Jump to content
  • Welcome to the TransPulse Forums!

    We offer a safe, inclusive community for transgender and gender non-conforming folks, as well as their loved ones, to find support and information.  Join today!

My Orchiectomy with Dr. Arnkoff (Southfield, MI)


Guest whunder_stix

Recommended Posts

Guest whunder_stix

Hello, my name is Ashley. I am a 19 year old mtf transgender girl, and I am here to post my review after having had my orchiectomy via Dr. Arnkoff in Southfield, (a suburb of Detroit) Michigan.

He has, from every account I have seen, been very well reviewed (none of the "horror stories" like I saw with some Doctors whom actually charged much more, when I was initially searching), which is why I chose him, but I figured one more positive review wouldn't hurt, and I honestly feel he is owed that much from me. To start off, for anyone who is interested in having an orchiectomy procedure done, I would highly recommend him to perform the surgery.

His staff, his office, his technique, his manner, and his professionalism all shined through and made it a very enjoyable experience. A certain member of his staff, in particular, went extremely out of their way to ensure that I had everything I needed in order to have a comfortable aftercare experience. (My surgery was July 31st, I went home on August 2nd.) Also, while the surgery was being completed, I do not think I would have been able to get through it nearly as comfortably as I did, if not for his nurse, Sarah, being there to hold my hand and discuss non-surgery-related topics with me all the while. He also played Glen Campbell via his iPod throughout the entire procedure, specifically at my request as I wanted something to distract me from the sounds of the procedure being carried out, which was oddly comforting as well. (As you can probably deduce, a local anesthetic was used; I'm unsure whether he has an alternative option, but I'm relatively squeamish, and I made it through.) There was literally no request I made, that went unfulfilled. And yeah, I can be a little high-maintenance at times; just ask my boyfriend.

For those interested in cost, the surgery itself was $2,300, while the airfare for a roundtrip via insanelycheaphotels.com, came to about $500. I was VERY fortunate to find an absolutely incredible hotel actually IN Southfield, named "Hawthorne Suites", which was $60/night, for, get this - Wifi, an absurd amount of cable channels for that price including Showtime, a kitchenette (actually, quite literally an ENTIRE kitchen, WITH cups, bowls, silverware, etc.), a fireplace, a spacious washroom, and the room itself was exceedingly clean. I'm still blown away by how inexpensive my stay there was. It was literally more like a well-furnished/appointed condo than a hotel.

Anyways, at the end of the procedure, he was kind enough (although I suppose they were sort of my "property", hehe) to encase my newly-evicted testosterone-producing dwellers in an airtight jar to take with me to my hotel; which may sound somewhat unnecessary, but it provided me an IMMENSE amount of confidence and satisfaction to be able to look at them anytime I wanted to remind myself that I did indeed finally accomplish this goal; and will not be tormented (a bit melodramatic, but true) by them anymore.

As far as the healing process is concerned, so far things seem to be going well. I still have some residual pain and discomfort, but it seems to be dissipating more and more with every passing day. I know that I was a bit of a difficult and perhaps slightly uncommon case for him, as I had had such shrinkage in that area from the prior hormones alone, and my testicles had essentially migrated unusually high into my abdomen. It was noticeable to the extent that at one point during the surgery, he actually joked "ummm… are you sure you have TWO of these?" That's another thing I found very appealing about him; his sense of humor. A bit dry and caustic, but nonetheless, endearing. Sort of like if Bea Arthur were a male urologist.

As far as Misc. information is concerned - I did not discontinue hormone use either BEFORE or IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING the surgery. Purely as a matter of individual preference, I intend to continue my pre-op hormone dosages, including the use of anti-androgens (with the exception of Androcur/Siterone; I believe they targeted that "specific" area which is no longer there) and I have had no problem with that thus far. I was given two prescriptions post-surgery; one for Vicodin, one for an antibiotic which is meant to be taken 4x/day. They were each called in to the Walgreens pharmacy; very conveniently located directly across the street (or perhaps a block away) from his office.

If I remember anything else worth mentioning, I will certainly post it here. Once again, I would HIGHLY recommend Dr. Arnkoff to perform the Orchiectomy of anyone who is interested in having it done. His website is www.myorchie.com. In summary, I would recommend him on a basis of professionalism of both himself and his staff, technique, aftercare, as well as cost. I truly do appreciate what he did for me; as well as how efficiently he did it. Also, and I know this will be huge for some people as it was for me, he requires NO letters whatsoever in order to perform this surgery. He is of the mentality that it is an individual's choice what they do with said individual's body. As a girl who has always taken matters into her own hands to get what she wants/needs, I wish more people in the transgender medical community were of that school of thought.

