This is the place where I will be documenting my transition. Obviously, as time goes on, it will get more involved, so keep checking back from time to time to witness the changes. I'll try and post pictures, as well as keep a written log of my progress. I'll also be trying to update my LJ a little more frequently.
As of today, May 1st, I am all but done with the therapy phase of my transition. My therapist is all set to write my letter for T. I need to make an appointment with my doctor to talk to her about all of this. I don't know how trans friendly/educated she is, so it's kind of a crap shoot. I'm hoping she's good with all of this, and can find some wiggle room or loopholes in Group Health's provisions against treating GID. If not, I'm hoping she'll at least write my script, and I'll fill it over the internet, most likely through Stroheckers. Of course, she could recoil in horror and throw me out of her office, and I'll be right back where I started. Unfortunately, my therapist won't write me a blank letter. She wants a doctor's name and address, so I need to find a provider before I can have my letter.
Additionally, I'm also going to be trying to get a hysto covered and taken care of in the immediate future. I think I have a pretty decent chance of being able to get it covered, since I have documented menstrual trouble. I haven't bled naturally in somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 years, and even with having been prescribed birth control pills to regulate my cycle twice in the past, I've only been able to bleed for about 6 months, and then it stops again. I'm pretty sure it's PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome), and I'm not positive that they'll readily yank out my works for it, but if I pound on enough desks, and if my partner throws in her .02, we should be able to get it covered.
Speaking of my partner, we're still kind of at odds over this whole thing. She's not terribly receptive to the idea of me going on T, but she has said she's at least willing to try and see what happens. This is a major improvement, since up until rather recently her attitude was "You do it and you're gone." She wants me to lose some weight first, which does make sense, but I don't know what her exact definition of "lose the weight" is, and being a Gemini, it could change daily. She did say she understands I'm getting to the point where I can't stand living like this any more, and she wants me to wait "as long as you possibly can stand to," but I don't know how much of that statement I should take with a grain of salt, so we'll just see what happens. I have been taking generic Xenadrine pills, and my appetite has shrunk recently (I think due to my binder, an Underworks Double Front...it compresses my tummy too, and I think it's helping me not eat quite so much), so I have lost a few pounds. I'm hoping that trend continues, and she's willing to accept that as enough progress.
I'll also try and get a few pre-T pics up, and I might try and set up some voice clips. I haven't really decided about the voice clips, since my voice seems to vary from day to day. It's strange, one day it's this amazingly male sound, making me wonder just how deep it'll go once I'm on T, and the next it's this borderline male/female thing, with the odd prepubescent squeak thrown in. It's kind of aggravating, and I'm hoping T will help it to stabilize once and for all
Well, that's about all for now. I'll update again once I have some of the appointment things out of the way, and have a better idea of when I'll actually be able to start T and when I might expect to have my hysto.
5/17/04
Just a quick update here for now. I have an appointment with my doctor for this Thursday, the 20th, to try and get a referral from her to a surgeon for my hysto. While I'm there, I'll test the waters to see where she stands on the possiblity of writing me a script for T. It's only Monday, and I'm already getting apprehensive over the whole thing. I'm really hoping she's receptive to my requests. Right now more so for the hysto, since that's a major hurdle I have to overcome before I can go on T. So, that's about all I have at the moment. I'm sure I'll have more to add come Thursday.
8/2/04
So here we are, nearly 3 months later, and I finally have something to add. My doc wasn't too hot on the idea of prescribing T for me, but she did give me a referral to a gyno and set up a pelvic ultrasound. That was at the beginning of last month, and it basically confirmed a diagnosis of PCOS. Meanwhile, the gyno she referred me to was receptive to my request for a hysto, and did his damnedest to get it approved. I go in for surgery September 15. My pre-op is September 8. Once I'm healed from the surgery I plan to file all the necessary paperwork to change my name, and finally make an appointment to start T. I'll have more to add after my pre-op.
9/24/04
Yes, I forgot to update after my pre-op. But I have a whole page devoted to my surgery. You can find it here or it's also linked from the main page.
3/28/05
Finally, finally, finally, I get to move forward again. I have an appointment in 2 days to start T. I'm also planning on filing the paperwork and coughing up the dough to change my name, but first thing's first. I'll have more to add after my appointment, and obviously there will be more frequent updates. Stay tuned!
5/12/05
Okay, so I didn't get my script on that date. But I finally have it. I just need to call the pharmacy later this morning to verify they received the fax and hand over my payment information, and then it will be on its way. I have an appointment in one week to receive my first shot and learn to self-inject. I'll be starting on 1/2 CC 200 mg/ml every 2 weeks. Now you really can expect to see more updates on my progress. Hell, you can actually expect progress. This website is about to get a whole lot more exciting.