Giving Thanks

Well, in my family, Thanksgiving Day has come and gone ushering in the commercial frenzy of Christmas (which if I live long enough, will start on Labor Day in September!) Yes, there was also the too bountiful meal with bunches of kids, way too serious discussions on politics and sports.

I have become in many ways the androgynous patriarch of the family who lost my significant inheritance in a failed business and a wife of 25 years. Nearly eight years ago, around Thanksgiving.

I used to be the "elephant" in the room with my transgender secret that most of the family thought they had an inkling of. In the past, I had a tendency to just be passive in my participation, not knowing from one year to the next when my androgyny would lead to a full time "hey look at me Thanksgiving."

The fun part this year was interacting with several of the older grand kids (12-17 year old range).  Of course I already knew how incredibly diverse my two oldest grand kids are but I didn't know about my brother's 17 year old grand daughter. Along the way, we were able to duck the political speeches and talk about her studies of different religions such as Islam, Buddhism and Hindu. She didn't know that in another life in Thailand, I was best "man" in a Christian/Buddhist wedding and considered myself "follower" of the religion until Liz began to interest me in earth based religions. As it turns out she hasn't been "polluted" by a parenting system who has encouraged her to think.

My 13 year old grand daughter doesn't say much but my 10 year old oldest grandson does...and stuck near my side most of the day.  To catch you up, he is the one who had a very out gay man for a fourth grade teacher a couple years ago. Not so long ago he proudly announced to my daughter how proud he was of me coming out as gay. My daughter said "not gay-transgender" and proceeded to explain the difference.  Fortunately, he seemed to become even more inquisitive about me.  Yesterday we had a quick conversation on a serious side about how he has ran into a few anti-Jewish remarks in his sixth grade class.  I said unfortunately haters are lurking around everywhere and told him about my encounter with "GSB" (gender slur bitch) as my example.

Being who I am too, I tried to get my daughter to let him and his younger brother come watch The Ohio State-Michigan football game Saturday with the family.  He would surely learn how hyper sports fans can reel off a set of cuss words in a record minimum time.  For those of you who don't know, "the game" is nearly a holiday here in Ohio.  As far as my leanings go, all you have to do is look at the picture above. It was taken last May at the Trans Ohio Symposium in The Ohio State Student Union with mascot "Brutus Buckeye."

So, today presents itself as a brief respite before "the game" at noon tomorrow and "the drag show" Saturday night.  More on that in a later Cyrsti's Condo Post!

Wassssuppp! Doc?

I had my semi annual Doc's visit a couple days ago, and in many ways,  the check up was a wonderful beginning to my Thanksgiving.
Everything was fine. No sign of pre diabetes they checked for, all blood work cool-so-we could get to the "important stuff" - like getting my HRT meds renewed.

No problems again.  Whether a few generics like it or not-we do share certain potential problems with them such as an increased chance of blood clots and breast cancer. When we (as my Doc said) increase our estrogen and decrease our testosterone. Perhaps you remember, I went through two mammograms and know full well the risks of going off the deep end and taking too much estrogen. I can't stress enough how having a physician monitor your HRT is a big deal.  What you may consider too much of a good thing-can kill you! HRT alone will not give you those "DD's" breasts of your dreams.

Perhaps the most interesting part of my visits are with the rest of the staff in the small VA Clinic I go to. Yes, the same Veterans Administration which has gotten so much deserved bad press. I have never much of a problem with the Dayton, Ohio hospital of which my clinic is part of and as a matter of fact the former director here was sent out west to try to clean that mess up. Plus, with me, Momma Karma has stepped in with a little extra "smootch" as my Doc has a young transgender niece in the Chicago area! It's a small world.

I do have a couple of nurses I interact with on a regular basis, who at the least know of my medication therapy.  Almost the first question out of one of them this time was "did you change your hair color?" So being an exceedingly rare "one of those" (transgender woman) is a giant elephant in the room. An elephant which is always treated with respect.

It's no secret, without our health we are nothing.  So far so good with mine and I cherish it!  Well, almost. I'm not out running up and down hills everyday!

Cyrsti's Condo "I 'Doesn't' Know it?

After her son won this womanless beauty pageant, this Mom is thinking four things...
1.- So maybe this Isn't a phase?
2.- Is this why he "practiced" every night for a month?
3.- I hope Dad doesn't see these pictures!
4.- Damn! He looks better than his sister in her LBD!