Smokii's Top Surgery
Donation protected
Hi, and thanks for clicking the link!
As many of you will know, I 'came out' as a trans man and started testosterone in November 2017. While it took awhile for me to decide that I wanted to go ahead with top surgery, I've now come to a place where I'm
ready to take my personal "next step" in medically transitioning.
I'm hoping to go ahead with this surgery in 2020, a choice that my doctor and I have decided is medically necessary to be able to live a full, happy, and healthy life. I am excited for a day I can stop binding (which has become painful and expensive as I pay for yoga and massage therapy to counteract the negative impacts of wearing a binder as much as I do) and be more at home in my body.
All this said, I went through various stages of deciding, and part of this decision was spending hours looking through photos and trying to choose surgeons. While I am privileged in Canada to have health care coverage that could possibly cover most of this surgery, with the recent move and waiting lists, it's hard to know how long that will take. More importantly, however, in all my research I kept coming back to specific photos done by a specific surgeon.
Of course, he had to be the surgeon located in the US, who doesn't take insurance. Did I mention he's the person who invented the procedure that he does, called the "Denver method?" He's also one of the only surgeons who I've seen post photos of patients of colour, and this is very important to me, for hopefully obvious reasons.
While I don't want to get too much into detail (here's the surgeon's website if you'd like to learn more ), this particular procedure has some important elements to me, such as maintaining sensation, and also it's as simple as, from what I've seen, this is the "look" that I want.
I am privileged to have a full-time job, and to also have been invited to be an international visiting scholar this spring, which will allow me to fund most of the surgery (which runs from $8,000-$12,000 USD), however, I will also need to travel to Colorado, pay for a hotel, and a night nurse while I am there, and of course, stay for some recovery time. I have also asked a close friend to be there with me, and would like to cover their travel costs as well, as this isn't quite a "vacation," and they will be important support for me during what I imagine may be a difficult recovery time.
The funds I am asking for will go towards any surgery costs that go over $10,000USD (my own contribution), as well as flights for my support person and myself, and a hotel room, meals, etc. and the nurse offered by the clinic for recovery. Any funds that aren’t use will be donated directly to other trans folks in need, for similar purposes.
Your love and support for this part of my journey is greatly appreciated, and I am already overwhelmed knowing that there are people ready to help me affirm who I am and create a new space for myself in how I walk in the world.
Thank you for your time, for any funds you can donate, and for sharing/spreading the word of this campaign.
With love,
-Smokii
As many of you will know, I 'came out' as a trans man and started testosterone in November 2017. While it took awhile for me to decide that I wanted to go ahead with top surgery, I've now come to a place where I'm
ready to take my personal "next step" in medically transitioning.
I'm hoping to go ahead with this surgery in 2020, a choice that my doctor and I have decided is medically necessary to be able to live a full, happy, and healthy life. I am excited for a day I can stop binding (which has become painful and expensive as I pay for yoga and massage therapy to counteract the negative impacts of wearing a binder as much as I do) and be more at home in my body.
All this said, I went through various stages of deciding, and part of this decision was spending hours looking through photos and trying to choose surgeons. While I am privileged in Canada to have health care coverage that could possibly cover most of this surgery, with the recent move and waiting lists, it's hard to know how long that will take. More importantly, however, in all my research I kept coming back to specific photos done by a specific surgeon.
Of course, he had to be the surgeon located in the US, who doesn't take insurance. Did I mention he's the person who invented the procedure that he does, called the "Denver method?" He's also one of the only surgeons who I've seen post photos of patients of colour, and this is very important to me, for hopefully obvious reasons.
While I don't want to get too much into detail (here's the surgeon's website if you'd like to learn more ), this particular procedure has some important elements to me, such as maintaining sensation, and also it's as simple as, from what I've seen, this is the "look" that I want.
I am privileged to have a full-time job, and to also have been invited to be an international visiting scholar this spring, which will allow me to fund most of the surgery (which runs from $8,000-$12,000 USD), however, I will also need to travel to Colorado, pay for a hotel, and a night nurse while I am there, and of course, stay for some recovery time. I have also asked a close friend to be there with me, and would like to cover their travel costs as well, as this isn't quite a "vacation," and they will be important support for me during what I imagine may be a difficult recovery time.
The funds I am asking for will go towards any surgery costs that go over $10,000USD (my own contribution), as well as flights for my support person and myself, and a hotel room, meals, etc. and the nurse offered by the clinic for recovery. Any funds that aren’t use will be donated directly to other trans folks in need, for similar purposes.
Your love and support for this part of my journey is greatly appreciated, and I am already overwhelmed knowing that there are people ready to help me affirm who I am and create a new space for myself in how I walk in the world.
Thank you for your time, for any funds you can donate, and for sharing/spreading the word of this campaign.
With love,
-Smokii
Organizer
Smokii Sumac
Organizer
Kimberley, BC