"Market Penetration?"

Yesterday marked another visit to my endocrinologist at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. To catch some of you up, I am a Vietnam era trans veteran under VA health care-including HRT.

Normally, the journey through the hospital to get to the Doc's is normally an adventure.If you ever have the opportunity to visit a VA medical facility, you will immediately see how tough the Veteran's Administration has it.

Anyway you look at it (or me) I always stand out as a trans woman. The good news is the greatest majority of people have stepped up to make me feel welcome, even when I was petrified. This visit though, I wasn't so much petrified and became even less so when I picked up one of the local free newspapers at the door-to read as I waited. I was dazzled when I saw the headline "If the Shoe Fits-Transgender Lives in the Miami Valley." (here) Fortunately, I was "rocked" through my visit and never had a chance to read it at the hospital.

Then-when I made it to the Doc's office, he had a very quiet and seemingly bored resident doc with him. We talked about the usual, breast development ect and could the resident examine my breasts? As I thought back to some of my Army pre draft physicals I thought sure!!! Actually, he explained to us, there is a real tissue difference in "moobs' (man boobs) and what a transgender woman develops.

Ever so briefly, the Doc mentioned I did trans workshops. Surprisingly, the resident woke right up and said something about Laverne Cox and Caitlin Jenner. 

Wow!!! I was impressed I encountered so much publicity yesterday. This being "trendy" is at the least interesting. Sometimes I compare it with my "fast food" experiences back in the day. I would pick up the trash around my parking lot and judge some of the competitor's market penetration from the number of their empty cups on my lot or in my trash.

Bureaucratic B.S?

FINALLY- Yet another battle with the VA to get my bill for an outside provider (endocrinologist) paid was settled. My visit was in September of last year.

My problem was getting the VA to do the right thing.  By their own directives - they are supposed to provide me (pay for) an outside provider for a need they (VA) don't provide. As you can tell by the timing, I am relatively persistent. Also (and unfortunately) I am experienced in dealing with their (VA) system when they are dragging their heels about paying anything outside the system.

They did to me what I call "Ping Pong" . To get around it I went to my "ultimate weapon" called the "Patient Advocate", which I highly recommend if you are a trans vet and get caught in the system. (Do NOT get stuck in billing!!!) The woman in billing was quite satisfied telling me I was wrong and hell no they weren't paying. So, I had to keep going back to Advocate monthly to assure them my problem was not solved and I was not going away. Then, they bounced me from Dayton, Ohio to Omaha, Nebraska-who knew absolutely nothing about my case. Two months ago, I got a call from an unknown person who said my claim was to be paid-in 60 days. Really?

So yesterday, the long  unpaid doctors office wrote me a nice letter saying the VA finally paid. Plus, the other silver lining to all of this is (as I have written about here in Cyrsti's Condo) I now have an in house endocrinologist. The problem is, what is stable today could change tomorrow.

I will say though-everybody within the VA system to a person has been kind and caring to me. Plowing through the bureaucracy is the big problem.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot?

Remember "Pat Benatar?" Well, she is still very much in the music business and I saw her yesterday on one of the morning news shows.  She rocked the music world in the 80's with hard hitting rock sounds such as "Hit Me with You Best Shot."  To the left is Benatar and her long time husband Neil Giraldo. 

After all these years of singing, she has one of those deep gravely feminine voices I love so much. And for some reason, I was able to "channel" her when I went to my VA Doc yesterday.

First of all, it's normally really tough to judge the overall effects of HRT on your own body. I had not seen her (the Doc) for six months, so she was (happily) properly impressed with my changes. She also was quick to comment how much happier I seemed to be- which is true. 

Her next comment though extremely flattered and frustrated me at the same time. She said "My God! Have you been working with your voice?" Actually, no-I was just channeling Pat Benatar at the moment.  My voice just felt low, loose, feminine and all so sexy.  But!!!  Just as quickly when I try too hard with Pat-she deserts me-with that throaty laugh!

I'm working hard  Pat and will give it my best shot!

Transgender Vet Follow Up

Marcia was suggesting a trans vet roll call of sorts and I was sent one (thanks!). Here on Susan's Place. Or, you can find it on my list of links too!  Thanks J!

"T" Words?

We seem to embrace an inordinate amount of "T" words.  Transgender, transsexual, transvestite and of course "tr__ny."  On the Femulate blog yesterday, Stana, wrote a post backing the word "tr__ny.   I left a comment there but (being me) I felt the need to follow up on it here in Cyrsti's Condo.

First of all, I need to be very careful how I respond as I get very passionate about this subject. (I know you regulars are laughing now and Liz is saying-Damn Cyrsti and those HRT hormones!) So, my disclaimer is I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings.

