Sam's Top Surgery
Donation protected
Hello, my name is Sam and I am a trans.
I am about to embark on the exciting journey of having a procedure to remove my fleshy not-so-fun bags. This procedure would alleviate a lot of dysphoria for me.
-BACKGROUND-
Those of you who know me know how hard I've been working toward making my dream of top surgery a reality. For those of you who don't, I have been working toward receiving my pre-authorization for top surgery since January with a goal of having the surgery before I lose insurance coverage in December. This has been a tedious process of babysitting paperwork and ultimately proving my transness to multiple medical professionals in order to meet insurance requirements.
At long last, I have my pre-auth! The surgery will be scheduled for late June/early July. I'm waiting to hear back from the surgery center and will update once I have an exact date.
-THE SURGERY-
Top surgery is a gender-affirming surgery to remove the breast tissue. In order to feel more comfortable in their bodies and safe from violence or discrimination, some transgender men will “bind” their chests, compressing and minimizing breast tissue to create a flatter appearance. While generally safe, this can come with its own set of risks. And frankly, it kind of sucks.
-DETAILS & EXPENSES-
I will be traveling to the American Institute for Plastic Surgery in Plano, TX for the surgery. The visit is a minimum of three days: consult, surgery, and post-op. A week after the post-op appointment, I will be returning for a checkup. This is an outpatient procedure, which means I'll be staying in a hotel for about 4 days. Before surgery, I'll have to put together an extensive care package to make sure I have everything I need for recovery and dressing wounds.
My insurance is covering about 80% of the cost of the procedure, not including a $750 charge that they have deemed "cosmetic." I'm looking at paying about $2,000 out of pocket in total for the procedure.
Recovery times vary but most people can return to work (for a desk job) after about 2 weeks. I have some vacation saved up in preparation, but not enough to cover the amount of time I will be off work. My work is willing to work with me after surgery so I miss as little time as possible, but obviously, my main focus will be on recovery. And you know, pain meds.
At around 6-8 weeks, I'll be able to do all the fun things we take for granted, like light exercising, lifting my arms, and reaching the top shelf of the cabinet (which I can't do anyway so whatever).
-HOW YOU CAN HELP-
People have been asking how they can help and I feel this is the easiest way to be open and TRANSparent (haha) about the process and what kind of expenses I'm looking at. Please don't feel obliged to donate, I appreciate your support either way!
$$ will go towards surgery copay, hotel stay, and surgery aftercare supplies.
Thank you to all my friends and family for their continued support. I am super fortunate to be surrounded by so many wonderful people. I appreciate all of you.
I am about to embark on the exciting journey of having a procedure to remove my fleshy not-so-fun bags. This procedure would alleviate a lot of dysphoria for me.
-BACKGROUND-
Those of you who know me know how hard I've been working toward making my dream of top surgery a reality. For those of you who don't, I have been working toward receiving my pre-authorization for top surgery since January with a goal of having the surgery before I lose insurance coverage in December. This has been a tedious process of babysitting paperwork and ultimately proving my transness to multiple medical professionals in order to meet insurance requirements.
At long last, I have my pre-auth! The surgery will be scheduled for late June/early July. I'm waiting to hear back from the surgery center and will update once I have an exact date.
-THE SURGERY-
Top surgery is a gender-affirming surgery to remove the breast tissue. In order to feel more comfortable in their bodies and safe from violence or discrimination, some transgender men will “bind” their chests, compressing and minimizing breast tissue to create a flatter appearance. While generally safe, this can come with its own set of risks. And frankly, it kind of sucks.
-DETAILS & EXPENSES-
I will be traveling to the American Institute for Plastic Surgery in Plano, TX for the surgery. The visit is a minimum of three days: consult, surgery, and post-op. A week after the post-op appointment, I will be returning for a checkup. This is an outpatient procedure, which means I'll be staying in a hotel for about 4 days. Before surgery, I'll have to put together an extensive care package to make sure I have everything I need for recovery and dressing wounds.
My insurance is covering about 80% of the cost of the procedure, not including a $750 charge that they have deemed "cosmetic." I'm looking at paying about $2,000 out of pocket in total for the procedure.
Recovery times vary but most people can return to work (for a desk job) after about 2 weeks. I have some vacation saved up in preparation, but not enough to cover the amount of time I will be off work. My work is willing to work with me after surgery so I miss as little time as possible, but obviously, my main focus will be on recovery. And you know, pain meds.
At around 6-8 weeks, I'll be able to do all the fun things we take for granted, like light exercising, lifting my arms, and reaching the top shelf of the cabinet (which I can't do anyway so whatever).
-HOW YOU CAN HELP-
People have been asking how they can help and I feel this is the easiest way to be open and TRANSparent (haha) about the process and what kind of expenses I'm looking at. Please don't feel obliged to donate, I appreciate your support either way!
$$ will go towards surgery copay, hotel stay, and surgery aftercare supplies.
Thank you to all my friends and family for their continued support. I am super fortunate to be surrounded by so many wonderful people. I appreciate all of you.
Organizer
Sam Garrett
Organizer
Shreveport, LA