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Well now I have proof, and these are from the worldwide transgender surgery guide pages. There's no way they can say they dont apply in my state. It's WORLD WIDE. So....they can bite me XD although I'd still have to have a letter from a Gender therapist before I can do it, which is reasonable I guess. So I'm waiting to hear from the insurance people to see if I was accepted for insurance, then I'll contact a Gender Therapist and start talking to them about transition. If they approve it, all I'll have left to do is earn the money. Still have the whole gofundme thing running but I dont see it going too too far. The little bit in it does help like crazy, but I still have a good 8k to earn lol. We'll get there! Warren

Glad ya got it in writing... I was pretty sure you didn't HAVE to be on HRT, let alone a year, before you could get top surgery. There are still too many in the medical world who, for whatever reasons, feel the need to put their own [biased] spin on when and how a person can transition. -Mike

I wonder about some of the therapist out there who are similar to the one giving you a hard time. Common sense dictates what you have already learned, no need to be on hormones. Seems the only reason someone could possibly find a reason would be similar to male to female which would be crazy to even think this in the first place. I looked at a surgeon's requirements, nothing on hormones, looked at an insurance company requirements, nothing about hormones. The general requirements in a nutshell Single letter of referral from a qualified mental health professionalPersistent, well-documented gender dysphoriaCapacity to make a fully informed decision and to consent for treatmentAge of majority (18 years of age or older)If significant medical or mental health concerns are present, they must be reasonably well controlled.

Yaaay! Congratulations! I still pull out my letter and read it from time to time x)

Dear Mikah and Karen, When I get pre-operative testing done, I always request a copy for myself, AND, for the report to be faxed to the surgeon's office. Also, I CALL BOTH the provider that provided the tests (to confirm they SENT the faxes) and the surgeon's office, to confirm that they RECEIVED the test results. This also applies to general blood tests, as well as specialty tests, usually ordered by my Internal Medicine doctor (they will send the results to her), and I bring my copy (requested at my Internal Medicine doctor's office), before seeing the specialist. If the Internal Medicine doctor's staff say they will fax it, I always call the Internal Medicine doctor's office to confirm that they faxed it, and the specialist doctor's staff to be sure they received the fax. Of course, to keep all my bases covered, I BRING my copies with me to the specialist. Too many times the fax was failed to be sent, or the equipment at the specialist's office was not working. Also, staff gets busy, and either fail to send the fax or to put the received fax in your medical record. This seems redundant, but sure pays off! Your friend, Monica

Good for you for standing up for yourself. One day they'll realize that our blood is no different than anyone else.

In regards to "full-time pre-op trans", I know they are out there but for one reason or another it feels odd to me, especially the 'full time' part.

Mikah, about the only test that is truly needed ahead of time is the HIV test. I was told to have an EKG and HIV test one month prior to surgery which I did. They confirmed both but on the day of surgery they could not locate the EKG so had it done on the gurney 30 minutes prior to surgery. The day prior to surgery one set of forms could not be located (which I faxed directly to them) so I had to fill it out then. So the important test in my case and most likely for you in the HIV as it takes time to do. When I went to California for GRS I took all and any documents that might be needed just in case but all was fine. In regards to you getting use to female pronouns, I can't see any reasons why you would get anything but female pronouns.

Glad to hear it Karen. Full-time as in presenting Female full-time, not yet had GRS, waiting for GRS, probably already with breasts. Monica, your comments seem to be so similar to my experience. Cheers, Eve

Thanks for the tips! I have been emailing with Montreal so I will definitely do so to confirm that they have gotten the results. A hard copy doesn't sound like a bad idea.

Thinking of a next time, my work host the Red Cross twice a year so will do so then and not bring up my former identity.

Dear Karen and Mikah, Could not help but recall that the Red Cross used to refuse the blood of people of color. Should I get struck by a car and am bleeding out in the street, I would not care if the Good Samaritans, EMTs, nurses and doctors gender identity was. A friend of mine told me he would never let a doctor that was a person of color treat him. Couldn't help but ask, "would you feel the same way if it was an emergency, and no other doctor was available?" Feel honesty is about what is true NOW, and you are a woman NOW. My suggestion would be to donate blood elsewhere! Your friend, Monica

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvix8PtHXNw))) Hopefully that doesnt go to the full video screen like it kept doing >.< In regards to a new job, no, not yet. As of right now, I have applied to 19 places and none have taken a bite :/ with time though, I suppose. Otherwise, I do have a few papers I'll post to a blog for you guys later, cant remember if I showed you but I got pretty excited about them With love, Warren

Dear Christie and Eve, There are two groups of women who get "looked at twice," and they are women who are gorgeous (the men and butches are making a fool of themselves rubbernecking!) and those that look "different," due to disability or having an unusual body, such as being a woman of size or having a disfigurement (they have to compensate by having a gracious and forgiving personality). The women that are "in the middle of the road," or seen as, "attractive," (a polite term for not being ugly but also are not beautiful), are the ones that do not draw a second glance. Some women want to be "invisible," and let their talent speak for them, and others like to celebrate their beauty and/or physical uniqueness. Personally, I think transwomen should strive to be the "middle of the road" woman FIRST, as women, in general, feel most comfortable with this kind of woman, and learning directly from cisgender women is most paramount, especially at the beginning. Your friend, Monica

Dear Eve, Had ten years experience in the transgender community that ended fifteen years ago, when I seriously dated a transwoman who identified as Lesbian. There were different support groups for transsexuals and cross dressers/transvestites, but another SOCIAL group where both were welcome. As a cisgender Lesbian, I saw this in the Lesbian community, where the professional Lesbians had their own community (they were more likely to be closeted) and the blue collar Lesbians had their own community (they were more likely to be out). Personally, I objected, because the professional Lesbians acted like they were "better" than the blue collar Lesbians. It seems that when subcultures grow, they develop "subcultures within subcultures," and this tends to divide the subculture, and the society at large sometimes exploit this. Yours truly, Monica