Sunday, January 25, 2015
"Transparent" worth watching!
Hi folks, just wanted to pop in and say hello and recommend that you watch the Golden Globe winning series "transparent" on amazon.com. Amazon is offering it for free this weekend, 1/24/15
It's not so much about the transgender father, played gloriously by Jeffrey Tambor, but more about normal dysfunctional human lives, and there's probably not a character to which we can't relate.
I urge all family and friends of trans people to watch it, you may see a bit of yourself in the series.
Peace and Love to all,
Lee
Thursday, June 5, 2014
A Year Later...
Wow! What a difference a year makes!
I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated this page, but things have been going so well for my son since we met our new Endocrinologist, (we call him Dr. Matt) He reminds us of the 10th Dr. Who, and he's AMAZING.
So Dr. Matt did a thorough exam of my son (and used all the proper pronouns when addressing him) and deemed him ready for Testosterone. He has been taking injections now since October of last year. Yes, he does the injections himself, which I find very brave, but the only hiccup we've had is in getting the pharmacy to give us the right gauge of needles. It's a tricky scenario...the needles for injection are too thin to draw the thick fluid from the vial, so he has to use a large gauge needle (18) to draw the fluid, and then switch to a smaller gauge (22) for the injection. And they should both be 1.5 inch, which they very seldom are, and if they're too short, the T just squirts back out...ew.
BUT, we found that switching pharmacies was just as helpful as switching physicians, and CVS is now in charge of our needle prescriptions. Thank you CVS! (note that the syringes are covered by our insurance, but the testosterone is not, that cost is about $100 for a six month supply) *Edit! Our Endo was kind enough to break up the prescriptions into smaller amounts, so we now get two 3ml vials every two months with a cost of $25. That is a BIG help, and since it seems, over time that the injections can be done every two weeks, its a huge savings.*
So that's the general gist of what's happened over the past year, as far as mundane things.
NOW, I want to share with you a parent's perspective on the effects of hormone therapy on your child. Be prepared, because everyone is different, but my son changed almost over night after beginning Testosterone therapy. He is keeping a video blog, and it's amazing how his voice even changed in just a few months. He now has a regular mustache, which he shaves (that was fun, picking out razors!) but somehow at least a third of the general public either mistake him for a female. This I don't understand because his legs are as hairy as a gorilla....*sigh*
So we ignore people who don't understand, and continue to love the people who do. Aside from the voice change, and body hair, he's really begun to change shape, as well. His shoulders are a bit bulkier, and his weight around the butt has moved up a bit (I like to joke he has a beer belly). At 19, he looks rather like a 15 yr. old boy, but he's always been very young looking, which I attribute to great genes.
The bottom line is, I have a MUCH happier child, who's still learning to deal with life as a 'different' gender, but all in all I think it was the best thing I could have ever done, to support him and help him be the person he truly wants to be. Isn't that really what our job is all about?
Love to all,
Lee
I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated this page, but things have been going so well for my son since we met our new Endocrinologist, (we call him Dr. Matt) He reminds us of the 10th Dr. Who, and he's AMAZING.
So Dr. Matt did a thorough exam of my son (and used all the proper pronouns when addressing him) and deemed him ready for Testosterone. He has been taking injections now since October of last year. Yes, he does the injections himself, which I find very brave, but the only hiccup we've had is in getting the pharmacy to give us the right gauge of needles. It's a tricky scenario...the needles for injection are too thin to draw the thick fluid from the vial, so he has to use a large gauge needle (18) to draw the fluid, and then switch to a smaller gauge (22) for the injection. And they should both be 1.5 inch, which they very seldom are, and if they're too short, the T just squirts back out...ew.
BUT, we found that switching pharmacies was just as helpful as switching physicians, and CVS is now in charge of our needle prescriptions. Thank you CVS! (note that the syringes are covered by our insurance, but the testosterone is not, that cost is about $100 for a six month supply) *Edit! Our Endo was kind enough to break up the prescriptions into smaller amounts, so we now get two 3ml vials every two months with a cost of $25. That is a BIG help, and since it seems, over time that the injections can be done every two weeks, its a huge savings.*
So that's the general gist of what's happened over the past year, as far as mundane things.
NOW, I want to share with you a parent's perspective on the effects of hormone therapy on your child. Be prepared, because everyone is different, but my son changed almost over night after beginning Testosterone therapy. He is keeping a video blog, and it's amazing how his voice even changed in just a few months. He now has a regular mustache, which he shaves (that was fun, picking out razors!) but somehow at least a third of the general public either mistake him for a female. This I don't understand because his legs are as hairy as a gorilla....*sigh*
So we ignore people who don't understand, and continue to love the people who do. Aside from the voice change, and body hair, he's really begun to change shape, as well. His shoulders are a bit bulkier, and his weight around the butt has moved up a bit (I like to joke he has a beer belly). At 19, he looks rather like a 15 yr. old boy, but he's always been very young looking, which I attribute to great genes.
