Re: The Stephanie Chronicles 2.0

[steph2.0]

Was wondering how that 6 month rule works when ive heard that Bowers is scheduling about 2 years out.

I had a consult (not with Bowers) about 3 weeks ago and will have my first appointment with therapist since then tonight. The letters will be the main topic today. I've emailed her the stuff I got from my surgeon (Katherine Gast) so she might have started. You're scaring me with that 6 month thing though.

I'm sure every clinic has their own way of handling it, but the way it worked with Bowers was they put me on the list with a tentative date (reserved, but could slide a few weeks either way) quite a while ago. Then they contacted me a few weeks ago, approximately four months before the date, to start getting the paperwork ready to submit to the insurance company. That's the time to get together with the therapists and get the required letters.

It's likely your surgeon will work similarly. At your consultation or some time afterward they'll put you on the waiting list, and theoretically will get in touch as the time gets closer. In the meantime I'd find the therapists you want the letters from and give them a heads-up that you'll be needing letters some time around xxx date. That will also help if there's an earlier opening they can fit you into - apparently there are lots of cancellations - and you need to get the letters in a hurry. If you know the therapists well, they might even be willing to write a letter and have it ready to change dates when the time comes.

They should be able to lay this all out for you at your consultation, so I wouldn't sweat it.

Steph, do you ever fly your tin can airplanes up to the EAA thing in Oshkosh? Kinda in my back yard so was just wondering.

I used to fly to Oshkosh a lot when I lived in southeast Michigan, but I haven't since I moved to Florida in 2002. Once I get a plane built with a little more performance, I'm likely to do it again some time. In the meantime I might show up ground-bound with the Rocket Skate. If I head that way I'll for sure let you know. In fact, Cassie and I will be visiting with @Denise in Chicago in August. If you're near there we could meet up for dinner.

BTW, the planes I'm currently flying aren't "tin cans!" They're rag covered, thank you very much.


Stephanie

[TonyaW]

I'm sure every clinic has their own way of handling it, but the way it worked with Bowers was they put me on the list with a tentative date (reserved, but could slide a few weeks either way) quite a while ago. Then they contacted me a few weeks ago, approximately four months before the date, to start getting the paperwork ready to submit to the insurance company. That's the time to get together with the therapists and get the required letters.

It's likely your surgeon will work similarly. At your consultation or some time afterward they'll put you on the waiting list, and theoretically will get in touch as the time gets closer. In the meantime I'd find the therapists you want the letters from and give them a heads-up that you'll be needing letters some time around xxx date. That will also help if there's an earlier opening they can fit you into - apparently there are lots of cancellations - and you need to get the letters in a hurry. If you know the therapists well, they might even be willing to write a letter and have it ready to change dates when the time comes.

They should be able to lay this all out for you at your consultation, so I wouldn't sweat it.

I used to fly to Oshkosh a lot when I lived in southeast Michigan, but I haven't since I moved to Florida in 2002. Once I get a plane built with a little more performance, I'm likely to do it again some time. In the meantime I might show up ground-bound with the Rocket Skate. If I head that way I'll for sure let you know. In fact, Cassie and I will be visiting with @Denise in Chicago in August. If you're near there we could meet up for dinner.

BTW, the planes I'm currently flying aren't "tin cans!" They're rag covered, thank you very much.


Stephanie

My doctor's procedure is I get the letters, then they submit to insurance, then pending insurance approval, I get scheduled. I suppose we'll find out if the insurance is going to fuss about dates when it gets that far. My therapist will write one letter and no problem fixing it if needed. Will be seeing if anyone else in her group can write the other.  Minor insurance change in June (deductible tier) so don't really want to get them to the doctor until then just so no issues with that.

My brother is in Ann Arbor and I get there  a couple times a year (last weekend in fact) so I'm vaguely familiar with parts of SE Michigan.

I'm in Appleton, Oshkosh is about 20 miles south.  I spend a lot of weekends in the
Milwaukee area but don't get down Chicago way often.



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[steph2.0]

My doctor's procedure is I get the letters, then they submit to insurance, then pending insurance approval, I get scheduled.

I guess we have to assume they've done this enough that they know what they're doing, especially if they've worked with your particular insurance company before. It wouldn't hurt to ask when you see them.

My brother is in Ann Arbor and I get there  a couple times a year (last weekend in fact) so I'm vaguely familiar with parts of SE Michigan.

