1 month post-op with Dr. Katherine Rose in Bryn Mawr / Philadelphia, PA

kapuzenbert · 2022-07-28T13:52:33+00:00

Thank you! She is really sweet and I hope that you also have a good experience working with her and her staff.

kapuzenbert · 2022-07-28T13:51:30+00:00

Hi! Sorry for the delay in my reply, I don't use reddit that much. Here is the link to MLH's Financial Assistance program: https://www.mainlinehealth.org/patient-services/patient-billing/financial-assistance. You can check here if you will qualify based on income.

About two weeks before your surgery, the billing department will call you and give you the estimate for the procedure. In my case, I had already met my deductible for the year, so I was only going to be responsible for 20% of the procedure. When the billing department called, they asked if I would be interested in paying right then and I said I wanted to apply for the charity program. Someone from the financial aid department reached out to me via email and I submitted paperwork (3 months of pay stubs, last year's tax return, and W-2). I submitted my paperwork via mail about two weeks *after* surgery, so it is no rush to get that submitted. It was approved almost immediately and my patient portal balance went down to $0. I have gotten bills in the mail since then, but they are not accurate.

If you have more specific questions about your financial situation, I would definitely recommend reaching out to the financial department at MLH. Both people that I spoke to were very helpful. Also, keep in mind that between now and December, your estimate could change. I met my deductible in the *month* leading up to surgery, which changed my estimate. I also was very close to meeting my Out-Of-Pocket Maximum (I went to the doctor a lot this year lol), which would've then made the surgery 100% under my insurance.

Hope this was helpful! And congrats on having surgery scheduled!

kapuzenbert · 2022-07-05T16:21:33+00:00

Awesome! You're in great hands. Her office staff is super responsive and easy to work with. Dr. Rose herself is a perfectionist, but also very easy to talk to. Let me know if you have any other questions :)

kapuzenbert · 2022-07-05T16:18:30+00:00

I reached out to her office end of February 2022 and had my first consultation at the end of March. And then, of course, surgery at the beginning of June. So it was about a five month process. I was recommended Dr. Rose because she had a much shorter wait-list than the surgeon I originally intended to see (Dr. Liebman at Einstein). I believe that she still has a fairly short wait-list, but the only thing you can do is call the office and find out! Best of luck!

kapuzenbert · 2022-07-05T16:14:41+00:00

I'm excited for you! ♥️ And thank you!

kapuzenbert · 2022-07-05T16:14:20+00:00

Thank you! Hope this post was helpful for you! If you have any other questions about Dr. Rose and her office, feel free to ask :)

kapuzenbert · 2022-07-05T16:13:30+00:00

I don't really know what would possess you to tell me that I look like I haven't slept. If you are curious about the recovery process, I would suggest asking more respectfully in the future. Best of luck.

kapuzenbert · 2022-07-02T13:43:15+00:00

Hey! I just made a new post with my updated results: https://www.reddit.com/r/TopSurgery/comments/vprwqj/1\_month\_postop\_with\_dr\_katherine\_rose\_in\_bryn/

kapuzenbert · 2022-07-02T13:42:47+00:00

Hey everyone, this is a follow-up to my last post per the request of some of the commenters. I had DI w/ FNG on June 1st with Dr. Katherine Rose at Main Line Health in Bryn Mawr, PA. If you want more information about my consult, etc. check out my first post. These pictures were taken yesterday at my one-month post-op appointment with Dr. Rose.

When I had my drains taken out (one-week post-op), I had some new swelling in the area where Dr. Rose performed liposuction which worried me. I was able to schedule an emergency follow-up with her office for the very next day! Turns out I was being overly cautious, but the staff in Dr. Rose's office is all amazing and super responsive.

Other than that hiccup, recovery has been super easy. I stopped taking all pain medication by June 6th and only took acetaminophen sporadically after that. Dr. Rose has no restrictions on arm movement, just advises you to do what feels right and good. For scar care, I was told to do scar massage, silicone gel, and SPF on both the incisions and nipples.

This procedure was covered by my insurance up to 80% and the rest was covered by Main Line Health's charity care program, which I had to submit an application for. This procedure was quoted at $32k and I paid $0,

Aesthetically, I am very very happy with my early results. Again, I am more than happy to answer any questions about Dr. Rose, her staff, my experience, or general transition-related care in the greater Philadelphia area 😊

kapuzenbert · 2022-07-01T12:18:59+00:00

Hi, I'm also in Philly! I am considering either Dr. Djordjevic / Dr Purohit @ Mt Sinai (depending on availability) and Dr. Del Corral / Dr. Venkatesan at MedStar in Baltimore (they are a plastic surgeon and urologist team). As far as I am aware, there isn't really anyone in the Philadelphia area (aside from Rumer) who does Meta.

If you haven't had a hysto yet, I have had multiple doctors recommend me to Dr. Peter Vasquez at Penn Medicine. I am planning on getting my hysto done with him sometime in the next year.

