Gender Affirmation Surgery for Rich

My name is Richard. I’m 27. I was born, raised, and reside in Baltimore, MD. I am fundraising for a fairly new gender affirmation surgery not covered by insurance called a nulloplasty. On the most succinct level, I wish to transition from intersex to a nullo male (ITN). 

I personally identify as a gender nonconforming nullo/neutrois male, or nullo man for short. I was identified male at birth, but at age 17 my pediatrician noticed some physical development issues, mainly in my testes. A lot of blood was drawn to figure out what was happening, and I wound up at a geneticist with a diagnosis of being born intersex (47, XXY) with Klinefelter’s Syndrome.  My body does not produce enough testosterone, and so have been on injections since I was 19.

While the injections help me retain my muscle and bone mass, they’ve not solved issues I’ve always had with my body, ever since I was a child. Even before the intersex diagnosis, I’ve known my body to be somewhat between genders/sexes even if I appear as a man on the outside. I suppose the intersex diagnoses added fuel to the flame on these thoughts.

Throughout college and these past few years, I conducted a lot of research online to see where I fit on the spectrum of gender/sex, and identify most with the gender nonconforming nullo/neutrois male community. It fits me well because those who do ascribe to the identity generally appeal male to the world, but aren’t exactly in totality.  

In the course of my research into the identity, I discovered pictures and information on the procedure I seek called a nulloplasty (often termed as gender nullification surgery). Something clicked inside my mind at the time that I needed to be like the man I saw in the pictures. A nulloplasty is really a group of procedures that leaves one with a smooth groin. In my case, this would be a total penectomy (removal of the penis and root), orchiectomy (removal of the testes), removal of the scrotum, and a urethroplasty (a perennial urethral reroute).

 It makes the most sense to me at this point in my life because I’ve had time to experiment with the genital makeup I was born with. In all honesty, nothing works right; being born intersex meant that my testes never developed correctly and are the reason why I’m on testosterone injections. My scrotum is thus inherently useless. My penis, though appearing normal, did not develop properly in the vascular sense; I cannot maintain an erection, even with appropriate meds. Finally, in areas where there should be countless nerve endings for pleasure sources, there are very few.

This procedure will effectively eliminate useless parts while also allowing me to be physically in the nullo/neutrois male identity that I identify most with. I also know that this procedure will eliminate certain anxieties I have about my body in everyday life and help give me confidence I’ve never had before. I also speak with four guys on a regular basis that have had a nulloplasty and they say the procedure definitely changed their lives for the better.  

I set the cogs in motion for this procedure in May of 2018 and it was due to take place in September 2018. I was hoping insurance would cover it as they cover FTM and MTF transition surgeries but apparently nulloplasty doesn’t have enough research on it to be covered by insurance yet. I chose Dr. Peter K. Davis to perform the surgery in Palo Alto, CA and have been working with his office since May 2018. I’m all set for surgery, I just need raise the remainder since I now must pay out-of-pocket for the procedure. I didn’t lose my down payment, so I just need to come up with $9100. The quote I received is good until the end of 2018 which is when I hope to have my nulloplasty by. I think it increases in January 2019. I immediately sought out a loan for the procedure but my credit is too young to borrow what I need, so I turned here.  

Dear family, friends, followers, and kind strangers, please donate if you can. Your support will allow me to have this procedure, this nulloplasty that I know will change me for the better. I will finally be able to live life as my whole self, my true self.  

Thanks for all of your support,

Richard