The bottom line is, I have a MUCH happier child, who's still learning to deal with life as a 'different' gender, but all in all I think it was the best thing I could have ever done, to support him and help him be the person he truly wants to be. Isn't that really what our job is all about?
Love to all,
Lee
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
The Medical Conundrum
As you will see in future posts, the task of obtaining help from your medical community can be a daunting one. We thought we pretty much had everything figured out and today we were excited to finally meet with a new healthcare provider who was our hope for solutions.
We made progress, in a way, but it wasn't all that we'd hoped for.
Our new practitioner (not an MD) was to perform a thorough physical exam on my son. I had scheduled this appointment months earlier and was very specific as to why he needed the exam. He was ready to start Testosterone treatments, and having turned 18, no longer needed to travel the 2 1/2 hours to the nearest Children's Hospital. He had completed the required psychological exams and counseling, and we figured it would be pretty straightforward- physical exam, referral to an Endocrinologist, blood work, etc., ultimately leading to a prescription in hand.
Well, unfortunately for us, the Physician's Assistant knew as much about Transgender people as I know about rocket science. I could see this was going to be an opportunity to lead her into a brave new world, and hoped that she would come along happily. When she was finished with my son's exam, she came to find me and give me a brief report. The first time the PA referred to my son as "she", I knew we were in trouble.
(I should mention that the medical records state that he is a Male, and that there's a note in his medical records which reflect the fact that he is transgender and no longer uses his previous name.) We decided that in order to continue routine exams which may be needed, we'll need to seek out another physician.
We previously had a great PA right nearby who was new to treating trans patients, but very eager to learn all she could, we only sought a new practitioner because our old one moved away.
On a positive note, we did get a referral to an endocrinologist, and have to wait only another 3 weeks to see him. We're hopeful that he will have a little more information and be able to order the necessary tests and get us that prized prescription.
Wish us Luck!
Lee
We made progress, in a way, but it wasn't all that we'd hoped for.
Our new practitioner (not an MD) was to perform a thorough physical exam on my son. I had scheduled this appointment months earlier and was very specific as to why he needed the exam. He was ready to start Testosterone treatments, and having turned 18, no longer needed to travel the 2 1/2 hours to the nearest Children's Hospital. He had completed the required psychological exams and counseling, and we figured it would be pretty straightforward- physical exam, referral to an Endocrinologist, blood work, etc., ultimately leading to a prescription in hand.
Well, unfortunately for us, the Physician's Assistant knew as much about Transgender people as I know about rocket science. I could see this was going to be an opportunity to lead her into a brave new world, and hoped that she would come along happily. When she was finished with my son's exam, she came to find me and give me a brief report. The first time the PA referred to my son as "she", I knew we were in trouble.
(I should mention that the medical records state that he is a Male, and that there's a note in his medical records which reflect the fact that he is transgender and no longer uses his previous name.) We decided that in order to continue routine exams which may be needed, we'll need to seek out another physician.
We previously had a great PA right nearby who was new to treating trans patients, but very eager to learn all she could, we only sought a new practitioner because our old one moved away.
On a positive note, we did get a referral to an endocrinologist, and have to wait only another 3 weeks to see him. We're hopeful that he will have a little more information and be able to order the necessary tests and get us that prized prescription.
Wish us Luck!
Lee
Welcome to My World!
Hello! If you have found this blog, it is likely because you are a parent to a Transgender child, or know someone who is. You may have questions or concerns, or you may want to know more about what it means to parent a trans child. Either way, I'm glad you found me! As this blog is in it's infancy, please bear with me while I work to catch up on all the progress so far.
I'm a mom to a FTM (female to male) transgender teen. I have been trying to help my son through the process for just over two years now, and I can tell you from experience that it's NOT easy! Even if you're 100% on board with your child's identity, it can be a long road for both you and your child, but you are definitely not alone.
So sit back, relax, grab a cup of herbal tea, and join us on our wonderful journey. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me and I will do my best to give you the best information I have.
Lee
I'm a mom to a FTM (female to male) transgender teen. I have been trying to help my son through the process for just over two years now, and I can tell you from experience that it's NOT easy! Even if you're 100% on board with your child's identity, it can be a long road for both you and your child, but you are definitely not alone.
So sit back, relax, grab a cup of herbal tea, and join us on our wonderful journey. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me and I will do my best to give you the best information I have.
Lee
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