Soy: Sex Change Surgery in Bean Form.

Just one more reason to avoid the stuff: infertility.

The reason? Pumps you full of estrogen:

Eating half a serving of soy food a day lowers sperm concentrations and may play a role in male infertility, particularly in obese men, Harvard University researchers report.

The reason for this relationship between soy and sperm count isn't clear. However, researchers speculate that soy increases estrogen activity, which may have a negative affect on sperm production and also interfere with other hormonal signals.

Pass the venison.

Elbe, Lili (1886-1931)

Lili Elbe (1882 - 1931) was one of the first identifiable recipient of male to female sex reassignment surgery. She was born in Denmark and was identified as male at the time of her birth. Born as Einar Mogens Wegener, she identified as male for most of her life and was a successful artist with that name. After the surgeries, however, she took the name Lili (some sources state Lily) Elbe.

Elbe's birth year is sometimes referred to as 1886. This appears to be from the book about her, which has some facts changed to protect identities. Lili before her transition was married to Gerda Wegener, who was her partner and legal wife. Both of them were famous painters and illustrators. Gerda though had a better commercial success and is still recognized in nowadays as one of the leading artists of the Art Deco during the first decades of the 20th century.

Lili Elbe was "born" one day while filling in for Gerda's absentee model; Gerda asked Einar to wear stockings and heels so that she could substitute Einar's legs for those of her model. Einar felt surprisingly comfortable in the get-up.

Over time, Gerda became famous for her paintings of beautiful women with haunting almond-shaped eyes dressed in chic fashions. However, around 1913 it was discovered that Gerda's women were in fact Einar himself. No one had suspected before then that the petite femmes fatales of Gerda's work could have been modeled on anyone other than a woman, but Einar had acted as Gerda's chief model for years.

After that, in the 1920s and 1930s Wegener regularly dressed as a woman, attending various festivities and entertained guests in her house as Lili Elbe. One of the things "Lili" liked to do was to disappear, wearing her modeling fashions into the streets of Paris in the throngs of revelers during the Carnival (interpretation of quote).

She was apparently very well accepted as a woman and even received a request for marriage many years before her surgical transition. Only her closest friends knew that she was transsexual and to others, Elbe was introduced by Gerda as Einar's sister.
In 1930 Elbe went to Germany for surgery, which was only in an experimental state at the time. A series of five operations were carried out over a period of two years.

The first surgery, removal of the testicles (Orchiectomy), was made under the supervision of sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld in Berlin.
The rest of Elbe's surgeries were carried out by Dr. Warnekros in the Dresden Municipal Women's Clinic. The second operation was to remove the penis, and transplant ovaries, which were taken from a 26-year-old woman. These were soon removed in a third and fourth operation, due to rejection and other serious complications.
The fifth operation was to transplant a uterus and was intended to allow Elbe, then nearing the age of 50, to become a mother


At the time of Elbe's surgery her case was already a sensation in newspapers of Denmark and Germany. The King of Denmark invalidated the Wegeners' marriage in October 1930, and Einar managed to get his sex and name legally changed, including receiving a passport as Lili Elbe. She also stopped painting believing it to be something that only Einar did.


Gerda Wegener went on to marry an Italian military officer, aviator, and diplomat, Major Fernando "Nando" Porta, and move to Morocco, where she would learn of the death of Elbe, whom she described to a friend as "my poor little Lily [sic]." (By contrast, she described her second husband as "a magnificent, splendid and peerless hunk of man".)

The First Transgendered in the world

After living for several years in Marrakech and Casablanca, the Portas divorced, and Gerda returned to Denmark, where she died in 1940. After the dissolution of the Wegeners' marriage, Elbe accepted a proposal from another unknown man, which she intended to follow up as soon as she would be able to "become a mother"

Lili Elbe died in 1931, due to complications three months after her fifth and last operation. This operation was designed to "allow her to be a mother," and entailed the transplantation of a uterus. Her cause of death is believed to have been transplant rejection. She is buried in Dresden, Germany.

Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)

Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)

What is Abdoinoplasty?
Abdominoplasty is designed to firm and smooth the appearance of the abdomen. The procedure removes excess skin and fat and may also tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall.

How is it done?

Abdominoplasty generally takes up to four hours. The operation involves the use of a general anesthesia and a hospital stay of two to four days. An ellipse of skin between the pubic bone and the navel is cut out and the skin is lifted. Once the excess skin is removed, the skin above the navel is pulled down and stretched toward the skin below the pubic bone and is stitched together. Excess fat may be removed and underlying muscles tightened at the same time. In some cases the skin is pulled down over the original navel and a new hole is made for it to come through. After surgery, bandages and drainage tubes are put in place to support proper healing.

Why is it done?

Excess fat or skin on the abdomen and lax abdominal muscles can occur after dramatic weight loss or pregnancy. In cases where the problem does not respond to dieting or exercise, the only way to resolve the problem is surgical removal of excess skin.

Risks & complications

Complications are infrequent and usually minor. However, as with any surgery, there are risks.

- General complications of surgery include blood loss and possible transfusion, blood clots in the legs (Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT) and chest (Pulmonary Embolism), chest infection and reactions to anesthesia.

- Poor healing which results in conspicuous scars may necessitate a second operation.

- Tissue loss along portions of the incision and infection which require antibiotic and in some cases hospitalization is possible.

- Accumulation of fluid under the skin may require additional outpatient visits.

- Patients may experience numbness after surgery that can occasionally be permanent.

Risks can be reduced by following the surgeon's instructions before and after surgery.

Alternatives

The surgeon may discuss alternative approaches to the Abdominoplasty procedure. Liposuction may be used alone to remove excess abdominal fat. However, the main alternative to Abdominoplasty is simply to leave the abdomen as is

Candidate eligibility

The best candidates for Abdominoplasty are men and women who are in relatively good shape, but bothered by excess deposits of abdominal fat and skin that will not respond to diet or exercise. The surgery is particularly helpful to women who have finished bearing children, with abdominal muscles that have separated or weakened due to pregnancy. The surgeon will make the final determination of each patient’s eligibility for the procedure after an examination and consultation with the patient.

http://www.bumrungrad.com/Overseas-Medical-Care/Medical-Services/Procedur

Plastic surgery in Thailand

Setting the standard

Sophisticated techniques. Advanced medical knowledge. Technical and artistic mastery. Understanding our patient needs. The Plastic Surgery Center at Bumrungrad International attracts patients from Thailand and abroad with its excellent reputation and world-class results.

The Plastic Surgery Center sets the standard for cosmetic surgery, reconstructive surgery, hair transplantation and related procedures.

Cosmetic Surgery

Our cosmetic surgery experts reshape the structures of the body to improve each patient's appearance and, perhaps more importantly, his or her esteem.

Although no amount of surgery can achieve perfection, modern treatment options allow plastic surgeons to achieve significant improvements in both from and function. The Plastic Surgery Center specializes in cosmetic procedures for both men and women.

