Soylent Mean (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} soylentmean) wrote,@ 2006-06-28 17:11:00 |
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| Current mood: |  facials, yay! |
FFS... uhh, what now?
Warning: This page contains some graphic pictures, so be ready.
Sure, in my little FAQ, I said that I've FFS, which included all of these things:
* Bi-planer scalp advancement / brow lift (not much, as my skin was tight because I was so young)
* Frontal bossing and supra-orbital reduction (endoscopic shaving)
* Rhinoplasty
* Chin bone reduction (endoscopic shaving)
* 3mm Medpor cheek implants
* Thyroid chondroplasty, aka trachea shave
But really, what does that mean, besides being a whole trunkload of medical terms? Well, how about some pictures, then?
Straight-on
Before
One day
Three days
One week
Two weeks
One month
Two months
Eight months
With a Smile (six months)
Profile
Before
Two months
Eight months
45 degrees
Before
Two months
Eight months
And there you have it. :)
Although it really looks like there was a huge difference between 2 months and 8 months, it really felt like things were pretty settled in about 2.5 months after the surgery. Yes, there was some minor improvement as time when on, but I've never failed to pass since having FFS. Prior to FFS, I passed only about 80-90% of the time.
Were you happy with the care given by Dr. Z and his staff?
I really liked Dr. Z. Yes, he's definitely full of personality, but once you tell him to knock it off the "honeys" and the like, he practically becomes the perfect doctor. He never really pressured me into anything - he asked me what I didn't like about my face, and then gave the various options that he could do to fix things. His aftercare (visiting my hotel room, regularly calling to see how I was doing, responding to pages) was extremely good.
His anesthesiologist was also excellent, but his nurses weren't nearly as friendly. I tried to get them to get me just a little bit of water immediately following the surgery, and they were a bit surly and uncooperative. Unless you're having the surgery done in a regional hospital, I would highly recommended getting a nurse for the first 24 hours.sokay was definitely a bit overwhelmed at the time, and looking back, we wished we had gotten a nurse.
His anesthesiologist was also excellent, but his nurses weren't nearly as friendly. I tried to get them to get me just a little bit of water immediately following the surgery, and they were a bit surly and uncooperative. Unless you're having the surgery done in a regional hospital, I would highly recommended getting a nurse for the first 24 hours.
sokay was definitely a bit overwhelmed at the time, and looking back, we wished we had gotten a nurse.Did you consult with other doctors, and if so, why did you choose Dr. Z?
I didn't actually consult with other doctors, but I read hundreds of testimonials and looked at hundreds of pre and post-op pictures over at the ffs-support Yahoo group. Overall, I liked Dr. Zukowski's faces a little bit less than Dr. Ousterhout's faces, but not by much. Dr. Z's faces tended to look a bit more like the original face, which I wanted. Both surgeons seemed to get much better results than a lot of the other FFS surgeons, and it appeared to me that Dr. Z has a lower "error rate" than Dr. O. To be fair to Dr. O, his faces seem to take less time to heal than Dr. Z's.
What's more, Dr. Z was about one third cheaper than Dr. O, which works out to about a $10k difference. Don't know how his prices compare these days.
What's more, Dr. Z was about one third cheaper than Dr. O, which works out to about a $10k difference. Don't know how his prices compare these days.
How much did everything cost?
Roughly $25k, including the cost of driving from Minneapolis to Chicago, lodging for one week, food, and the surgery itself.
Did you have any complications afterwards?
Not really, no. Some pussing, some bleeding, some oozing, but nothing major. I had trouble sleeping for a while, but that cleared up pretty quickly, once my nose settled down.
Eight months after surgery, the only remaining side effects are relatively minor. Some numbness on my right cheek (feels like Novacaine) and increased/reduced sensation in a few areas on my scalp. The scar under my chin is fairly dark, but the one across my forehead is very clean and blends in well. The under-chin scar is not terribly noticable because of its location. No real hair regrowth in the area where the scar cuts through my hairline.
Eight months after surgery, the only remaining side effects are relatively minor. Some numbness on my right cheek (feels like Novacaine) and increased/reduced sensation in a few areas on my scalp. The scar under my chin is fairly dark, but the one across my forehead is very clean and blends in well. The under-chin scar is not terribly noticable because of its location. No real hair regrowth in the area where the scar cuts through my hairline.
Anything you wish you had done differently?
Well, the lip injections have entirely faded away. I probably wouldn't have gotten them, but Dr. Zukowski offered me a deal($400), so I thought I'd give them a try. That said, I've heard that they've worked really well for a lot of girls, and he supposedly offers "free refills" if they don't take.
Also, while my trachea is less noticable than it used to be, it's not quite as good as I had hoped it would end up. It's not bad however, and certainly nothing worth getting worked up about.
Additionally, the cheek implant on the left side of my face (stage right in photos) is more pronounced, due to the fact that it's a couple millimeters higher and more outside on my face. To be fair, that's how my face looked *prior* to FFS, but that wasn't balanced out through FFS.
Also, while my trachea is less noticable than it used to be, it's not quite as good as I had hoped it would end up. It's not bad however, and certainly nothing worth getting worked up about.
Additionally, the cheek implant on the left side of my face (stage right in photos) is more pronounced, due to the fact that it's a couple millimeters higher and more outside on my face. To be fair, that's how my face looked *prior* to FFS, but that wasn't balanced out through FFS.
Any thoughts on FFS and transition in general?
Do it! Besides getting married, FFS was the single best decision I've ever made for myself. It's made my life immeasurably better. People smile at me more, and are more positive and sharing when talking to me. I don't have to worry about passing, or makeup - I can wake up in the morning, throw on a t-shirt, and head to the local convenience store without having to worry about having the right makeup on. I feel safer, knowing that I don't have to worry as much about harassment/assault because I look trans. I also feel much better about myself - I don't worry nearly as much about seeing "the old me" in the mirror.
Honestly, I have absolutely no regrets about it - even if the side effects had ended up being much worse, I still would have done it.
Honestly, I have absolutely no regrets about it - even if the side effects had ended up being much worse, I still would have done it.
Extra advice to those getting FFS w/ Zukowski:
* If you're having a partner there, you should both read my wife sokay's entries: day 1, day 3, day 5, day 5 #2, and day 6.
* Use sorbet for getting the pills down - it feels great in your throat, and makes you feel good.
* Do your massaging in the shower, but make sure you have eaten and drank some water beforehand, or you'll end up passing out like I did.
* Take at least two weeks off from work. I ended up working from home at 1.5 weeks, and I was completely and utterly exhausted at the end of the day.
sokay's entries: day 1, day 3, day 5, day 5 #2, and day 6.* Use sorbet for getting the pills down - it feels great in your throat, and makes you feel good.
* Do your massaging in the shower, but make sure you have eaten and drank some water beforehand, or you'll end up passing out like I did.
* Take at least two weeks off from work. I ended up working from home at 1.5 weeks, and I was completely and utterly exhausted at the end of the day.
