So.  I saw Miniar's post in Transsexual talk and I almost hijacked the post by accident.  Thought I should make my own instead.

I went to the chiropractor about a month and a half ago... and it was starting to get to that awkward stage after starting T when your voice has changed a little and your face shape is a bit off what it used to be so I figured I had to tell him.

He's been adjusting me since I was in an accident at age six and known me for longer than that, so I was a little apprehensive.  So when he said my birth name and asked how I was doing, I quickly explained that I was changing my name to Kayden.  After a brief explanation of the fact that I had been in therapy and was on Testosterone I told him I was having surgery in July.  THIS is the funny part.

"OH.  You're having the surgery?  I guess if you want to be a man you might as well do it all the way."

I was silently laughing my brains out.  I forgot people don't understand trans issues.

Also, where do they think our boobs go?  They don't magically disappear.

I can't remember if it was a little later in the appointment or at the next appointment, but I clarified that I was having a double mastectomy and there wasn't very good "bottom surgery".  Ug.  I didn't feel like discussing genitals right then, but I can't just turn down the opportunity for a little education so I briefly explained how a phallo worked so he would understand how crappy the results were in comparison to having bioparts. Oh, and I mentioned the price....  NOT feasible for a college student.

I didn't get into the semantics of gender and subsequent politics because I was happy enough that he was accepting and didn't freak out.  I think it's very interesting that people just assume that we can slap on whatever genitals we want and that if it works one way for trans people going one direction (because people seem to have more education about the MtF process), it must be true of people going the other way.

This isn't the first time someone's assumed I was getting new genitals instead of having top surgery... I just thought his wording was hilarious.  I might as well "do it all the way".

Cispeople are hilarious.

i was there.  i lol'd.

no really i did.  haha

Oh man I hate this

So many people who I've told I'm trans have asked "So when are you getting THE OP"

Many people think that's all there is to it, stitch on a penis and you're all set for manhood

Nobody ever considers the boobs in the equation, and hormones never cross their minds

Yea its ridiculous. My parents said these type of things to me even after I gave them info on transitioning. Even worse is, some people just don't wanna learn. They wanna live in their fantasy world.

I don't bother educating people. Just say "already had all my surgeries" and they can assume what they will. None of their business, imo, what I have downstairs.

Dennis

Sometimes when asked about surgeries (and I know they're asking about downstairs), I just say, "You'd be amazed at what testosterone can do!" and leave it at that.

I may or may not ever get a simple meta with implants, but family, friends, and the general public have no need to know that.


Jay

I know what you mean.

Alot of people asked if I had the surgery. They all want to know about that surgery and when I am getting it. Not very educated on the actual whole process. They think that you come out and automatically you are owed a penis and will get that first! Silly eh?

Plus I hate the fact that alot of people don't see you as a man until you have a penis either.. grrr...

Jay

At the risk of being jumped on from a great height, can I say that most of the general public would have had no reason to know much, if anything, about SRS for FTMs. I bought and read "Conundrum" by Jan Morris when it first came out in the 70s (I only mention that to indicate that I wasn't a complete vacuum when it came to TG matters) and I've always been aware that getting the full surgical box and dice wasn't what everyone would choose to do, but I never realised the breadth of choices which needed to be made.

When my dear online boy turned out to be a "boy in a girl's body", I started reading everything I could lay my hands on (which is why I ended up here) and was amazed at how uneducated I had been before. So be gentle on us uneducated types - sometimes we ask dumb questions just to keep a conversation going and to indicate somehow that we are okay about what we've just been told.

Okay, you can jump now but do it gently - my bones aren't what they used to be.

yeah, FTMs have been pretty invisible.  can't say i'm upset about that.. lol

just an interesting tidbit- it is possible to have top surgery, hysterectomy and meta all at once.  miro does it for around 20k euro.

^^^^^^^
Holy ->-bleeped-<-. I've been a gynae nurse and that sounds like a hell of a lot of aftercare. Ouch. Three times ouch.

Quote from: minniemouse on July 08, 2009, 02:20:33 AM
^^^^^^^
Holy ->-bleeped-<-. I've been a gynae nurse and that sounds like a hell of a lot of aftercare. Ouch. Three times ouch.

Had this option been around a few years earlier, I might've one for that.  Lots of aftercare, yeah, but better than 3x anesthesia, 3x out of work, etc.

Quote from: minniemouse on July 07, 2009, 10:55:28 PMSo be gentle on us uneducated types - sometimes we ask dumb questions just to keep a conversation going and to indicate somehow that we are okay about what we've just been told.

I perfectly understand that. Many people don't know much about it (hell, neither did I). My husband's been asking some doofy questions but at least that shows he wants to learn some. He still doesn't understand or believe it- he won't read any info about it yet. He also now believes it's a psychological problem . I've been trying to educate him, but I can't force it on him. Hopefully someday he'll be more willing to learn more.