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!

Starting the process for grs


Amj12986

Recommended Posts

Hello everyone,

    My name is Audrey. I am a 30. Y/o mtf trans woman. I have some questions about grs that I hope I can have answered. The first thing I'd like to say is that I have been on hrt and doing the rlt for over a year now. I just recently scheduled my consult for the surgery. My consult appointment is on September 5th. Ok now that some background info has been provided, here are my questions

1.   Has anyone ever heard anything about or personally had their surgery at the mount Sinai transgender center in New York City? What really caught my eye about them is that they apparently work with and consult with dr bowers whom I am given to understand is a very skilled dr in this area. If you wouldn't mind sharing any stories or experiences I would love to hear them in regards to this place.

2. I have never had any kind of surgery and I am so nervous about it. I guess the main thing being about anesthesia. I cannot stand the thought of not having control over my body or being put to sleep, it just freaks me out but I am willing to do it for this. What is it like to be put under anesthesia? What does it feel like waking up afterwards? How long before it completely wears off and things are normal?

3. After the surgery, how did you feel both physically and emotionally? I imagine it would physically feel a kin to being hit by a train, but I guess just some personal experiences shared would be nice, not to scare me but so I know what to expect and prepare for it. How did you feel upon waking up and knowing and seeing that things were normal down there? 

4. How long of a process was it from start to finish (i.e. From initial consult to waking up from surgery)? I don't for see any issues getting approved for it as I said I have been being seen and treated for years for everything, been through my rlt, and hold an excellent job for the state of New York with very good insurance ( empire plan blue cross blue shield). I know it's not something I should rush but I am just excited to be able to have the surgery and heal and feel complete.

5. I know it will take some time to heal fully and swelling to go away, but about how long after the surgery should I expect there to be bleeding? How much does it usually bleed after you are sent home? And what practices and things helped to deal with it all and aid in healing? 

I know a lot of these questions are probably "it depends" and "ymmv" , but I guess just some info based off of others experience would help to demystify the process and help me remain calm throughout the whole ordeal. Thank you so much in advance.

                                             Best regards,

                                              Audrey

Link to comment

The questions I can answer I will try.

Having anesthesia doesn't feel much like anything. Usually the guy comes in, either tells you he's starting it, or the put a breathing mask over you and ask you to count from 10. Ususally you are out before 5. Next thing you know you are awake and it's over.

Personally, I was pretty out of it my first day, but not in pain. I'm sure I had something in my IV. By the 2nd day I felt pretty normal. I never took any of the pain pills they gave me. You'll want to limit walking for a few days, which will be awkward anyway. For me I didn't see the results for a week. I wondered how it would feel when I saw it. My best reaction is I felt normal.

I did not have any bleeding. 

Link to comment
  • Admin

My post Op entry's begin with this post back in 2013, Marci Bowers was my surgeon as you can see in my signature.  This topic is archived but you can get a glimpse of what happened to me back then, which I think will answer a lot of your questions

https://www.transgenderpulse.com/forums/topic/52994-greetings-from-san-mateo-ca/

This is another one in the series that almost got a little out of hand, but if it gives you a smile and helps the worrying, that is why I wrote it and others.

https://www.transgenderpulse.com/forums/topic/53849-always-_______-never______while-dilating/

Link to comment

I can't imagine doing that with a local! Eeew! My surgery was scheduled for noon that got pushed back to two something. As they wheeled me down I was humming the song from TransAmerica. Five ish I woke in recovery. By six I was comfortable in my room with a basketball stuffed between my legs. More morphine please? I stayed spun up all week. In Monday morning, out on Friday afternoon after I proved I could pee on my own.

Late the second day they had the basketball off. Right after I was up to go to the bathroom. That was enough for one day. The next day I was jonesing for coffee and cigarettes, I was on the run for the rest of the week. I was all over the hospital, coffee shop, outside, after while they stopped keeping tabs on me. They knew I would be back. More morphine please!

They moved me to my hotel Friday night and from there I owned Thong Lo Bangkok for two and a half more weeks. I walked everywhere in my little corner of the city. Got a really cool tattoo too. I bleed strong for almost two weeks. I didn't use another drug after my hospital flight.

