Anonymous asked: Hey, I know this is a weird Q but I figured i'd shoot. Ok, so technically the easiest way to describe myself to you would be as an MTF. I have been looking like a girl ever since I was 14. I am taking estrogen/tblockers. I started this whenever I turned 18 and started developing a huge fear of my body masculinizing any further. I didn't want me aging/testosterone to affect my ability to pass. However prior to me becoming older I never had issues with my body, in fact if I could have kept myself

the good news is that breasts are mostly made of fatty tissue. depending on your body type, this might make it possible for you to control your breast size by controlling your weight, (within a healthy range, of course).

if you’re located in the united states then it likely comes down to finding the right therapist, and not every single surgeon requires a therapists letter. the best thing you can do is to call around surgeons in your area to try to find someone who doesnt require a letter. if you can’t find one, then your best bet is to find a gender / lgbtq therapist, (someone with a lot of experience and an open mind) who can be trusted to write a letter based on them seeing who you are and not withholding because of a closed mind. 

this part isnt relevant to your question, but thank you for asking this question. i also posted your question on my personal blog, parkerkierce.tumblr.com, i feel like the “other” version of you! it’s personally very nice to find out that i’m not the only “trans” person who is comfortable with parts of their body.

civilwardrummer asked: In response to the resent question about paying for surgery:I am also a college student. Last year I got a job at Panera Bread, being paid $8.75 an hour (which is damn good for entry level pay, I understand). I worked 25-30 hours a week on top of being a full time student (16 credit hours as a senior at Boston University). It was a lot of work and I often doubted that I could keep going, since I had to give up a lot of my social life, but I knew it was what I really wanted and the thought of

surgery motivated me to keep going. I saved every cent of those paychecks and after only two semesters, I had enough for surgery. (I was a little shy, about $300, and my parents were able to loan me the difference for a bit.) I have to say that it’s not easy, but it’s possible if that’s what you really want to do. Depending on where you can get a job and the money and how many hours you can actually afford to do, changes how long, but I think it is realistic (if you can motivate yourself to keep taking whatever hours you can get and to not give up) to say you can save it in a year. The other option, if you have good credit built up, is to look into something like CreditCare, which are medical loans. The surgery you go to can probably direct you to someone they usually go through. If you did this, you’d have the money to get surgery sooner, but you’d be stuck working for a while to pay it off. In theory you could work the same number of hours and pay it off in about a year, so the interest would be low or nil, or it’d give you the chance to work it off over a longer period of time, but then you have to consider interest, job stability, etc. It’s expensive, no doubt about that, and school should always come first, but it’s not impossible. Good luck, ~John

thank you, john :)

hope that answer helps you guys out

Anonymous asked: I'm a college student, and will be for at least a few more years, how will I ever pay for top surgery?

thats a good question. im working on figuring it out myself. 

look at it this way, how would you ever pay for a car? how would you ever buy any item in life? either by saving up, or by making payments. 

Anonymous asked: I am planning on getting top surgery next year, I was wondering, when you're getting the surgery, does it hurt? I don't mind feeling anything after, I am just wondering about during. And what doctors are good in the southern California area. (I live in LA.)

during surgery you are unconscious but afterwards you will have a lot of pain. of course you will be prescribed pain mediation. as far as what surgeons are good in southern cali, check out these two links for surgeons who preform top surgery: http://genderqueer.tumblr.com/post/15348879855/resources-for-faab-non-male-identified-people-who-want

http://genderqueer.tumblr.com/post/15348879855/resources-for-faab-non-male-identified-people-who-want

i would recommend contacting the ones nearest you and asking them to see photos of their results.

Anonymous asked: do i need a letter from a physcolgist when i turn 18. because im getting top ftm surgery at 18 years old.

depends on the surgeon you go to, you’ll want to talk to them, but most likely, yes, you will need a letter. 

Anonymous asked: I am working to put together a centralized website of resources for trans* folks. What information would be most useful to include and can you recommend some websites/resources that should be listed?

http://artoftransliness.tumblr.com/

http://fuckyeahftms.tumblr.com/

http://www.lauras-playground.com/

http://www.ftmguide.org/

those are a few of my favorite places

Anonymous asked: my girlfriend wants top surgery, she hates having breasts, although she is very maternal, i know her as a woman however she is genderqueer. I totally respect her choice as i am pansexual and generally dont choose my partners on gender, but i cant help but feel upset that she wants to do this to herself, i love that she has an edgy boyish look that everyone sees and then when we get home shes a completely different person thats all mine and only mine, please help em understand or think different

try to think about the person that she is, not who she is to you. think about it from her point of view if you can, changing her body and her gender identity are something very personal no matter if shes at home, in public, etc. try to listen to her feelings about the matter instead of taking everything you know about her and trying to think if having top surgery “matches” (ie, shes maternal so she has to keep her breasts). 

its interesting you say you “feel upset that she wants to do this to herself”. you say it like she wants to hurt herself, or do something negative to herself. there is nothing negative or wrong about how she feels about her chest, there is nothing wrong with women not having breasts. I think its something you will just have to take some time to come to terms with and realize it has nothing to do with you, yes you are hurt but it isnt your body and you cant control it. don’t you want what is best for her and makes her happiest? 

Anonymous asked: I was wondering if you would know anything about getting top surgery with a non ftm surgeon? Could any plastic surgery doctor do that or do yu need to go to a ftm surgeon to do that, or what would yu recommend to do in that situation?

You would have to ask the specific surgeon, some might, some might not. It’s (obviously) not the most common plastic surgery preformed, so most plastic surgeons likely just don’t have the experience or knowledge to preform one. It is always better to go to surgeons with experience because this is not something you want a mistake made on. Search for doctors who do top surgery in your area, and if you can’t find any and can’f afford to travel, then ask around all local plastic surgeons. It honestly is a big thing, surgery, so it is worth saving an extra few hundred to a thousand for hotel and travel, depending on distance and how you travel.

Anonymous asked: I have a question, please answer me as soon as possible, thank you. So im planning to have a top surgery in the futher, and im 16, how old do you have to be to have a top surgery? And what do you have to do before you have the top surgery? I heard you have to live as a man for 1 year. And after you have the top surgery, do you have to have the bottom sugery too? Because i just wanted to have a top surgery, its gonna make my life easier

well a lot of this depends on how supportive your parents are, with their consent, you can likely have it under 18, but if they dont support you then you will have to wait until you are legally an adult. as to what do you need to do before, its really all depends on the doctor you go so. generally you have to see a gender therapist and they will write you a letter that allows you to have top surgery and go on hormones (if that’s part of your process) after a few months. the first step is getting your parents support, then talking to a gender therapist in your area.

personally, i’m not sure about bottom surgery yet, it really depends on what all T does to my body.

Anonymous asked: what surgeons will operate on a minor? with parental consent

Sadly, I don’t have a list, but honestly the best thing you can do is to start talking to other trans*guys that had surgeries as minors, and start e-mailing surgeons in your area. If you’re willing / able to travel, you’ll likely find someone a lot easier. 

If any followers know of anyone please let us know! 

Anonymous asked: 1. Brownstein is retiring in a few months. 2. Garramone.

Good to know, not sure where you heard this information from but thank you. I know he is older but I was unaware he was going to be retiring anytime soon. Not too sure what you were trying to share by throwing Garramone’s name into the mix?

I’m guessing this is in response to the questions about surgeons who don’t require their patients to be on hormones.