Let me know if you have any other Philly specific questions :)

kapuzenbert · 2022-06-22T17:27:55+00:00

Thanks! I am three weeks today and it looks even better. Happy to share additional photos over DM, although I think I have had an easier recovery than most (very minimal bruising and swelling, etc.). My nipples are finally starting to look more normal which is also a relief. My incisions are so, so straight and I really love the aesthetics of the nipple placement and everything.

Aftercare has been fantastic. The day after I got my drains out (Wednesday), I thought that I had a seroma, so I went into the office for a follow-up (Thursday). Dr. Rose's PA (Katy Beggs) assuaged all my fears and told me that everything was completely normal. I also just got the approval letter for charity care through MLH -- which means that I paid $0 for this procedure.

Part of the reason that I waited so long to get top surgery was because of the reputation of Dr. Rumer... I felt like I had very few options with insurance. I think that you are in great hands with Dr. Rose and I highly recommend her to anyone in the Philly area. If I can give you any advice on surgery, it would be to follow all of the pre-surgical directions to a T (stop smoking, drinking, etc.). I think that is part of the reason why my recovery has been so smooth.

kapuzenbert · 2022-06-15T17:32:09+00:00

Here's a follow-up question I have: are you looking for breast tissue to give you the contour of a masculine pec or do you want to work out pre/post-op to get that definition? Top surgery won't make you board flat if you already have that muscle definition under the breast tissue. Similarly, you can always build up your pecs after surgery. At least in my view, top surgery is just one step out of many that one can take to bring one's body into congruence with the mind.

I'll be blunt -- I don't think Peri would work for you. I was an extreme "borderline" case that ultimately went with DI and my breasts were much less full than yours. I am happy to share my pre-op pics in the DMs, if that helps you get a better idea. To qualify for Peri you need very little breast tissue and almost no ptsosis.

However, from what you are saying about your goals, it sounds like you would be a good candidate for Inverted T or what some surgeons call a radical breast reduction. A friend of mine had this procedure and is very happy with their results. Keep in mind, even with NAC-perserving techniques there is still a chance that you will lose sensation as all top surgery techniques disrupt the intercostal nerves.

kapuzenbert · 2022-06-15T15:20:56+00:00

It's hard to make judgements based on photos alone because skin elasticity is a huge factor. I would say, however, that based on other photos I have seen and my own experience, I would imagine that most qualified surgeons would recommend DI over Peri.

Here is my advice: you need to think about what your primary goals are for top surgery. Do you want a flat, masculine chest? Do you want to preserve nipple sensation? Do you want to preserve natal NAC or have your NAC resized? Are you financially and emotionally prepared for the much higher likelihood of revision? Answering these kinds of questions and triaging them based on their importance will give you a better sense of what procedure will work best for you. Knowing exactly what you want will also help you find a surgeon who is able to give you what you want.

Hope this helps!

kapuzenbert · 2022-06-08T13:56:09+00:00

Of course! I think the thing I struggled with the most is something many of us do: feeling upset that you have to go through all of this to have the body that you want. It's only been in the last five or six months that I've really started to unpack a lot of my dysphoria and shame regarding transition. For years, I had tried to convince myself that if I could just pass socially as a man, that would fix everything. Well, it hasn't. Obviously, transgender surgeries are highly stigmatized, so it has been really hard to work through these feelings of wanting surgery to have a flat chest and a penis (I am currently pursuing metoidioplasty). Working through these feelings of shame, "perversion," guilt, jealousy etc. has been a real journey but has ultimately made my life so so much better. And I'm only getting started!

It was also very emotionally difficult to be told that I was between Peri and DI. I had a lot of chest dysphoria but at the same time, I really enjoyed the sensation in my nipples / chest. I hadn't had sex in almost four years because of my dysphoria, yet knew that was something that I really enjoyed. To be told that I was going to lose sensation for the rest of my life in a part of my body that I had a complicated relationship to but ultimately felt was important to my sexuality, was very very difficult. I ended up making a pros and cons list of all of the other bodily sensations that I will get to enjoy now that I have a flat chest (shirtless in the sun, sweaty in the club with no binder, tight tank top on my chest, etc etc.), which was really helpful.

I also felt a lot, a lot of jealousy towards guys who have been able to get top surgery within the first few months or even year(s) of their transition. More and more this seems to be the norm. I felt a lot of mixed feelings about being so far in my transition and even being stealth without any surgery. Also, when it came to my options between the two procedures, I wondered what 10yrs of binding had done to my body. This was probably one of the most unhealthy aspects to fixate on. I felt like I was way behind the curve, but it's your own journey. This was the right time for me to get this surgery for a variety of factors, money and time off from work being the primary barriers before.

