Transsexual lottery winner regrets paying for gender reassignment

Aug 11, 2006, 3:06 pm (18 comments)

UK National Lottery

A transsexual who came to prominence in 2003 for funding her sex-change operation from a UK National Lottery win has revealed to her local newspaper that she now regrets paying £21,000 (US$40,000) for the procedure.

Mick Parltrow, then a 52-year-old lorry driver, won £250,000 (US$480,000) and travelled to Thailand for the operation. Although she does not regret changing sex, Melanie feels the lottery win was no blessing.

After the operation, Melanie returned to work, but problems at home led to the break-up of her 25-year marriage. Previously her spouse had been supportive, even going shopping with Mick to buy women's clothes. Things started to deteriorate as the lottery cash dwindled, and Melanie was eventually forced to move out alone into a rented bugalow.

"I know I shouldn't have spent the money on the sex change operation. If I hadn't won the lottery, I wouldn't have had it done at that time," she told the Cannock Chase Post.

"My wife and I would still be together now — not living as man and wife maybe, but as friends. My wife, my son and myself, would all be living together still."

But despite the traumas, Melanie has no regrets about the gender reassignment itself. She summed up the situation to the Cannock Chase Post.

"Was it worth the price? No it wasn't, but I don't think I could've lived my life any other way. I couldn't have been Mick anymore. I had to do it."

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justxploring's avatarjustxploring

"After the operation, Melanie returned to work, but problems at home led to the break-up of her 25-year marriage. "

Ya think?

Rip Snorter

Quote: Originally posted by justxploring on Aug 11, 2006

"After the operation, Melanie returned to work, but problems at home led to the break-up of her 25-year marriage. "

Ya think?

Lots of imponderables in that story.

For some reason it reminds me of a limerick I learned, or maybe wrote back around 1969.

There was once a young man named Hollace

Used snakes and snails for his solace

The offspring had scales

And prehensile tails

And voted for Governor Wallace.

Don't know why this story reminds me of that, but it does.

J

justxploring's avatarjustxploring

Nobody can blame the lottery for the breakup of this family.  After all, in some states in our country his marriage would be illegal, right? I mean, after the operation wouldn't it be a same-sex marriage?

Rip Snorter

Quote: Originally posted by justxploring on Aug 11, 2006

Nobody can blame the lottery for the breakup of this family.  After all, in some states in our country his marriage would be illegal, right? I mean, after the operation wouldn't it be a same-sex marriage?

I don't know how all that works.

Sometimes I think my life's been a complicated place.  And the bulk of the complications during the first four decades involved sex, money, or both.  Luckily there were only two sexes in those days and no lotteries.

I read something of this sort and I find my life hasn't been complicated at all.  Been purely smooth and ordinary in all ways.

J

Coin Toss's avatarCoin Toss
Romantic Evening

After a long night of making love, the young guy
rolled over, and was
looking around when he noticed a framed picture of
another man on a desk
in the distance. Naturally, the guy began to worry.

"Is this your husband?" he inquired nervously.

"No, silly," she replied, snuggling up to him.

"Your boyfriend then?" he asked. "No, not at all,"
she said, nibbling away at his ear.

"Well, who is he then?" demanded the bewildered guy.

Calmly, she replied, "That's me before the surgery."



justxploring's avatarjustxploring

Seriously, it must be very sad to grow up feeling you don't belong in your body.  Life is complicated enough as Rip Snorter above mentioned.  Winning the money gave this man the opportunity to pursue a dream, which is exactly why many of us play.  It's interesting how the press can come up with all the reasons a life is ruined by winning money.

TheGameGrl's avatarTheGameGrl

Perhaps I read the article in a different light without interpreting any "blame" for the marital woes. The lottery winner made it very clear the regrets that any marital breakup curtails. I found the winner to have a decent attitude on the fact that family means alot, and that cant be bought or sold. The transgender change is what this person found necessary, and its a personal choice.

Its easy to look in retrospect with some level of remorse, this is just one person willing to share that perspective. Most likely the person *now* wishes they had more funds available since being on ones own.(basically buyers remorse)-

justxploring's avatarjustxploring

Quote: Originally posted by TheGameGrl on Aug 11, 2006

Perhaps I read the article in a different light without interpreting any "blame" for the marital woes. The lottery winner made it very clear the regrets that any marital breakup curtails. I found the winner to have a decent attitude on the fact that family means alot, and that cant be bought or sold. The transgender change is what this person found necessary, and its a personal choice.

