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Not wanting any bottom surgery at all. Common?

Started by DebbySoufflage, April 30, 2019, 08:42:48 PM

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DebbySoufflage

So, is it common to not want any bottom surgery at all?
It seems most non-op people eventually have an orchiectomy.

In my case I have been on HRT for a few years, just E no blockers, and my levels are within female ranges. I feel very good on hormones and plan to stay on them indefinitely.

However, the thought of any bottom surgery at all ( including orchie ) makes me faint.

I like my genitalia that I have down there. Especially now that they are shrunken significantly.
The thought of an orchiectomy just feels "wrong" in my case.

I desire surgeries above the belt, but surgeries under the belt feel like an absolute "no" in my case.

It's not that I love using my genitals. I don't. And I'm a bottom, definitely not a top, but still genital surgeries feel like they are not for me.

Meanwhile I'm super happy with the HRT changes and feel great on the hormones.

I don't know why genital surgery feels so "off" to me.

Am I alone in not wanting any bottom surgery at all, including orchiectomy?

Luv,
Debby
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Michelle_P

Actually, that's really common.

On the MtF side, a good number of trans folks that I know have done only Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).  A few just dress and express their femininity in presentation.  A social transition to correct social dysphoria is quite common.

This site does a lot of medical support, and so we see lots of folks doing some sort of medical transition that includes surgeries.  Some medical support organizations even make the assumption that all want or need bottom surgery, but this really isn't true.

The statistics from studies are all over the place regarding the percentage who do not seek bottom surgery.   My educated guess is about half do seek this, and half do not.

People have all sorts of reasons for not wanting bottom surgery.  They may have little to no dysphoria over their natal genitals.  They and their partner may have agreed not to get bottom surgery. Some folks would like it but cannot afford it.
Earth my body, water my blood, air my breath and fire my spirit.

My personal transition path included medical changes.  The path others take may require no medical intervention, or different care.  We each find our own path. I provide these dates for the curious.
Electrolysis - Hours in The Chair: 238 (8.5 were preparing for GCS, five clearings); On estradiol patch June 2016; Full-time Oct 22, 2016; GCS Oct 20, 2017; FFS Aug 28, 2018; Stage 2 labiaplasty revision and BA Feb 26, 2019
Michelle's personal blog and biography
  •  

itsApril

Quote from: DebbySoufflage on April 30, 2019, 08:42:48 PM

I like my genitalia that I have down there.


Your genitals?  Then it's YOUR CHOICE!  To paraphrase that line from the healthcare debate, "If you like your genitals, you can keep 'em!"
-April
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F_P_M

your body, your call.

right now I don't plan to do much downstairs but in my case it's because ftm isn't really that ideal anyway and it's a big surgery for not really much gained.
Also my downstairs region serve a purpose that is most of the time enjoyable so eh.

I do want to remove my ovaries though, because they're gross and cystic and awful but that's less dysphoria and more "get these diseased things outta me already!"
But I want to keep my cervix. Yes it's an annoying little thing but it has a lot of uses with the pelvic floor and all that and I think i'd feel better keeping it in place rather than risking removing it. It causes me no real problems as long as I don't poke it (don't poke your cervix, it's a terrible idea lol)
though I admit if I could leave things in place and be on T that'd be ideal but alas, that's not really an option due to atrophy. Bah! BAH I say! Because sheesh, the risks of the surgery terrify me.

Honestly, it's your body and only you get to decide what is and isn't "enough" to make you comfortable in your own skin. If you're happy with it the way it is, then awesome!

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Bea1968

I agree, I am unlikely to get/ want bottom surgery.  I like what I got and my wife likes it.  It's weird but it works to keep it.
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Josie_L

Having bottom surgery does not automatically make you a woman anyway, that goes for the top half too.
Only those with genuine true gender disphoria will want to have this procedure. x
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DebbySoufflage

Quote from: Josie_L on May 01, 2019, 06:03:06 PM
Having bottom surgery does not automatically make you a woman anyway, that goes for the top half too.
Only those with genuine true gender disphoria will want to have this procedure. x

Well, I have genuine true gender dysphoria, whatever that means to you, just not about my bottom half.
The only surgery that I desire is breast augmentation. For the rest, hormones has given me all I wanted and electrolysis.
  •  

F_P_M

Yeah I don't believe being okay with your natal genitalia in any way invalidates your dysphoria. Everyone experiences dysphoria differently and I think a fair few of us have made a degree of peace with certain bits of ourselves over the years.

I know that for me, aside from my dislike for my breasts because they hurt me and get in the way and ruin the cut of my clothing, my body shape doesn't actually cause me much distress. My dysphoria is more biochemical, in that I feel like my femininising hormones are poisioning me and slowly killing me. I don't look in a mirror so much and see a stranger, I used to, but since starting to present outwardly as more masculine by cutting my hair and wearing clothes I actually want to wear i'm recognising myself more and more and a lot of that who is that stranger? feeling is gone.
I mean heck, I can even look at my breasts which I hate and not feel that disgusted by them, just sorta "some day i'm getting rid of you suckers"

IN my case the thing that causes me the MOST distress is my ovaries and the hormones they produce, and the havoc those hormones wreak on my body.

When i'm in that week where I have no pms symptoms or anything I feel mostly OK, least I can plod along without wanting to tear my skin off, but then the pms hits and it brings a wave of dysphoria and despair and this real sense of being trapped in this body.