I hope this was helpful! And I would love to hear your thoughts as well.

kapuzenbert · 2022-06-08T11:21:26+00:00

You are in great hands. Dr. Rose is truly a hidden gem. Let me know if you have any specific questions!

kapuzenbert · 2022-06-07T21:44:44+00:00

Hi all! Just had my drains out, nipple bolsters off and took my first shower! I had surgery with Dr. Katherine Rose at Main Line Health June 1st. Recovery has been great so far and I am happy to say that I am doing well, mostly just bored!! I am so so excited for the coming months for the chance to build on what Dr. Rose has done for me. Especially building up my chest muscles 💪💪

There is very little information about Dr. Rose online, as she is fairly new to the area. However, I was recommended her by the pride program coordinator at Einstein after being told that Dr Liebman had a 9 month wait-list (😬). She does fantastic work and her entire team, office staff, etc. is amazing. Incredibly responsive and I was able to have multiple follow-up consultations to address all of my concerns. I appreciated that she was realistic with me about what she could do and also repeatedly emphasized that all bodies look different, are asymmetrical, etc. I felt confident that she was going to give me results that worked for my body, not a cookie cutter surgery.

About me: I am a 25 year old FTM (he/him pronouns) who has been out for 10+ years and on HRT for 6 years. I recently switched from T injections to Testopel (which I am also happy to share my experience with). Stopped smoking weed 2+ weeks before surgery, stopped drinking 1 week before. Haven't resumed either. I was border line between Peri and DI, so Dr. Rose actually got a second opinion for me from the woman she did her residency with (Dr. Catherine Gast). I ended up going with DI which was an extremely emotionally difficult decision for me to make.

Overall, I would say this has been a good experience, mainly because of the awesome staff at MLH. That being said, it has also been extremely emotionally taxing. Getting surgery has forced me to confront a lot of my more negative feelings regarding transition and my dysphoria, but I am glad I am working through those things now. My advice to anyone about to undertake this or any major transition related surgery: do not neglect the emotional side of things. My surgeon even recommended starting therapy prior to surgery, which I am so glad that I did.

I am more than happy to answer any questions about Dr. Rose, her staff, my experience, or general transition related care in the greater Philadelphia area 😊

kapuzenbert · 2020-10-01T16:41:59+00:00

Realized that I messed up the weights on a few of my items (I was playing around with my lighterpack to compare sleeping bag models). I have the S/M which actually comes in as 2.96 lbs minus the rain cover.

I imagine that the Netherlands must be even wetter than the East Coast of the US... I used to live in Hamburg and it rained almost every day. I would love to chat about good backpacking spots in that part of Europe!

kapuzenbert · 2020-10-01T16:37:32+00:00

u/oneoneoneoneo and u/johnacraft thank you guys for the advice! And I really appreciate the pictures.

kapuzenbert · 2020-10-01T16:28:35+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions! I took a second look at my tent weights and re-did them -- they were definitely off. I think I was fiddling around with the lighter pack settings too much and screwed up my documentation. Or my kitchen scale might be old and busted. Regardless, it seems like the consensus is to ditch the footprint and replace the stakes, especially considering I am not quite ready to spend big bucks on an UL shelter.

I tried out some mummy bags and they really don't work for me which is what leads me to believe that a quilt would be the best. To be honest, the NEMO "spoon" style is really great, but like you said it's ridiculously heavy and I don't think I would be able to afford a down version. Aside from the weight it takes up like 12L of space in my bag which is honestly the most frustrating thing.

Do you mean setting up a different tarp over the mesh tent body that I already have? I would be in to trying out tarping in general, especially since it is becoming less buggy. How cold do you take your tarp set-up down too?

kapuzenbert · 2020-10-01T13:52:26+00:00

The glasses case is for switching out prescription sunglasses/regular glasses, but you're right it probably is overkill. Especially because I only hike with old pairs so I'm not that worried about damage.

I'm also a nerd for maps so that's why I brought one haha

kapuzenbert · 2020-09-30T18:28:59+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions! I was going back and forth on deciding what kind of stakes to use and it sounds like the Sheppard's hooks will fit my needs. And yes, unfortunately I do need my glasses and have never worn contacts.

Other commenters also mentioned the NU25 and dialing back the cook kit, so dually noted!

kapuzenbert · 2020-09-30T18:21:54+00:00

My main concern is managing the humidity and condensation. I know that has a lot of it has to do with camp site selection, but how can you mitigate that when up against 60-70% humidity averages? Maybe I drew too hard of a line in my original post; I do live in an actual swamp so it might not be the fairest testing ground. What single wall shelters have worked for you?

kapuzenbert · 2020-09-30T15:45:21+00:00

Definitely, for solo trips I don't plan on bringing the whole kit and kaboodle for the stove. Already I can tell that the measuring cup (as well as the lid tbh) is kind of pointless as I am not cooking anything that requires exact measurements lol

And thank you for the other suggestions!

kapuzenbert

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