Our specialties include

Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Surgery)

The Effect of Blepharoplasty

Also known as Eyelid surgery, this is a procedure that removes fat along with excess skin and muscle from the upper and lower eyelids, resulting in a more alert and youthful look.

The Blepharoplasty Procedure

Blepharoplasty can be performed on the upper or lower lids, or all four at the same time.

Best Candidates for Blepharoplasty

Men and women over the age of 35

Risks

All surgery carries risk, and you should be fully aware of the medical risks associated with this procedure before you consent to surgery. Your surgeon will discuss these risks with you during your consultation, and you are encouraged to ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

More details about your consultation.

You will be required to sign a consent form before surgery stating that you have been informed of the risks involved; that you understand those risks; and that you accept those risks. This is standard hospital protocol and surgery will not be performed if you do not sign.

More details about the required forms.

It is your obligation to inform your surgeon of key medical information that may influence the outcome of your surgery or may increase the level of risk. These include medications you are taking, history of disease, medical complications, etc.

Risks and risk rates vary from patient to patient depending on a range of factors. No two people are alike. The risks listed below are possible risks associated with this type of surgery and are mentioned regardless of how remote the possibility:

Temporary blurred or double vision. Infection, bleeding. Swelling at the corners of the eyelids. Dry eyes. Formation of whiteheads. Slight asymmetry in healing or scarring. Difficulty in closing eyes completely (rarely permanent). Pulling down of the lower lids (may require further surgery). Blindness (extremely rare).

More details about the risks involved in plastic surgery

Surgery
Time required: 1-3 hours
Anesthesia: Local with sedation or general

Post surgical side effects
Tightness of lids
Burning, itching of eyes
Excessive tearing and light sensitivity

Blepharoplasty Recovery time
Reading: 2-3 days
Back to work: 7-10 days
Strenuous activity: 3 weeks
Bruising and swelling gone: 2-4 weeks

Please note that this information should be used only as a guide to your treatment. All specifics will be discussed with your physician at your consultation

http://www.bumrungrad.com/Overseas-Medical-Care/Medical-Services/Procedur

The procedure, technique and result

1.“Penile inversion technique”vaginoplasty (not good candidate for a case more than 200 lbs. and need more depth)
Surgeon uses the "Penile Inversion Vaginoplasty" technique which turns the penile skin "inside out" and uses it to line a vaginal cavity. The penis and testes are removed. A pure penile inversion limits the size of the vagina that can be created depends on the amount of penile skin available,also the vaginal depth is to depend on penile skin on the resting state not from your erectile state.This technique is called SRS with penile inversion vaginoplasty. You should know the depth hase been gained from your penile skin but not from your whole shaft of penis in resting stage not from your erectile stage.This technique will gain fast recovery and better healing.

2."Scrotal Graft Technique" Vaginoplasty
Some patient's penile tissue limit because the length of penis or the Peno - scrotal junction stays in high position, which will limit the vaginal lining or meaning that vaginal depth is limited.The surgeon will use "Scrotal Graft Technique" combination with penile skin to form the vaginal lining to create the new vaginal depth or new vagina, which is a better technique compared to the penile inversion technique.You will get the depth of your new vagina between 5-7 inches owning to your body structure. This is better choice for the case who have limit penile skin but they have more scrotal sac tissue to use.

Most surgeons currently prefer Scrotal skin graft much more than penile inversion and colon graft.

3."Sigmoid Colon-Vaginoplasty Technique" Vaginoplasty( it is not good case for weight over 200 lbs and larger abdomen.)

You will have two choices to do this surgery about delayed or immediate “ Sigmoid Colon-Vaginoplasty Technique” .Or in case of your penile skin is very short and small amount of your scrotal tissue and refuse to get other skin for grafting to line in your vaginal canal or limited in occasionally rare for some cases with healthy and body weight not over 200 lbs with stopping smoking at least 2 weeks before surgery or non smoking person with flat tummy may need to perform "Sigmoid Colon-Vaginoplasty" do in one stage( Immediate) . In some cases that it will be not appropriate cases to do this procedure ,they have been done by this technique in second step after 6 months(delayed technique) such as the case is not bigger tummy , the weight is over than 200 not more than 225 lbs or maybe need to do this surgery later after 6 months.
In the delayed type,it is better for some cases that have ever done before SRS c Penile inversion or Scrotal skin graft with vaginal shrinkage by the time or for some reason that and need to gain more depth with natural lubricant or they ever had overweight and can not do immediately but they will do later.

All of the cases ,I will construct the labia majora , sensated Labia minora, clitoral hood and sensated clitoris in the meantime. The surgeon also constructs labia majora and labia minora by using some part of your scrotal and sensated prepuce to create this part of female appearance.I don’t use the delayed type for this procedure.You will gain natural labia major and minora on this occasion.The surgeon constructs a clitoris by retaining a small section of the glans penis with its blood supply and nerves intact, and position this into an appropriate site above the urethral meatus. Since the nerves of glans in phenotypic male are analogous to the nerves of the clitoris in a female which patients can have feeling of erotic sensation like naturally – born female and maybe having this arousement sensation to reach orgasm in some case but I can not guarantee that in all of the cases,this is the special sense

All Our Services Pricing

Hair Transplant
Less than 1,000 Grafts	outpatient 2,500 USD

Vagina
Posterior repair	1 night in hospital 3,000 USD
Sigmoid colon cut vaginoplasty (post sex change surgery with stricture vagina for more depth)	4 nights in hospital 7,000 USD
Reduction labioplasty	outpatient 1,500 USD

Lip and Rhinoplasty
Hair (or cleft) lip surgery	outpatient 2,500 USD
Palate repair	1 night in hospital 2,500 USD
Thining lip	outpatient 1,500 USD
Rhinoplasty with implant and nasal bone shaving	outpatient 2,500 USD

Wrinkle Correction
Botox: crow's feet, forehead and glabella lines	per bottle: 650 USD
Restylane injection	per syringe: 650 USD
Perlane injection	per syringe: 650 USD

Nose
Augmented Rhinoplasty without shaving	outpatient 1,200 USD
Augmented Rhinoplasty with shaving	outpatient 2,500 USD
Alaplasty	outpatient 1,200 USD
Hump correction	outpatient 2,500 USD
Rhino shaving or reconstruction	outpatient 2,500 USD

Face
Face lift surgery (cheekbone area lift, cheek area lift, lateral side of jowl and neck lift)	1 night in hospital 4,000 USD
Forehead lift or Brow lift by endoscopy	outpatient 3,500 USD
Mid-face lift	outpatient 3,500 USD
Neck lift	outpatient 2,500 USD

Chin
Augmented chin	outpatient 2,500 USD
Sliding chin (Bone Sliding of jaw)	1 night in hospital 3,000 USD

Eyelid Surgery
Double eyelid fold	outpatient 1,200 USD
Upper blepharoplasty	outpatient 1,200 USD
Lower blepharoplasty	outpatient 1,200 USD

