The Cost

I don't know if any of you are aware of this..but the price to transition from m2f is app $35k and it all must be paid up front by the TS!

The money goes out in thirds more or less, no pun intended. 1/3 is for SRS, another 1/3 is for additionals like therapist bills and electrolysis or other methods of facial and body hair removal and the last 1/3 goes for face femininization surgery.

I accompanied my TS up to San Francisco for her consult with a leading Plastic Surgeon. This person is known in the "community" and truly does beautiful work. But after a detailed explanation of what he proposed to do, and after being told that her face is a " type 2" on his own scale (which should mean "not so much work") We met with the business manager who told us that the surgery would cost a whopping $37k! We have friends who were considered "type 3" and "type 4" by him. Some had whole foreheads replaced because of heavy brow ridges and such and NONE of them had quotes as high as ours! A website suggests that rhinoplasty (nose job) ranges in price from $3k to $8k. This doctor quoted $9k! And as I said..we have friends who have had the same procedures within the year and were charged more appropriate fees. Now, again he is very very good at what he does and he does have a lovely recovery facility for TS women after surgery. BUT the fees for the recovery facility are separate and quite honestly seem reasonable.

My TS has an appointment with a very very good doctor down here near home. One who also performs SRS. We'll see how his quote shapes up against the one from SF.

All in all I was shocked. I think that this was blatant price gouging. And I was disappointed for my TS. We paid up front for the consult and we paid for the xrays before only to be told that even though her work is not as involved (only 9 1/2 hours of surgery), it was still going to cost over $10k more than people we know who had more work done. It feels like that well known cell phone company who has to make a certain amount on every account and does so whether or not you are operating in your plan by means of "hidden fees".

It does not feel good.

Now, in addition, this all tickles my feminist bones very badly because the methods and procedures for f2m trans are not nearly so perfected..again illustrating where the money and power is in our culture..it's with the men even if they are women on the inside!

what a wierd set of emotions!

Pennypengo

Happy New Year!

Boy, I dropped the ball on this one eh?

All I can offer as excuse is "Life Happened!"

So this year I resolve to write more often.
I even checked out of my forum for SO's for a while...That has been renewed as well.

What happened this year: My TS just was not "getting it" We had a huge meltdown in October,
separated for a while. She met some adversity of her own..which caused the light to go on for her. I found
a great new therapist and that has done wonders for me.

We got a good couples therapist, and are doing much better. She wanted to be the only one coming out
she wanted the relationship to stay the way it was: comfortable. Things between us had to change. They don't
necessarily involve me leaving or her leaving...but they had to evolve.

And the evolved relationship is very nice.

Happy New Year to All!

Pennypengo