Oriah,
For me it places a 'marker' on where she is in her transitioning. She began HRT nearly 3yrs ago and will, to my knowledge, have SRS next July. I believe pre-op vs. post-op status has everything to do in her case with how she handled or participated in our relationship. From my perspective, I wish we had started dating in the late stages of transitioning (where she is at this point). In the early stages, she fought depression and low self-esteem. I played more of a nurturer than an equal-partner. It was not fair to either one of us.
I'm not sure if I really answered your question, but it may help others who have read my initial post to relate to my situation.