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The last of Juliet Jacques' blogs about her transgender journey as posted on the Guardian website, in this she considers whether her surgery was worth it and reflects on her four year voyage of discovery.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/nov/29/transgend...
Comments
A sensitive appraisal
She seems like a sensible, well adjusted sort, and I think that's a pretty good summary of the process.
One thing that leapt out at me toward the end:
Say what? Why on earth would you do that? I took hormones on and off for at least a year - I think it might have been more - before I felt comfortable enough to formally announce my transition. Is this some weird British health service rule?
not as think as i smart i am
I think the official line
is that you should live in role before hormones are prescribed. I didn't and took them for several years before I finally transitioned, but then I had to wait five years for surgery. I went full time in 14th July 1986 and had surgery on 12th December 1991 (a sort of late birthday present).
Angharad
The official line seems cruel
I waited several years after transition for surgery too, but that was my fault, not my doctors'.
Joyeux Anniversaire on your forthcoming 21st re-birthday. :)
not as think as i smart i am
Back in the...
Back in the mid '80s (when I finally got the gumption to go see a shrink - and got "diagnosed")...
The process here in the US was two (2) YEARS living full time BEFORE they would CONSIDER hormones for you.
THEN, you had to be on hormones for AT LEAST a year before they would CONSIDER recommending you for surgery.
Who made these decisions? At least in the area where I lived at the time, A committee made up of two psychologists, a dermatologist, a plastic surgeon, a general surgeon, a urologist, and two or three (2-3) others I don't recall right now.
At each "gate" point, you had to meet with every member of the committee, and the decision had to be unanimous.
Oh, and it was all out of pocket $$$ wise.
Things are much easier now... If you're lucky, insurance can cover some if not all of your expenses.
Annette (who's 5 months into her RLT)