This is my story of Facial Feminisation Therapy from beginning through recovery.
First consult with the FFS surgeon was on July 25, 2018. I had heard that my Health Plan was offering to cover FFS just a month before. Previously, it was something I dreamed of having "Someday" and seeing the doctor was very surreal.
After months of waiting and two false starts (Surgery dates set and then canceled) on December 21, 2018 I was provided with January 25, 2019 as the date for surgery.
There was a ton of preparation and other things that needed to be done beforehand that will be covered in a different thread but Everything got done.
I received an unexpected call from the Hospital Surgery Department the afternoon of January 24, 2019. I missed the call and my heart sank, I had had other surgeries canceled last minute and I feared the worst. Fortunately it was just a minor change to my requested arrival time from 5:45 AM to 6:30 AM
Day of SurgeryMy Dear Friend Donica took me to the hospital and I just watched the cars go by on the freeway. All the folks on the their way to important days, doing what they do as I was on my way to the biggest life changing event in all my years. The Me that the public sees would finally match the inside after all these decades of struggle. I was checked-in, labeled, relieved of my civilian garments, provided with the finest in Fashionable Backless Hospital wear, and escorted to my pre op suite.
Doctor came by after I had my IV inserted and other monitors connected (It's harder to get away with that tiny plastic tube plugged into your arm and all that equipment following you
). Doctor marked me up for for the fine incisions on my eyelids. Always fun to have sharp objects poked at your eye and have your eyelids pulled up, down, and every which way until they twitch and wiggle so the doctor knows how much to cut. This is actual science BTW, the details of which he explained while holding my eyelid with pointy suturing forceps and so I withheld shaking my head or expressing my acknowledgement in any way until he was done.
Assisting surgeon also came by, along with Anesthesiology (your best friend today
), along with a host of other folks who were going to help in this marathon physical transformation.
Not Long now! A few minutes after this picture was taken I was provided with a pre op cocktail of happy meds so I would not remember the next eight hours of surgery as my face was reconstructed.
What I Had DoneI want to emphasise offering FFS to MTF Transgender Members is reasonably new for Kaiser So Cal so the guidelines are still evolving. Each case is considered on merits and all covered services are approved by a committee of Healthcare Professionals. All of the items followed by (Covered) were covered under my Health Plan. The item followed by (Not Covered) was 100% paid for out-of-pocket with a small discount for "bundling with other services".
Procedures Done
- frontal setback with browlift (Covered)
- hairline advancement (Covered)
- mandible shave - min to mod aggressive (Covered)
- trachea shave (Covered)
- chin reduction - prominent, so aggressive (Covered)
- upper blepharoplasty (Covered)
- lower blepharoplasty (Not Covered)
- rhinoplasty: dorsal hump reduction, tip rotation, cephalic trim, caudal septal trim (Covered)
That's all for now. More on recovery later. Thank you for reading
