When should I start looking into GRS?

[MAKAYLA02]

So I am a 47 year old MTF.  I have been transitioning for about a year, completely out for 7 months and on HRT for just over two months.  I know that I want to complete my transition with Gender Reasignment Surgery.  My question is, when should I start looking into the procedure and identifying potential surgeons.  Is it ever to soon?  When I do find a match, what can I expect for a normal wait period?  I am awRe that rule of thumb is to be living as the desired gender for two years and that I also need two referrals from therapists.  Any insight would be grateful.

 

Makayla

[Lexi]

Hiya Makayla, 

 

  It's nice to hear you're enjoying you!! The past 7 months must be like a dream come true. 

 

To answer your question - it is never to soon to start gathering information. 

 

I pulled this up for the location you listed on the forum. 

https://www.uofmhealth.org/conditions-treatments/gender-confirmation-surgery

 

You go girl! 

    Xoxo

[Jani]

Hello Makayla and welcome.  As in most things in life, you can never start too soon to prepare for an event such as GRS.   Start out by determining if you will mind traveling for it. There are doctors seemingly everywhere that preform the surgery and not all of them "advertise".  So you might find a great doctor near by or within a few hours drive.  There are plenty on the coasts as well to consider.  Then there are ones overseas.

 

There are various types of having this surgery, so read up and determine which doctors do which procedure.  Figure out what is best for you.  Then narrow you search.  In the meantime, prepare to obtain recommendation letters as noted in WPATH, as most if not all doctors follow that protocol.   Oh, and start saving your money now.

 

Jani

[MAKAYLA02]

Thank you ladies!

 

Lexi, that was really some great information, I want to call them right now. ?.

 

impatiently being patient!!

 

?Makayla?

[VickySGV]

I began my search in 2009 when I had been on HRT for 3 months.  My start was at a convention for TG people where several surgeons were giving information talks and doing mini consultations one on one.  At that convention I did not "connect" with either of the three whom I spoke to.  A year later at the same convention I was able to talk to two more, and hit it off with Dr. Bowers who could deal with my age and health conditions and who used the single surgery technique that fitted my needs.  It was 18 months later that I actually put my money out as a deposit though.  In the 18 month gap I had been turned down by two out of country surgeons who felt they could not work with my age or diabetes.  I did have my surgery covered by insurance at the time I had it, although a year later my insurance did.  The added time had also given me a chance to get financing via a piece of property I owned.  Since my surgery 5 years ago, there have been others entering the field and most trained by the doctors I first considered.     

[VickySGV]

Addendum -- Conventions are a great place to meet people who can help you recognize what your real goals are going to be, and they will come up with questions for the doctors that you need to ask but have not thought of yet!!