like there this time of year?
Quote from: Blueberry on November 01, 2016, 02:02:24 PM
Looks like my appointment might be coming up pretty fast.
I hope it's ok for me to ask you some questions about the stay in buenos aires.
Are you able to withdraw money while you are there or did you have to plan ahead and bring everything in cash?
Looks like apartments have to be paid cash if you take the option to book them trough amanda. Do you pay in peso or USD? Can you exchange other currencies for USD anywhere there?
Did you get any kind of travel insurace for your trip?
I looked into it but elective surgery seems to be a reason for cancellation pretty much everywhere and i can't find a plan that would cover me even for things not related to surgery like theft.
I never really travel abroad so i am a complete idiot regarding this stuff.
I see a visa is not needed for a stay of under 3 months.
Did they ask you for the purpose of your stay at the EZE airport?
Lastly what's the weather like there this time of year?
I brought everything that I needed in US dollars which is probably the best way to go if you can. I had a lock box in my room in which I kept all of my reserves to the only time that I was carrying a lot of cash was on the trip down. Of course, I wired the main fee beforehand. I did see a lot of cash machines on Florida street and they probably would have worked just fine, but I don't know what limits there would have been, and those probably would have been for withdrawals in Argentine pesos. Everything expensive here is paid for in USD. And yes, that is true for the people who live here. Agentina currency is very weak and falling. Therefore people keep their savings in USD and buy big items (cars and real estate) in USD.
When you buy groceries or food at a restaurant you pay in Argentine pesos which you end up exchanging on the street. Amanda will show you how to do this without having a problem or getting counterfeit. I ended up spending less about $200 over the course of 3 weeks in cash exchanges.
I purchased travel insurance along with my airfare through Delta, I think it was. I have purchased it independently in the past. I don't always get travel insurance, it's sort of a personal choice. The main thing it covers you for is if you have to cancel the trip because of something out of your control.
I did not find BA to be particularly unsafe as a really huge city, but of course you will want to be as cautious as you would be in New York or Los Angeles which is pretty darn cautious. Amanda warned to keep the zipper closed on my purse while walking the streets which I faithfully did and didn't mind the reminder. Every big city has pickpockets.
Yes, you pay in cash for your apartment but my apartment and landlady were great.
No one official ever asked me the reason for my stay. There was no need for a visa. Immigration was a breeze. I am in the airport waiting to leave now and they didn't ask me on the way out either. They only asked me how I enjoyed my stay and how I liked Buenos Aires, etc. Guess they just assumed that I was a tourist. I was prepared to tell them that I had a facelift in case they asked.
It's been a colder spring than usual. It's been in the high 60s and low 70s. It should start warming up because summer is getting close. I brought a sweater and I wore it most days. By the time you come, perhaps it will be a bit warmer. Amanda says by now mostly people are in t-shirts. I did see people wearing warmer weather clothing but because of the surgery, I felt that I needed an extra layer even if there was a breeze.
I hope all of this helps! Buenos Aires is really quite an amazing city and I wish that I could have enjoyed it more instead of being inside so much. I really do hope to visit it again someday.
Good luck on your trip and surgery if you end up going! Please tell Amanda "Hola" for me.
Quote from: KarmaGirl on October 31, 2016, 03:44:41 PM
Don't worry, once the face isn't so swollen you will see a lot more! Just take care of yourself. It'll be a little rough for a while and then it will all settle. I am just barely starting to the results without the swelling. Sometimes it takes up to 6 or 8 months to see the final results.
There a part of me that misses my swollen face. Because you can't see any wrinkles that way! LOL
I'm so happy to see you doing well.
Many HUGS!
KG
Oh yes! My old friends, the wrinkles! A few of them have started to reappear and so I know that others are sure to come back. Well, it's not so bad, if I were to look too young how could I get anyone to respect me? :D
I will be happy to see the swelling go down though because it is uneven on the right and left side of my face. I probably notice it more than other people, but then I spend all this time staring in the mirror....
I'm glad that you're still seeing improvement, Karmagirl. It must be nice seeing more and more of your new face emerge each month, kind like Christmas or your birthday every month?
