Surgical Decisions and Scheduling

"I'm so much closer than,
I have ever known.
Wake up!
Better thank your lu-cky stars."
 -- Green Day, Waiting

I've decided on a surgeon, and scheduled my SRS! =D

After my last post debating the pros and cons of various surgeons, I couldn't get surgery off my brain. The more I mulled it over, the more I liked the idea of Dr. Bowers' "one stage" procedure, but I still had concerns.  I realized that the main reason I like Dr Meltzer is not just because he's good at what he does, but because I know he's good.

I've read tons of accounts from satisfied trans women who've had their surgeries performed by Meltzer; I've seen quite a few images of the great results he can provide; I've even read a step-by-step walk through of his procedure, complete with graphic images detailing every part of the surgery. So, I resolved to find just as much information on Bowers.

This last weekend, I read countless threads on around eight or nine different trans forums, I found newer pictures of surgeries Dr. Bowers had performed, and I even managed to find a video of her performing a MtF reassignment surgery. While everything I learned swayed me more and more towards Dr. Bowers, it was the video that did me in; the woman is a freaking artist. If you'd like to see it, I'll warn you that it's very graphic (NSFW), and not for the faint of heart, but you can find it here.

Yes, the video is scary, but I also find it fascinating; I love information. What amazes me the most from watching the video is how simple she makes the procedure look. Though I'm no expert, coming from what I do know, her procedure seems very straightforward and smooth. It also filled in some gaps in my knowledge of how she operates, and reassured me that her "one stage" technique is only subtly different from the standard. It's enough to make an aesthetic difference, without adding any extra healing burden.

On Monday morning, I called her office, and her staff informed me that I needed to fill out an application found on the website. I emailed the app back to them this morning, with a note asking to call me to arrange payment by phone for the $500 deposit. I was anxious, but I tried to continue my day, figuring it would take at least a day or two for them to call me back. Nope! Within an hour of sending the email, my phone rang, and a helpful woman named Robin worked out the deposit and scheduling with me.

My reserved surgery date is February 12th, 2012, but I'm on a cancellation list for November/December of 2011. She told me that they often have cancellations, and that they should be able to get me in this year. While November would be ideal, I can live with February if I have to, so either way, I'm set.

On a related note, thank you tons and tons to those who have donated to my surgery fund! Even a couple of dollars here and there adds up, and helps a lot! <3

I still have a bunch to do, including getting two letters of recommendation for surgery, having some electrolysis done, and working out the time off I'll need from work. I don't know if I can contain my anxiousness for nine months to a year, but I'm sure it will fly by faster than I can imagine. =)