As a side-note, for any of those who have successfully gone through this surgery regardless of surgeon, anything positive to report as far as experiences post-op? Feminizing effects, etc. I know a lot of girls have said they feminized the most of their entire transition after Orchiectomy or SRS. I would love to hear any anecdotes! :)

Sincerely,

Ashley

Link to comment
Guest spunky monkey

hello,

i recently (13/08/12) saw my endo because i needed my hormones adjusted and i asked about orchiectomy and my endo said that it would make no difference too my medication that once there removed i would be a post menstrual woman and would need too take hormones for hot flushes and my bodies testosterone is .4 which means its nothing so i just have too wait and get everything removed when i finally get grs.

thanks for sharing.

love rachelle

Link to comment
Guest whunder_stix

hello,

i recently (13/08/12) saw my endo because i needed my hormones adjusted and i asked about orchiectomy and my endo said that it would make no difference too my medication that once there removed i would be a post menstrual woman and would need too take hormones for hot flushes and my bodies testosterone is .4 which means its nothing so i just have too wait and get everything removed when i finally get grs.

thanks for sharing.

love rachelle

Actually, hun, while it is true that it is advisable to continue HRT post-orchiectomy, one's low testosterone levels pre-op (as mine had been very low), really have very little bearing on the amount of feminization that can be achieved after having this procedure done. I have always wondered to myself why this is, but yet it seems to be a recurring theme. Girls who have had great success minimizing their testosterone blood levels STILL consistently report that once they had pursued an Orchiectomy or SRS, they feminized far greater in the following months/years than they ever did in the years before having it done. Just a suggestion; I wouldn't assume based purely on logic alone, that the surgery would be inessential to you and your transition progress. I'd rely more on the personal anecdotes of other transgendered women whom have pursued the procedure with the specific intention of maximizing their feminine potential. :)

Ashley

Link to comment
  • 9 years later...
On 8/13/2012 at 10:06 PM, Guest whunder_stix said:

Actually, hun, while it is true that it is advisable to continue HRT post-orchiectomy, one's low testosterone levels pre-op (as mine had been very low), really have very little bearing on the amount of feminization that can be achieved after having this procedure done. I have always wondered to myself why this is, but yet it seems to be a recurring theme. Girls who have had great success minimizing their testosterone blood levels STILL consistently report that once they had pursued an Orchiectomy or SRS, they feminized far greater in the following months/years than they ever did in the years before having it done. Just a suggestion; I wouldn't assume based purely on logic alone, that the surgery would be inessential to you and your transition progress. I'd rely more on the personal anecdotes of other transgendered women whom have pursued the procedure with the specific intention of maximizing their feminine potential. :)

Ashley

Hi, I saw your reply on another forum about hypothyroidism and hrt. I was wondering if your still here and if you found a way around that. Im going through the same thing and could really use some help. Im not sure how to dm but any help would be greatly appreciated

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Who's Online   2 Members, 0 Anonymous, 116 Guests (See full list)

    • April Marie
    • Petra Jane
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.6k
    • Total Posts
      768.2k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      12,020
    • Most Online
      8,356

    Tami
    Newest Member
    Tami
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Bebhar
      Bebhar
      (41 years old)
    2. caelensmom
      caelensmom
      (40 years old)
    3. Jani
      Jani
      (70 years old)
    4. Jessicapitts
      Jessicapitts
      (37 years old)
    5. klb046
      klb046
      (30 years old)
  • Posts

