Christine Jorgensen was the first transwoman to successfully complete the path leading through the operating theater to femininity. It happened in the first half of the 50s. Today, the public is getting used to the subject of gender reassignment, for example by celebrities. Klaudia, who talks about her way to the desired femininity, also underwent gender reassignment.
- Klaudia tells what the process of gender reassignment looked like step by step
- The collection money was not enough, I had to take a loan. It cost a lot, several dozen thousand. PLN – he says in an interview with Medonet
- Gender reassignment is not only a matter of money, but also formal issues and a lot of medical examinations and treatments
- You can find more such stories on the Onet homepage.
Monika Zielniewska, Medonet: Gender reassignment gives you a chance to be who you want, but usually it’s not an easy or quick decision. How was your case?
Klaudia: I always knew that I wanted to do this procedure, do everything from start to finish. The mere change of my name and documents did not interest me, because it did not give me a chance to find a partner or a successful life together. I felt that it was the last call, because I waited a bit and finally decided that there is no need to delay … The collection money was not enough for me, so I had to choose a larger loan and on this basis I chose the clinic.
Apparently, the cost of the procedure reaches up to 50. zlotys?
Unfortunately, you have to pay for everything out of your own pocket. Of course, some tests can be done at the National Health Fund, but not the procedure itself. In fact, it cost a lot, I don’t want to reveal how much exactly. Let me just say that several tens of thousands of zlotys. You could probably find a cheaper clinic, but I prefer to pay back the loan longer than risk my own health. I wanted the result – a good feeling in the vagina and a properly displaced urethra.
I emphasize that this type of surgery cannot be treated in terms of plastic surgery. In my opinion, this is not a plastic surgery, it has never been and never will be. So is breast augmentation for transsexual people. These are medical operations that allow us to start living the way we want.
In the case of a female change, it takes up to seven hours and involves the removal of the testicles, the almost complete removal of the vas deferens and the spongy body of the penis. The vagina is made of the inverted skin of the penis, and then sewn to the peritoneum, and the labia are formed from the scrotum. A clitoris forms on the top of the glans penis, concealing the nerve leading to the glans beneath it, which allows a clitoral orgasm to be achieved. The prostate gland is not removed and the opening of the urethra is shortened.
Some women also undergo FFS surgeries – facial feminization treatments. This can be, for example, reducing the nose, enlarging the lips, lowering the hairline, filing off the browguard, and removing the Adam’s apple.
You were looking for a clinic yourself?
I searched mainly on the internet. I called urologists and gynecologists and asked who would take it. It took quite a long time, because I also have diabetes. I hesitated and finally chose a plastic surgery clinic in Warsaw.
What steps do you need to take to undergo gender reassignment surgery?
I started with a sexologist, I did basic tests – karyotype, hormone levels, psychological and psychiatric tests. Later I had to change my doctor because I moved from the city where I was studying to Warsaw. In the capital, the sexologist also commissioned computed tomography of the head and EEG, as well as hormone therapy.
After six months of taking female hormones, I got a certificate on the basis of which I filed a lawsuit for a sex change. Waiting for the verdict did not last long, less than a year. In the meantime, paid psychiatric, psychological and sexological examinations have to be performed again, this time by court experts. In fact, I was able to do the procedure in 2019, when the sentence became final in June and I received new evidence. Unfortunately, financial issues, diabetes and the coronavirus pandemic made it difficult to contact doctors.
Have you had professional psychological help?
There were visits to expert psychiatrists and psychologists, but they concerned a court hearing. I’ve always been a bit of a puff, I felt that I didn’t need psychological support. Before the operation, I wanted to see a psychologist because I was very stressed, but in the end I managed on my own. And now I can see that after the surgery I am happier and kinder to people.
And any support groups?
I’m on Facebook in the trans support group, but I don’t need any support.
Didn’t you hesitate?
What counts for me is consistent pursuit of the goal. When it is achieved, happiness appears. And I can see them.
You’re smiling
Yes Yes. Before the operation, I read the girls’ reports on the forum and I expected worse pain, but it was not that bad. My greatest discomfort was when the catheter was removed a week after the procedure and I had to urinate for the first time. I drank a liter and a half of water and nothing. I had some kind of mental barrier that first time. Now everything is healing well, I just feel a slight burning sensation in the urethra. I make dressings myself, my mother helped me before, and in more difficult moments I use painkillers.
Mom helps, and other relatives?
I have support, I won’t say, my friends help me a lot. When the first trial started and I was already on hormones, I met a boy. I fell in love and thought that he would be a support for me, someone more … Unfortunately, our paths diverged. I regret that this relationship ended because it was something fantastic for me. I hope we’ll talk normally. For now, he is silent, and I am not pressing. By the way, I took his surname, because I changed not only the names, but also the surname.
