I've got an appointment to see Dr Arnkoff for my orchiectomy in one week. I'm not looking forward to the experience (am a little anxious about the actual procedure) but my GP has given me a few tablets of Xanax to get me through it, I need to figure out transportation though. She (the GP) has been great and very supportive. I'm really looking forward to being healed up and onto the next stage, whatever that ends up being.
It would be GREAT to hear from a few of you who've gone through this and can reassure me!!!
If anyone has any particular questions or things you're interested in with the whole Dr Arnkoff experience, just let me know and I'll do my best to document those details with a "my experience" post and some updates following.
I'm also thinking about a scrotectomy for a later step but it's hard to find information about how it works, what the recovery is like, if it's done in a hospital under general/local, or even what it looks like. I've seen a few photos on Dr. Reed's web page but am not sure if Dr. Arnkoff offers the same thing, or if there are degrees of scrotal removal. Can it be shaped into the look of outer labia or simply flat/smooth?
Seeing Dr Arnkoff next week
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monkey50 (imported)
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micdavi24 (imported)
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Re: Seeing Dr Arnkoff next week
monkey50 (imported) wrote: Sat Aug 29, 2015 7:08 am I've got an appointment to see Dr Arnkoff for my orchiectomy in one week. I'm not looking forward to the experience (am a little anxious about the actual procedure) but my GP has given me a few tablets of Xanax to get me through it, I need to figure out transportation though. She (the GP) has been great and very supportive. I'm really looking forward to being healed up and onto the next stage, whatever that ends up being.
It would be GREAT to hear from a few of you who've gone through this and can reassure me!!!
If anyone has any particular questions or things you're interested in with the whole Dr Arnkoff experience, just let me know and I'll do my best to document those details with a "my experience" post and some updates following.
I'm also thinking about a scrotectomy for a later step but it's hard to find information about how it works, what the recovery is like, if it's done in a hospital under general/local, or even what it looks like. I've seen a few photos on Dr. Reed's web page but am not sure if Dr. Arnkoff offers the same thing, or if there are degrees of scrotal removal. Can it be shaped into the look of outer labia or simply flat/smooth?
Ok, a few facts. I was done on March 15th last year and couldn't be happier with the result. I was done in a hospital under general anesthetic and I experienced absolutely no post operative pain or discomfort from the surgery. I was kept overnight and the nurses were all surprised that I had no pain at all. My daughter picked me up from the hospital at around midday the day after the surgery and took me home. I needed something from the shop, so I got into my car which is a stick shift and drove to the shops which are a couple of miles away. Still no pain or discomfort at all. I developed a couple of haematomas on the ends of the severed chords after about a week,resolved themselves in about the next 4 weeks. My body tends to absorb self absorbing sutures rather faster than it should, so the cut opened up a bit, but soon closed with the correct treatment.
Now, nearly 18 months later, my scrotum has shrunk considerably and you can instantly see that it is empty. I do find it a bit uncomfortable when in bed at night and when it gets really hot, but it isn't intolerable at all. I do intend to have it removed as soon as I can afford to have it done. I have read that this doc does an amazing and very neat job of removing scrotums and if I lived in the US, I would definitely go and see them. http://www.grsatlanta.com/
Good luck with the surgery and I hope all goes well for you. Just remember that your experiences may not be the same as mine pain wise, but then all people are different. One thing I have heard and my doc advised against is don't have your testicles and scrotum removed at the same time. Many people have had this done and almost to a man, they have reported difficulty and pain.
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monkey50 (imported)
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Re: Seeing Dr Arnkoff next week
Thanks for the good review about your experience! Those little boosts help firm my resolve. I'm very sure I want to do it and all, just the actual procedure and so on. On balance, the general anesthetic might have been the better way to go but Dr Arnkoff's procedure under local does have some benefits. I guess I can manage anything for a few minutes, and the other people who've written about it have said they don't feel much after the first injection.
Also curious about the hematomas, seems like a common complication. I've read up as much as I can on minimizing hematoma risk, and it appears to be correlated to how much room there is for blood to pool, hence the required jock strap. I've got a couple of wardrobe choices ready to go with varying room for swelling, but otherwise plan to keep it strapped up as snug as reasonably possible. The other main I've read recently from one surgeon's website (only found this once, but it makes sense) is that keeping swelling as low as possible in the first 48 hours is a major factor in easy healing, so I plan to crack open the first ice pack in the car.