Looks like my flight is about to board to the USA.
Adios Buenos Aires!
I hope you made it home alright and you are recovering from the flght.
Quote from: Rhonda Lynn on November 01, 2016, 05:01:46 PM
Good luck on your trip and surgery if you end up going! Please tell Amanda "Hola" for me.
Thanks i will make sure to. Looks like my surgery date will be the last of this month.
Here are the 20 day before / after photos. There is a little make-up in the afters which is cheating, but I was headed to the airport so it couldn't be helped.
http://imgur.com/Wif4nKn
http://imgur.com/xC2cMvy
http://imgur.com/TF8S03T
Thats iimpressive you look so much much younger I always thought you looked 100% female before but that surgery has feminised you even more ! and it wjll only get better as for for any wrinkles botox does wonders :)
Its a great result makes me consider your surgeon for .myself
November 22, 2016 - 6 weeks post-FFS
http://imgur.com/RCtJTdE
It's been a little while since I've posted any sort of update. Tomorrow will be six weeks since my surgery.
There is still swelling and I have some areas that need healing, but the bruising is pretty well gone. Yea!!
One thing that I will say, and this may not be the last time I say it - a lot of the changes that Dr Rossi made to my face were not that large in size, but the difference that they made are profound. When I look at myself now, I only see female anymore. It gives me a wonderful feeling that I can only describe as serenity.
A week ago I had lunch with a cis girlfriend. She is the only person, outside of family, that I told about FFS. She was extremely complimentary about my results, which was so nice to hear. She specifically talked about my chin and forehead - actually she went on about it for a while. Normally I would have been self-conscious, but after so many weeks of bandages and bruising, it was nice to have some positive attention.
She also said that I still looked "like me" and that since I've lost so much weight (over the last year I've lost about 20 lbs) a lot of people might chalk up my appearance change to the weight loss. It will be interesting. I'm thinking of starting to play tennis again around the holidays so I'll see some friends that I haven't seen in a long time.
Over the holidays I'll see some family so it will be interesting and good to see how people respond to the whole new me. I'm looking forward to it really.
So happy for you! Just be patient. You will continue to see changes for 6 to 8 months. I'm still seeing changes and I had my surgery in May. Keep massaging your trachea so you don't get any scar tissue forming. Massage your face when you can too. You may go through a period where you might see bumps on your forehead but that will change as time goes by.
Some FFS patients have problems seeing the changes, so taking pics as time goes by might be good for you.
Your face after a few months might go through an adjustment. My skin got kinda weird for a few weeks and then it eventually got better and healthy looking. Remember everything is reconnecting itself as you are connecting to your new identity!
I'm very happy for you.
Cheers!
Quote from: KarmaGirl on November 22, 2016, 06:48:40 PM
So happy for you! Just be patient. You will continue to see changes for 6 to 8 months. I'm still seeing changes and I had my surgery in May. Keep massaging your trachea so you don't get any scar tissue forming. Massage your face when you can too. You may go through a period where you might see bumps on your forehead but that will change as time goes by.
Some FFS patients have problems seeing the changes, so taking pics as time goes by might be good for you.
Your face after a few months might go through an adjustment. My skin got kinda weird for a few weeks and then it eventually got better and healthy looking. Remember everything is reconnecting itself as you are connecting to your new identity!
I'm very happy for you.
Cheers!
Thanks KarmaGirl. It is hard to be patient, but I'm trying.
I definitely need to massage more regularly. With all this rain, there is plenty of time for it and it's actually pretty relaxing. Massaging isn't something that Dr Rossi brings up but I've heard about it elsewhere and it certainly makes sense for increasing blood flow for healing. I've done it a little and will be doing it more regularly.
Quote from: Rhonda Lynn on November 22, 2016, 09:02:39 PM
Thanks KarmaGirl. It is hard to be patient, but I'm trying.
I definitely need to massage more regularly. With all this rain, there is plenty of time for it and it's actually pretty relaxing. Massaging isn't something that Dr Rossi brings up but I've heard about it elsewhere and it certainly makes sense for increasing blood flow for healing. I've done it a little and will be doing it more regularly.