My first dialation felt like I was impaled by a telephone pole. It gets easier each time. It was all a very small price to fix my problem and be just like all my thousands of girlfriends in derby. So much better than in between. Asia was the trip of my lifetime. If you need it go for it. From there you pass over the one way tire grate. DO NOT BACK UP! Enjoy your journey it is a life changing event.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

I've always been a little nervous about anesthesia but really it's no big deal.  After the IV is in, one minute I'm talking with the nurses, then I'm in recovery.  I was alert and totally back in control soon afterwards.  

Physically I was not in any great pain.  A little soreness from the numbness wearing off around the surgery area.   Bleeding was minimal.  Getting use to the new way of relieving myself was a learning process.   Emotionally I was fine also.  I had already moved on mentally.  I told my sister I didn't feel different.  My best friend had told me before I travelled that the hard part was over and this was just frosting on the cake.  He was right.  I have healed quickly, more so than I expected which is good.  My clothes fit great!

From when I decided to come out and see a therapist to my surgery date was 22 months.  Your timeline may vary.   This is how I was meant to be.

Jani

Link to comment

Question 4: My consult was in March and my surgery is August 1st. 

Question 5:A month or two.

This may have some other answers for you about post-op life:

 

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   6 Members, 0 Anonymous, 146 Guests (See full list)

    • MaeBe
    • awkward-yet-sweet
    • Selkimur
    • Abigail Genevieve
    • Markianor
    • Ashley0616
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.7k
    • Total Posts
      768.4k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      12,029
    • Most Online
      8,356

    earthpatch
    Newest Member
    earthpatch
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Anyatimenow
      Anyatimenow
      (23 years old)
    2. Aria00
      Aria00
    3. Ava B.
      Ava B.
      (24 years old)
    4. Claire Heshi
      Claire Heshi
    5. CrystalMatthews0426
      CrystalMatthews0426
      (41 years old)
  • Posts