Thanks for the advice and the link on the scrotum. I suppose it makes most sense from a satisfaction point of view, too, to wait, but certainly don't want to be so aggressive in taking stuff off that it causes more problems. I guess after six months and seeing what kind of shrinkage I've got going on the way forward will be more clear. Gives me a little time to save some money for a trip down to Atlanta, too. Still interested in hearing others' experiences if someone has had scrotectomy...
Thanks again for your thoughts!
Also curious about the hematomas, seems like a common complication. I've read up as much as I can on minimizing hematoma risk, and it appears to be correlated to how much room there is for blood to pool, hence the required jock strap. I've got a couple of wardrobe choices ready to go with varying room for swelling, but otherwise plan to keep it strapped up as snug as reasonably possible. The other main I've read recently from one surgeon's website (only found this once, but it makes sense) is that keeping swelling as low as possible in the first 48 hours is a major factor in easy healing, so I plan to crack open the first ice pack in the car.
Thanks for the advice and the link on the scrotum. I suppose it makes most sense from a satisfaction point of view, too, to wait, but certainly don't want to be so aggressive in taking stuff off that it causes more problems. I guess after six months and seeing what kind of shrinkage I've got going on the way forward will be more clear. Gives me a little time to save some money for a trip down to Atlanta, too. Still interested in hearing others' experiences if someone has had scrotectomy...
Thanks again for your thoughts!
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monkey50 (imported)
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Re: Seeing Dr Arnkoff next week
7 days before orchiectomy…
Chilling at home, feeling good. A little nervous about the procedure but looking forward to having them gone. I discovered Dr. Arnkoff and his little website through this forum, so thanks to previous people for that. I want to share so others here have another point of reference like people here before me have provided.
A little about me: about 40 years old, happily married with a child, professional, reasonably educated and working in the administration of a fairly well-known large business. Well adjusted, no history of mental issues or health problems. Mildly overweight for most of adult life but recently made good progress on that. I am very “male” in appearance, reasonably strong (and strong looking), tall, buzz cut with a beard, at least for now. (More about that later.) I’m not exactly sure what it means to be male emotionally, but I aggressively deal with problems, speak directly, but feel teary during sappy movies. I don’t care much for some typical male things: don’t watch sports or connect with other men about that, cars, working outside, etc. I can fake my way through some of those conversations but, eh.
About a year ago I started TRT with a testosterone clinic, feeling a little low. Have never had devastatingly low T, but have never had great libido and the last 7-8 years I’ve relied on ED medication for sex with my lovely spouse. I inject testosterone twice a week (and have lots more information about the best way to get testosterone, what to consider about it, and so on, if anyone has questions). I’ve never hated my testicles or anything, but I do think I’ve always had an idea of what my genitals should look like but have preferred a reasonable or compact penis with very little balls. I am deathly afraid of old man scrotum, with the guys hanging to the knees in the shower at the gym… that’s one of the nice benefits of TRT, really, to me: a bit of testicular atrophy and a generally more compact scrotum. Interestingly, no matter the amount of testosterone, my sex drive hasn’t been majorly affected. I do notice shapely women more often, and have impressive morning erections, but lots of the time even rubbing one out is not really worth the trouble.
I also occasionally secretly wear women’s underwear. Not super girly stuff, but I find the fit helps keep things nice and snug, and I suppose there is some secret thrill there too.
I’ve spent a lot of time this last year thinking about being castrated, and what my real goals are in this process. I think it’s important to be honest with one’s self, at least! My question for myself is if I am indulging an unhealthy fetish or if I have some variant of genital/gender dysphoria? I don’t feel especially like I am supposed to “be a woman,” dress like a female, have breasts, or whatever. But I do have a long private history of disappointment with my own genitals. It’s not consumed me I don’t think, but I’ve chased that in different ways and tried to address it via different methods — some mild/secret cross-dressing, laser hair removal, recently electrolysis, a scrotal piercing (which was neat but was more trouble than it was worth and was eventually removed), TRT, and now finally a more definitive surgical moment. I don’t want a vagina, I DEFINITELY don’t want to confuse or trouble my family with a gender transition, but experimenting with what my genitals look and feel like is now my focus. I don’t feel very sexual in general or desire to have receptive sex with a vagina. Just to pass by a mirror after a shower and be happier with what I have. Or go to a meeting at work and cross my legs and be satisfied with what I feel there.