If I had to guess, and of course I will-. I would speculate those who have no problem with the word are older cross dressers from the transvestite days we all grew up in.  Also, girls in other countries, primarily Paula in the UK have said the Tr__ny word has a different social connotation there.I can't speak to that. What I can speak to is this:  is how I am perceived when I go to TGLBQ meetings.  Remember the experience of my first "Equality Springfield" Meeting (where I live) and I introduced myself as the only transgender woman in Springfield? Seriously if I had introduced myself as a tr__ny the other members would have wondered what drag show I was performing in that week.  Sure "Tr__ny is only a word but it's a powerful one in the meetings I have been to and I know there are those of you who say it's only a label-who cares.  I do- when I am trying to educate people to who I am.  It's like encouraging a third grader to use the "N" word for the black kids in class.

Equality Springfield Ohio Marching at Pride last summer.

Perhaps too,  it's because these people are fighting for rights all of us should have already had, such as the right not to be fired for being trans or a cross dresser, housing, rest rooms, health care and more.  I'm throwing the stone in my own glass house here. I was as deeply closeted as I could be for decades because I knew I would lose my job-transvestite, tr__ny or what.

What has happened is the transgender word has taken on more significance because transphobic members of the gay and straight community have pushed "tr__ny into being a gender slur.  For that reason alone I consider it the same as the "N" or "F" word because I have had it used on me.

It took me a long time to get here, but when I go to Trans Ohio and the upcoming Pride events-I want the world to know I'm different. I'm not a "tr__ny vet" but a transgender vet and I'm sure I will see the queens and my cross dressing cousins enjoying themselves too as they should but I am not them either.  Like it or not "tr__ny" ties me in with them.   All I'm asking really is simple- I think it's a slur and don't use it on me.  In a land of free speech though, call yourself anything you want!

I love you all!

Cyrsti's Condo "Quote of the Day."

This pretty much says it all.

"Transgressive"

Any of you who have spent anytime around Cyrsti's Condo know I'm a transgender veteran and a huge fan of trans vet Autumn Sandeen.  Autumn is always modest enough to play down her role as a transgender veteran trail blazer within the VA. But she IS and uniquely qualified to speak on navigating the VA system. Often very different than "civilian health care".

Recently she wrote a post called Transgressive Health Care for the San Diego LGBT Weekly, centering of course on the VA and trans vets. Here's an excerpt:

"Even though I’m a kind and joy-filled person, I’m always prepared to deal with inappropriate comments or behavior from the government-employed health care services workers. I’m always ready to ask why a medical doctor, nurse or technician’s bigotry is getting in the way of treating a veteran with respect to their service. Yet, I’ve never had even one treat me with anything but the purest of professionalism at the Veterans Health Care Administration (VHA) or at the Navy Medical Center, and I’ve never had to challenge anyone on their bigoted speech or behavior.
Here in San Diego, I just haven’t experienced that kind of inappropriate behavior. That I’ve never had difficulties with those who provide health care services to veterans, that I’ve never had anything but positive experiences with those health care professionals, actually makes me a bit proud of those VHA and of those Navy Medical Center, San Diego employees. Here in our city, these folk have all served me as a retired and disabled service member with honor, respect and professionalism."

I agree with Autumn's description of the system. My VA center (Dayton, Ohio) is probably much smaller in scope than some. Because of that my only problems have come from Dayton not having a full time endocrinologist in the center.  I had to get permission to go outside the system.  My dealings with the people have been remarkable. I do know that all you trans vets do not have the same story.

Autumn's latest post was very important to me as it describes her experiences with a mammogram. You can read it by following the link above. A mammogram needs to be in my future because my maternal grandmother died from breast cancer.

Not that I'm surprised but when she went in for the mammogram, the questions such as "when was your last period" or " how many times have you been pregnant" , had no other options than a number.  By the time she left though Autumn had voiced her concerns about not including options for transgender or intersex persons and she was getting the form changed.

Indeed I probably will face the same issues with the intake form when I go for a mammogram and I will make the same suggestions.

In my own small way, my goal is to try to change the system for the future.  From the way it's looking, there could be many more trans vets coming soon!

I Joined

Here in Cyrsti's Condo, I always try to keep a close eye on any and all transgender veteran news I can find because most of you know I am a trans vet.

I did choose to stay out of the seemingly crazy story
of the requested resignation of OutServe-SLDN's newly appointed executive director, transgender Army veteran Allyson Robinson. (right)  Many more high-profile resignations followed in protest of Robinson's treatment.

Following this mess,  a recent press release  announced the formation of Service Members, Partners, Allies for Respect and Tolerance for All, or SPΛRT*A, a "group of LGBT people and allies who are currently serving or have served in the military, and our families," that is "especially committed to our Trans members… and to gaining full equality for them in the U.S. Armed Forces.

SPART*A's Facebook page is currently active, while a website for the fledgling group is still under construction.

One can only hope this group can gain traction and effect change against a huge obstacle - the U.S. Military. Follow the link above for more info!