I have been on hormones for quite a long time, but have not had any surgery. I am almost 60 and about to celebrate 25th anniversary with my wife. We are very happy. Prior to this relationship I had an 8 year relationship as a bottom to a very masculine male, and was lucky enough to have had other strong emotional and physical relationships with males and females. A serial monogamist. In all that time I have wanted to be passable as a woman have breasts and live femininely. I have never fantasized about having a man enter me vaginally. It seems superfluous to me to pay for and go through a longer recovery for something that I would never use, based on my desires and history. To be perfectly honest an orchi seems to be exactly right for me. In fact, anything more would be more to conform to outsiders views, rather than my own. I understand that appearing female, while having a penis, can be a problem in retirement homes. (I'm not that old, but one has to plan-and I am a financial planner) I certainly understand how for others it is the "holy grail" and wouldn't knock their efforts.
As a point, Dr.Reed in Miami does the penectomy without vaginoplasty, but recommends at least a small vagina as it seperates the Labial lips, giving a more natural "look". I do not believe that it leaves one looking like a "barbie doll", although if it did, I might go for it. At least from the hips up. It has been pointed out that her feet are so small, in proportion, that she would fall over. I do not have that problem. She also has no clitoris or labial lips as the original poster mentioned as desired by her friend.
Sorry if I blathered on too long.