I hear that. I'm just past 3 weeks now and so impatient lol. Yeah Dr D didn't say a word about massaging so I've had to ask a lot of questions about it and stuff
Quote from: Rhonda Lynn on November 22, 2016, 05:59:11 PM
November 22, 2016 - 6 weeks post-FFS
http://imgur.com/RCtJTdE
It's been a little while since I've posted any sort of update. Tomorrow will be six weeks since my surgery.
There is still swelling and I have some areas that need healing, but the bruising is pretty well gone. Yea!!
One thing that I will say, and this may not be the last time I say it - a lot of the changes that Dr Rossi made to my face were not that large in size, but the difference that they made are profound. When I look at myself now, I only see female anymore. It gives me a wonderful feeling that I can only describe as serenity.
A week ago I had lunch with a cis girlfriend. She is the only person, outside of family, that I told about FFS. She was extremely complimentary about my results, which was so nice to hear. She specifically talked about my chin and forehead - actually she went on about it for a while. Normally I would have been self-conscious, but after so many weeks of bandages and bruising, it was nice to have some positive attention.
She also said that I still looked "like me" and that since I've lost so much weight (over the last year I've lost about 20 lbs) a lot of people might chalk up my appearance change to the weight loss. It will be interesting. I'm thinking of starting to play tennis again around the holidays so I'll see some friends that I haven't seen in a long time.
Over the holidays I'll see some family so it will be interesting and good to see how people respond to the whole new me. I'm looking forward to it really.
Wow you look great and very happy ☺
Quote from: markie on November 29, 2016, 07:18:25 AM
Wow you look great and very happy ☺
Thank you, Markie. :)
Quote from: Debra on November 25, 2016, 01:57:59 PM
I hear that. I'm just past 3 weeks now and so impatient lol. Yeah Dr D didn't say a word about massaging so I've had to ask a lot of questions about it and stuff
OOOhhhh lordy! Don't talk to me about patience..LOL I have little to NO patience...it's been so hard to sit and wait for the results as the months pass by. It's kinda like that commercial when they are saying "How 'bout now...now? ...now?"
But yeah, it's rough. Just take pics as the months go by and you'll see those little changes in your face.
HUGS,
KG
Quote from: KarmaGirl on December 02, 2016, 07:02:18 PM
OOOhhhh lordy! Don't talk to me about patience..LOL I have little to NO patience...it's been so hard to sit and wait for the results as the months pass by. It's kinda like that commercial when they are saying "How 'bout now...now? ...now?"
But yeah, it's rough. Just take pics as the months go by and you'll see those little changes in your face.
HUGS,
KG
ugh right?!?! it's SO HARD! Yeah I am trying to take pics everyday ...it helps
Quote from: KarmaGirl on December 02, 2016, 07:02:18 PM
OOOhhhh lordy! Don't talk to me about patience..LOL I have little to NO patience...it's been so hard to sit and wait for the results as the months pass by. It's kinda like that commercial when they are saying "How 'bout now...now? ...now?"
But yeah, it's rough. Just take pics as the months go by and you'll see those little changes in your face.
HUGS,
KG
The time seems to just drag out doesn't it? Surgery seems like it happened a long time ago, but it hasn't even been 7 weeks yet.
It has been a long time since I posted. However, I realized that I reached my six-month FFS anniversary and thought that I should post a pic and give an update.
I created a before/after composite. I'm actually a bit amazed looking at this, because in my mind's eye, I only see the changes in my appearance as small. Probably because it takes such a long time to happen, I had forgotten what the image in the mirror really used to look like.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FrGaf3NO.jpg&hash=70d3405e831edb990943f86ea67f748e448bea9e)
http://imgur.com/CpbYXth
Overall, I'm really pleased with how my face has turned out as I continue to heal. I like very much what Dr Rossi did for my chin and forehead especially. I have no regrets about getting FFS and going to Dr Rossi. I can't even begin to describe how much more relaxed and confident I feel about my appearance now. I really feel like people can see my real face now and the old face was just not quite right.
