The 25th of Februaury 2002, at Charing Cross Hospital, London, that was my red letter day, it took around ten years for the full transition from start to finish, but that's the day a caterpillae went into a chrysalis, and came out a butterfly, and it still stands as the best thing that ever happened to me, to be cured at last, now all I need is a change of luck doing the lottery, and life will really be complete.

I have never regretted it for a moment, and as far as I'm concerned I never will

Hello CJ,

I was just wondering, do you celebrate that date as if it were a birthday, or do you celebrate it all   My wife and were thinking about that the other day.  Hopefully Within the next two years my surgery will be complete.   As you did, I'm looking forward to my red letter day,  but before that will arrive there will no doubt be a few obstacles to overcome along the way.   

It would be great to here of your post op experiences as well.

Chat later

Steph

Hi Steph,

  I don't celebrate like a birthday or anything like that, but I do celebrate within myself. I have only had one anniversary and I was by myself and had a little cry about that day. I was so happy. The day I woke up in the hospital, my wife gave me another ring that she bought for me in Thailand. Just like my wedding band that she gave me just before we left for Thailand, I wear it everyday. I call it my birth ring. I take them off when I go to bed and put them back on when I wake up. I can't wear a ring or jewelry 24/7. I wear it on my pinkie next to my wedding band.
Sheila

I must admit I have considered moving my birthday to the day I had the op, as a form of celebration, but both my family, and myself are so used to my natural birthday that I have kept it the same.

Anyway to celebrate the day would also serve as too much of a reminder of the agonies that went before that fateful day, so I'm staying where I am.

In any case I think I look more to the day I legally changed my name as my true birthday!!

I think the day that I went and got my drivers license and they changed my gender and my name on it. I felt like I was accepted into the real world at that time. I had documents that were legal. I know I sat out in my car and cried when I receive my license.
Sheila

Hello Sheila

This is what I'm looking forward to the most.  Although I know who I am as do many others, the gender marker on all my legal documents is still checked off as "male"  even though I have my name legally changed on all of them, so for me I can't wait for that day.

Chat later

Steph

Stephanie, I know you have said that in Canada you have to have your birth certificate changed and to get that changed you have to have GRS. Have you ever just tried to have things changed? I know I heard a lot about what I was suppose to do and how to do it and I just went down and got it done. In fact they said I was suppose to have papers from therapist to get my marker changed and I had all that, but when I went into the DMV I never showed them at all. I just asked for the marker to be changed and they did it. I have done this with a lot of things. I never get mad or upset and just think they will not do it so when it happens, woooooohoooo!!! I have never been turned down yet and I have got everything done, except birth certificate. I won't have that changed, I don't feel the need. I even got a passport, 10 years. All I had with that is my drivers license and my birth certificate. One said female the other said male and I checked the box female.
Sheila

Hi Sheila,

I was thinking of doing that but then I got cold feet.  For the health card they came right out and told me that they couldn't change the marker, without documentation.  So when I went to the other offices I didn't bother to ask.  Hmmmmmmmmm maybe i should have.  Oh well, but i will be renewing my passport in the very near future so maybe I'll try that.

Chat later

Steph

Madame Butterfly, you said, "I must admit I have considered moving my birthday to the day I had the op, as a form of celebration, but both my family, and myself are so used to my natural birthday that I have kept it the same.  Anyway to celebrate the day would also serve as too much of a reminder of the agonies that went before that fateful day, so I'm staying where I am."

I celebrate both my birth birthday and my GRS birthday.  Sometimes my friend teasingly asks why I get two birthdays.  I respond, "You go through GRS and you can have two birthdays, too. 

