Chaz Bono

I'm sure some of you have already heard or read about this, but I thought I'd share, just in case.  Chastity Bono (Sonny and Cher's child) has started the process of transitioning from female to male and now goes by Chaz Bono.  There are several articles available online, all say more or less the same thing.  All the articles I've seen have been pretty respectful of his decision and his privacy.  I don't usually follow celebrities very closely, but this is actually a pretty major development for awareness of trans issues in mainstream media.  Chaz is the first celebrity (that I'm aware of) to transition.

Here's one of the articles from People Magazine:

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20284698,00.html

Starting T

Yesterday, I started taking testosterone.  There's really not much to tell about this, since it's pretty straight forward.  I had a doctor's appointment yesterday, during which my doctor walked me through how to self-administer the injection.  I'll be injecting .5cc once a week.  1cc every other week is a more common dosage, but it can lead to more significant ups and downs in mood.  I've opted to play it safe with the moods and just poke myself twice as often.

Obviously there won't be any changes for a while.  My voice will probably be the first change that I or anyone else notices.  I'm going to be recording my voice each week.  However, I won't post any recordings online  for about another month, since there won't be any changes to be heard any earlier than that.

Anyway, just thought I'd share with everyone.  In many ways, this is the biggest step in transitioning.  More than any surgery I might get down the line, the testosterone will be responsible for most of the changes I go through.  I'm very excited to be starting on this journey finally.  I'm glad you all get to watch the proverbial grass grow with me.

Picking up Testosterone Prescription

I just wanted to relate my experience about picking up my prescription for T.  A week ago (5/28) I went up to Seattle a picked up my prescription from my doctor.  It's too highly controlled of a substance to be faxed or called in to a pharmacy.

I really wasn't sure what to expect from the folks at the pharmacy.  They're supposed to be friendly and not give people odd looks for their prescriptions, but honestly, I figured I'd get at least a little bit of double take bringing in a prescription for testosterone.  I mean, as much as I try to pass as a guy while out in public, my voice is quite clearly female and my ID still says "F" instead of "M" on it.  I was sure they would be weirded out by someone they certainly perceived as female requesting a prescription for testosterone.  I was pleasantly surprised when I brought in the prescription and the woman looked at it and went in the back to check that they had it on hand.  They did.  She didn't even blink at the request.

We still had to wait a bit for her to run the insurance info and input the prescription into their system. There were also several prescriptions ahead of mine.  Now, I had been to this pharmacy before, for other prescriptions, so my information was in their system, but under "Heather" not "Henry" (my prescription was written out to my current name).  When we came back to pick up the actual prescription, she had already updated their information with my new name.  Overall, the experience was actually a pleasant one (I had been bracing myself for a potentially unpleasant one).

As a side note, my insurance did cover the prescription.  I don't know if they will kick it back at a later date or not.  Insurance companies are notoriously inconsistent with coverage of transpeople.

Letter on Monday

It's official.  I'll be getting my Letter for starting T for sure this Monday.  I chatted with my counselor when she called to reschedule for an appointment later in the day and she said that she'd definitely have my letter for me.  I just thought I'd let everyone know.

Men's Tank-tops

So this weekend I thought I'd try to find a tank-top I could wear with my binder (without it showing, or at least not showing much).  After about 2 1/2 hours of searching the Tacoma Mall, I realized that all men's tank tops have amazingly low-cut arm holes.  Now, I realize that men tend to sweat more and the large arm holes are supposed to help with that (I'm told it's to cool down the arm pits, but I suspect it's mostly just so the sweat doesn't show).  But really, I'd have expected to find at least ONE tank top with closer cut arm holes.  In the end I went with a tank top from the boys department.  It's also shorter which is good, since I'm only 5' 3" with an appropriate proportioned torso (no I really don't need the extra foot and a half tacked onto most men's tanks and undershirts).  Seriously though, someone could make some serious bank marketing clothing to the trans community.  I mean really, even after transitioning, transmen are still going to average, well, about my height.  And transwomen are going to tend to be taller and have narrow hips... oh wait... they make clothes like that already...

2 weeks and counting...

Yesterday I got the news from my counselor that I've been waiting for. I'm going to be starting T in 2 weeks. She told me that she should have my Letter for me when we meet for our next session, June 8th. The gender specialist at Seattle Counseling Service has to sign off on the Letter, so it's not a for sure thing just yet. However, my counselor said she didn't see any reason that the specialist wouldn't sign off. Two days later I have an appointment with my Seattle doctor.

It's a little strange to me that I have two general practitioners that I see, but the doctor I see here in Tacoma didn't feel comfortable prescribing testosterone. She specializes in women's health, so the occasion for her to prescribe T for anyone just doesn't occur. I'd have been the first.

Instead I'm seeing a doctor at Capitol Hill Medial. I would recommend any of the doctors at this office for trans patients. I have never felt anything but welcome and completely accepted at Capitol Hill Medical. Capitol Hill Medical is a practice that just opened up last August and specifically serves the GLBTA community.

The first time I called to make an appointment, the receptionist informed me that most of their patients were either gay, lesbian, bisexual, and/or transgender, and that if this made me uncomfortable, then this probably was not the best match for me (he worded it much better than I did). I found this sort of pro-active approach to serving the GLBT community extremely refreshing. It wasn't just a passive sort of "We won't discriminate against you", but rather "You are the patient we want to serve." The practice comprises of 3 doctors, all men, probably all gay (thought that may just by an assumption on my part), and all of whom see trans patients and are willing to help them with transitioning. If all goes well with getting my Letter, I'll get my first injection of testosterone on June 10th. Believe me, I'm counting down the days...

Domestic Partnership

Laura and I are officially domestic partners now with my new name change.  Once I get my gender designation changed however, we'll probably have to get legally married.  I don't want to give the impression that we don't want to get legally married.  We do.  We don't like the idea that we'll "have" to get married in order for me to continue to get benefits etc.  It just seems very backwards to us that because I could be legally diagnosed with a mental disorder, all of a sudden two people who are biologically female can get married in a state with a Defense of Marriage Act in place.