Brassard does Voice Surgery??

[ainsley]

There is a 4% hit for the cash rate.  So, according to the bank of canada exchange rate converter,:
Summary:
On 5 March 2015, 16,200.00 U.S. dollar(s) = 19,412.01 Canadian Dollar(s), at an exchange rate of 1.2482 (using cash rate of 4%).
I got priced for my surgery last year, so i have been using that amount for grs with Brassard.  My bank also charges me $50 usd for each wire transfer.  I have done 3 so far and will pay my balance for my grs later this month, so another fifty for a total of two hundred usd aded to the 16200 for an approximate 16.5k usd total.  That is where i got my figures.

[ainsley]

Well, it figures...
My Voice Therapist, when I emailed and asked her opinion of cricothyroid approximation (CTA), says:

"Hi Ainsley,  Don't do it!!   Call if you'd like to discuss."

So, now I am curious about those that had VFS with Haben, etc., if their Voice Therapists felt the same way.  A CTA is one part of the Haben "Triple Package".
I put a call into my voice therapist to hear her out.  Will update when I can.

Also, Suzanne informed me the price for CTA WITH GRS is now $5875 CAD (the 2015 price).

[ainsley]

Update:
My Voice Therapist simply does not understand (and OBVIOUSLY did not read my original email explaining the CTA procedure) and expressed concerns about the vocal folds and how "many, many people have lost their voice due to problems with this surgery".  She then went on to say that the surgery is not legitimate if I would need voice therapy before and after.  "That makes no sense" she said.  So, no help from her, since she won't even read my email where I clearly said: "All that I had read indicate that voice therapy is needed before and after to train the resulting falsetto to a female pitch with the proper resonance, prosody and intonation".

Pretty disconcerting about her, esp. since she is the only voice feminization therapist that I can find in my entire state.  I will see her in two weeks, and plan to explain the procedure and flesh out the misunderstanding.  I just hope that she will still be inclined to provide therapy if I still get the surgery (which I likely will. )

Also, Suzanne scheduled a call with Dr. Brassard for me, since he feels it important to explain the expectations from the CTA alone.  Will update that after I talk with him.

[Muffinheart]

Update:
My Voice Therapist simply does not understand (and OBVIOUSLY did not read my original email explaining the CTA procedure) and expressed concerns about the vocal folds and how "many, many people have lost their voice due to problems with this surgery".  She then went on to say that the surgery is not legitimate if I would need voice therapy before and after.  "That makes no sense" she said.  So, no help from her, since she won't even read my email where I clearly said: "All that I had read indicate that voice therapy is needed before and after to train the resulting falsetto to a female pitch with the proper resonance, prosody and intonation".

Pretty disconcerting about her, esp. since she is the only voice feminization therapist that I can find in my entire state.  I will see her in two weeks, and plan to explain the procedure and flesh out the misunderstanding.  I just hope that she will still be inclined to provide therapy if I still get the surgery (which I likely will. )

Also, Suzanne scheduled a call with Dr. Brassard for me, since he feels it important to explain the expectations from the CTA alone.  Will update that after I talk with him.

Fantastic!
Ty

[ainsley]

I spoke with Dr. Brassard about this on the phone this week and he all but encouraged me to go see another specialist.  He did say that 80% of the patients have successful results from his CTA.  I asked what qualified as a successful result?  Increased pitch?  He said yes.  So, I do not know if they felt that just the pitch was raised, or they were successful attaining a feminine sound from the surgery with continued speech therapy.  At any rate, he encouraged me to continue with speech therapy and seek out a more specialized procedure.  He gave me the name of a Dr. he recommended.  PM me if you are interested in whom it was. 

I am going to forego his CTA with my GRS and have already been in contact with Dr. Haben (which was not Dr. Brassard's recommendation, funnily enough) about his technique.  Dr. Haben did say he would prefer that I not get a CTA alone from someone else if I were intending on coming to him for his Glottoplasty.  He said he may have to undo what was done and redo it if it was not done in a specific way.