Didn’t he mind?
Honestly, I didn’t ask him.
How did you choose your name?
My relatives were looking for names that had not been in my family before, but the final decision was up to me. The name Klaudia was suggested to me by the boy I mentioned, he said that it suits me, and I liked it.
Do you have any male-female plans?
I want to set up accounts on dating sites. I must admit that lonely evenings do not entertain me and I would rather spend time with someone. However, I don’t want to say right away that I am corrected. I’ll only confess when something sparkles.
What stage of sex change do you consider the most important?
The new evidence is already giving a lot, because the mental barrier is disappearing, but it seems to me that the most important thing is to perform the procedure.
How did you feel when you found out that the operation was successful?
I entered the operating room smiling, although I had shed a few tears before. However, as I lay down on the operating table fully conscious and the doctors began strapping me down, I became hysterical. I got a face mask, took three deep breaths and that’s it. For me, the operation lasted 2-3 minutes. I woke up to hear that everything was fine. I did not feel any pain because the anesthesia was working.
First, I asked for a phone call. I wanted to post a selfie on Facebook, to the support group and contact my friends because I already had a lot of missed calls and texts. I took a few photos of myself, talked to people, and collapsed.
There was no strength for joy?
The next day it was better, then it was better each day. I was in bed for two days, and on the third I was supposed to get up, but I couldn’t stand on my feet, let alone take a step. When I was leaving the clinic, I was not able to walk on my own as well, I left in a wheelchair. It hurt especially while sitting, and now, almost four weeks after the operation, I still have problems sitting. I will sit for a maximum of three hours on painkillers. When I got out of bed, I walked to the bathroom, holding on to the stroller. At the moment, I normally get up and take a shower, but before that I used to wash myself mostly with tissues. Six days after the surgery, I had my first follow-up visit and my suture was removed.
Are you functioning normally now?
During my next visit to the clinic, the catheter was pulled out. I can walk freely and function normally at home. I have already started going out with the dog in front of the block, and even to the store for shopping. Calves and feet stopped hurting. Hope to go out to people soon, go back to work. Although I work remotely, the doctor advises against sitting in front of the computer eight hours a day. In a week I am due to visit the clinic again, I am also in constant contact with the doctor.
You mentioned your sleep problems …
After coming home, I slept for 2-3 hours at night. I didn’t feel tired at all, I woke up at 3 or 4 am and played the phone until 6 am unable to sleep. I preferred it to sitting idle, and since my mother lived with me for the first few days after the surgery, I couldn’t even turn on the TV. It was hard, now I sleep better.
What are the doctors saying?
That in a month it should be fine. I would also like to start rehabilitation as soon as possible, i.e. pushing the vagina with special medical dilators and a glass dildo recommended by a doctor.
After gender reassignment, male / female, you need to take female hormones for the rest of your life. Is it safe in diabetes?
Before, I was taking three kinds of hormones, and right now I’m only taking one – estrogen. When I started arguing with my boyfriend, my diabetes worsened and I had to add insulin. At the moment, I have also changed my diabetes treatment and hope that there will be an improvement. Maybe it will be possible to replace insulin with tablets.
Are you planning a breast augmentation surgery?
My goal is a nice, well-groomed body, I have to lose several kilos as soon as possible. And when it comes to breasts, when I lose weight, I will see if my natural breasts need enlargement. I’d rather not cut myself, so I don’t think about silicones, but rather about my own fat.
What about non-medical plans?
Some man support would be nice. I wish I had started the sex change process sooner, but I had to mature for it. First I finished my studies, then I went abroad. I come from a small town and I couldn’t imagine my life there. Of course, in my hometown there were those who understood me, but unfortunately most did not. It is true that I got immunized, but I preferred to leave for the sake of peace. In Warsaw, anonymity is OK, and at work everyone accepts me. I was kindly received, although I never boasted about changing my gender. This came to light after one of the interviews in which I gave my name and surname. I did not go around and talk about my experiences, but I also had no problem to share them, because I thought that in this way I could help someone who is at the beginning of this path.
What would you tell them?
If they feel it makes sense to do a body and paperwork correction, be sure to try. Young people in the Facebook group do not get support from their parents. I am stubborn, financially independent and grown up, so I managed, but I can see that the teenagers can’t stand it, they write that they want to run away from home. I was also a rebel, but I believed that there would come a moment when everything would work out. Besides, at the age of teenagers, you may not be fully aware of what you are going to do. It is worth waiting a few years and making the final decision about gender correction at a more mature age.
This may interest you:
- «The patient cried out in pain. Previously, she visited 36 gynecologists. No one saw anything »
- Młynarska underwent preventive mastectomy. 300 jobs qualify for it. Polish women
- The most dangerous “killers” of women. What do Polish women die most often?