    • MaeBe
      1.  I think there are some legitimate concern.   2. Thoroughly discussing this will consume many threads.   3. I disagree partially with @MaeBe but there is partial agreement.   4. The context includes what is happening in society that the authors are observing.  It is not an isolated document.   The observation is through a certain lens, because people do things differently doesn't mean they're doing it wrong. Honestly, a lot of the conservative rhetoric is morphing desires of people to be treated with respect and social equity to be tantamount to the absolution of the family, heterosexuality, etc. Also, being quiet and trying to blend in doesn't change anything. Show me a social change that benefits a minority or marginalized group that didn't need to be loud.   5. Trump, if elected, is as likely to spend his energies going after political opponents as he is to implementing something like this.   Trump will appoint people to do this, like Roger Severino (who was appointed before, who has a record of anti-LGBTQ+ actions), he need not do anything beyond this. His people are ready to push this agenda forward. While the conservative right rails about bureaucracy, they intend to weaponize it. There is no question. They don't want to simplify government, they simply want to fire everyone and bring in conservative "warriors" (their rhetoric). Does America survive 4 year cycles of purge/cronyism?   6. I reject critical theory, which is based on Marxism.  Marxism has never worked and never will.  Critical theory has problems which would need time to go into, which I do not have.   OK, but this seems like every other time CRT comes up with conservatives...completely out of the blue. I think it's reference is mostly just to spark outrage from the base. Definitely food thought for a different thread, though.   7. There are groups who have declared war on the nuclear family as problematically patriarchal, and a lot of other terms. They are easy to find on the internet.  This document is reacting to that (see #4 above).   What is the war on the nuclear family? I searched online and couldn't find much other than reasons why people aren't getting married as much or having kids (that wasn't a propaganda from Heritage or opinions pieces from the right that paint with really broad strokes). Easy things to see: the upward mobility and agency of women, the massive cost of rearing children, general negative attitudes about the future, male insecurity, etc. None of this equates to a war on the nuclear family, but I guess if you look at it as "men should be breadwinners and women must get married for financial support and extend the male family line (and to promote "National Greatness") I could see the decline of marriage as a sign of the collapse of a titled system and, if I was a beneficiary of that system or believe that to NOT be tilted, be aggrieved.   8.  Much of this would have to be legislated, and this is a policy documented.  Implementation would  be most likely different, but that does not mean criticism is unwarranted.   "It might be different if you just give it a chance", unlike all the other legislation that's out there targeting LGBTQ+ from the right, these are going to be different? First it will be trans rights, then it will be gay marriage, and then what? Women's suffrage?   I get it, we may have different compasses, but it's not hard to see that there's no place for queer people in the conservative worldview. There seems to be a consistent insistence that "America was and is no longer Great", as if the 1950s were the pinnacle of society, completely ignoring how great America still is and can continue to be--without having to regress society to the low standards of its patriarchal yesteryears.    
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Cadillac parts are pretty expensive, so repairing them costs more.  But they don't seem to break down more than other makes.  Lots of Lincoln models use Ford cars as a base, so you can get parts that aren't much more expensive.    My family has had good luck with "Panther platform" cars.  Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Marquis, Lincoln Towncar or Continental.  4.6 V8 and 5.0 V8.  Reasonable fuel economy, and fairly durable.  Our county sheriff's office was running Chargers and SUV's for a while, but has gone back to older Crown Victorias for ease of maintenance.  GF rebuilds them here.  But they are getting more scarce, since the newest ones were made in 2011.    1992-1997 years were different than the later years.  1998-2001 they did some changes, and apparently the best years are 2003 to 2011.  Check Craigslist, and also government auctions.  GF has gotten a lot of them at auction, and they can be had in rough-but-running shape for around $1,000.  Ones in great shape can be found in the $5,000+ range.  Good for 200,000 miles without significant rebuilding.  Go through engine and transmission and electrical systems, and they go half a million.    Some Chrysler models are OK.  The 300 mostly has the same engines as the Charger and Challenger, so parts availability is pretty good.  But they tend to get timing issues.  The older Chrysler Sebring convertibles were pretty reliable, sometimes going 200,000 miles without tons of problems, although after that they were pretty much worn out. 
    • Abigail Genevieve
      I think I have read everything the Southern Baptists have to say on transgender, and it helped convince me they are dead wrong on these issues.  They can be nice people.  I would never join an SBC church.
    • Abigail Genevieve
      You come across as a thoughtful, sweet, interesting and pleasant person.    There are parts of this country, and more so the world, where evangelicals experience a great deal of finger wagging.
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      It has been an interesting experience being in a marriage in a Christian faith community, yet being intersex/trans.  I stay pretty quiet, and most have kind of accepted that I'm just the strange, harmless exception.  "Oh, that's just Jen.  Jen is...different."  I define success as being a person most folks just overlook. 
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Well, I live in an area with a lot of Southern Baptists, Evangelicals, etc...  We've experienced our share of finger-wagging, as the "standard interpretation" of Scripture in the USA is that the Bible only approves of "one man, one woman" marriage.  My faith community is mostly accepted here, but that has taken time and effort.  It can be tough at times to continue to engage with culture and the broader population, and avoid the temptation to huddle up behind walls like a cult.    Tolerance only goes so far.  At one point, my husband was asked to run for sheriff.  He declined, partly because an elected official with four wives would have a REALLY tough time.  (Of course, making way less than his current salary wasn't an option either). 
