Thailand Chop Shopping

If talk about getting your penis cut off and converting the raw materials into a vaginal cavity and clitoris makes you uncomfortable, then please by all means skip this entry. Hahahahahaha!

It's amazing the medical cost differences between The U.S. and other countries, especially the one I am looking seriously at, Thailand. Specifically in my case, I am talking about Sexual Reassignment Surgery, or SRS (or I think more accurately called, Gender Reassignment Surgery, or GRS). Here in the U.S., average costs for the surgery (and aftercare) is around $15-17,000. In Thailand, the average is around $5,000!

I know many people's first reaction will be along the lines of "but isn't Thailand dirty and unsanitary and without modern technology and techniques like the U.S.?" The answer is no - Thailand is actually an international Mecca for plastic surgery and other medical procedures and has at least a half dozen excellent doctors that specialize in SRS. The facilities there, told to me firsthand by a recent patient and through some other secondhand accounts, are top-notch, with all the latest technologies and equipment. Not to mention the exotic scenery and great food! Altogether, counting round-trip flight, a three week stay so I could explore the country (only 5-7 days of which would be in a hospital), and medical (SRS AND breast augmentation) and everyday costs (like food, lodging and shopping!!!), the Thailand route would run me in the vicinity of $10-12,000. The equivalent trip to Trinidad, CO (to the highly esteemed surgeon and transsexual herself, Marci Bowers), would run me about $18-20,000 (minus the breast augmentation, shopping, and extra week of vacation time that I wouldn't use in Colorado as opposed to Thailand). Montreal wouldn't be that much cheaper an alternative either.

So I'm looking at a savings of $6-8,000! Given my financial circumstances, this discount is worth a ton (if I want to get this done anytime in the next year, which in many ways I need to do). Hell I could almost get a new used (hopefully green-friendly/hybrid type) car for that amount! Even though I don't quite have three weeks of vacation time saved, I'm hoping that two weeks of the trip can be covered by sick/medical leave and the rest with vacation time. My parents also said that one of them may go over with me for the duration of the surgery and recovery (always a good idea to have someone go with you) - they are so awesome in so many ways!

So that leaves only a couple things to do on this front:

• actually taking the first step and commit to a date
• making sure I have the money to pay for it all (always my biggest worry)
• making sure all my paperwork is in order for the trip and procedure
• gelling everything with work, the doctor, etc.

The procedure itself doesn't scare me at all by the way. I so want this and any fears about the actual surgery itself are far, far less than that desire. So now time to take those first baby steps. Wish me luck!