Top Surgery for Mac
Donation protected
(Left: pre-testosterone therapy; Right: one year on testosterone therapy)
Hi there, my name is Mac. I'm twenty-two years old, and I'm currently in my fourth year studying Women's and Gender Studies at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
At the beginning of my first year of college, I came to the realization that I am transgender. This means that I don't identify with the gender I was assigned at birth (which was female).
Shortly after I came to this realization, I started to socially transition. I started going by "Mac," and I changed my pronouns. One of the most momentous things I did was to begin binding. Binding is the process of flattening one's breasts with compression materials, usually a medical-grade mesh, to achieve a flat chest.
Despite popular belief, binding, for me, is not a fad. Binding is an incredibly important part of my transition, as having breasts contributes to depression and anxiety. I have what is referred to as body dysphoria, meaning my perception of what my body should be (i.e. the typical body of someone assigned male at birth) does not completely match what my body is. To remedy the dysphoria associated with my breasts, I began to bind.
At first, binding was wonderful. I was able to hide my chest beautifully. It soon became apparent, however, that binding is not a long term solution. In fact, binding can cause a lot of health problems. Fortunately, the worst I've done is bruise my ribs temporarily, but the longer I bind, the higher the likelihood of binding injuries.
It is critical then, that I have top surgery, or a surgery designed to remove my breasts. I am hoping to have surgery as soon as possible; for this reason, I am setting a goal of having the surgery by June 2018.
I am planning to schedule a consultation with Dr. Scott Mosser, who is based in San Francisco, California. Dr. Mosser is very skilled, and I am confident that he will give good results. I had my free consultation with him on 12/28/16, and I was beyond impressed with his not only his expertise but also how knowledgeable he was about transgender identities on the whole.
I am aiming to raise $9,000, which will include the most of the surgery itself. I am planning to supplement the rest of the cost of the procedure, travel fees, and lodging with my own savings.
Thank you so much for your help. Top surgery or not, I am grateful for everyone who has stood by me during my transition thus far, and I’m excited to see what the future holds.
Hi there, my name is Mac. I'm twenty-two years old, and I'm currently in my fourth year studying Women's and Gender Studies at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
At the beginning of my first year of college, I came to the realization that I am transgender. This means that I don't identify with the gender I was assigned at birth (which was female).
Shortly after I came to this realization, I started to socially transition. I started going by "Mac," and I changed my pronouns. One of the most momentous things I did was to begin binding. Binding is the process of flattening one's breasts with compression materials, usually a medical-grade mesh, to achieve a flat chest.
Despite popular belief, binding, for me, is not a fad. Binding is an incredibly important part of my transition, as having breasts contributes to depression and anxiety. I have what is referred to as body dysphoria, meaning my perception of what my body should be (i.e. the typical body of someone assigned male at birth) does not completely match what my body is. To remedy the dysphoria associated with my breasts, I began to bind.
At first, binding was wonderful. I was able to hide my chest beautifully. It soon became apparent, however, that binding is not a long term solution. In fact, binding can cause a lot of health problems. Fortunately, the worst I've done is bruise my ribs temporarily, but the longer I bind, the higher the likelihood of binding injuries.
It is critical then, that I have top surgery, or a surgery designed to remove my breasts. I am hoping to have surgery as soon as possible; for this reason, I am setting a goal of having the surgery by June 2018.
I am planning to schedule a consultation with Dr. Scott Mosser, who is based in San Francisco, California. Dr. Mosser is very skilled, and I am confident that he will give good results. I had my free consultation with him on 12/28/16, and I was beyond impressed with his not only his expertise but also how knowledgeable he was about transgender identities on the whole.
I am aiming to raise $9,000, which will include the most of the surgery itself. I am planning to supplement the rest of the cost of the procedure, travel fees, and lodging with my own savings.
Thank you so much for your help. Top surgery or not, I am grateful for everyone who has stood by me during my transition thus far, and I’m excited to see what the future holds.
Organizer
Mac Ploetz
Organizer
Nashville, TN