    • Abigail Genevieve
      My bone structure is far more female than male.  I can't throw like a guy, which has been observed by guys numerous times, and moving like a woman is more natural.  It just is.  I'm not going out of my way to act in a fem. way, as you say, but I am letting go of some of the 'I am not going to move like that because I am a guy' stuff I have defensively developed.  The other breaks through anyway - there were numerous looks from people at work when I would use gestures that are forbidden to men, or say something spontaneously no guy would ever say.   At one point, maybe a year or more ago, I said it was unfair for people to think they were dealing with a man when they were actually dealing with a woman.    Girl here.  'What is a woman' is a topic for another day.
    • Willow
      Mom, I’m home!  What’s for lunch?   Leftover pizza .   ok.    Not exactly our conversation but there is truth in the answer.     @KymmieLsorry you are sick. Feel better soon.   Girl mode, boy mode no mode, not us. Nothing functional for either of us.   anyone here have or had a 10 year old (plus or minus) Caddy, Lincoln or Chrysler?  How was it?  Lots of repairs?  Comfortable seats? Anything positive or negative about it?  I need to replace my 2004 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer, it’s eating $100 dollar bills and needs a couple of thousand dollars worth of work and that doesn’t even fix the check engine code.  Obviously, it isn’t worth putting that kind of money into a 20 year old car with a 174 thousand miles.   Willow
    • Ashley0616
      Oversized pink shirt, pink and black sports bra
    • Abigail Genevieve
      I think you mean the worst possible interpretation of 2025 situation.  Keep in mind that there are those who will distort and downright lie about anything coming from conservatives - I have seen it time and time again.  It's one of the reasons I want to read the thing slowly and carefully.  They want you to be very, very afraid. 
    • Abigail Genevieve
      Here is where the expectation is that the stereotypical evangelical comes in finger wagging, disapproving and condemning.    Not gonna do that.   You have to work these things out.  Transgender issues put a whole different spin on everything and God understands what we are going through. I have enough trouble over here.  :)
    • Ivy
      You do you. You seem to be in a safe place if we end up with a 2025 situation.  But a lot of us are not.
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Well, my marriage is different.  I'm actually part of a multi-partner marriage.  Like you see in the Book of Genesis.  My husband has four wives...and me.  I was kind of an accident, as our community sets the "reasonable maximum" at four wives, but that's a long story.  Plural marriage is approved in my faith community, with the exception of spiritual leaders, as described in 1 Timothy 3.  We believe that anything that isn't specifically prohibited is permitted.    The purpose of marriage is for people to work together, demonstrate the love of God, and to have children.  My faith believes in exponential reproduction - big families with lots of kids, both as a blessing and with the intention of using the size of our population for political ends.  Being intersex/trans and unable to bear children, I wouldn't have been a good candidate to be somebody's only spouse (the majority of our community tends toward traditional couple marriage).  Since my husband has other partners, I don't have to worry about the childbearing aspect, and I help out with raising our family's kids.  I'm a "bonus parent."    I'm not 100% open about my intersex/trans nature, although my community's leaders are aware of me.  Being transgender isn't condemned, but it is seen as a health problem derived from an imperfect, fallen world and an environment polluted with chemicals.  Since I'm married, I have a safe place to be, and I can live how I need to live.    I firmly believe the advice given in 1 Corinthians 7.  We don't totally own our bodies.  God gets a say, as I believe He created us to be male or female, not something outside the binary.  I don't think that transition without discussion with partners is OK....again, we don't totally own ourselves.  When I started to figure myself out, that was actually the main thing on my mind - will my partners accept me?  How will my position in the family change?  Since my partners don't really have a problem with the mild version of transition that I wanted to do, it has all been good. 
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Indeed.  While it seems like the majority of LGBTQ+ folks vote for Democrat candidates, not everybody drinks the Kool-Aid.  I'm a registered Independent, since I vote for individuals rather than party.  One of my trans friends is very pro-Trump - wears her MAGA hat and everything.  I find it interesting to see the reactions she gets... folks aren't always as tolerant as they claim to be.  Even on this forum, you get some real flak from Democrat voters....many will insist that the California way is the only way.    In my opinion, "Project 2025" isn't the real problem.  Check out UN "Agenda 2030."   
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      While Biden may be more friendly to trans folks, I'm not a single-issue voter.  I just can't choose a Democrat candidate, as I believe their actions will destroy my community and way of life.  Biden just announced that he wants to significantly increase capital gains taxes.  Maybe he intends to "tax the rich" but that is going to affect everything from land sales to grocery prices to the cost of electricity and even folks' retirement savings, as most companies make a large amount of their profits through investing in the market.  It is absolute lunacy to think that increased cost or reduced profits won't be passed on to the rest of us.  Things are going to get way worse at this rate.    Mostly, I vote in elections for state and local issues, as the national government is about as pleasant as a Porta-Potty in July.  So, either I'll do a write-in vote for president, or I'll check the box for Trump.  Anything but Biden.     
  • 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...