I had what might be my most unusual 24 hours ever...
Yesterday I had done a bit of shopping to complete my Christmas dinner menu:
Garden salad
Kale
Roasted yams
Sesame asparagus
Whole turkey
Cranberry Orange sauce
Cranberry Walnut bread
Apple crisp with vanilla bean ice cream
Tea, coffee, hot cider
I then headed out of town to an evening monthly group session with my gender therapist and three other transwomen. This, unlike the Tuesday session through my HMO, was a very positive, affirming experience. I feel very fortunate to have stumbled upon this therapist, and stuck with her even after she 'retired' from the HMO to private practice. The session was in a college town about 60 miles from my home, out near Sacramento.
This morning I had an appointment in Sacramento with a doctor recently hired by my HMO.
Rather than drive 60 miles in the dark, then 75 miles at dawn to return to the Sacramento region, I chose to just stay overnight in Sacramento. So, evening in a hotel, mediocre dinner, and them relaxed, yakking two hours on the phone with my best friend.
This morning's appointment was with the new doctor. She's in the 'plastic surgery' department, and is an experienced maxillofacial surgeon. She spent about an hour with me, going over my face in some detail, collecting background info on me, asking about what I thought my problem spots were, offering suggestions, and both taking photos and reviewing my CAT scan data. Once we agreed on a set of changes, she worked up a list of bone and soft tissue revisions, thoroughly and professionally.
I was very impressed. Even better, since she was just starting at Kaiser, there was not a backlog yet. I spoke with the surgery scheduler and her assistant regarding schedule, and it looks like the surgery could take place soon after the six month hold period since my gender confirmation surgery (GCS). That is, the surgery would be covered by my current insurance. That is a huge positive, rather than waiting til early/mid 2019 and possibly not having insurance coverage (I'll be on the HMO's Medicare Advantage program starting in November 2018, and the Federal government sets the rules on what is covered.)
I left the appointment feeling pretty good, and talked to my best friend about it as I drove back home. Good, positive feeling about all of this.
I got home, dropped off my bag, grabbed some paperwork, and headed off to my condo purchase closing to sign a few thousand documents. When the paperwork is recorded by the county clerk in the morning, the condo is mine. Mine. Mine, mine, mine, mine, MINE!
After that, I stopped at a hardware place to buy a bunch of cheap boxes and packing tape, then to a Trader Joe's to get bread and a few last dinner goodies, and a lovely seasonal bouquet of flowers.
I got home, and have been feeling damn near giddy, combined with (ahem!) other reawakening feelings. Sadie ain't the only one... I sublimated by making more cookies; oatmeal chocolate chip, oatmeal pecan raisin, whole wheat M&M... I'll be baking several hundred cookies in a church kitchen on Christmas Eve. Hot fresh cookies and cider for everyone!
My son flies in tomorrow mid-day to stay with me over the weekend. I get the keys to the new place in the afternoon. Oh, what will we do over the weekend???
So, yeah, in 24 hours I planned and shopped for a dinner party, had a great therapy session, did my first hotel stay since GCS, got evaluated and received an estimated date for facial feminization surgery (FFS), closed on a condo, and started the packing process.
I bet I sleep well tonight.