Breast Surgery
Breast enlargement	outpatient 2,600 USD
Breast reduction	1 night in hospital 4,500 USD
Breast uplift	1 night in hospital 4,000 USD

Abdomen (tummy tuck)
Abdominal lipectomy (Abdominoplasty or Tummy tuck surgery)	3 nights in hospital 4,000 USD

Ear
Protruding ears	outpatient 2,500 USD

Mandible (Jaw surgery)
Angle resection	1 night in hospital - 3,000 USD
Botox injections to reduce jaw muscles on both sides	per bottle: 650 USD

Liposuction
First point	outpatient 1,600 USD
Next point	outpatient 500 USD

Sex Reassignment Surgery
Scrotal Skin Graft Vaginoplasty	4 nights in hospital 6,500 USD
Sigmoid Colon cut Vaginoplasty	4 nights in hospital 8,500 USD
Buttock or Hip Enlargement	outpatient 4,000 USD

Cheek
Cheek dimples	outpatient 1,500 USD
Cheekbone implants	outpatient 3,000 USD
Cheekbone reduction	1 night in hospital 3,500 USD

Adam's Apple
Reshaving	outpatient 1,500 USD

http://www.bangkokplasticsurgery.com/sex-change-surgery.html

What is the Sex Change Surgery?

What is the Sex Change Surgery?

Genital surgical sex reassignment: surgery of the genitalia and/or breasts performed for the purpose of altering the morphology in order to approximate the physical appearance of the genetically other sex. Non genital surgical sex reassignment: any and all other surgical procedures of non-genitalia or non-breast, conducted for the purpose of effecting a more masculine appearance in a genetic female or for the purpose of effecting more feminine appearance in a genetic male.

Before and after surgery about nose refinement( 10 days later surgery.)As a former step of SRS, there is a hormonal sex reassignment, which is the administration of androgen to genotype females, and administration of estrogen and/or progesterone to genotype males, for the purpose of effecting somatic changes in order for the patient to more closely approximate the physical appearance of the other sex.

When is SRS performed?

The time that people start feeling of belonging to the opposite sex is 2-3 years of age. According to the outcome of many researches, early treatment would prevent unnecessary sufferings. Physical outcome of an early treatment can be expected to be more satisfactory by comparison with starting later, especially MFs (male to female). This is an enormous and lifelong advantage instead of having to live with a deep voice and other scar. Thus, the earlier the SRS is performed, the easier transsexuals can adjust themselves according to their sex identity, and they can avoid the confusion about themselves. But SRS is usually performed at the age of 18-21. There are two reasons for this long delay. First, most children with gender identity disorder will not grow up to become transsexuals. Second, adolescents in many countries are still legally dependent on the consent of their parents when deciding on medical treatment.

Tory claims "sex change" surgery is a choice

A Conservative MP has claimed that gender reassignment is a "matter of choice."

Mark Pritchard, who represents The Wrekin, expressed his view during Business Questions in the House of Commons yesterday.

He said that while he is "not against sex changes" he wants a debate on their cost to the NHS.

"Given the number of sex changes, which are increasing in the United Kingdom year on year, the cost to the NHS, which has scarce resources, and the fact that sex changes are a matter of choice, is it not time that we had a debate about the issue?" he asked Harriet Harman, Leader of the House.

"Many of my constituents do not have access to Alzheimer's drugs or cancer drugs, but neither of those diseases do they have through choice."

In fact the Telford and Wrekin Primary Care Trust, which cover's Mr Pritchard's constituency, "at present consider(s) the funding for assessment and treatment of gender dysphoria a low priority," according to its published policy on the assessment and treatment of gender dysphoria.

Ms Harman, who is also the Secretary of State for Equality, told Mr Pritchard he "misunderstands the situation.

"It is not a question of choice: if someone needs to have gender reassignment surgery, it is a question of necessity for them.

"If the honourable Gentleman wants to raise the issue further and ask questions of the relevant Minister, he can do so in the Opposition day debate next week on the NHS."

Last month Mr Pritchard voted against changes to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill designed to stop discrimination against lesbians and single women accessing fertility treatments.

First elected in 2005, he has a majority of just 942.

A 1999 Court of Appeal ruling recognised that gender reassignment is the appropriate medical response to gender dysphoria and that it is unlawful for PCTs to operate anything that amounts to a blanket ban on funding in such cases.

PCTs may decide that the treatment has low priority for funding, provided that it makes the decision on rational grounds.

The process of allocating money that can be used to pay for treatment, and the relative amounts made available, vary.

Consequently, some PCTs will fund many treatments readily, but others give all the treatments a very low priority.

In its official website the NHS states:

"To an extent, it is a ‘postcode lottery.’

"Each PCT has its own internal committee that sets priorities for spending the money that it receives from the Department of Health.

"Priorities are based on what the committee sees to be the most urgent needs of the local population and what is best for service-users.

"It will consider the cost of each type of treatment and examine the research evidence that demonstrates its benefits.

"It is unlikely that the PCT will set a fixed budget for treating gender dysphoria, because it is a relatively rare condition for which it is difficult to predict the annual number of new cases at a local level.

"The PCT will usually limit its spending by establishing a policy, which specifies the only types of treatment that it will fund."

Sex Change Surgery

Hi everyone I hope you remember my friend Aum now she had SRS operation and I went to see her in hospital, she had to stay in the hospital for 7 days recovering before she could go home.


Sex reassignment surgery (SRS), gender reassignment surgery, or sex-change operation is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble that of the other sex. It is part of a treatment for gender identity disorder in transsexual and transgender people. It may also be performed on intersex people, often in infancy. Other terms for SRS include gender reassignment surgery, sex reconstruction surgery, genital reconstruction surgery, gender confirmation surgery, and more recently sex affirmation surgery. The commonly used terms sex change or sex change operation are considered factually inaccurate. The terms feminizing genitoplasty and masculinizing genitoplasty are used medically.


I understand that most ladyboy lovers prefer pre-op ladyboys but they never think about what ladyboys want, really all ladyboys want to be real girls but it is difficult as the operation is expensive. In order to make money some ladyboys work in the bar to earn enough money. I ask ed Aum she said she wanted to have the operation and she didn't like her dick and she wanted to be a real girl and make a new life.
Aum told me ladyboy lovers who like pre op they just want sex and they like to have many partners. They never really think about a serious relationship with a single ladyboy.

Thailand has lots of ladyboys but maybe only 20% of them have had the srs operation. I agree with them who want to have operation because I understand. Now Thai surgeons are very good and the results are very successful.

In Thailand there are lots of surgeons to choose from but have to very careful as if you have a problem it can be very difficult to correct.