Heh. I grew up in Ypsilanti and worked for 10 years in downtown Ann Arbor, so I'm intimately familiar with the whole area.

I'm in Appleton, Oshkosh is about 20 miles south.  I spend a lot of weekends in the Milwaukee area but don't get down Chicago way often.

I've flown past Appleton many times I to and out of Oshkosh, but I've never had the pleasure of stopping there.

Unfortunately , I'm not likely to make it to Oshkosh this year. Too many things going on and far too much money being spent. All for a good cause, of course!

Stephanie

[Donica]

The 6 month rule is the same for me too Steph. I will find out for sure tonight (I mean they could require the letters to be no more that 3 months?). Kaiser is usually very strict about this. I hope you are able to nail things down in time.

[steph2.0]

I should know by now that things have a way of working themselves out. I'm such a drama queen...

Today I picked up my first letter from my primary therapist. I helped him write it yesterday. He did the therapist language stuff and I outlined for him all the milestones I've passed in transition, and he incorporated a lot of it into his letter verbatim. I left his office and went to the place I used to get therapy at to see if their doctor would rewrite the letter my previous therapist had written in March of 2018. They think it's doable, and I have an appointment with her on Monday.

From there I went to the department of agriculture and applied for my concealed carry permit. It's something I'm doing that "he" never did. There was me and another woman waiting and the nice gentleman said, "follow me, ladies!" No problems, and I got another smiling picture and fingerprints taken. Squeee!

And now I'm sitting at Universal studios, the first time I've ever been here alone, and loving it. I'm wearing a camisole top with a colorful sleeveless top thrown over it, and an above the knee skirt. It feels like such a privilege to be me today. On top of that, the girls are acting up - they're a little bit sensitive today. Maybe the progesterone is actually doing something.

Cassie and our friend "A" are almost here. Time to party!

Stephanie

[TonyaW]

I guess we have to assume they've done this enough that they know what they're doing, especially if they've worked with your particular insurance company before. It wouldn't hurt to ask when you see them.

Heh. I grew up in Ypsilanti and worked for 10 years in downtown Ann Arbor, so I'm intimately familiar with the whole area.

I've flown past Appleton many times I to and out of Oshkosh, but I've never had the pleasure of stopping there.

Unfortunately , I'm not likely to make it to Oshkosh this year. Too many things going on and far too much money being spent. All for a good cause, of course!

Stephanie

The six month rule seems to be an insurance thing, so I'll see what happens when I get a approval and set a date. I'm looking at late December at best for getting enough time off work so it might be an issue if my insurance does that too.

I had seen in an earlier post you said something about experimental in regards to your plane so I was just curious if you ever got to the EAA. I  don't know much about it other than where it is. If you make it back sometime we'll have to see about getting dinner or something.

Congratulations on getting letter number 1.


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[steph2.0]

My Bestie and our friend "A" met me at Universal Studios last night.

We have fun...






S & C

[Faith]

Despite my lack of "oo's and ah's" I do enjoy reading up on your adventures.

[SassyCassie]

Wait 'till she shows you what her crack(pot?) team of professional enablers talked her into buying. It was like finding a unicorn...

[steph2.0]

Wait 'till she shows you what her crack(pot?) team of professional enablers talked her into buying. It was like finding a unicorn...

Being a reformed Parrothead, I was looking through the Margaritaville store and ran across a bunch of women's shirts that said "I'm the woman to blame," a spin-off of a line in Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville" song. I thought they were pretty cool, simply because, to quote @Kendra, "I'm the new girl here." I took pictures of the three designs and didn't think much of it, considering that I really didn't want to spend the money.

But then my Bestie pointed out the colors on one of them. As she said, it was like finding a unicorn. I don't know why I didn't notice them at first. I can be a bit dense sometimes. So, with a minimum of arm-twisting (and a reminder that I had a gift card), this is what I walked away with, for my own entertainment, and in honor of all my trans-sisters here:




Stephanie

[TonyaW]

That's better than running into a chum with  a bottle of rum

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[steph2.0]

That's better than running into a chum with  a bottle of rum

- Stephanie

[LizK]

Being a reformed Parrothead, I was looking through the Margaritaville store and ran across a bunch of women's shirts that said "I'm the woman to blame," a spin-off of a line in Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville" song. I thought they were pretty cool, simply because, to quote @Kendra, "I'm the new girl here." I took pictures of the three designs and didn't think much of it, considering that I really didn't want to spend the money.

