Yet again we'll be hearing from the User Maddfish.
I'll be bolding things of interest to myself.
---
Well, I guess I'm only talking about SA, which does have the "one and
one only option" thing happening to a huge degree...
I quote from the WPATH SOC
XI. Breast Surgery
For female-to-male patients, a mastectomy procedure is usually the first
surgery performed for success in gender presentation as a man; and for
some patients it is the only surgery undertaken.
When the amount of breast tissue removed requires skin removal, a scar
will result and the patient should be so informed. Female-to-male
patients may have surgery at the same time they begin hormones (1).
XII. Genital Surgery
Eligibility Criteria. These minimum eligibility criteria for various
genital surgeries equally apply to biologic males and females seeking
genital surgery. They are:
1. Legal age of majority in the patient's nation;
2. Usually 12 months of continuous hormonal therapy for those without a
medical
contraindication (see below, "Can Surgery Be Performed Without Hormones
and the Real-life Experience");
3. 12 months of successful continuous full time real-life experience.
Periods of returning to the original gender may indicate ambivalence
about proceeding and generally should not be used to fulfill this
criterion;
4. If required by the mental health professional, regular responsible
participation in
psychotherapy throughout the real-life experience at a frequency
determined jointly by the patient and the mental health professional.
Psychotherapy per se is not an absolute eligibility criterion for
surgery;
5. Demonstrable knowledge of the cost, required lengths of
hospitalizations, likely
complications, and post surgical rehabilitation requirements of various
surgical
approaches;
6. Awareness of different competent surgeons.
--- In OzGuys@yahoogroups.com, Al wrote:
>
> >could have got less scar tissue and
> >probably kept nipple sensation if I lived overseas
>
> It might be a good time to remind new guys there are three surgeons in
Perth doing various techniques not to mention other surgeons in the
other capital cities.
> IMHO you don't need to go overseas to get a good result
Part of the readiness criteria is demonstrating an understanding of
different methods and results etc (#5 above n reference to lower
surgery) . I demonstratably did this, ending up with two surgeons on my
final list to "interview". They were Dr Katsaros and a NSW surgeon. The
NSW surgeon is very good, I know several guys who have been to the
surgeon and have excellent results, however for no reason I can name, I
felt uncomfortable (in that 'wierded out', something ain't quite right
sense) with this surgeon, so I was happy enough to go with Dr Katsaros.
On the other hand, it's not like I ended up with a choice, once Dr.
Lyons decided to refer me, he didn't even ask what I thought of the two
surgeons - I was just expected to be grateful for what I was given. In
SA, overseas is just as far away as interstate...
In reality, both #5 and #6 are incompatible with the SA unit, where you
can demonstate as much awareness as you like, you will only be referred
locally, even if that is not going to be a good result for you.
You do really need to be careful if you go interstate from SA. Dr. Lyons
will coerce interstate psychs into referring you back to him (and not to
any surgeon) if he finds out.
The situation is also vastly different for lower surgery. Someone
correct me if I'm wrong here, but there are a total of three surgeons
that (to various degrees) undertake one form or another of FtM genital
reconstruction in Australia: Hearsche (sp?) who has been in trouble with
the AMA and gets some really awful results for both men and women; Ceber
(Monash) who stopped operating last year, citing his own complication
rate, which was about double that expected (I believe he is operating
again now); and Kimble down in Tassie, whom I haven't heard a lot about.
These surgeons (allowance for my lack of knowledge re. Kimble) simply
aren't the equal of the Belgian team, Belgrade team, perhaps Stephanides
(USA), Meltzer, the Montreal team... (and of course, Thailand for our
women counterparts).
Again, for guys, there is no one "magic bullet" operation. Even if the
most competent surgeon in the world was Aussie, any particular man might
prefer a different result (maybe meta vs phallo, or buccal graft vs
vaginal graft or forearm vs abdominal flap etc..)
Personally I feel that part of the problem is:
a) lack of population. Australia could maybe sustain one surgeon doing
GRS - and this really doesn't help us guys given the plethora of
techniques around
b) the attitude (problem) here. When I was doing the psych thing, Dr.
Lyons tried to convince me that it was OK for a surgeon not to want to
show anyone their results or publish in academic journals because they
didn't want it publicly known that they were undertaking genital
reconstructive surgeries on trans patients (2)- that it was only a small
part of their practice and I should be happy I had the option at all. I
tried to convince him that whatever, but I was more inclined to
investigate and eventually visit a surgeon who didn't find their work
shameful and that I could investigate and understand *before* I spent
the time and money travelling to see them.
------------------------
(1) I was told that I had to have T for 12months before I could have surgery.
(2) This is odd and I can really see any reason why a doctor would want to without evidence of the surgery.
Something smells really rotten in the SA Unit.
The things I find most odd is that Dr. Lyons has mentioned that the Melbourne clinics work faster and that if I found the support of a political party Id be able to have all I wanted tomorrow. Why would he put all these ideas to me?
I have my next appointment in August. I'll be asking for:
- My script for T
- If no, then why not?
There is a triad mentioned in the WPATH SOC. It goes Real Life -> Hormones -> Surgery. That is the path Im suppose to follow. Its been over a year now of my 'real life experience' and Im doing well. Only through help have I managed to obtain Hormones and have been on them for about 2 months now and Im doing well.
I see no reason to be denied hormones. Im mentally able (being labelled a Drama-Queen) and ive cleared all other standards... so why am I still here?
--
Now to completely contradict myself Ive become all paranoid. Im trying to find out what triggers it and so far all I have is stress. The only thing is.. I dont feel stressed so it becomes harder to measure what's going on in my head. I came to the stress conclusion based on their were stressful events happening around the time of my episodes of insanity.
At the moment, school is starting up and Asuka is coming next week. Those are my 'stress factors' I think.
What's crazy? Umm... normal objects have been mistaken as scary things. You know, the stuff that use to happen to you as a kid. Its happening to me now. Usually if you stare at something it would go away and you'd recognise it but for me they arent going away.
I refuse to go back onto anti-depressants so Im going to focus on taking the Fish Oil cruddy tablets like my GP suggested.
TRANSITION UPDATE
HAIR
Im getting black hairs on my belly (more and more) and some of them are appearing over night. Its rather odd. I look like that Sand monster from Return of the Jedi.
No dark ones on my face though :(
VOICE
There is a pattern! Deep -> Cracky -> High -> Deep ->Rinse and repeat.
Yesterday was my Cracky day so now Im kind of high. It was suggested I go to a voice trainer and Im still giving it more thought. Id rather do it myself and save the $60. There should be a voice training videos for FTMs like there is for MTFs.
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