Aum's operation cost 70,000 baht it is already 2 months ago and she is very happy with her new life

REAL CHANGE

"They please the world most who please Christ least."--St. Jerome

While watching the Democratic Convention last night, I saw something amazing. Americans want someone to save them. They want change, a new "good news". In 1st century Rome, Ceaser was the answer to the worlds problems. In fact, there was the "good news" of Ceaser the king. Into this seemingly peaceful world came a new Good News, not of political ideals, but of the radical call to follow a carpenter from Nazareth. The call came to follow a Jew who had been crucified as a sinner, a failure, and a nobody. He was being proclaimed risen from the dead by fisherman, ex-tax collectors, and zealots as the True King with the True Good News. His Kingdom was not of this world. His message was the politics of the heart, soul, mind, and body. It was then, and it still is 2000 years later. His prayer in John 17 for His followers to be "one as He and His Father are one", was His vision for changing the world. When the world sees believers united in His Church, which is His chosen way to minister in the world, the world will find the "change" it truly needs. The "change" these folks on the TV were chanting about last night is at best, the same old thing. Especially when at the very center of their "change" is their dedication to legal abortion and their hope in contraception as being the way to "fewer abortions". Why would they want "fewer abortions" if abortion is ok?! And contraception led to more abortions in the 1950's and 60's when it was introduced as safe and accepted than before it came into vogue. The answer to no abortion and "change" is the call to take up our crosses and follow the Jewish carpenter from Nazareth. His Good News is still our answer to this relativism we are drowning in today in America. Either killing babies is evil, or it is not. Legally killing old people is next if we don't have real change, in our hearts.

Childhood central nervous system leukemia: historical perspectives, current therapy, and acute neurological sequelae

Fred H. Laningham1, 5 , Larry E. Kun3, 5, Wilburn E. Reddick2, Robert J. Ogg2, E. Brannon Morris4 and Ching-Hon Pui4, 5

(1) Division of Diagnostic Imaging (MS #210), Department of Radiological Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 332 N. Lauderdale Street, Memphis, TN 38105-2794, USA
(2) Division of Translational Imaging Research, Department of Radiological Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
(3) Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiological Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
(4) Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
(5) University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN, USA

Received: 22 July 2007 Accepted: 25 July 2007 Published online: 9 October 2007

Abstract
Introduction During the past three decades, improvements in the treatment of childhood leukemia have resulted in high cure rates, particularly for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Unfortunately, successful therapy has come with a price, as significant morbidity can result from neurological affects which harm the brain and spinal cord. The expectation and hope is that chemotherapy, as a primary means of CNS therapy, will result in acceptable disease control with less CNS morbidity than has been observed with combinations of chemotherapy and radiotherapy over the past several decades.
Methods and results In this review we discuss the poignant, historical aspects of CNS leukemia therapy, outline current methods of systemic and CNS leukemia therapy, and present imaging findings we have encountered in childhood leukemia patients with a variety of acute neurological conditions. A major objective of our research is to understand the neuroimaging correlates of acute and chronic effects of cancer and therapy. Specific features related to CNS leukemia and associated short-term toxicities, both disease- and therapy-related, are emphasized in this review with the specific neuroimaging findings. Specific CNS findings are similarly important when treating acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), and details of leukemic involvement and toxicities are also presented in this entity.
Conclusion Despite contemporary treatment approaches which favor the use of chemotherapy (including intrathecal therapy) over radiotherapy in the treatment of CNS leukemia, children still occasionally experience morbid neurotoxicity. Standard neuroimaging is sufficient to identify a variety of neurotoxic sequelae in children, and often suggest specific etiologies. Specific neuroimaging findings frequently indicate a need to alter antileukemia therapy. It is important to appreciate that intrathecal and high doses of systemic chemotherapy are not innocuous and are associated with acute, specific, recognizable, and often serious neurological consequences.
Keywords Childhood CNS leukemia - Neurotoxicity - Intrathecal therapy - CNS infection - Secondary malignancies - Methotrexate

Body change stress for women with breast cancer: The breast-impact of treatment scale

Georita M. Frierson1, Debora L. Thiel1 and Barbara L. Andersen2

(1) Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, USA
(2) Department of Psychology and the Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, USA
(3) Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 1835 Neil Avenue, 43210-1222 Columbus, OH


Abstract Background: Body change stress refers to subjective psychological stress that accompanies women’s negative and distressing thoughts, emotions, and behaviors resultant from breast cancer and breast surgeries. Body change stress is manifest with traumatic stress-like symptoms.Purpose: The development of the Breast-Impact of Treatment Scale (BITS) is described. The construct is assessed with 13 items that comprise a one-factor solution.Methods and Results: Tests of convergent validity demonstrate the relationship, but not overlap, of the BITS with measures of stress, emotional distress, and sexuality. The BITS distinguishes between women receiving segmental mastectomy (lumpectomy) versus mastectomy. Incremental validity is shown with comparison to ratings of body satisfaction.Conclusions: An early psychometric foundation enables use of the BITS to assess a common and distressing quality of life outcome for women with breast cancer.
Georita Frierson is now at the Cooper Institute, Dallas, Texas. Debora Thiel is now at the Madigan Army Medical Center, Behavioral Health Department, Tacoma, Washington.
This research was supported by grants from the American Cancer Society (PBR-89), the Longaberger Company-American Cancer Society (PBR-89A), the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (DAMD17-94-J-4165, DAMD17-96-1-6294, and DAMD17-97-1-7062), the National Institute of Mental Health (RO1MH51487), the National Cancer Institute (RO1CA92704, KO5 CA098133), the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (NCI: P30 CA16058), and the Clinical Research Center grant from the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services (MO1-RR0034).
We thank the patients for their participation and continued commitment. In addition, we thank the research and professional staff of the Stress and Immunity Breast Cancer Project, William B. Farrar, M.D. and other referring surgical oncologists, and Timothy Crespin, Ph.D. and Hae-Chung Yang, Ph.D., for data analyses.

The Healthy Way To Healing Biser Acne Forever

By Steve Betzner


Getting acne with all the zits, and pimples....what ever you want to call them! Can be no fun with all the pinching and poking trying really hard to make the go away..Ugh.

One of the best places to find the cure is your own body. Changing whats going on inside your body can change whats going on outside your body. You may want to consider the Biser Acne Cure Formula.

Acne starts when we are teenagers, and hormones are only part of the problem. As we become bothered by our new afflictions, we find that we are getting even more acne bumps! We then pick at them and tear our skin apart trying to get rid of them.

This tearing will sometimes create scarring, so then we are left with permanent reminders of our skin problems. For some, the acne will continue into adulthood, leading to internal feelings of discomfort and shame at being afflicted with a "teenager's disease." It is a terrible cycle we are doomed to repeat if we do not force it to stop.

Another major factor that can have an affect on your acne is your body health. Its important to have a balanced body then your body can take care of its self. When your bodies natural immune system can work naturally it can fight bacteria and infections that affect our skin and cause acne.

Maintain a balanced body for strength and optimal health, if we allow it to become unbalanced through stress and other negative emotions, then we weaken ourselves and we are more likely to get sick in any number of ways, including acne.

All of us can take control of our situation and lower the emotional stresses on the body that allow our bodies to function the way they are supposed to function.

