Former Bruce Jenner, now Caitlyn had a 10-hour facial feminization surgery in March of this year, to complete his transgender journey.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Jenner said the operation took twice as long as expected. After an initial panic attack following the surgery, she spoke with a counselor and put the second-guessing behind her. Jenner told the magazine she firmly stands by her decision:
"If I was lying on my deathbed and I had kept this secret and never ever did anything about it, I would be lying there saying, 'You just blew your entire life. You never dealt with yourself,' and I don't want that to happen," she said.
Jenner had taken steps toward feminization in the past, including taking hormones that resulted in breast growth and procedures for facial hair removal, her facial surgery was the final step of her transition. Vanity Fair reported that she did not have genital surgery.
Facial feminization surgery can include a number of procedures, including the re-positioning and reshaping of the eyebrows and hairline, chin and jaw reductions, cheek augmentation, lift lips, and tracheal shaving, or reducing the size of the Adam's apple, Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel, a Boston-based plastic surgeon who specializes in facial feminization surgery, told CBS News.
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Speaking publicly for the first time since completing her gender transition, Caitlyn Jenner compared her emotional two-day photo shoot with Annie Leibovitz for the July cover of Vanity Fair to winning the gold medal for the decathlon at the 1976 Olympics. She told contributing editor and author of Friday Night Lights Buzz Bissinger during an interview.
For the children, the issue of the transition was a non-issue because already he had told them individually about the transition he went ahead to change his gender. They told Bissinger they feel both happiness for their father and inspiration at Jenner’s bravery, and they all still see their dad as their dad regardless of any gender label.
His son,Brandon said he was a little taken aback when he saw Caitlyn for the first time after surgery and she pulled her top up to reveal her new breasts. “Whoa, I’m still your son,” he reminded her.
As part of the transition, Jenner started hosting small gatherings called “girls’ nights” with wine and food where Jenner could dress as desired and feel natural in the presence of women.
For those who viewed her action as part of a publicity stunt for a reality show. She told them, "I’m doing it to help my soul and help other people. If I can make a dollar, I certainly am not stupid. [I have] house payments and all that kind of stuff. I will never make an excuse for something like that. Yeah, this is a business. You don’t go out and change your gender for a television show. O.K., it ain’t happening. I don’t care who you are.”