I’m intrigued by the idea of a cosmetic/non-penetrative vulva after a scrotectomy, but I don’t think I want to lose my penis. In other words: penis plus vulva. I don’t know if this is a healthy interest worth pursuing — it’s definitely non-binary but I can’t decide if the interest in having a penis + vulva is just misplaced fear about committing fully to primary female genitals. I think risking the ability to orgasm at all is too scary, and feel like at least with a penis I’m technically able to fulfill my wife’s expectations of a husband, even if it is only very rarely used.
I thought briefly about injecting with alcohol or CaCl. I don’t mind needles, really, but I can’t get my mind around the idea of faking a cancer issue to get them removed, at least while I can afford to fly over to Detroit for Dr. A. I’m not judging people who’ve done this — it sucks that this is the only way to go for many people. Just not where I am.
So I found Dr Arnkoff’s website (call him, don’t bother with the form) and decided to go for it. Looking forward to being able to experiment with the right dose of TRT to retain bone health and energy but be a true eunuch, or up my dose if needed for sexual activity. Just now considering what it would mean to come to a fork in the road and take a little bit of estrogen. Just to see how it feels…
Told my wife it was suggested to me that, with the few issues I’ve had over the last decade, and the atrophy I’ve experienced recently, it’s better to have them removed so they don’t cause problems later on. That’s all true enough I feel okay about it, and she’s just fine with it. Told my GP in town I was electing to have them removed for peace of mind, and she was supportive enough to write a nice note of encouragement and provide a script for a few anti-anxiety tablets.
I plan to write more leading up and certainly post about the experience here with actual details as we go forward! Thanks all.
Chilling at home, feeling good. A little nervous about the procedure but looking forward to having them gone. I discovered Dr. Arnkoff and his little website through this forum, so thanks to previous people for that. I want to share so others here have another point of reference like people here before me have provided.
A little about me: about 40 years old, happily married with a child, professional, reasonably educated and working in the administration of a fairly well-known large business. Well adjusted, no history of mental issues or health problems. Mildly overweight for most of adult life but recently made good progress on that. I am very “male” in appearance, reasonably strong (and strong looking), tall, buzz cut with a beard, at least for now. (More about that later.) I’m not exactly sure what it means to be male emotionally, but I aggressively deal with problems, speak directly, but feel teary during sappy movies. I don’t care much for some typical male things: don’t watch sports or connect with other men about that, cars, working outside, etc. I can fake my way through some of those conversations but, eh.
About a year ago I started TRT with a testosterone clinic, feeling a little low. Have never had devastatingly low T, but have never had great libido and the last 7-8 years I’ve relied on ED medication for sex with my lovely spouse. I inject testosterone twice a week (and have lots more information about the best way to get testosterone, what to consider about it, and so on, if anyone has questions). I’ve never hated my testicles or anything, but I do think I’ve always had an idea of what my genitals should look like but have preferred a reasonable or compact penis with very little balls. I am deathly afraid of old man scrotum, with the guys hanging to the knees in the shower at the gym… that’s one of the nice benefits of TRT, really, to me: a bit of testicular atrophy and a generally more compact scrotum. Interestingly, no matter the amount of testosterone, my sex drive hasn’t been majorly affected. I do notice shapely women more often, and have impressive morning erections, but lots of the time even rubbing one out is not really worth the trouble.
I also occasionally secretly wear women’s underwear. Not super girly stuff, but I find the fit helps keep things nice and snug, and I suppose there is some secret thrill there too.
I’ve spent a lot of time this last year thinking about being castrated, and what my real goals are in this process. I think it’s important to be honest with one’s self, at least! My question for myself is if I am indulging an unhealthy fetish or if I have some variant of genital/gender dysphoria? I don’t feel especially like I am supposed to “be a woman,” dress like a female, have breasts, or whatever. But I do have a long private history of disappointment with my own genitals. It’s not consumed me I don’t think, but I’ve chased that in different ways and tried to address it via different methods — some mild/secret cross-dressing, laser hair removal, recently electrolysis, a scrotal piercing (which was neat but was more trouble than it was worth and was eventually removed), TRT, and now finally a more definitive surgical moment. I don’t want a vagina, I DEFINITELY don’t want to confuse or trouble my family with a gender transition, but experimenting with what my genitals look and feel like is now my focus. I don’t feel very sexual in general or desire to have receptive sex with a vagina. Just to pass by a mirror after a shower and be happier with what I have. Or go to a meeting at work and cross my legs and be satisfied with what I feel there.