This is where Biser Acne Cure comes in. This is a multi-step method to help you regain control of your life and cure yourself of the acne that symbolizes all the problems you have to face each day.

One of the first things you want to do is recognize that what you are currently doing is not working. If it was successful, then you would not have acne in the first place because your body would fend away the bacteria.

Having had emotional stress and a unhealthy body can lead to strained immune systems and all sorts of illnesses for us.

Improve your control over the amount of stress in your life and take back your health.

Look for new ways to change your routine and relax in a way you have always wanted to and forget the stress.

Be sure to surround yourself with positive people, because positive, happy, calm people on the inside become and will help you become positive, happy, and calm. These people will radiate positive energy, and positive energy is beautiful. Once you control your stress and become at peace, your body's natural balance will return and your acne will begin to disappear.

About the Author:
Before studying any other article about different acne cure be sure to read Steve Betzners' free report about stopping your acne forever using naturally healthful cures. Acne Cures Before studying any other articles about various acne cure be sure to read Steve Betzners' free article about eliminating your acne forever using naturally healthful cures. Acne Cures

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A Return to Love

Here is what we need to do:

One: Love our bodies as they are.
Short ones, tall ones, fat ones, sleek ones, flabby ones, toned ones- it doesn't matter. We must first make friends with our own bodies. Our culture teaches us to loathe our bodies no matter how they look- we can never quite measure up. That is why we need to stop right now and choose to love our bodies no matter what they look like. I choose to love my chocolate brown skin, my full lips, my gray-speckled hair. I love it all. I find no fault with it. I groom it and dress it up and endeavor to look my best everyday. While I do have a goal to lose weight, I don't give myself negative messages. I make good food choices and work out almost every day. I know if I keep this up, I will lose weight, but I don't care about looking good tomorrow. I care about looking good today. So I buy nice things that flatter my physique as it is today. I must confess I have a great sense of style and I do get compliments almost daily on my appearance- despite the fact that I do not fit the standard of beauty in our culture. To the unobservant eye, I'm an overweight, old, black lady. Yes, I am those things, but to my own eyes, I am also beautiful. I believe that I am- so I project that view out onto the world from the inside of me. Hell, I'm downright sexy. A few rolls of fat can't stop the sexiness from oozing out through my pores. I believe with all my being that I am beautiful, therefore others believe it too. (There is a great lesson here. We cannot convince others of that which we ourselves do not believe .) How do you start to love yourself? Perhaps you have been bombarded all your life with messages that you are inadequate and do not measure up. Start there. Change those messages (at least the ones that come from inside you). Whenever you start to criticize your body, stop and change the words, even if you don't quite believe them yet. Say to yourself, "I accept my body." "I love my body." "I am grateful to my body." Women who do not love their bodies, do not believe in their bodies ability to birth. So let's start there. Love your body.
(You might also read 'A New Earth' by Eckart Tolle)


Two: Recognize that our bodies are not us.
They are the shell we travel this life in. While it is important to love your body, it is equally important not to mistake it for being you. You are a triune being, composed of body, mind, and spirit. Your spirit will live on, your body will age and die. It is all too easy to get caught up in the life of the body. Especially if you are a mom and have little ones at home. But please recognize, dear ones, that you are more, so much more, than today's laundry list of chores and meetings, and doings, and havings. Take time to honor your mind (read a good thinking book, or practice daily phrases of that language you always wanted to learn!) and to honor spirit (light a candle during daily quiet time, make time for prayer, or meditation, or if those kinds of activities don't suit you, dance wildly to music you love and that speaks to your soul, howl at a full moon!) You want a life of balance- well you don't get it by being mired in the body. Get out of the body if only a few minutes a day and pamper the mind and the spirit. You know what makes birth such an amazing experience? It doesn't just happen in the body, it happens to our minds and spirits as well. All the great landmark events of human experience do. We just get distracted with the physicality of birth, yet it is a tremendous mental/spiritual event as well. Make a plan today to honor all aspects of your amazing being- body, mind, and spirit.
(To emphasize these principles, it might be helpful to read Victoria Moran's 'Creating a Charmed Life')

Return to love, dear ones. Do not give in to our culture's condemnation or perversion of the feminine form. We must learn to love ourselves, and then loving birth will come to us.

Binge No More by Joyce Nash (Pt 2)

The second part of this book begins with a chapter full of blank logs and questions for monitoring and analyzing your eating behavior. I won't be putting them here, but the log is very similar to Fairburn's.

Nash introduces the ABC Model of Behavior, to help identify when binges are likely.

Antecedents - the events and feelings that lead up to a binge
Behavior - the binge itself
Consequences - what happens after the binge

So, when monitoring your eating in the log, you would look for patterns in the A and C areas that will point out when and why your binges are likely to happen.

On this log, you include:

time of day
foods eaten
indicate whether you feel it was a binge
degree of hunger you felt before eating
where you were/what you were doing while eating

Nash provides a 21 item questionnaire for analyzing your logs. It looks at how often you binge, what may have triggered the binges, your thoughts and decisions made leading up to and during the binge. You're asked about consequences (both positive and negative), the types of foods you eat during the binge, and when and where you binge. Using your records and the questionnaire (do the analysis every week or two), you can determine which of the following is causing your binges:

hunger
deprivation
stress
seeking gratification
problem thinking
lack of consciousness
poor nutrition

So, now it's time to take action and change how you eat. Most of us bingers are also dieters, through not eating, restricting calories, or avoiding certain kinds of foods. In more extreme cases, some may use laxatives, diuretics, OTC diet pills, or exercise excessively to compensate for the caloric intake. This is the part of the self-help where we stop doing these things and start taking control over the forbidden foods.

Nash suggests introducing the forbidden foods a little at a time. Rather than having an all-or-nothing viewpoint, look at the foods on a continuum that allows you to make some not so great choices now and then. As often as possible, choose better foods, but don't ever consider something off limits.

This is where I run into problems, as a low carber. Nash recommends using the Food Pyramid to guide your choices, but this is so hotly debated among the different camps that I'm not even going to touch it here. I am not qualified in any way to say "do follow the food pyramid" or "don't follow the food pyramid" because it all depends on your own viewpoint regarding carbs, protein, and fat. There are the obvious things I agree with: occasional sweets and baked goods. But there are others on the list provided that I disagree with, just because I have history with lower carb diets. Should we stuff ourselves with peanut butter or ground pork or bacon or hot dogs? No, I don't think so, but I don't think they belong in the "Seldom" category. I eat bacon quite often. Sure, it's turkey bacon, but it's still bacon. I occasionally have peanut butter and pork. I do prefer to focus on some of the leaner diary and protein sources, but that doesn't mean I think we should all live on egg whites, skim milk, and spinach.

