Help Bappie get Top Surgery in Spain

Introduction

Hello! My name is Bappie, a.k.a. Tranye West online. I am a trans man trying to get top surgery in Spain with Doctor Jesús Lago. My surgery date has been set on June 20th

 

 

How did we get to this point?

I am so glad you asked! My top surgery request has been denied several times in my own country, The Netherlands.

 

The Netherlands has a strict medical law that anybody with a BMI above 35 is barred from surgery unless it is life threatening. This has been an issue throughout my entire transition of eleven ( 11 ) years. The first five ( 5 ) years they denied me my hormones because of my weight and now that I am ready for top surgery I have been denied again. Now after fighting for my top surgery here for eleven years I have found a surgeon who can work with fat trans bodies.

 

 

Can't you just lose the excess weight?

That is the sad part of it all. I have taken every possible road. For my hormone therapy I have gone on a heavy shake diet, with a dietician. All my meals were replaced with mealshakes, I only drank water, and had one piece of fruit as a snack. I held on for a few good months and finally got my testosterone. Since living on shakes was expensive I stopped and gained the lost weight and more.

 

My second attempt was therapy in combination with a specialized dietician. After an intense 20 weeks of therapy, diets and going to the gym, I was diagnosed with an eating disorder. Meaning that I would always struggle with food and my weight.

 

My final attempt at getting my weight "under control" has been weight loss surgery. In 2019 I got a gastric sleeve and never looked back, after all I need that top surgery. I went from 120kg to 88kg in a year, and could finally apply for top surgery. Then the pandemic struck the world.

 

Due to these unprecedented times I have unfortunately gained weight. Lockdown, gyms opening and closing, no access to mental health support kicked my disordered eating into overdrive and I gained again, losing my access to top surgery.

 

 

Why Spain, Why now?

I've lost my patience and trust with the Dutch healthcare system. Even if my BMI is 35 or 30, it is still a fat body. Something that the gender clinic had little to no experience with. Other Dutch fat trans men have had negative results and experiences with the surgeons here and have advised me to seek help outside the country.

 

 

What do you get in return?

Nothing in this world is for free and every good deed should be rewarded.

 

Since I am a believer in sharing knowledge, joy and open source. I want to give back a digital booklet in which I have logged and photographed my body and chest before top surgery, my journey to Madrid, the whole healing process from week one, to the first year.

 

It is important for black and fat trans people to have access to how well surgeons perform with unconventional bodies and to anybody else that is curious about trans bodies healing.

 

The digital booklet will be open to all and via my socials.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can always contact me via my socials

 

Instagram; TranyeWest

Twitter; TranyeWest

 

 

Explain the costs

Yes! Let’s be transparent about the money of course!

 

Top Surgery - €6.000

Hotel or AirBNB - €1.500

Tickets to Madrid for 2 - €200*

Compression Vest - €100

Train Tickets to Valencia - €50

Tickets back to Valencia - €250

 

*I need to take a second person with me to take care of me as I heal in Madrid.

 

 

Me talking on Social Media about being fat and trans