how long it has been since you made your mind for the op?

I was pretty sure I wouldn't want a vaginoplasty when I socially transitioned in August 2023, but I knew I wanted an orchi.

It was probably around 6 months on estrogen when I realized I needed a vaginoplasty as well, so that was around a year before the surgery - maybe June 2024 (I started HRT in Dec. 2023).

does the public healthcare/private insurance cover the surgery and post op care?

I have insurance through my employer. The total cost of the surgery is $135,000 and insurance is paying for all but $1,400 of it which I have to pay.

how do you plan to celebrate this awesome life milestone with your friends?

I guess I haven't thought of this at all, tbh - I'll be moving in a few weeks to another state, so I won't have time to celebrate (let alone recover!) so my life is just too busy for fun stuff 😅 Also, not sure most of my friends really grok the whole trans thing, so even if I had the time for it, I'm not sure what I would do to celebrate with them.

It's a good idea, though - I'll have to ponder this some more ❤️