But then my Bestie pointed out the colors on one of them. As she said, it was like finding a unicorn. I don't know why I didn't notice them at first. I can be a bit dense sometimes. So, with a minimum of arm-twisting (and a reminder that I had a gift card), this is what I walked away with, for my own entertainment, and in honor of all my trans-sisters here:




Stephanie

Someone who knew you must have made this top...apart from the great colours the wording is just perfect...

[CynthiaAnn]

- Stephanie

made me smile this morning 

C -

[TonyaW]

Can I blame you for other things as well? That would really take a load off me

Steph's got the shirt, you can blame her.


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[Donica]

I love it! I'm probably to blame for a great many things. I learned to take the blame in my managerial positions

[steph2.0]

I love it! I'm probably to blame for a great many things. I learned to take the blame in my managerial positions

Same here, Donica. When I ran an IT department, I considered myself to be just one of the worker bees. I just also happened to be the one with the target painted on me if I or anyone working with me did anything wrong. Some managers are known for letting sh*t run downhill, but I considered anything happening by and within my department to be my responsibility.

I considered my department to be a service center within our company, and anyone we took care of as our customers. I like to think we were well-liked by the rest of the company.


Stephanie

[steph2.0]

Milestones and Memories

Exactly two years ago today, I sat in a therapists office, pouring my heart out. All the accumulated dysphoria of fifty years filled the room, thickening the air with stifling pain until there was no oxygen left for me to breathe, leaving me gasping.

The therapist had seen it before, and asked question after question that I answered affirmatively, while I built a mountain of wet tissues on the couch next to me. It was absolutely certain that it would take at least two more sessions of enduring such agony before I could ever be confirmed with the diagnosis that I was already sure of - that I had been sure of since before puberty - and could think of moving on. That was assuming that the therapist would even reach the conclusion I knew she should, and didn't tell me that I was a cross-dresser, that my self-diagnosis was completely erroneous, that I would for the rest of my life endure the pain that had become unendurable.

At the end of that very first session, she set up an appointment with the endocrinologist for HRT prescriptions. She was that sure...

...two years ago.

Today I enjoyed a late breakfast with my best friend, a leisurely morning dozing in my nightgown, and a relaxed lunch, before going shopping. We were called ladies everywhere we went, and shopped the women's section as if we belonged there, because, of course, we did. I found the white slacks to round out an outfit I'd been wanting to put together, along with a beautiful new dress. I bought some more luggage for our trip to Europe coming up in ten days for more FFS work. It was all so... normal...

Two years ago...

...I had worn women's jeans, a plain white cotton button down shirt undetectably different from a men's shirt except for the buttons on the other side, white tennis shoes, and my hair in a ponytail.

Today I was wearing a floral v-neck fitted top that nicely highlighted the 36Bs, cute jeans shorts with embroidered flowers, white tennis shoes with multicolored sparkly laces, my "Pleiades Place" necklace, dangly earrings, a bracelet given to me that says "Safe trip wherever you go, and another that says "Alis Volat Propriis," which is Latin for "She flies with her own wings." Just a normal casual weekend warm-weather outfit.

Two years ago...

...my timeline had been maybe, possibly, coming out to people after HNT made it impossible to hide the changes in my body, maybe some time after three years. Maybe, possibly, I could consider my transitioning close to done in five years or so.

But my social transition is done. I've had FFS and am going to finish it off in three weeks. I have a date for GCS. My physical transition is laid out before me and will be done before the end of the year.

How did it happen so fast?


Stephanie

[steph2.0]

Random pictures from the last week:

My outfit for trivia night. We got one answer wrong all night, and it sunk us. 

New kicks!

Now I know what they eat.

Walking the dog.

Caffeine infusion at Universal Studios.

Jimmy Buffett's Grumman Albatross.

There's history behind this photo. I'll tell you about it some time.

Who, me?

My Bestie flying me to lunch.

We have fun...


- Stephanie

[Donica]

Great pictures Stephanie! I would sooo love to own that Grumman Albatross. Imagine the exotic fishing trips and world travel one could do with that aircraft. That's no Kibble and Bits that dragon is eating.

Hugs!