Tylers Top Surgery
Donation protected
So, for those of you who don’t know me, this is who I am and how I came to be here today.
I’m Tyler, a 22 year old trans man who lived in the closet for most of his teen life. I first realised I was transgender just after my 17th birthday, which was August 2014. I lived in a not very accepting household, so didn’t come out to my family or say anything to anyone other than my girlfriend at the time. By the end of September 2014, I had chosen my name Tyler and created a secret instagram account where I could be myself and follow other trans men. By the end of January 2015, I had bought my first binder and was wearing it everyday to help alleviate the dysphoria I was feeling. Wearing a binder helps flatten your chest and makes the wearer appear more masculine to other people. It is either a temporary fix for people who are looking to get top surgery or it is something that other people are comfortable doing daily. For me, it became the crux of my identity. I knew that without hormones, I wouldn’t be able to change how I looked or sounded, so I cherished my binder and the appearance it gave me. Since then, I have worn my binder every single day and now, I can’t leave the house without wearing it. There are some days where I can’t even be in my own flat without wearing it because I feel so uncomfortable in my skin.
Those of you that do know me, know that I have now been on testosterone for nearly 18 months and actually got my referral for top surgery in March of this year (2020), so you may be asking why I’m here and looking to go down the route of private surgery. Well, as of January 2020, I’ve been binding my chest everyday for five years. There are reports that binding can cause damage to the ribs and lungs, as well as affect surgery results after a prolonged period of time. My NHS referral from March was just the start. It could take up to another two years before I even get seen for a consultation with a surgeon and that was before Coronavirus hit, which has had a detrimental effect on waiting lists and appointments, especially for trans people. As well as all of this, my dysphoria has taken a massive turn for the worst and is affecting my mental health as well as my ability to function. There have been periods of times where I’ve been unable to leave my flat due to dysphoria, days where I’ve not left my bed and moments where I’d rather die than have to continue living in the skin that I’m in. I’m not saying this for shock value or to get you to feel sorry for me, I’m just being plainly honest about my emotions and how I came to make the decision I’m making.
I have enquired with a surgeon in Brighton who I would have chosen under my NHS referral as well and have been quoted a price of £6600, with a consultation fee of £150, if I were to go privately for my surgery. I am here asking for help to reach this goal, as a last resort. Asking for money is not something I am comfortable with and you can ask my friends around me; I didn’t feel like I deserved to do this and I don’t feel like I’m entitled to the help but it is something that is truly important to me and I feel is necessary to get where I need to be. Obviously I will be adding my own savings into this where possible and any extra money will go into this fund, but I would appreciate any help from anyone who is able to.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and helping me on my personal journey.
I’m Tyler, a 22 year old trans man who lived in the closet for most of his teen life. I first realised I was transgender just after my 17th birthday, which was August 2014. I lived in a not very accepting household, so didn’t come out to my family or say anything to anyone other than my girlfriend at the time. By the end of September 2014, I had chosen my name Tyler and created a secret instagram account where I could be myself and follow other trans men. By the end of January 2015, I had bought my first binder and was wearing it everyday to help alleviate the dysphoria I was feeling. Wearing a binder helps flatten your chest and makes the wearer appear more masculine to other people. It is either a temporary fix for people who are looking to get top surgery or it is something that other people are comfortable doing daily. For me, it became the crux of my identity. I knew that without hormones, I wouldn’t be able to change how I looked or sounded, so I cherished my binder and the appearance it gave me. Since then, I have worn my binder every single day and now, I can’t leave the house without wearing it. There are some days where I can’t even be in my own flat without wearing it because I feel so uncomfortable in my skin.
Those of you that do know me, know that I have now been on testosterone for nearly 18 months and actually got my referral for top surgery in March of this year (2020), so you may be asking why I’m here and looking to go down the route of private surgery. Well, as of January 2020, I’ve been binding my chest everyday for five years. There are reports that binding can cause damage to the ribs and lungs, as well as affect surgery results after a prolonged period of time. My NHS referral from March was just the start. It could take up to another two years before I even get seen for a consultation with a surgeon and that was before Coronavirus hit, which has had a detrimental effect on waiting lists and appointments, especially for trans people. As well as all of this, my dysphoria has taken a massive turn for the worst and is affecting my mental health as well as my ability to function. There have been periods of times where I’ve been unable to leave my flat due to dysphoria, days where I’ve not left my bed and moments where I’d rather die than have to continue living in the skin that I’m in. I’m not saying this for shock value or to get you to feel sorry for me, I’m just being plainly honest about my emotions and how I came to make the decision I’m making.
I have enquired with a surgeon in Brighton who I would have chosen under my NHS referral as well and have been quoted a price of £6600, with a consultation fee of £150, if I were to go privately for my surgery. I am here asking for help to reach this goal, as a last resort. Asking for money is not something I am comfortable with and you can ask my friends around me; I didn’t feel like I deserved to do this and I don’t feel like I’m entitled to the help but it is something that is truly important to me and I feel is necessary to get where I need to be. Obviously I will be adding my own savings into this where possible and any extra money will go into this fund, but I would appreciate any help from anyone who is able to.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and helping me on my personal journey.
Organizer
Tyler Gillett
Organizer
England