I also disagree with the number of servings given on the food pyramid - really, 6 to 11 servings of grains and cereals? I'd love to eat 11 cups of Cheerios a day, but I don't think that will help me at all. Vegetables, you can never go wrong with those, so I have no problem with the 3 to 5 servings recommended. Fruits, 2 to 4 servings, I'm not a big fan of fruit, but I suppose the quantity of fruit I eat in one or two sittings would fit (or maybe even exceed that some days). Dairy, 2 to 3 servings, sure. Protein, 2 to 3 servings, I don't agree with that one. Body for Life and Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, and all the other muscle-centric stuff I've read suggest protein with every meal, especially if it has a starchy component. Something about slowing the absorption or whatever - I can never remember details. Fats, oils, and sugars used sparingly, okay, I am mixed on this one. I prefer moderate use of good fats and oils. Sugar, I definitely try to avoid that!

Enough of my commentary - back on topic. Here are Nash's suggestions for normal eating. They sound a lot like Fairburn's suggestions.

Eat 3 meals and 2-3 snacks per day, preferably at a set time.
Eat every 3-4 hours.
At first, focus on eating at the right times, rather than what you eat.
Never skip a meal.
Only eat when planned.
If you do mess up, get back on track as soon as you can.
Once you establish your time pattern, begin to intodroduce healthier foods.
Don't diet by not eating, restricting calories too much, or restricting food groups or specific foods.

It might seem counter-intuitive to not restrict when you're trying to lose weight, but like Fairburn, Nash suggests that structured eating with healthy choices can actually lead to weight loss. Eating regularly will decrease hunger, and you'll be less likely to binge on the foods that actually do make you gain weight. Having set times to eat reduces the opportunity for grazing. Keeping a schedule of 3-4 hours also keeps your metabolism up and stabilizes you mood, reducing the negative feelings that often trigger binges.

What about cravings? I remember earlier this summer, I wanted ice cream so badly. Nothing I did made that desire go away. It persisted all day long. I can't remember now if I actually had ice cream, but I think I managed to stay away. To deal with cravings, Nash suggests following your schedule, don't think of something as a bad food - think of it as something you should limit, and try to catch the craving early (leave the area of temptation if you're around the food that you're craving, focus your attention elsewhere, or disrupt your senses by brushing your teeth, chewing gum or a mint, or smelling something strong). Have a list of alternatives to eating available. Remember the list of activities Fairburn suggested keeping with you at all times? Apparently a good strategy. If you really can't resist, go ahead and have just a little. (Of course, if you don't have issues with portion control, this is just fine. But I can never stop at just a little bit, so it's a big issue for me.) If you do indulge, do it without guilt. Guilty feelings lead to self-loathing, which leads to more binges. When you want something, give yourself 10-15 minutes to see if the desire passes. If it doesn't, try one of the alternatives mentioned above. Determine how important giving in to your craving is and decide how much you should eat. Then eat it and stick with your plan.

If you've been sticking to your plan, reward yourself. Use a star/sticker chart to illustrate your ups and downs. Set up a reward system. For example, no binges in 2 weeks, buy yourself a CD or a DVD. Don't punish yourself for not meeting a goal though! You don't need to be perfect. Be consistent instead, with the number of binges decreasing over time.

In order to change your behavior, you have to change how you think. We often make mistakes with our thought processes. We adopt all-or-nothing mentalities, or rely only on our emotions that are often negative. We overgeneralize the way we eat and/or look. We see doom and gloom in the future, or think we know how others view us. All of this negativity sabotages our efforts not to binge, and we all have these voices in our heads:

The Critic - the judgmental voice that chips away at our self-esteem
The Excuse-Maker - the coping voice that justifies your behaviors (boy, this is a big one for me!)
The Worrier - the voice that predicts disaster, that you'll get fat if you eat that potato chip
The Caretaker - the voice that puts our own needs on the back burner in favor of the needs of others
The Victim - the voice that says it's unfair to be afflicted with these problems (yeah, another one I'm guilty of - I've noted my resentment often, that I can't just eat what and when I want)
The Enforcer - the voice that cracks the whip and demands perfection in our eating and exercising
The Voice of Negativity - the voice that points out all your flaws
The Voice of an Eating Disorder - the voice that tells you "this is who you are and how it is" when it doesn't need to be that way

Nash provides a work sheet for identifying what your voices are telling you. You use this work sheet to reprogram your brain to become a more positive thinker. Nash suggests using index cards to write out positive thoughts. You could use anything - Post-It Notes, a computer program to send daily reminders, whatever. Post something positive in your blog every day. Find something every day, or as often as you need it, to remind yourself that you are not all of those things the negative voices say.

Nash also has a chapter dealing with body image, including a bunch of questions about how you perceive your body during various periods of your life. I'm not going to review specifics here because, quite frankly, it's hard for me to relate to any of it. I think my view of my body shape and size is very realistic, and it's not that I'm ashamed of my body in any way. Yes, I tend to keep it covered because really, no one should see that ghost white skin and stretch marks. I think my body size and shape goals are also realistic - I don't want to be thin. I want to be curvy and muscular. I think here are some parts of my body that look pretty darn good (I love my legs - they may be short, but I can see muscle and I think they curve in an appealing way. My husband loves my legs and never hesitates to tell me!)

Coping with disordered eating is an entirely different beast for me. Nash talks about problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping. Problem-focused coping uses problem-solving strategies and other active methods of change that can influence a situation. I suck at problem solving. I'm not an outside-of-the-box thinker at all. In fact, even obvious solutions are often a mystery to me. Emotion-focused coping occurs when there isn't much about a situation that can be influenced, including negative feelings. For the disordered eater, this results in avoidance and escape.

Nash's strategy problem-focused coping looks a lot like Fairburn's:

Define the problem
Generate a list of alternative activities
Choose a solution and execute it

Fairburn's strategy is a little more complicated (off the top of my head, I recall a step that requires we consider the consequences of each possible alternative), but I think either one can be a good starting point.

Nash's strategy for emotion-focused coping involves relaxation and deep breathing:

Relax
Imagine a relaxing scene
When you're relaxed, end the imagery
If you want, pre-plan your imagery (even write it down) - I do this!! Well, I pre-plan the dreams I'd like to have when I fall asleep. Same concept. Yes, I'm weird.
Practice imagery. I do this too. I pre-plan the dreams several times a day. This is probably why I get so little done around the house.

There's more in the book's remaining chapter and a half that I just cannot properly summarize. There's a bit of psychology involved and I could just not do justice to any kind of write-up. I've covered the bare bones of both books here in my blog anyway, and if you think you may have binge eating disorder, I highly recommend either (or both) books. I'd start with the Joyce Nash book (Binge No More: Your Guide to Overcoming Disordered Eating) and if you feel you need more, get the Christopher Fairburn Book (Overcoming Binge Eating).

10 User Friendly Habits for Successful Home Gym Training

Are you dissatisfied with your current training program? Are you not achieving the results you had hoped for when you started training? If you are you stuck on a fitness plateau and are in need of some tips on how to start seeing progress then keep reading.

