Dear Warren,

Am so happy for you about your new job!

Also love your Indian necklace!

Please remember this is SURGERY, and I beg you to get THREE opinions before proceeding, even if your mind is made up, and you probably will have to go out of town for the third opinion.  The second and third opinion will give you an idea of how good the surgeon you choose will be.  Hopefully, your surgeon has before and after pictures, preferably on their website.  If I were you, I would visit the websites of other surgeons from all over the U.S., and even the world, even though you have no intention of visiting them, to give you an idea of WHAT a surgeon can do, and to give you a baseline of excellence from which to judge the surgeons in your locality.

Know you have a good head on your shoulders, and that you will choose well.

Your friend,

Monica

Monica,

Thanks! I love that necklace (which has mysteriously disappeared, still looking for it) It was given to me by the medicine man in my family's tribe when I got my indian name  Love my native heritage! lol About the surgeon yeah I have gotten several opinions on both him and other surgeons, and unfortunately my options are severely limited. There's no way for me to go out of state, let alone out of country, to get it done anywhere else. There is just no way of doing that. The prices he's given so far are reasonable and he DOES have pics on his website about transgender top surgeries and they look great. I've talked to a few of his past patients and they had nothing but good things to say. Even so, this is only the consultation. To get more info. I'm not jumping into surgery just yet, I'm just gathering the info. He said he couldnt give me a 100% sure quote unless he actually sees me and what he'll be doing which seemed reasonable.  There are only 4 surgeons in my state who will do the top surgery, and he is the only one that isnt at the hospital that requires me to have therapy and HRT for a year+.  So hopefully I'll get this figured out soon. At this point I dont even give a **** about scarring, crooked incisions, etc. I just want them gone, they hurt so bad and my breathing is getting worse

Warren

Dear Warren,

Am very large chested myself (40 J cup, yep, that's right, 40 J cup!) and only my conservative view of surgery stops me from getting them removed (not because I am transsexual), but because they are so irritating!  

My suggestion you look at other surgeons (on the Internet) was for your own edification, not to meet them.  Just to look at the pictures on their websites and see how top surgery can vary.  By the way, out of curiosity, I DID look at various surgeons' top surgery pictures, and find little variation, in all due respect to surgeons' skill.  This is VERY IMPORTANT as you will live with it for LIFE.  Realize you are frustrated, but this is one step in your becoming a man (remember, you are ALREADY a man, just in the wrong body!)

Please keep us posted.

Your friend,

Monica

Sounds like things are looking up for you Warren. Best to take time to consider all options so that you are fully aware of how the final result will be as I have seen a few that were less than acceptable.

Warren,

That's so great to hear about your job!  Having a supportive work environment is so incredibly helpful (my own has been, some people here seem almost excited about it).

It seems strange that top surgery would have an HRT requirement, after all there are certainly women who get it done who aren't transgender.  And it seems like even if you weren't transgender it would be something you'd want.

And that was a great video - and once again well-timed, at least for me (I recall your video explaining pansexual vs. bisexual happened right after I had been thinking about the subject, mere hours earlier).  I filed my name change papers in New Jersey this week - I'm changing to Christie Anne (Christie was my birth middle name, Anne just sounded good - and it's Debbie Gibson's middle name, without the "e").

The filing fee in NJ is $250, and you also have to publish in a statewide newspaper both the court date (in case anyone wants to object) and when it's finalized, which I've been told typically takes about 4 months, so I should have it done around November (which works out nicely, by then I should be on HRT for a couple of months).  In case anyone else reading is in NJ, here's a link to the name change paperwork -

https://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/prose/10551_namechg_adult.pdf

xoxo

Christie

Dear Christie Anne,

I LOVE your name!  

Thank you for the link to the NJ name change paperwork . . .

Your friend,

Monica