If I didn't have the issue with my hormones, maybe i'd be able to live happily enough as a masculine woman, but as it stands I feel much like a diesel engine running on petrol. Sure I can run, but it's doing long term damage and eventually will stop working.

I admit i've always sort of had this... detatched sort of relationship with my bottom half. A sort of scientific medical view of it lacking any degree of affection or real ownership. it just.. IS.. kinda like I have a nose, or a chin, or a belly button. I tend not to think about any of them unless they're causing me pain. So you just sort of ignore it.

I find my physical feminine traits far easier to ignore than my biochemical ones. I hate the way estrogen makes me feel so for me, that's where most of my dysphoria comes from. I feel like my body is WRONG, but the priority is fixing the fuel problem.

once that happens maybe I will start really hating my physical traits more, I dunno, but right now they don't really cause me that much distress. They just... exist and are a mild annoyance (okay sometimes a major annoyance in relation to the boobs but still, just annoying rather than upsetting)

Point is, we all experience dysphoria differently. There's no "right" way.
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LizK

No you are not alone in your thoughts and GCS the kind of surgery you should get only if you want/need it. You may change your mind a bit later but it is of no consequence if you don't...what you have between your legs is no one else business but yours.

Liz
Transition Begun 25 September 2015
HRT since 17 May 2016,
Fulltime from 8 March 2017,
GCS 4 December 2018
Voice Surgery 01 February 2019
  •  

Devlyn

Quote from: DebbySoufflage on April 30, 2019, 08:42:48 PM
So, is it common to not want any bottom surgery at all?
It seems most non-op people eventually have an orchiectomy.

In my case I have been on HRT for a few years, just E no blockers, and my levels are within female ranges. I feel very good on hormones and plan to stay on them indefinitely.

However, the thought of any bottom surgery at all ( including orchie ) makes me faint.

I like my genitalia that I have down there. Especially now that they are shrunken significantly.
The thought of an orchiectomy just feels "wrong" in my case.

I desire surgeries above the belt, but surgeries under the belt feel like an absolute "no" in my case.

It's not that I love using my genitals. I don't. And I'm a bottom, definitely not a top, but still genital surgeries feel like they are not for me.

Meanwhile I'm super happy with the HRT changes and feel great on the hormones.

I don't know why genital surgery feels so "off" to me.

Am I alone in not wanting any bottom surgery at all, including orchiectomy?

Luv,
Debby

Common enough that we have a whole Non-op subforum here on the site, as well as a private peer area accessible only by non-op members.

I wasn't looking to have surgery, but when I didn't respond to blockers, an orchiectomy was offered, and I went that route.
  •  

LizK

Quote from: zirconia on May 02, 2019, 07:37:35 AM
...but to be quite honest, to have something incongruent there does cause extremely awkward situations if you live in a society where communal bathing is customary and invitations to bathe together a common gesture of hospitality...

Hi Zirconia

I think you make a very valid point and something the OP needs to work out for themselves. IMHO Even if it is awkward it is still no one else's business what she may have between her legs. Situational awareness is very important especially when it comes to cultural norms.

Liz
Transition Begun 25 September 2015
HRT since 17 May 2016,
Fulltime from 8 March 2017,
GCS 4 December 2018
Voice Surgery 01 February 2019
  •  

LaRae

Quote from: DebbySoufflage on April 30, 2019, 08:42:48 PM
So, is it common to not want any bottom surgery at all?
It seems most non-op people eventually have an orchiectomy.

In my case I have been on HRT for a few years, just E no blockers, and my levels are within female ranges. I feel very good on hormones and plan to stay on them indefinitely.

However, the thought of any bottom surgery at all ( including orchie ) makes me faint.

I like my genitalia that I have down there. Especially now that they are shrunken significantly.
The thought of an orchiectomy just feels "wrong" in my case.

I desire surgeries above the belt, but surgeries under the belt feel like an absolute "no" in my case.

It's not that I love using my genitals. I don't. And I'm a bottom, definitely not a top, but still genital surgeries feel like they are not for me.

Meanwhile I'm super happy with the HRT changes and feel great on the hormones.

I don't know why genital surgery feels so "off" to me.

Am I alone in not wanting any bottom surgery at all, including orchiectomy?

Luv,
Debby

Definitely not alone.

I have no interest in full blown SRS. I was fortunate enough to grow up knowing from a young age of transgender women, and some of them were among the most beautiful I'd ever seen, so I never personally equated my genitals with gender identity. I like my penis, especially now that HRT has made it calm the hell down, lol.

I have lately been considering getting an orchiectomy though, just to maximize the effectiveness of the HRT.
"Never forget what you are, the rest of the world will not. Wear it like armour and it can never be used to hurt you."
  •  

KimOct

I don't think anyone has to apologize or explain or feel odd about what they want.  This journey about living our lives as transgender people doesn't have rules, except one.  Find the courage to live the way that you want to.

For me I had an orchie to get rid of the testosterone.  Would I like vaginoplasty?  Yeah but it may not happen.  Money and health issues plus I am so tired of surgeries for my heart and cancer.  Just not sure if I want to go through months of recovery.  For me I am on the fence.

But for YOU.  Do what feels right.  I have a friend that had an orchie and is super happy about it.  It increased the effects of the estrogen but she and her partner love that she has a penis.  They are both happy.  Sounds like a good plan to me.

From what I have read only about 1/3 of transwomen have had surgery.  I consider my orchie GCS because it was elective.
The first transphobe you have to conquer is yourself
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