Susan's Place Transgender Resources

When I went into hospital for my laryngectomy (larri) my greatest fear was how I would be treated as a transgender person. Even though I am a senior person at that hospital and a well known TG woman it was still a major fear.
I was reassured by my medical team on my safety and after some discussion, motivated by me, I decided I would be mentally more comfortable with my nursing and allied health teams knowing that I was TG so that I could be a training moment.

I had no problems and my nurses were wonderful, the ancillary staff were fantastic and the allied health staff were and are incredible.

Yesterday I had a new type of voice prothesis and breathing valve fitted by my speech pathologist and was asked if I could call in today to see how I was going.

I ended up not seeing her but a trainee nurse along with my oncology support nurse, who knows me extremely well and I think was doing another training moment

[Maybe TMI for some]
(I no longer breathe through my mouth or nose but through a hole in my neck, see avatar. Like most people after a larri I produce a lot of mucus or saliva in my trachea (breathing tube) and it is or can become a health and a social issue.)

Trainee who is reading from a handwritten note and obviously nervous: "Are there social issues that you have to deal with from your laryngectomy?"

'Well I produce as much mucus as the Queen in Alien and need to get rid of it'

Trainee: "How do you cope?"

'I just let it drip and put up with it and I clean up when I can. It is part of me now and I suppose I have a similar attitude as the Queen; I keep on going  - even if Ripley is up against me.
But if I had the extra teeth it would be useful to settle arguments and I could be quite frightening! Haa Haa.'

Trainee: "You don't need the extra teeth"

'Oh dear! I was just joking, I'm really just a push over!!'

Trainee: "I've never met a transgender person before. I was frightened"

The take home message? Not all aliens are frightening, fear of the unknown is normal and talking can overcome most things even when we are frightened.

Just be on the look out for my proboscis tooth array. Yawn, snap - mmm human, burp.

Just some hugs for sweet "innocent" Cindy ; )

Isn't this the same Cindy that keeps getting knocked down and keeps coming back?  (Or are those stunt doubles?)

Let's be honest, Cindy.  You aren't frightening.

You are TERRIFYING!!

Oh Asche


(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.movieweb.com%2Fimg.news.tops%2FNE1C0yrmLgMm45_2_b.jpg&hash=11df3f38ca5f950efb2926622cbd5e7a0c36eab6)


I'm a sweetie !

What are you doing Cindy, you are ruining your image. Maybe just temper it a bit like, "I am a viscous sweetie." Or, "I am the dark lord of normal." Plus you are blowing my chance to be a scary trans person too. You have to think of the rest of us, what would we do if people suddenly stopped fearing us? My ace in the whole, at least, is that I have Harvey, my 6 foot tall rabbit to convince people I am at least crazy. Thanks Harvey. Geese Cindy!!!
Moni

maybe the trainee thought you'd be a character from a viscious and bitchy drag show, cursing and pulling haire here and there. Some trashy pop culture depiction of a trans person or "something" like that...

In the end, i'm almost sure she was relieved and maybe she's impatient to meet her next transgender patient now ahah.

loveLuvLv, Kael.

Hi Cindy,

  I found it interesting that her fears were not associated with your new breathing and speech devices or the cancer that caused these to be necessary, but it was her fear of you as a transgender individual. In a way it is a sad statement on the ignorance surrounding people like us. We are not aliens of course, we know this, why is it that others are so uninformed in this day and age of enlightenment? Simple prejudice I can understand, that is a product of ones upbringing not matter haw ignorant those people are in their views. But fear of the unknown in this day and age I cannot. I'm sure you laid on the charm and allayed the poor girl's fears and made another friend.

  btw Cindy, this current avatar is much less scary than your previous one.

Hugs,
   Laurie