At this point, there is still some numbness below my mouth and chin but that seems to get better as time goes by. I've heard that it can take up to a year or so for all the numbness to go away, so I think that it's doing fine. It's only a little bit noticeable to me now. My scalp itches above the hairline. I don't know whether this is healing from the incisions, from the hair transplants or a combination of both.
As of January, I've gotten back to playing tennis which has allowed me to see a lot of friends that I had not seen in a while. Surprisingly, the girls at the tennis club haven't said anything about the difference in my appearance with the exception of one friend who knows my past and knew about my surgery plans. One friend noticed my eye and wondered whether I had injured it. I told her that it was injured in my bike wreck which was true, to an extent, I did have to have stitches above and below my eye after a bike crash about a year ago.
I've been wearing a hat when I play tennis which covers my still growing hair transplants. They are just over an inch long now and starting to blend in more with the longer hair. Still, they are not quite as long as regular bangs so that is going to take a couple of more months before they are a length that I like. The thickness of the transplants is great though. Below is a close-up. Dr Syzferman does an amazing job. He and his team spent so many hours on me.
http://imgur.com/6WoXSFs
One issue that I have is that I still have an eyelid asymmetry. That is, that my two eyelids don't open evenly. I don't blame Dr. Rossi for this as the swelling on my left eye was quite heavy and I have read that trauma can cause this. I'm still going to wait a couple more months, at least, before considering ptosis surgery.
I guess that's all for now.
-Rhonda
Hey Rhonda!
Looking great my friend!!! I'm glad all is well and moving in the right direction!
Hugs!
A:)
Yay Ronda you look fab 😉
Quote from: tgirlamc on April 14, 2017, 10:19:54 PM
Hey Rhonda!
Looking great my friend!!! I'm glad all is well and moving in the right direction!
Hugs!
A:)
Thank you for the complement, my friend. :)
Looks great, well done!
Buenos Aires is an amazing city. It has a really European vibe but a slight latin twist. I spent 5 months of leisure time there a decade ago - an amazing time.
Fantastic result. You look very youthful. Glowing even.
Congratulations!
Quote from: EmmaLoo on April 22, 2017, 11:13:14 AM
Fantastic result. You look very youthful. Glowing even.
Congratulations!
Thank you, EmmaLoo. It's really nice to receive positive comments about how I now look. FFS is not an easy thing to take on and go through. I would like to think that it was worth it!
Quote from: tarabel on April 17, 2017, 05:00:27 AM
Looks great, well done!
Buenos Aires is an amazing city. It has a really European vibe but a slight latin twist. I spent 5 months of leisure time there a decade ago - an amazing time.
I only wish that I had gotten a better look at Buenos Aires. I felt the same way about the European feel. Much like France or Italy. Buenos Aires is a lot like Barcelona, I think, but a lot less expensive!
News...
I met with Dr Sullivan today who is an Oculoplastic Surgeon in Portland. He measured my eyes and found that my left eyelid is 2.0mm above my pupil while my right eye is 3.5mm. He put drops in my left eye that dilate the pupil and also stimulate the eyelid muscle. My left eyelid came up 2.0mm to where it was slightly above that of the right eyelid.
He said that this indicated was that the eyelid droop could be corrected by tightening the muscle under the eyelid. This is good news because the procedure will leave no visible incision. Heaven knows that I have my share of surgical scars at this point!! :embarrassed: The procedure is done in his office under local anesthesia (he compared it to the dentist). Also, the cost was very reasonable. The crown that my dentist put in a couple of years ago cost me more.
The procedure is called "Mueller's muscle conjunctival resection" for anyone interested. I actually haven't heard of other FFS patients with this complication, but just in case, I hope that this is helpful information.
On a side note, I told him that the reason for my previous facial surgery was because I am a trans-woman. He said to me that "For what it's worth, I wouldn't have suspected that you were trans until you told me." He and I chatted a little about how long I had been "on this course" and a bit about the impact of Caitlyn Jenner on the trans community.
I am scheduled to get the procedure done in just two weeks. I'll post an update after it is done and I've had a chance to recover.