    • April Marie
      Wearing a dress is so freeing!
    • April Marie
      Good morning, everyone! I've finally pretty much finished with this head cold. I actually got 5.5 hours of straight sleep last night without taking any cold medication...or waking up to pee. I feel amazingly rested!!   Oh, @Willow, you are in my thoughts and prayers that your throat issue becomes less of a problem over time and not more.   I'm, hopefully, going to get our grass cut today. It takes me somewhere between 2.5 and 3 hours on the zero turn mower but the ground is still so wet that I'll have to slow down a bit. At least it's supposed to be sunny and around 60.   Have a wonderful day!!
    • April Marie
      This is all such wonderful news!!!! I can feel the happiness in your words.
    • VickySGV
      We have had some real dillies come out as the initiative sort of thing, but as @Carolyn Marie said, very few make it out of the petition signing seasons.  I am not surprised at the origin site of this thing, it is probably one of only 3 regressive leaning counties we have in the state. We actually had one of these initiatives started to make it mandatory for police to shoot dead on site any Gay behaving individuals wherever they found them.  For the most part the matters are poorly written in ways to be unenforceable even if enacted.  Thus most never become law or get to the voters.
    • Carolyn Marie
      You make some good points, AYS.  But there are usually already too many ballot propositions each election, so the proponents know it's best to wrap it all up into a nice package.  Plus, it's easier for the signature gatherers.  Otherwise they have to have a separate clipboard for each proposition.  Too much paperwork, dontcha know?   This kind of proposition is a loser in CA, so the only possible way the proponents can succeed is to give it the scariest title imaginable and try to put one over on the voters before they get wise.  Bottom line; an ice cube on a hot summer sidewalk has a better chance of success.   Carolyn Marie
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Reading that article, it seems like the attorney general gets to call it whatever unless its an outright lie.  Given the nature of politics in CA, it seems like one side has the bully pulpit for sure.  Labeling it "Restricts Rights" vs "Protects Kids" is very much a matter of perspective.  Unfortunately, that matters since many voters don't bother to read.  Perhaps a better (unbiased) way to handle it would be to simply give the ballot measure a number with no title, forcing folks to read it.    I think it would have been better to handle the various issues covered by the ballot measure separately, rather than all at once.  For example, issues relating to disclosure of medical and social information to parents.  That could be its own ballot measure, rather than lumped in with everything else.  Besides, shorter and more succinct measures are more likely to be read completely. 
    • Carolyn Marie
      https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2024/04/trans-youth/     Yup, the existing title sound perfectly appropriate and accurate to me, too.   Carolyn Marie
    • Adrianna Danielle
      Seen my hrt specialist this morning and nothing but good news,estrogen levels looked good.Boyfriend was with me and I admit he has been learning well about my transition showing his support.Our relationship is going great and we both see each other much happier now.
    • Abigail Genevieve
      This reminded me of an individual who, due to child sexual abuse, lived as a woman for 15 years, detransitioned and noisily insists that all trans people have his story.  His name comes up fairly often because it fits the narrative.   I don't know that anyone actually has been railroaded.  People may say it, they may look back at what happened and decide that happened.  It's a he said / she said, but it feeds a narrative that is useful for those who are already convinced that trans people are abuse victims first and foremost.  That the detransition rate is so low tells me that railroading is not actually a problem, and I regret giving the impression that I thought it was.  That so few detransition is a success story.   What is pertitent at heart is that people hear and believe all the stories out there, and the story we have to tell is not heard, because TG folk are, after all, untrustworthy in their view and unworthy of an audience.  Somehow it needs to get out there as to what the real situation is. 
    • Ashley0616
    • Ashley0616
      I'm not saying that Christianity is wrong but at the same time there were more than 30,000 changes to it. The Bible doesn't state anything against transgender. The only point that can be proven by them is that people are giving into their desire. 1 John 2:15-17 ESV "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." I would love to challenge them by asking who watches a movie, reads books, and listens to music that isn't Christian based because then they would be guilty as well. 1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Probably not a single hand would still stand that they don't participate in everything they do gives glory to God. "
    • VickySGV
      My neighboring state got lucky a couple years ago. 
    • VickySGV
      https://www.wpath.org/soc8   I had been looking for this to respond to a member and could not find it .  Pinning it for now.
    • VickySGV
      @Abigail GenevieveSomewhere in the Forums here, we have a link to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health's Standards Of Care, now at revision 8 but it is available in plenty of places.   https://www.wpath.org/soc8.    These are the canons for the allied medical fields that deal with Trans people and are the guidance for those professionals.  I personally know members of the Association and have toyed with the idea of becoming an associate member since I am not a medical professional but because I like to keep on top of what is going on medically.  There are a number of Trans people who think they are overly oppressive as far as the gatekeeping goes, but the medical / psychological profession members who follow these guidelines for there patients WILL NOT be forcing their patients into unneeded or harmful surgery or medications.  I read my first pitiful and heart-rending  "detransitioning" story 60 years ago when I snuck a tabloid newspaper behind a comic book down at the neighborhood convenience store when I was 16 years old and reading it off the rack which should have been adult only.  I am afraid that it was the first thing I ever read that told me about Trans and Transsexual people, it would be another 30 years before I actually figured out my own story.  The story I later found out, was NOT written by a Trans person, but a well known Porn scribbler who wrote many fantastic and gory stories about what he thought Trans people were.  We are not anything like his imagination, but he was a "press agent" for Trans people of the time.  We do have some well known and noisy, negative view Detransitioners who have been found to have gone to multiple psychologists and lied their way Transitioning, one of the most infamous actually hid Dissociative Identity Disorder, right therapist wrong Identity that was being counseled.  It is a messy story.  The public, like my first encounter, was NOT getting their information from the scientific journals of the time, they were getting it from Adult Entertainment and Tabloids   We need to be careful of where we get some of our ideas from. Evidence is good that the person at the heart of this thread gets most of his information from us from the slanted and non-scientific sources most people get theirs.   OOPs, I( may have sent this off track here, but but but.    
    • Ivy
  • Upcoming Events

Contact TransPulse

TransPulse can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: Click Here.

To report an error on this page.

Legal

Your use of this site is subject to the following rules and policies, whether you have read them or not.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
DMCA Policy
Community Rules

Hosting

Upstream hosting for TransPulse provided by QnEZ.

Sponsorship

Special consideration for TransPulse is kindly provided by The Breast Form Store.
×
×
  • Create New...