I rang my prospective surgeon on Tuesday and he does not have any surgical dates free until the end of February and therefore no recovery time before the start of Uni.
Therefore if I do decide on SRS it won't be  until the end of next year if I eventually decide on it.  That will be the time to get Madam Lash over from Adelaide Catherine Sarah, with her branding irons and whips.

In the meantime I have been having a rethink of what the whole question of transition means, and my self-identity as a woman.  I am coming around more to the idea that my genitals do not define who I am, and that if I can function in society on my terms using only HRT, the I will forget about SRS altogether. 

This is in line with what a friend who works in sexual health has told me, of her observations of the path the TS women she has dealt with over the past seven years seem now to be thinking also.

I may settle for an Orchi to get rid of the T from my system, but that is more of a medical decision than one of identity for me.  Either way I will have 18 months to live consciously as non-op and see how it feels.

Karen.

Quote from: justmeinoz on August 04, 2012, 02:09:12 AM
I am coming around more to the idea that my genitals do not define who I am, and that if I can function in society on my terms using only HRT, the I will forget about SRS altogether. 

With ya' Karen. Unless a woman has body dysphoria or wants to experience penetration, SRS would seem at best a luxury. Certainly not necessary to make you female. You've always been and will always be female regardless of your downstairs equipment.

I will keep a journal over the next 18 months and see how things develop.

Huh? Umh! Um .... Ugh

Quote from: justmeinoz on August 04, 2012, 02:09:12 AM
That will be the time to get Madam Lash over from Adelaide Catherine Sarah, with her branding irons and whips.

*Catherine stumbling out of a dazed slumber she was in. Opening bloodshot eyes and quivering from the pain of shape knife like sensations in her back, realises she must be "on-call", reads the thread and senses Karen is in distress. Googling "DYI GRS 101", Catherine immediately reaches for her rusty razor blade, tooth pick and tweezers, hoping she gets to Karen before "THAT" woman from Adelaide, bombastically enters the discussion, demanding to be chief surgeon.*

However, on a more serious note.

Quote from: justmeinoz on August 04, 2012, 02:09:12 AM
This is in line with what a friend who works in sexual health has told me, of her observations of the path the TS women she has dealt with over the past seven years seem now to be thinking also.

This is in quite stark contrast to a major psychological change SRS has been renown for. I'd be interested in knowing, Karen, next time you see your friend in sexual health, how this trend of moving away from SRS impacts on the often reported major psychological effect SRS has on those, with respects to now seeing (post-op) that their body is no longer incongruent to their mind. I understood this to be a major impact of surgery, further affirming and validating both the whole process AND the feminine persona.

Secondly, has your friend been able to establish any primary cause or motivation for this trend away from SRS?

Very interesting topic.

Thank you for raising it

Huggs
Catherine

I thought accepting that I was interested in SRS was the easiest part, but... Things I am extremely afraid to the point of running:


- Romantic relationships
- Roller Coasters
- Bugs
- Weddings
- Hospitals
- Pre-operatory wait in a hospital
- Recovery, bound to a bed.
- Not being able to walk on my own.


Blindly saying "I want to do it" is quite easy, but that... Not to mention than any loss of mobility or future loss of quality life will make me re-think everything.



Oh, and yes, I hate hospitals. I only go there to see family members die or agonize. But the last time, with a broken bed that could not be lowered and bleeding every time I needed to make the effort of leaving the bed... Not to mention a mad roommate that would never shut up.


Yet, I don't want to be incomplete, and I am crazy enough to through all the surgery and recovery...

Hi Catherine.

According to my friend, who as I said has been working in the area for a few years now, it seems to parallel  the trend for seeking to transition at a younger age. 

This is anecdotal naturally, but she believes it may be a result of the acceptance of Genderqueer as an acceptable identity these days, giving people a place short of full SRS, at least for a while. 

There are a lot more FtM guys coming out of the Lesbian scene too. Given the limited options the guys have it is possible that their attitude of grudging acceptance of the situation could be causing the girls to look at things anew. 

Young people do seem to be a lot more relaxed about identities these days,  something I have noticed since starting Uni this year. 

I will talk to her more about this when I see her next.

Karen.