Transgender School

On the Road Again

Yesterday was what I call "Blood Day" at the Dayton, Ohio Veterans Administration Medical Center. It was my three month visit to hematology to check the iron levels in my blood. If the iron goes too high, they have to take a pint out. Which is not my favorite time.

Normally, I am mostly upbeat about my treatment from the VA. Yesterday turned out to be the exception though. Of course, most of you know, or have guessed by now I am a transgender veteran.

Before I go to hematology, I have to have blood labs taken, so without fail I did that and stopped at the cafeteria afterwards to eat. I was starving since I had to fast before the labs and I had no breakfast. Plus I had to wait an hour for the results of the blood work to come back. By this time, I was feeling good about myself. I was dressed nice in my red sweater, red patterned paisley leggings and black flats. Even my back felt fairly good after all the walking.

Surprisingly, breakfast was good (or I was just that hungry) and I headed up to hematology. Little did I know, I would soon be reliving a part of my Army days. Hematology told me the lab vampires had taken the wrong samples and I would have to go back and do the whole process again. Fortunately, the line to get my labs taken again was not very long. I repeated the process and headed back to hematology to wait, and wait and wait.

At least the two hours came out with a good ending. My iron was at an acceptable level again. Plus after a little research, we found I have not had to have any blood taken since last November. So, after my next appointment in three months with the Doc, hopefully I will be able to do away with the three month scheduling all together and just come every six months.

So maybe the old Army "hurry up and wait" theory was worth it after all. It's just another two hours of my life I will never get back.

Victory!

Hard fought victories are so hard to come by these days but yet, they keep on coming.

First, a little background on our featured transgender actress Nicole Maines from Cyrsti's Condo reader Leann:

Nicole Maines

"IF one does not know her story, it is an interesting one. She and her twin brother lived in Maine when her school refused to let her use the ladies room. She (her parents) sued and eventually won the right to do so. Her family had to move during the litigation due to harassment. Her case was the first successful case of its type in the USA. One interesting story I heard her father tell was that one night he was having dinner with a group of Generals and Admirals. They started asking about families and Wayne said: "I have a set of IDENTICAL twins, one boy and one girl." Apparently, the big wigs took a moment to think about that one. Rumor has it that there may have been smoke coming off of their heads :).

Please...see:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicole_Mainesor https://bangordailynews.com/2014/12/01/news/bangor/nicole-maines-transgender-student-maine-lawsuit-ends-with-order-telling-school-to-allow-bathroom-access-based-on-gender-identification/"

And , from Indiana: A Dad's campaign forces school to drop policy humiliating transgender son. "Brian Thomas" launched a petition on May 7th when his son's school in Ft. Wayne was refusing to use his new name at graduation.  The petition tallied more than 14,000 signatures and forced the school administration to reverse it policy and not "dead name" Wyatt at graduation. Great!

Wyatt

When I see successes of young transgender women and men such as these, the future becomes brighter!