I still recognize my face as my own, but no longer gives me dysphoria

I am very pleased that I decided to have my FFS procedures done with Dr. Mayer!

The Process:
First, I was using my insurance to cover FFS (at least in part), and the staff at Dr. Mayer's practice were super friendly, personable, and helpful along the way. Specifically, I worked closely with Keely to facilitate the necessary back and forth with my insurance company, and with her giuidance, the stress and confusion of that process was greatly reduced. Ask about Letters of Agreement (LOA) - I had originally thought Dr. Mayer was not an option for me because my insurance did not have him listed as an in network doctor, but his staff suggested an LOA, and turned out my insurance could work with his practice via that route.

During this time, I consulted with Dr. Mayer virtually and it was clear to me that his vision and style was aligned with my goals. Pre-FFS, I already generally 'liked' my face, and on good days I would feel confident and attractive. But then there were the bad days... when a glance in the mirror would trigger dysphoria-induced depression and cause me to become a fraction of my usual confident self. These days were getting more and more frequent the further along I was in my transition (4 years at the time of FFS).

Within a few months we had a set of procedures decided upon, and an agreement with insurance.

Surgery:
I did my surgery in two parts, due to my tissue expander hairline advancement procedure. In my own (non-medical) terms, the tissue expander balloon had to go in during the first surgery, then needed to be injected with saline over the course of a few months to stretch out my scalp skin in order to make room for Dr. Mayer to then remove the balloon and lower my hairline in the second surgery. I debated doing this because it sounded like such a hassle, and I don't think anyone would choose to do multiple rounds of surgery just because. But in the end, I am so glad I did! Which brings me to...

The results:
I am very happy with my results! After a few months, I have healed well and with a very natural look - people who do not know I had FFS would not guess I had any work done.

My rhinoplasty, brow reduction, chin and trachea shave, and hairline advancement all work together in a way that gives me a face I still recognize my face as my own, but no longer gives me dysphoria :) This wasn't some magic 'make me sexy' procedure - from a general standpoint, I thought I was 'good looking' before and I think I am 'good looking' now. It is hard to explain but while I still recognize my face as me, I no longer see the 'old me' that gave me bad dysphoria, and this means I am no longer experiencing the dysphoric, depressed days that used to turn me into a fraction of my confident self. That is why I had the procedure in the first place.

I recommend consulting with Dr. Mayer!