Are you doing 1 or multiple stages? When you refer to various life-long urethral complications (such as life long recurring UTIs), are these problems that you know other guys have had or are you just worried about these in theory? I ask because I've been lurking on brownsteincrane (which is where I got this blog link) and other bottom surgery yahoo groups for a while and I haven't seen other people discuss UTIs as a particularly huge issue.
Crane primarily does 1 stage phalloplasty for RFF. For ALT, it depends on your body BMi. If it is above a certain threshold, they inform you that you may need multiple stages. Some people have to go through multiple stages for ALT even if they fit the BMI profile. I will likely be having 1 stage whether I opt for ALT or for RFF. I am going for RFF so far.
As for the complications, I don’t have empirical evidence to support my concern. So my concern is theoretical. My general observation is that even those who had successful surgery will go through few uretheral complications. If lucky, none would require surgery. The reason I have these long-term concerns is because we don’t really have enough data on them. I’d love to hear from people who are few years post op and how they are doing, but I don’t think even Crane knows at given how long he has been in practice. I will however make an attempt to research this and report back.
It is happening. I still haven’t completely processed that. A year from now I will be having phalloplasty with Dr Curtis Crane. Currently, I am scheduled to have my surgery in Austin, Texas. The procedure that I have chosen so far is Radial Forearm flap (RFF) phalloplasty. Up until now, I haven’t really thought much about the surgery. I do read on it often, but overall, I’ve decided to put my focus into my hysterectomy, which I’ve only completed about 3 weeks ago. Now that I have this surgery mostly behind me (hopefully), I have to begin thinking more clearly for my surgery, and planning for it properly.
In the next two months, I should promptly begin electrolysis. This will seal the deal on the donor site for me ( I am still a bit torn between RFF and ALT). It will also mark the first concrete step I take toward this surgery.
My surgery is scheduled for 12/15/2016. Yes, it is actually less than 12 months away now. Wow, Just saying that feels frightening. In this countdown post, I intent to summarize top of mind things for me at the moment regarding the surgery. I will likely then write separate posts on each one of these topics. If there is a specific topic that you’d like to hear about, please feel free to ask questions and I will do my best.
1. Donor Site
I will have to start electrolysis very soon on my donor site.I have read many stories of guys who still had hair come surgery time. While it is not the biggest of problems, it carries some risk of increased urethral complications. Because of that, I’d like to start promptly at the 10 months mark at the latest. This means that my decision regarding RFF Vs ALT should be final. I have a hairy body, so it really does need electrolysis. I have generally arrived at being set with RFF, but I still have my reservations. I will spend some time thinking this through via a post and share how I arrived at my final decision. I know many people change their surgery sites later on. I tend to really be the kind of person who makes a decision and sticks to it. I just need to be behind something fully. That way I feel it’s easier for me to accept the consequences.
2. Social consequences
A big topic for me is family, friends and coworkers. I have a close knit family. At work, I am also friends with many people. I am not out to 80% of people that I interact with daily. This means that I spend a lot of time thinking of the effect of my surgery on my life. I work a challenging desk job with a lot of stress. I plan on taking a leave from my job for 3 months. Now three months is a long time, however, I heard someone say prepare for the worst. That is, if I feel better before then, I can easily go back to work. My job has that kind of leave. However, it will affect me in many ways. I will likely not advance in my career due to three months out. I will also need to somehow explain the three months off to all my friends at work. Yes, my boss won’t ask. But what about all the people I hang out with all the time? Add to that the arm scar, and we have a very obvious gap. Unless I am completely open, which is something I considered but decided 100% against, I need a story. lying is not my favorite thing. Many people say that I can it is private -- That is really not like who I am and will seem very out of character. So, I need to figure out how to minimize the effect on my career, as well as ensure that the social anxiety surrounding this topic is addressed for me. I will write a post about this very topic, as well as how it might affect my family (mother, siblings) to see a scar like that on my arm.
3. Surgical implants
I spent a lot of time learning about the surgery. When I first started this process, my biggest worry was the scar on my arm. At this point of time, I feel at peace with the scar. I’ve accepted that I can tattoo over it, and over time it will fade away. What I found myself stuck with is how the implants will affect my life long-term. I know for sure that I want an implant -- sex is a big part of why I want the surgery. However, from reading on the implants, I felt that the options we have today are technically limited. The implant will mean that I will need to return to surgery often. How often depends on my choice of implant (semi-rigid, VS pump based). I have rarely heard from guys who are very comfortable with their semi-rigid. While a better option mechanically, it seems to carry its own problems. The pump means more mechanical issues. Overall, surgeries to me usually mean that a certain amount of healing occurs - then your life goes on. The implant makes me understand the long-term effects of this surgery on my life. For years and years. Health wise, I will always need some form of care at a certain period of time for my implants. Wow - these surgeries really do require a certain amount of privilege. I will write about the implants as well in their own posts.
4. Life-long Urethral complications & Medical care
Call me a skeptic -- I am very scared of giving up my biological urethra. Again, urethra complications may happen at any time. There are no data on whether we have any increased risks for ongoing issues post phalloplasty. If issues are to occur, my concern is with getting the right care to fix them. I am worried about the availability of care in general. Not any care, but the expertise that is required when you have a surgically constructed organ. I am worried that I don’t know if - after all is recovered - I will age into having so many UTIs that I can’t stop. Or scar tissue that won’t go away. It’s really hard to know. This is why I firmly believe that we need an ongoing study of the long-term effects of surgery so we can learn about this better.
5. Body & Mind
I put this last, but it is the most important part to me. This surgery requires going in with your mindset ready. To me, it requires that I am in the right place mentally, physically and financially. It means that I fully trust my choices. That I understand the best outcomes and the worst outcomes, and I am ready tackle both. That I will survive this, head high, and not despair. It is to know that the choice is the right one, the right time, the right surgeon, and that I can therefore be the right patient. Mentally, I think I am 80% there, but I have much work to do to be prepared for that 20% that I need. Physically, there is much to be done for me to be at my best shape. I will also need the right support from friends throughout. Something that is not easy to obtain. My wife will be my cornerstone through this, and knowing that she is ready with me, in body, mind and spirit is important as well.
All of the topics above are blogs to come. So tune in, and let me know your thoughts on any or all of these.