I love the idea of two birthdays. The 1st time, our lives are a gift to others, but the secound time, our lives are the gift we give ourselves.
Bravo,
Leigh

Hiee Steph,

  As you live in Ontario have you considered getting a 'Transexual' orchiectomy. I had mine performed here in Nova Scotia as an irreversable transexual surgory and neither the surgeon nor my personal doctor had any problems with filling in the forms required by the Ontario Registry stating that my gender should be changed. There was a time long ago when SRS was considered the sex change but only due to the fact that an orchie was a required part of the surgory. Now days many are getting orchies to save on drug costs and have a safer HRT without having to take an AA. Just food for thought if you'd really like to have the gender marker changed.

Hiee cbenoit,

  I had an orchie earlier this year May 06 and afterwards had some major problems with nausea and vomitting. To the point where I was actually dibilitated for awhile. At one point I experienced  some major hair loss ie it was coming out in handfulls when taking a shower and washing it. It lasted maybe a week or two. It has not repeated itself. I'm not sure but think it had to do with the sudden loss of the little T my body was producing and a sudden over abundance of Estrogen. I've since cut my Estradiol back and think that my body is begining to adjust, but may have to cut the Estradiol back as my Estradiol blood serum levels have risen considerably. My last lab work had the levels at 852 pmol / L which was a really big jump from the previous one and I think they will likely be well over 1000 pmol / L with my next lab work to be done in December. I hope maybe this has been of some help in some way.

Byee,
  Brina

Steph already has SRS schedule in under a month.  She wrote that post back in September 2005.

Melissa

  Luckily enough for my roomie, one of the few dates Dr. Brassard had open was her actual birthday and so her "natural birthday" and her "new birthday" are the same day . He even sang her "Happy Birthday" before they put her to sleep.

 

  Brina...where in Nova Scotia do you live?  My moms family is there and I was curious...beautiful area.

Quote from: brina on November 12, 2006, 10:12:19 PM
Hiee Steph,

  As you live in Ontario have you considered getting a 'Transexual' orchiectomy. I had mine performed here in Nova Scotia as an irreversable transexual surgory and neither the surgeon nor my personal doctor had any problems with filling in the forms required by the Ontario Registry stating that my gender should be changed. There was a time long ago when SRS was considered the sex change but only due to the fact that an orchie was a required part of the surgory. Now days many are getting orchies to save on drug costs and have a safer HRT without having to take an AA. Just food for thought if you'd really like to have the gender marker changed.

Hiee cbenoit,

  I had an orchie earlier this year May 06 and afterwards had some major problems with nausea and vomitting. To the point where I was actually dibilitated for awhile. At one point I experienced  some major hair loss ie it was coming out in handfulls when taking a shower and washing it. It lasted maybe a week or two. It has not repeated itself. I'm not sure but think it had to do with the sudden loss of the little T my body was producing and a sudden over abundance of Estrogen. I've since cut my Estradiol back and think that my body is begining to adjust, but may have to cut the Estradiol back as my Estradiol blood serum levels have risen considerably. My last lab work had the levels at 852 pmol / L which was a really big jump from the previous one and I think they will likely be well over 1000 pmol / L with my next lab work to be done in December. I hope maybe this has been of some help in some way.

Byee,
  Brina

hello Brina.

Thanks for the information it is appreciated.  At one time I had considered an ochi, but declined to pursue it as there was some debate on whether getting one would jeopardize an SRS.  However a mute point now because as pointed out by Melissa my SRS is scheduled with Dr Brassard on Dec 11th.

Steph

Hiee Steph,

  Congratulations I had not seen that your surgory date was so close at hand . I think there are a handful of surgeons who refuse to perform vagio on anyone who has had an orchie, but most will now days I am given to understand. I think most girls should be aware that this type of orchie for us should be accomplished thru the abdomen and NOT the scrotum. Oh well maybe the info will be of use to someone else.

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Hiee BrandiOK,
 
  Yes it is a wonderful place to live, but tough to make a living due to depressed wages. We live not far from the community of Middle Musquodoboit which is about a 50 minute commute into Halifax, were I normally work.
Byee,
  Brina