Have any queer vibes to share? Here’s your place! hexbear-pride

Talk about what’s happening queerly in your life - like coming out, getting HRT, questioning, and all that good stuff.

blob-no No cishets allowed! no-copyright

  • Babs [she/her]@hexbear.net
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    11 months ago

    I finally feel very certain that I want an orchiectomy. I’ve always been very wary of surgery, but even thinking about my testosterone levels being wrong causes me too much anxiety and I’ve talked with a few friends who had it done, which eased my fears.

    Now I have to navigate how to actually get it done. I have good insurance, but haven’t even set up my primary care yet.

    Also painted my nails pink and I really like it. I came out 14 years ago but never painted my nails. Turns out I like it and should do it more.

    • SwitchyWitchyandBitchy [she/her]@hexbear.net
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      11 months ago

      I’ve been struggling with whether to get an orchi. I hate having the damn things and used to think that I’d probably be okay with having the other thing, but recently I began tucking on occasion and I feel so much more confident and just generally more at peace with my body when I have a good tuck going. So now I’m worried I might be unsatisfied in the long run so I’m questioning whether I want an orchi or vaginoplasty :/

      • Babs [she/her]@hexbear.net
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        11 months ago

        Yeah I feel that. If I met a vagina fairy I’d get that shit done in an instant, but surgery is scary. An orchi is very much a compromise for me, and knowing how quick and smoothly my friends recovered helps a lot.

      • ElectronNumberSeven [she/her]@hexbear.net
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        11 months ago

        So now I’m worried I might be unsatisfied in the long run so I’m questioning whether I want an orchi or vaginoplasty

        Wait, is that like an either or thing? Does getting an orchi interfere with vaginoplasty?

        • Babs [she/her]@hexbear.net
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          11 months ago

          I’ve heard that scrotal tissue shrinking can be an issue re: having enough material to work with, but I haven’t actually researched this stuff since the 2000s so techniques may have improved.

          • SwitchyWitchyandBitchy [she/her]@hexbear.net
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            11 months ago

            I’ve heard the same which is why I’m having the second thoughts about getting an orchi. I should probably look into it more though. If it’s not an issue then I’m yeeting the balls asap lol

          • TerminalEncounter [she/her]@hexbear.net
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            11 months ago

            From my friends who’ve had orchis, the shrinkage issue is a bit overblown - its there for sure but there’s still tissue to work with. They said you could keep stretching it if you’d like as well.

            Saying that, I’m skipping orchi for the same reason lol

          • ElectronNumberSeven [she/her]@hexbear.net
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            11 months ago

            Fuck, I was really sure I wanted an orchi but now I’m not so sure. I mean I want to get rid of my balls 100% no questions asked, but I’m still not sold on SRS. I kind of want it but I don’t know.

            • AcidSmiley [she/her]@hexbear.net
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              11 months ago

              Scrotal tissue does play a role for depth when you get vaginoplasty, but there are workarounds when there’s lots of shrinkage or not much there in the first place. Among other things, you can use skin grafts from the upper thigh or belly, there’s a few surgeons that do a technique known as peritoneal pullthrough (you’d have to look up if your insurance covers that, though, it’s kinda cutting edge when it comes to vaginoplasty) and some even graft buccal tissue, that is, skin from the inside of your cheek, to line the vaginal cavity. You do not depend on having lots of scrotal skin for vaginal depth, but it does make the surgery easier and has less chance of complications during recovery.

              Whatever you do, i can recommend researching surgeons a lot and to get an eventual orchi at a place where you’d also do a vaginoplasty. That will mean that if you change your mind, the surgeon will have done the orchi in a way that does not interfere with their technique for vaginoplasty too much. Also, if the main reason you want an orchi is not “i want to get rid of my balls, but keep my girldick”, but “i want to get bottom surgery, but a full vaginoplasty scares me”, it’s probably in order to think this through a bit more. I really recommend to go with what fits your sexual wants and needs and the way you see your post-transition body, not with what seems the easiest way. That can be either orchi or vaginoplasty, but it should be a decision you make based on what you really want to have in your pants.

              • ElectronNumberSeven [she/her]@hexbear.net
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                11 months ago

                The main reason I want to get an orchi is because I’m terrified of one day losing access to HRT and my body starting to produce testosterone again and reverting to how things were before. If I got an orchi then I wouldn’t have to worry about that and I’d not be making testosterone even if I lost HRT for a bit. I really don’t know what genitalia I want, that’s something I’ve got to do a lot of soul-searching on still. I’m still very confused about my sexuality and what I actually want out of that so that’s something I’ve got to figure out first too. I’ve got plenty of time, it’s going to be a long time before I get good insurance and a stable job to save enough money for surgery so it will be years before I get any procedure. Thank you for the info though!