Hi everyone! Gosh its been a long time since I've been on here. I miss it actually, this has been such a helpful site to me, but I've been quite busy... :/

Anywho... I recently had an orchietctomy with Dr. Arnkoff and I decided to write about the experience in my blog, and I thought it might help a few people to post it here. I wasn't sure if posting here or in the blog section would be more appropriate, so please move this to where ever it needs to be. I hope this is informative to any of you who are interested...

http://mendedsole.blogspot.com/2013/05/orchid-dictum-me.html

^_^ Thank you! It really was an amazing feeling--almost surreal at first, cause you just can't believe you're finally there. lol Congrats to you too!

ahh the orchi/ i remember when i had mine. did you get hot flashes afterwards the first few days?

Quote from: Tristan on May 25, 2013, 07:48:00 PM
ahh the orchi/ i remember when i had mine. did you get hot flashes afterwards the first few days?

I don't think so. I was way out of it the first couple days afterwards tho because the antibiotics made me super dizzy. Dr. Arnkoff had me come off of them for a bit and go back on a few days later. But I really don't remember hot flashes at all. Is that a normal thing?

Idk if its normal. I just know way back when I had mine I did. It was crazy  hot then cold. Then cold then hot. And moody

Well I HAVE been incredibly moody. I think I might have just scared my boyfriend away actually with how nutso I've been lately. :/  Getting better tho :p Didn't really link it with the orchie, but yeppers that seems about right. How long did that last?

Any idea what your T levels were right before the orchie?  I didn't realize you would get hot flashes if your T was already really low and taking E.  Good stuff to know!

Yeah they told me that about the T levels too. Mine have always been low from using blockers from a early age. It was just major bitch fest for fluke the first week after the orchi.

   Hi blue ocean girl,
I live close to you just out west a ways.Been here since 1973 and watched the county grow
and change.My daughters went to the old 2 story school in Boynton the one that had the gym
inside the building.It is hard to believe they are now in their 40 's and even have grand children.
  Anyway,I am just starting and have been trying to find some references for doctors who are gender friendly and discrete the problem is there seems to be nobody available to help and I can't just go around poking and hoping there are just to many people who know me and I have always been very deep stealth.
  I have already had some work down there, I was trimmed in 1979 and went back to work the next day funny thing was when the girls came home from school they said daddy why are you sitting on a bag of ice? Duh!
I am blessed For I have a very loving and  supportive wife who will go anywhere with me and still be happy I could never ask for anything more.

Can you help please?

Just wondering if your planning on SRS or just the Orchi? I know some doctors will do the orchi in a way that ends up making SRS harder, while others do it in a way that doesn't effect SRS at all, if he is one that doesn't effect possibilities of SRS i may have to look into him.

Quote from: buddy on May 26, 2013, 06:56:04 AM
   Hi blue ocean girl,
I live close to you just out west a ways.Been here since 1973 and watched the county grow
and change.My daughters went to the old 2 story school in Boynton the one that had the gym
inside the building.It is hard to believe they are now in their 40 's and even have grand children.
  Anyway,I am just starting and have been trying to find some references for doctors who are gender friendly and discrete the problem is there seems to be nobody available to help and I can't just go around poking and hoping there are just to many people who know me and I have always been very deep stealth.
  I have already had some work down there, I was trimmed in 1979 and went back to work the next day funny thing was when the girls came home from school they said daddy why are you sitting on a bag of ice? Duh!
I am blessed For I have a very loving and  supportive wife who will go anywhere with me and still be happy I could never ask for anything more.

Can you help please?

Hi bobby! That's wonderful to hear about your wife. My ex-wife and I are still very good friends. But for her own sanity she needed me to get out in the end. We have kids together as well, so I see her all the time, and we do things together still all the time and its just fine, but being around all the time in that role of partner, instead of just friend, was just too much for her in the end. I'm always glad to hear about a marriage that is still solid. I'm happy for you.

I'm not sure what kind of doctor you are looking for. My endo was Dr. Sharon Thrush on Forest Hill Blvd. I last saw her about two months ago, but I'm having financial difficulties and I don't think I'll be able to go back to her--we shall see what I can come up with. As far as GPs, I have not seen one for some time. I have medicaid and so there's not much to choose from. I just go to the one I'm assigned... Last time I was there I didn't think she was very friendly, but whatever.

Its really tough in here in Florida, I remember searching and searching for trans friendly doctors and therapists at the beginning. I never did find a therapist... I have Melissa Leonhardt for online therapy, because I could not find a single gender therapist close by. I couldn't even find a trans support group to go to so I could ask. I finally did find one at Compass, the LGBT center in Lake Worth--I think its new because I checked there twice b4--which I plan to go to next meeting--very excited about it. I would try asking around there, maybe I'll see you!

I found my endo here:
http://transflorida.tumblr.com/hrt
Its one of the few sites I found that has inforrmation on trans friendly doctors and services in FL. Just noticed they updated the therapist list too.

Sorry I'm not more help. :/ Good luck to you hun.

Quote from: kariann330 on May 26, 2013, 08:04:52 PM
Just wondering if your planning on SRS or just the Orchi? I know some doctors will do the orchi in a way that ends up making SRS harder, while others do it in a way that doesn't effect SRS at all, if he is one that doesn't effect possibilities of SRS i may have to look into him.

I am planning to have SRS with Dr. Reed in Miami, I am a long way away from it though. :/ I had come into some money, but only about half the cost of SRS, and I knew that I was going to have to use a good part of the money to pay for other things I needed to pay for anyways, so I decided, since I had the money then, I would at least get the orchie... because I have no idea how long it will take me to save up for SRS, currently unemployed and at the beginning of a divorce. I may never have it... and I think I might be able to deal with that... still mulling it over tho. 

Dr. Reed performs simple orchiectomies as well, for the same price as Dr Arnkoff, but requires two therapist letters. His technique is basically the same as Arnkoff's, and he will do SRS later after an orchi, he even has this clearly stated on his clinic's blog.

In the end, from what I've heard, both Arnkoff's and Reed's technique for performing orchiectomies will exclude you from many SRS other surgeons. I would say you have to plan  ahead and talk to the surgeon you're wanting to go with.

  Thank you so much for answering I really did not have much hope. I ran up against the same problems as you while looking and it was very frustrating especially when your starting from ground zero!
  When , where and what time is the next meeting I really want to go it is a 60-70 mile trip into town for me so I have to plan a bit.
   You can Pm me with the info if you wish I am easy to spot 6'7" in heels with lots of brown hair I kind of stick out like a sore thumb.  Peter

Thank you so much, im,planning on SRS but don't know who i am going to yet as it's still a ways off. I do know i want to stay close to home of Ohio so i know im limited really to 2 or 3 doctors, one of which i have herd nothing but bad things about.