Tuesday, November 29, 2011

A Picture Is Worth A Thousnad Words!

I find this striking picture of an illegal Mexican transgender woman to be almost haunting in it's portrayal of her. I see a powerful yet painful femininity enhanced with the kids in the photo.
The photo credit comes from the AP and Isabel Castro.
"Castro" is working on a documentary that will share the tale of three transgender women from Mexico who fled to Los Angeles. “Crossing Over” focuses on Francis Murillo, Brenda Gonzalez and Abigail Madariaga. All three come from rural areas of Mexico and suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of family, friends and police because they are transgender.
The story comes from "The Stamford Connecticut Main Street Connect".
I was so overpowered by the picture, reading much of the article was almost anticlimactic.
 

Finally!

The day finally arrived and I made it unharmed and on time to my doctors appointment.
I had to calm myself down and make sure I would be able to ask all the questions I wanted to. If you are new to the blog, the "Doc" I'm referring to is the medical doctor who is advising and prescribing  my female hormones.
My basic questions concerned how fast changes would occur and how much control would I have over it.
As it turned out, I really didn't have to ask very many questions at all. I had heard this doctor was very experienced with transgendered hormone therapy and it showed!
First of all he asked me a couple basic questions. How long and how much had I lived a female existence and how far did I want to go?
I told him I was still living a dual gendered existence but not for long. Within a month I would be severing my last ties to living as a man when I quit my job.
Ultimately, I don't see major sex reassignment surgery in my future but do feel the need to further feminize my body and emotions with hormones.
At this point he told me what the process would and could be if I chose to follow it.  He would prescribe me estrogen and a testosterone reducer. He recommended a slow and steady dose of both to let me "grow" into the changes. At the same time,  he told me how much of a dosage would quicken the process and how much of a dosage would be "toxic" to me if I abuse it.
The slower process appeals to me. After all I have spent many years getting to this point, so why push it now.
Of course I wondered how long the slower process would take to produce what sort of results.
This is what he said. The best breast development he had ever seen was a full "B" cup. (Genetics play a factor I hear and my Mom was well endowed.) Of course my body hair will thin as will my beard. Conversly the thick head of hair I'm already blessed with should get thicker. Finally, over the space of a year I should begin to experience the fat deposits which will give me more feminine hips, skin tone and a lessening of my muscle mass.
Having said all of this, your results may vary!
A whole other story is how all this fits in with the VA. More on that later as it is still unfolding.
Those closest to me have asked how I feel? The answer is it is a surreal feeling to have made it to this point. Perhaps the toughest part is staying grounded as I let the process play out.

Monday, November 28, 2011

New Transgender Documentary on the Way

There is a brand new documentary is in the works which could be another plus for the transgender community. From the web site here's the promo. This is my first attempt to upload a video to the blog and it should load for you below. It takes longer to load  than I would like but is worth the wait!
"TRANS is an extraordinary documentary feature about men and women, and all the variations in between. It is about the Transgender Community, perhaps the most misunderstood and mistreated minority in America and around the world.

Inspired by the incredible story of Dr. Christine McGinn and her work as a transgender surgeon, TRANS provides an up-close and very personal vision into the lives, loves, and challenges of a remarkable cast of characters of all ages and from all walks of life.

Stories of confusion and courage, excitement and emotion that have never been told, until now.

To anyone who has ever looked in a mirror and wondered, 'who they really are?'

TRANS ask another question, 'are you brave enough to find out?'"
Trans (Demo Reel) from The Film Collaborative on Vimeo.

Medical Euphoria as a Trans Girl

  JJ Hart at Club Diversity. Yesterday, my yearly visit with my endocrinologist went very well.  She went over all my blood work from the va...