Its easy to look in retrospect with some level of remorse, this is just one person willing to share that perspective. Most likely the person *now* wishes they had more funds available since being on ones own.(basically buyers remorse)-

GameGrl, I'm not disagreeing with you, and I really don't think we read the story all that differently. However, it did say that, as the money dwindled, the marriage began to dissolve. So it implied that money was a key factor. Who knows? The reason I'm posting again is that I couldn't help but chuckle at the "buyer's remorse" remark.  I'm sure there are many people who spend tons of money on plastic surgery like facelifts, breast augmentation, liposuction and rhinoplasty. Some regret it and others feel better about their lives.  However, as cruel as it sounds, I was thinking as I read your post that regretting having your penis chopped off would be the ultimate "buyer's remorse."

Rick G's avatarRick G

Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on Aug 11, 2006

Romantic Evening

After a long night of making love, the young guy
rolled over, and was
looking around when he noticed a framed picture of
another man on a desk
in the distance. Naturally, the guy began to worry.

"Is this your husband?" he inquired nervously.

"No, silly," she replied, snuggling up to him.

"Your boyfriend then?" he asked. "No, not at all,"
she said, nibbling away at his ear.

"Well, who is he then?" demanded the bewildered guy.

Calmly, she replied, "That's me before the surgery."



Sometimes I think this place is a better comedy room than a lottery forum.

Thanks, Coin Toss!  You always keep us laughing. 

Rip Snorter

Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on Aug 11, 2006

Romantic Evening

After a long night of making love, the young guy
rolled over, and was
looking around when he noticed a framed picture of
another man on a desk
in the distance. Naturally, the guy began to worry.

"Is this your husband?" he inquired nervously.

"No, silly," she replied, snuggling up to him.

"Your boyfriend then?" he asked. "No, not at all,"
she said, nibbling away at his ear.

"Well, who is he then?" demanded the bewildered guy.

Calmly, she replied, "That's me before the surgery."



A lot of the appeal for promiscuity and casual sex began to erode during the late '70s when Herpes Simplex, asymptomatic gohnawhatchallit, and other anti-biotic resistant strains of STD reared their heads.

Then in 1983, along came HIV to seal the coffin.

It took me several years to digest the impact of all that and tone down my behaviors appropriately, deciding that one particular monogamous imperfect woman was a better bet than numerous seemingly less imperfect ones who slept around.

Now in this brave new world there's the added possibility of experiencing something of the sort you've described.

Makes for the first good argument I've ever heard in favor of a person coming into this world as a female.  At least she can go through life with some level of certainty that the person she's kissing is a male.  Or was once one.

Monk-hood's going to make a comeback.

Remember where you heard it first.

J

Rick G's avatarRick G

Quote: Originally posted by justxploring on Aug 11, 2006

GameGrl, I'm not disagreeing with you, and I really don't think we read the story all that differently. However, it did say that, as the money dwindled, the marriage began to dissolve. So it implied that money was a key factor. Who knows? The reason I'm posting again is that I couldn't help but chuckle at the "buyer's remorse" remark.  I'm sure there are many people who spend tons of money on plastic surgery like facelifts, breast augmentation, liposuction and rhinoplasty. Some regret it and others feel better about their lives.  However, as cruel as it sounds, I was thinking as I read your post that regretting having your penis chopped off would be the ultimate "buyer's remorse."

HA!  

The chuckles just keep on rolling in!  My only remorse is the augmentation I had last year...it's painful and clumsy to drag this elephant trunk around all the time.

bellyache's avatarbellyache

Well hopefully she finds happiness. Maybe the spilt-up is the best thing in the long-run for all partys involved. Who knows.

emilyg's avataremilyg

Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on Aug 11, 2006

Romantic Evening

After a long night of making love, the young guy
rolled over, and was
looking around when he noticed a framed picture of
another man on a desk
in the distance. Naturally, the guy began to worry.

"Is this your husband?" he inquired nervously.

"No, silly," she replied, snuggling up to him.

"Your boyfriend then?" he asked. "No, not at all,"
she said, nibbling away at his ear.

"Well, who is he then?" demanded the bewildered guy.

Calmly, she replied, "That's me before the surgery."



                  ROFL

golotto

I can't understand why Mick changed her name to Melanie. Don't get me wrong, Melanie is a very beautiful name, but I know two women named or at least nicknamed Mick and as well as several guys. With such a perfectly nice unisex style name form the start; just seems like she could have kept the original and avoided lots of name changing paperwork hassle.

good luck to everyone with tomorrow night's Powerball draw 

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