I am sure you want to see results from your training program (why would you do it if you didn?t want to see results, right?). You can start seeing measurable results again and break through those training plateaus by incorporating one or more of the following success habits for successful home gym training. In my ten+ years involved in the fitness industry and helping hundreds of people achieve their fitness goals, I have found these habits very valuable tools when it comes to seeing results from your training. I recommend using the ones that work for you and breaking through that training plateau!

Fitness Success Habits:

1.Set Clear Goals: Unfortunately a lot of people head to the gym without clearly identifying what it is exactly that they want to achieve. I suggest you nail down a specific goal to train for. I have found that when my clients really nail down a purpose to train for they always get better results. I find it interesting that when people focus on training for a special event they usually see better body composition results even though they weren?t focusing on that. I recommend picking a road race a few weeks out, a list of mountains to hike, a special date to look your best at, or a special competition to get ready for.

2.Have a Plan: Now that you have a compelling goal to train for you need a plan. I hang out in gyms a lot and most of the time I see people wandering around the gym with no plan at all. If people do have a plan that they are following, often times the plan is not appropriate for that individual. The best advice I can find is to get an individualized plan suited to the goals you have laid out. See habit number 10 below to learn more about getting the right plan for you.

3.Use Progressive Overload: ?If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.? You need to progress in order to make your body change. This is a key habit that should be followed when it comes to training the human body. In order to see the physical changes you are looking for, you want to focus on improving from workout to workout. You can perform one or more reps than last time, lift a slightly heavier weight, and do the same amount of work in less time. The key is to challenge the body by progressively and systematically overloading the body in an intelligent manner.

4.Utilize Planned Variety: On average, the typical individual will adapt to an exercise program in 3-6 weeks. If you have been following a specific routine and you are not seeing results, then it is probably time to start mixing things up. You can change all kinds of things to get some needed variety in your program. You can change the overall format (switch to circuit training, supersets, etc.), change the number of sets, change the number of reps per set, change the rest periods between sets, change the exercises you are using for a given muscle group, change the grip or hand position, and you can even change the speed of movement for the exercises. The options are almost unlimited so don?t bore your muscles with the same old exercises with the same old 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Variety is the spice of life and a key factor in seeing continued progress.

5.Select ?Money? Exercises: Simply put, some exercises deliver a lot more benefit than others. Multi-joint, compound exercises like snatches, cleans, squats, deadlifts, lunges, step-ups, bench presses, chest presses, seated rows, bentover rows, standing overhead presses, lat. pulldowns, pull-ups and chin-ups should make up the core of your exercise selection. No matter what your goals are you will get far better results by making the exercises listed above the core of your training program.

6.Keep a Training Log: ?But Kyle, I don?t need a training log, I can remember what I have done before in my head.? I hear this one all the time, usually from the same people who are not seeing any results from their efforts. Listen. If you want to see progress from your training, don?t leave things up to guess work. Remove all doubt and start tracking things. Track your progress via measurements such as body fat percentage, girth measurements, and body weight. Your training log can help you learn from your prior mistakes and help you achieve the results you are looking for at a faster rate.

7.Track What You Eat: Some experts say that 75-80% of your overall results are totally due to your nutrition. This may be surprising to you but you can gain muscle or lose fat on the exact same program. Your nutritional intake will totally dictate your results so if you really want to make some progress it can be a good idea to periodically track what you eat so that you can make sure that you are eating in a manner supportive to your goals.

8.Periodically Evaluate Your Progress or Lack Thereof: No program works forever and no matter how effective a given program was you should mix things up when you are no longer seeing results from your efforts. The only way to judge the effectiveness of a training program is by the results it is producing or not producing. Some experts recommend checking your progress every 1-3 weeks to see if you are improving in the areas you want to. If you are not seeing improvements then that should be a mental note for you to make some changes. If you are seeing results, keep training until that program no longer delivers.

9.Find a Great Training Partner: A great training habit that has the potential to improve your fitness results is to find a dedicated training partner. Choose carefully. You want someone who will challenge you, someone positive, someone to keep you on track, and someone who will help improve your training. You don?t want someone who is unreliable, negative, and lazy. Choose wisely and this training habit could mean renewed progress!

10.Find Coaches and Mentors: Coaches and Mentors can help save you lots of frustration. Coaches and Mentors have been there before and help you achieve better results at a faster rate. They know little tricks to help you get back on track towards the results you want, so do yourself a favor and invest in yourself by learning from these experienced teachers.

There you have it, ten success habits to help you break through those stubborn training plateaus. Implement some of these suggestions and I am sure that you will get back on track towards your fitness goals. Enjoy your training and keep focused on your goal.

Train with purpose,

Kyle

Kyle Battis owns and operates Professional Fitness Coaching based out of Concord, NH. Kyle specializes in body transformation programs, athletic performance enhancement programs, and home gym training. If you want a collection of ideas to add some variety to your training please visit http://www.HomeGymSecrets.com You?ll have access to some amazing audio interviews Kyle has done with top-fitness professionals and you will receive a Free E-Book, ?The 20 Essential Secrets to Building the Body and the Home Gym of Your Dreams,? just for visiting. Kyle can be contacted by e-mailing him at kyle@homegymsecrets.com.

Change your body, change your life

Cosmetic surgery is big business these days: liposuction, body-contouring, breast augmentation or reduction and even botox injections. All of these not only improve you on your looks but may change more than your body. This was the campaign for promoting cosmetic surgery. It symbolizes that it will not only change your everyday sex life but also you will definitely stand apart in the crowd and grab people’s attention. I think Cosmetic surgery can help improve your appearance, but it’s not for everyone and one has to understand the benefits, risks and limitations to make the best choice.

Sex Change Surgery - The Beginning

"The Johns Hopkins Hospital has quietly begun performing sex change surgery.
The Baltimore hospital, one of the most eminent teaching and research institutions in the country, has also established a "gender identity clinic," staffed by a special committee of psychiatrists, surgeons and other specialists, to screen applicants for the operation.

Although the controversial surgery has been performed in many European countries in the last fifteen years and by a few surgeons in this country, Johns Hopkins is the first American hospital to give it official support.

Two operations approved by the committee of specialists have already been performed, the first last September and the second last month ... They are said to be recovering satisfactorily.

In the male-to-female operation, which takes three-and-a-half to four hours, the external genitals are removed and a vaginal passage created.

Female hormone treatments before and after surgery gradually reduce secondary male sexual characteristics such as body hair and enhance feminine appearance through breast development and the widening of hips.

About ten percent of the 100 applications received by the hospital have been from women, on whom a transformation operation can also be performed.

The men and women who seek sex change surgery are called transsexuals. They are almost always physically normal, but they have a total aversion to their biological sex that dates from early childhood. They have the apparently unshakable conviction that they are either female beings trapped in a male body or males trapped in a female body.

The overriding desire in the case of men is to be accepted as women. For this reason, psychiatrists believe, they are often sexually inactive before surgery because of their distaste for homosexual relationships.

Although transsexuals frequently assume the identity of the opposite sex without surgery, they are distinguished from transvestites, who derive pleasure from wearing the clothing of the opposite sex but have no desire for a sex change.

