The Genesis

8 years ago I made a realization: my outside gender did not match my inside gender. I had known for a long time that this was true (perhaps since kindergarten if not earlier) but I had no words to understand it. I was a first year in college when it finally clicked and I had the words. 

Sitting in my Intro. to Women's Studies class one day, I understood how different my thought process truly was from the women around me. We were having an in depth conversation about the scientific research completed about the way a woman's brain processes information in any given situation, and that they have proven scientifically that women and men do process differently. Some of the women started talking about how they think, and I could not agree with what they were saying. I was combative and argumentative about it, causing a good amount of tension in the class. 

The following week was the first week of October, and the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness month. My professor brought in a guest speaker, Michael Kauffman. He was the founder of the "White Ribbon Campaign," an organization of men shedding light on the violent tendencies of men and showing support of the women in their lives. Michael Kauffman held a seminar the next night for the men on campus and began explaining the male thought process and how men handle situations. It was this conversation that solidified for me that I was more male than female. That my brain and emotional process was male, even though my physical self was female. 

I began researching exactly what this meant. I had heard of the terms transgender and transsexual, but I needed to understand more. After completing my research, I came to understand that I was transgender. I found out that the next steps were to start therapy and to truly understand everything I was thinking and feeling. Then after that, I could begin hormone therapy and consider surgery. It's been 8 years since then, and I've done the therapy, and I'm on the hormones. It's been a long road, but I truly am in the best place I have been in a long time. 

Now, however, I have determined that surgery is necessary. That is what this blog is about. There are three major surgeries a transman like myself can consider. Top surgery, the surgery to form a male chest out of whatever you were born with, hysterectomy, and bottom surgery of some kind. There are many options for bottom surgery, and unfortunately, at this time, they are not 100% effective. The surgeries you choose are entirely up to you. At this point, my first surgery will be top surgery. 

At this time, I have the surgery date booked, hotel room reserved, flights booked, and support system set up. The only thing that's left really is saving for the surgery costs. Here's the break down: 

Surgeon costs: $5900

Flights to FL: $650

Hotel for 9 days: $690

Food for 9 days: $200

Transportation: $150

Total cost: $7590

Deposit: $500

Amount saved already: $1200

Planned Savings: $4000

Amount left to save/raise: $1890

Now, if anyone has any great ideas to raise this money, please don't hesitate to give a shout. I've only got 4 months to raise it, and I would love to raise more than this. That includes a loan from my best friend that I would prefer not to have to take. I'm going to be a personal chef for folks (assuming anyone is interested), I would babysit, I am even considering selling Pampered Chef for some extra money. I'm up for anything... as long as it's legal!

Send your ideas and thoughts my way!