May 9, 2019
It's my turn to begin a FFS thread. Given that I've rarely posted the last several months, I thought I'd provide an update.
Three years ago, when I started HRT for the first time, I lasted only about 6 weeks before freaking out, stopping HRT, and purging all my clothes. That denial lasted about eighteen months, and two relationships, when Laura popped out again, only to be rejected by my, then, girlfriend. I returned to HRT in mid-July, 2018 and over the next several months, started and stopped several times.
It was during one of these stoppages that I met a nice woman and began dating. Although I had shared my trans-status at the beginning, she was never supportive and spent a little too much time trying to convince me to be a man full-time. That relationship also started and stopped a variety of times over the course of five months, particularly when I went back on HRT in late January, stopping in late March so we could resume our love life. Still, while I really enjoyed the sex, Laura was marginalized and I knew, inside, that I'd never be accepted by my girlfriend. Now that I've broken up with her, I'm back on HRT.
So, while technically I started HRT 10 months ago, my actual time under HRT is closer to five months.
When I first started HRT three years ago, I was with Kaiser, but at the time, the only services available to trans patients was HRT. Thanks to the advocacy of many trans women, including some on Susans, a variety of services are now available for me.
I belong to Kaiser NorCal, on a Senior Advantage plan. When I met with Kaiser's MST (Multi-specialty Transitions) department in March, I was also assigned a therapist, who serves more like a case worker, checking out your progress and guiding you towards a variety of services, including voice therapy, FFS, GCS, HRT, and electrolysis. My immediate needs, though, were voice therapy and FFS, so my therapist helped arrange appointments with both.
My first voice therapy occurred last Monday, and I must say that I've had to unlearn some things I'd learned on YouTube videos about achieving a feminine voice. I have my homework, as well as "The Piano" and "Voice Analyst" apps to help me practice twice a day. I meet again with the voice therapist in two weeks, to check on my progress.
By the way, she told me that all of Kaiser's Voice Therapists have been trained to work with trans patients so I could have avoided the long drive to Oakland. However, given that I'm comfortable with my voice therapist, I'd rather not restart with another person.
I'm also quite pleased to have an appointment with Dr. Shih next Wednesday for a FFS consultation. I understand that the wait list is quite long, perhaps longer than a year, but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The wait will provide me more time for HRT to do its magic and for me to return to electrolysis, probably at Precision in Chicago.
I'll update after my appointment.
Laura