Christina (imported) wrote: Fri Dec 01, 2006 6:53 pm Dr Kimmel was not my first choice of surgeons. Armed with a letter from my therapist I searched first for a local doctor for an orchiectomy with no luck. I also posed the question to each doctor I saw to see if they knew someone. With the references I had, I could have had any SRS surgeon do the surgery. At the time, money and location were the deciding factors in choosing Kimmel.

I don't think MRT is saying you did the wrong thing for your situation. You jumped through the hoops, you just couldn't find someone convenient to catch you. What MRT and I agree, is that Dr. Kimmel makes it too easy for those who haven't done their home work or gotten any therapy before seeing him. There have been those that have posted here that thought they were a little hasty getting castrated and these were operated on by Dr. Kimmel. Guys need to really be sure before being castrated. If that means spending a little money on therapy and getting an evaluation, than so be it. Steve

I think it should be added that many of us, myself included, got to the point where we ended up seriously abusing our testicles pre-castration. I still have tons of scar tissue on my scrotum where I cut it repeatedly over several years. Several times I exposed my testicles and eventually split it in half vertically. All of this was preliminary in my attempt to be castrated. Then one September day, I had such an overwhelming and controllable strong desire, that I coerced a co-worker into helping me castrate myself. It did not go well, the blood was too much for her, but I did cut off my left testicle. Ended up with a hematoma and in the emergency room. What does all of this have to do with our subject?

All of the doctors who evaluated me and treated me, long before I took things into my own hands, could have suggested castration as a treatment. But none of them did. I believe that doctors, urologists, who see scar tissue and abused testicles should question us. Even after I split my scrotum in half, my doctors did nothing. He/she did not question how it happened and I was left to go on my merry way. I wish I would have seen Kimmel immediately and been castrated back in 1992 when I first started to cut myself. It would have saved me a lot of heartache and pain.

Yes, there are times that I miss my testicles even now. But I know that if I had them, I'd still be abusing them and cutting my sac. Now I can regulate my testosterone, keeping it low enough that the urges to abuse don't surface. I am no longer driven by them and I can concentrate on living. I hope this helps and makes sense to people. Kimmel has served our community well and even though it may have been "too easy" for some who now have regrets, for me it's better then having to endure the torture of pyschologists and repeated trips to them to see if they can "fix" your mind. While they are trying to fix your mind, your mind may lead you to attempt castration on your own. I think that some of us couldn't wait and took matters into our own hands. So, there are two ways to view Kimmel's services. On the one hand it makes castration easy, on the other, it may not be best for everyone. Certainly the cost of a Kimmel castration is a deterent and the traveling to Philly.

Hash

I know Dr. Reed in Florida will/has castrated non-transsexual men, with some kind of psychiatric evaluation. He did my surgery, and is definitely top of his game (which you can read about elsewhere on the board.) I paid 2,100 bucks for mine, and it was done under IV sedation and local. I know Dr. Raphael in Dallas, and Dr. Yarish in Houston, does this surgery as well.

I wouldn't let Kimmel touch me with a ten-foot pole. I didn't even consider him about reading some of the horror stories, and this was over a year and a half ago. Please, be safe people.

Ok, for those wishing more info (Thank to Google) I think these are the surgeons mentioned. *Again, I'm not saying anything pro or con but I think people should seek the best help they can afford. And getting screened before you have SRS or a Bilateral Orchiectomy seems to make a lot of sense to many of us.

Dr. Yarish in Houston TX

http://www.transformingyou.net/about.ivnu

Dr. Raphael Dallas TX

http://www.dfwplasticsurgery.com/

mrt (imported) wrote: Sat Dec 02, 2006 4:06 pm Ok, for those wishing more info (Thank to Google) I think these are the surgeons mentioned. *Again, I'm not saying anything pro or con but I think people should seek the best help they can afford. And getting screened before you have SRS or a Bilateral Orchiectomy seems to make a lot of sense to many of us.

Dr. Yarish in Houston TX

http://www.transformingyou.net/about.ivnu

Dr. Raphael Dallas TX

http://www.dfwplasticsurgery.com/

I have met with both Dr. Raphael and Dr. Yarish, and they are both good guys. I don't know what their stance on non-TS castrations are, but I trust them to provide competent surgery. Dr. Raphael goes in through the lower abdomen, so now cords left.

Speaking of cords, I don't have any either. Though Dr. Reed went in through the scrotum, he used retractors to divide the cords very high up, and you can't feel them or anything.

Let's keep more information coming about alternative doctors (i.e. not Kimmel). This is an area that urgently needs to be explored.

As for me - still no one in my immediate area. [sigh]

Kangan (imported) wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:12 am Let's keep more information coming about alternative doctors (i.e. not Kimmel). This is an area that urgently needs to be explored.

As for me - still no one in my immediate area. [sigh]

Have you talked to your family doctor? And have you tried talking to a therapist to get an eval? Those two together maybe able to help you one way of the other.

T

mrt (imported) wrote: Mon Dec 04, 2006 11:55 am Have you talked to your family doctor? And have you tried talking to a therapist to get an eval? Those two together maybe able to help you one way of the other.