While opinion is not unanimous, many leading psychiatrists and psychoanalysts who have examined transsexuals, believe that they cannot be helped by psychotherapy. Such persons, moreover, are regarded as prone to mental breakdown and depression, suicide and, occasionally, self mutilation.

Dr. John E. Hoopes, a plastic surgeon who is chairman of the Johns Hopkins committee, said last week:

"After exhaustively reviewing the available literature and discussing the problem with people knowledgeable in this area, I arrived at the unavoidable conclusion that these people need and deserve help."

Transsexualism is thought to be relatively rare and far more frequent in men than in women. Dr. Hoopes said transsexuals in this country probably numbered in the thousands.

About 2,000 persons have undergone sex change surgery. Of these, perhaps 500 are from the United States. The best known is probably Christine Jorgensen, formerly George Jorgensen, who was operated on in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1952 and has since become a nightclub performer and actress.

Virtually all the operations have been performed in Europe, Morocco, Japan, and Mexico. A few surgeons have performed the operation in this country, probably not more than a dozen times in all, but many hospital boards have refused to permit it.

Experts in the field believe that the Johns Hopkins decision that the surgery does not violate legal restrictions on mutilation or ethical and moral codes will lead to its being performed at other hospitals in the United States.

The Johns Hopkins committee was formed a year ago. After preliminary studies, it began accepting applications for surgery in July. Most of its patients have been referred to it by the Harry Benjamin Foundation here.

The foundation is headed by Dr. Harry Benjamin, an endocrinologist, who has been studying and treating transsexuals, often without charge, for the last 15 years.

Dr. Benjamin has led the fight to have these persons regarded as a distinct medical phenomenon and coined the term transsexual to describe them. Earlier this year he published a book, The Transsexual Phenomenon.

His work is supported by the Erickson Foundation of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which also pays the cost of transsexual research at Johns Hopkins. The foundation, headed by Reed Erickson, also supports research in air pollution and human resources. Mr. Erickson is a consulting engineer of independent wealth.

The Johns Hopkins clinic examines only two patients a month. There already is a long waiting list. Applicants receive a thorough physical and mental examination from the committee, which costs $100. Only those who show no signs of psychosis and appear to have a degree of insight into their condition are accepted. . . . A number of psychiatrists familiar with the subject regard the majority of transsexuals as emotionally normal except for their gender confusion, which leads to intense feelings of frustration.

"It flies in the face of everything I believed when I began," said a Los Angeles psychiatrist-psychoanalyst, who has done considerable research in the field. "They are shockingly normal except for that one area."

After surgery and about two weeks of hospital care, the overall cost of which averages about $1,500, the patient is asked to be available for further study at the hospital. Also, for a former male, for example, to retain external female characteristics, he must continue receiving female hormones.

"This program, including the surgery, is investigational," Dr. Hoopes said. "The most important result of our efforts will be to determine precisely what constitutes a transsexual and what makes him remain that way.

"Medicine needs a sound means of alleviating the problems of gender identification and of fostering public understanding of these extremely unfortunate individuals. It is too early in the program to be either optimistic or pessimistic."

The origins of transsexualism are not yet certain. No organic basis for the condition has been found, but research is continuing into the possibility that it may be at least partly due to heredity or abnormal glandular functions before birth.

Psychiatrists believe that transsexualism is caused by prolonged conditioning early in life, perhaps within the first three years. Some cases, in which a mother wanted a daughter instead of a son and raised her child accordingly, seem obvious, but the origin of others is obscure.

By means of the family histories that it takes from transsexuals, the Johns Hopkins committee, as well as the Benjamin Foundation, hopes to shed new light on the problem. Similar investigations, although without surgery, are also being carried on at the University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center."

This amazing news was rapidly propagated by other newpapers all around the country.

This article appeared on the front page of The New York Times on November 21, 1966:

A SEX SWAP OP..AT 18 EXCLUSIVE BRITAIN'S YOUNGEST-EVER TRANSSEXUAL

In her low-cut dress Lucy Parker smiles confidently at the camera. She couldn't be more different than the picture of the 11-year-old boy in his school uniform with the pudding-basin haircut.

Yet the pictures taken seven years apart are of the same person. Richard Parker, schoolboy, has become Lucy Parker, the teenage girl who loves make-up and wearing the highest of high heels.

At 18 Lucy is the youngest transsexual in Britain. She started hormone treatment at 16 and has had an operation to give her breasts. In a few months her transformation will be complete after a final operation.

"Some people will say I am too young to have made this decision, but for me becoming a true woman can't come soon enough," says Lucy. "I have spent 16 years trapped in a man's body, but my soul is a woman's."

At the beginning of the year Lucy, who's a Size 8 and 5ft 10in tall, had 34C breast implants - an 18th birthday present from her mum Allison, 41.

In the next few months Lucy will undergo $10,000 sex reassignment surgery, possibly in Thailand, to remove her manhood and build a vagina. "After the operation I will be finally who I was meant to be," says Lucy who lives in Middlesbrough on Teesside.

Sexual Reassignment Surgery in Thailand or The US - Consider The Costs

Thinking of undergoing Sexual reassignment surgery in The US? - Think again!

Below is an account of someone who did "The Works" in The US and at US prices. If you don't have that kind of money to spare or simply don't want to spend that vast sum then consider having all the surgical procedures done in Thailand at 20% of the US cost.

This account was passed to me. Sorry I don't know who the writer is. If you know then
please tell me and I can properly reference the article about SRS in Thailand.

It costs way more than you think to transition properly. By properly, I mean making sufficient
changes that you can live successfully in your identified gender. Living successfully means
that you are know longer seen as your birth gender.

If all you want to do is change your genitals from male to female you can do that in Thailand
for less than $12,000 US plus airfare. You'll need to have a good amount available for
counseling afterwards if this is all you do as your face, facial hair, voice, body build, hair, etc.
will cause you to not fit in to society.

If you want sticker shock, these are my costs that I incurred over the 2006 - 2008 period
using the best US doctors (in my opinion anyway):

Sexual reassignment surgery (vaginaplasty) - $21,650
Sexual reassignment surgery (labiaplasty) - $4,770
Breast augmentation - $6,975
Facial Feminization Surgery (part 1 - jaw alignment) - $11,680
Facial Feminization Surgery (part 2 - trachea shave, jaw contouring, shortening the chin,
shortening the upper lift, rhinoplasty, forhead contouring, hair advancement) - $40,945
Laser Hair Removal of beard and mustache - $1,940
Electrolysis (preparation for SRS) - $650
Counseling ($70 to $125 per hour, once a week for about 3 years) - over $6000 and still
counting
Voice therapy ($80 hour for about a year) - about $4000
Miscellaneous costs such as airfare and lodging - about $1000

Total to transition completely - just over $100,000.

Oh by the way, that doesn't include the indirect costs of lost income, alimony or child
support if transitioning causes you to loose your job or marriage. This is not something to take likely. Go talk to a counselor before you do anything else.