I’m intrigued by the idea of a cosmetic/non-penetrative vulva after a scrotectomy, but I don’t think I want to lose my penis. In other words: penis plus vulva. I don’t know if this is a healthy interest worth pursuing — it’s definitely non-binary but I can’t decide if the interest in having a penis + vulva is just misplaced fear about committing fully to primary female genitals. I think risking the ability to orgasm at all is too scary, and feel like at least with a penis I’m technically able to fulfill my wife’s expectations of a husband, even if it is only very rarely used.
I thought briefly about injecting with alcohol or CaCl. I don’t mind needles, really, but I can’t get my mind around the idea of faking a cancer issue to get them removed, at least while I can afford to fly over to Detroit for Dr. A. I’m not judging people who’ve done this — it sucks that this is the only way to go for many people. Just not where I am.
So I found Dr Arnkoff’s website (call him, don’t bother with the form) and decided to go for it. Looking forward to being able to experiment with the right dose of TRT to retain bone health and energy but be a true eunuch, or up my dose if needed for sexual activity. Just now considering what it would mean to come to a fork in the road and take a little bit of estrogen. Just to see how it feels…
Told my wife it was suggested to me that, with the few issues I’ve had over the last decade, and the atrophy I’ve experienced recently, it’s better to have them removed so they don’t cause problems later on. That’s all true enough I feel okay about it, and she’s just fine with it. Told my GP in town I was electing to have them removed for peace of mind, and she was supportive enough to write a nice note of encouragement and provide a script for a few anti-anxiety tablets.
I plan to write more leading up and certainly post about the experience here with actual details as we go forward! Thanks all.
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InkedFutureNullo (imported)
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Re: Seeing Dr Arnkoff next week
Good luck to you!! Know that your feelings are not that unusual!
You might think about meeting up with a gender therapist to explore things. That doesn't mean full transition, but it will help you sir out your non-binary identity. It was helpful to me!
You might think about meeting up with a gender therapist to explore things. That doesn't mean full transition, but it will help you sir out your non-binary identity. It was helpful to me!
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nvrgag44 (imported)
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Re: Seeing Dr Arnkoff next week
Hi Monkey,
From what you wrote I figure your orchiectomy will be next Saturday. Mine will be next Thursday. I'm really looking forward to it and my doctor has been very reassuring. He's operated on me before and I have the utmost confidence in him. If I'm up to it Ill write about it on Friday. Best of luck to you.
From what you wrote I figure your orchiectomy will be next Saturday. Mine will be next Thursday. I'm really looking forward to it and my doctor has been very reassuring. He's operated on me before and I have the utmost confidence in him. If I'm up to it Ill write about it on Friday. Best of luck to you.
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monkey50 (imported)
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Re: Seeing Dr Arnkoff next week
InkedFutureNullo (imported) wrote: Sun Aug 30, 2015 7:58 am Good luck to you!! Know that your feelings are not that unusual!
You might think about meeting up with a gender therapist to explore things. That doesn't mean full transition, but it will help you sir out your non-binary identity. It was helpful to me!
Thanks a lot for the thoughts and advice. I'm definitely considering a discussion with a gender therapist in the coming weeks, at least serious enough to be looking at local names and some online folks. Just coming to terms with these things a bit has been positive, saying them "out loud" (on an anonymous forum, but still) is a good thing.
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monkey50 (imported)
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Re: Seeing Dr Arnkoff next week
nvrgag44 (imported) wrote: Sun Aug 30, 2015 8:33 am Hi Monkey,
From what you wrote I figure your orchiectomy will be next Saturday. Mine will be next Thursday. I'm really looking forward to it and my doctor has been very reassuring. He's operated on me before and I have the utmost confidence in him. If I'm up to it Ill write about it on Friday. Best of luck to you.
Indeed, I'm all set for next Saturday (6 days). Best of luck with your's on Thursday! Looking forward to your good report, and hope your healing goes smoothly!
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Littledick (imported)
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Re: Seeing Dr Arnkoff next week
To Both Money50 & Nvrgag44
I hope all goes well for the two of you and you achieve the results you are looking for.
All the best and let us know how you get on.
I hope all goes well for the two of you and you achieve the results you are looking for.
All the best and let us know how you get on.