T

MRT is right here. I know it is intimidating to tell your doctor that you want to be castrated. I'm 6'4" 250 lb. guy. I'm suppose to be macho and love my balls, right. Well I didn't, I've wanted them gone for as long as I can remember. I finally got up enough guts to tell my GP and he didn't freak. He didn't help a whole lot either. He did what most doctors do and started me on Lexipro. That didn't help and I don't recommend it. It was hard to get off of. This was a start though. It also gave him an idea of who I was. I didn't want to alienate him because I wanted him to still be my doctor after I got what I wanted, and he still is. This is what you do to find a castration surgeon: First tell your doctor that you want to be castrated and why. He or she will probably want to put you on anti-depressants. Say no thanks, but opt for a therapist. You want one that deals with gender identity problems, even if you don't feel you have any. These are the people who know who will castrate you. If you don't live in or around a large city, this might be a problem. I found out about Dr. Alter from a transgender site. I think it was Susan's Place. He was 90 mi. away from where I live, but well worth the trip. Before I saw him, he wanted 2 letters from therapists and then told me he wanted a letter from someone he knew. He sent me to the Los Angeles Gender Center where I had 3 sessions with Elise Turin. This is one wonderful lady. She first talked to me on the phone. She was so easy to talk to. I never thought I could talk to a woman about my problems, but she put me right at ease. All three of the therapists I talked to were very understanding and helped me achieve my goal. I couldn't have done it without them and of course my wife was reluctantly very supportive which really helped. She was really the one to start the ball rolling finding the first therapist. She was going crazy with worry, thinking I would do something stupid if I didn't get help soon. I had figured out a way of tying off the chords inside my scrotum to kill off my balls. I think it would have worked, but she freaked when she found out what I was thinking. Finding a doctor depends a lot on how bad you want to be castrated. Once I got started down the right road, it didn't take long. Yes, it was more expensive, than you know who, but it was money well spent. It all starts by taking that first step. T

Hairless (imported) wrote: Fri May 05, 2006 8:37 pm here are people out there that

will help you, you just have to find them. If you have to travel, make a vacation out of it.

Hairless (imported) wrote: Wed Dec 06, 2006 2:47 pm MRT is right here. I know it is intimidating to tell your doctor that you want to be castrated. I'm 6'4" 250 lb. guy. I'm suppose to be macho and love my balls, right. Well I didn't, I've wanted them gone for as long as I can remember. I finally got up enough guts to tell my GP and he didn't freak. He didn't help a whole lot either. He did what most doctors do and started me on Lexipro. That didn't help and I don't recommend it. It was hard to get off of. This was a start though. It also gave him an idea of who I was. I didn't want to alienate him because I wanted him to still be my doctor after I got what I wanted, and he still is. This is what you do to find a castration surgeon: First tell your doctor that you want to be castrated and why. He or she will probably want to put you on anti-depressants. Say no thanks, but opt for a therapist. You want one that deals with gender identity problems, even if you don't feel you have any. These are the people who know who will castrate you. If you don't live in or around a large city, this might be a problem. I found out about Dr. Alter from a transgender site. I think it was Susan's Place. He was 90 mi. away from where I live, but well worth the trip. Before I saw him, he wanted 2 letters from therapists and then told me he wanted a letter from someone he knew. He sent me to the Los Angeles Gender Center where I had 3 sessions with Elise Turin. This is one wonderful lady. She first talked to me on the phone. She was so easy to talk to. I never thought I could talk to a woman about my problems, but she put me right at ease. All three of the therapists I talked to were very understanding and helped me achieve my goal. I couldn't have done it without them and of course my wife was reluctantly very supportive which really helped. She was really the one to start the ball rolling finding the first therapist. She was going crazy with worry, thinking I would do something stupid if I didn't get help soon. I had figured out a way of tying off the chords inside my scrotum to kill off my balls. I think it would have worked, but she freaked when she found out what I was thinking. Finding a doctor depends a lot on how bad you want to be castrated. Once I got started down the right road, it didn't take long. Yes, it was more expensive, than you know who, but it was money well spent. It all starts by taking that first step. T

[quote="Hairless (imported)" t

Hairless (imported) wrote: Wed Dec 06, 2006 2:47 pm ime=1146825420]
here are people out there that

will help you, you just have to find
[/quote]
them. If you have to travel, make a vacation out of it.

Ok, I know what your really saying but... gulp... Castration vacation? Err.... huh? I just have this mental picture of the travel lady asking "Will that be smoking or non smoking? Scrotum or non scrotum?

mrt (imported) wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2006 9:43 am Ok, I know what your really saying but... gulp... Castration vacation? Err.... huh? I just have this mental picture of the travel lady asking "Will that be smoking or non smoking? Scrotum or non scrotum?

Definitely non scrotum...

There have been folks who do such "vacations" to such places as Thailand where, while they undergo whichever procedure they wish (SRS, castration, etc.), they can be pampered in nice spas or hotels, dine well, and have the benefit of obtaining their wishes.....

Not a terribly far-fetched idea.

Penis or non-penis?