Transgender Care ll:
My appointment with my gender-care specialist, Dr. G, was set. I was sooooo excited and had so much anticipation. Again accompanied by my wife, I awaited the unknown. In walked Dr. G, who in both my and my wife's opinions, is one of the most knowledgeable, kind, compassionate, caring and low key health care providers that either of us have met. She (her preferred pronoun) explained the process and more importantly the availability for TOPSurgery options. She showed me the website of a plastic surgery practice in the San Francisco area, and spoke about the confidence she had in their results. The pictures were awesome. The results amazing in my mind.
Then the lights went out - she told me that the wait to get into the queue was about a year and a half. I nearly crumbled. I cried. I was instantly depressed and deflated. She understood. She explained that now, with so many TG folks coming forward combined with the availability of insurance to cover the cost of such surgeries, that waiting became the norm. She feared that if I went to just anyone who said that they do TOPSurgery, that I may become a victim of a "breast-reduction", or be hacked up by someone with little experience. Although I agreed with her reasoning, I was crushed and deflated.
The referral could happen today. The surgery date was a far as 18 months away. So there went my vow to myself that I would have TOPSurgery before my 60th birthday. After all of this time, living with this body that felt like a cosmic betrayal, I was put on a list, and I had ZERO control. Or so I thought............
Then the lights went out - she told me that the wait to get into the queue was about a year and a half. I nearly crumbled. I cried. I was instantly depressed and deflated. She understood. She explained that now, with so many TG folks coming forward combined with the availability of insurance to cover the cost of such surgeries, that waiting became the norm. She feared that if I went to just anyone who said that they do TOPSurgery, that I may become a victim of a "breast-reduction", or be hacked up by someone with little experience. Although I agreed with her reasoning, I was crushed and deflated.
The referral could happen today. The surgery date was a far as 18 months away. So there went my vow to myself that I would have TOPSurgery before my 60th birthday. After all of this time, living with this body that felt like a cosmic betrayal, I was put on a list, and I had ZERO control. Or so I thought............
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