A Long Long Overdue Update, Lol

[Guest laura renee]

As stated above, this is going to be a long post, lol. Seems lately I am just fitting more and more into being myself and a girl without any problems. The other day I checked how long I have been on hormones and it blew me away, already a year and a half(did not think I had been on them that long). Then I have started researching SRS doctors and just shopping around to see who is who and what kind of prices and all. Seems I have set my sight on Dr Suporn in Chonburi, Thailand. Started by just doing little steps here and there and then getting to the fun part of getting a passport book(which can be real fun for trans), which I had to have my medical doctor sign off on yes, I am going through transition and that it is a ongoing process and that yes I am presenting as a female and with the new rules I want the gender to say female on my passport and all and now that is going through. It was interesting at the courthouse where I had it done for the paperwork part and then sending it in.

The person that waited on me called me sir even though I had all the paperwork showing legal name change and gender marker of F on my drivers license and they were nice and told me where I could get my passport photo take at either a Walgreens or CVS store and then was back there again with everything filled out. Same women keep calling me sir and then had to call her supervisor over to check everything and she looked it over and already hearing about me just looked it over and seen it was all in order and said "good girl" you have it all in order and that it would take around 4-6 weeks and that was it. Suprised me to say the least considering living in redneck central and getting treated nicely all the time so far with any court house people.

I sent a email for a price quote and got one back and liked what I read and how they handled it. Seemed in no time at all I was talking to my mom about if we could refiance the house to pay for it and all since she would be off from work for the summer and it would be a perfect time to go and I could deal with paying 300 dollars a month on a loan without a problem from my and my mothers bank. Yes, it was interesting that day, setting up a appointment with a bank president that me and my mom have known since I was young and I did not hold back and told them what the loan was for and that my mom backed my decision and could we work something out.

He treated me fairly and just asked what I would be doing after the surgery and would I still be helping my mom pay the loan or would I move out of the area? I just told him, no, I was not moving out of the area and that I was still going to be in the area and helping my mom pay the loan and that my job has already told me that I would have a job when I got back without any problems since they did not want to lose a hard worker.

Next part was just as scary for me, had to ask my therapist for a letter of referral for surgery and that she was comfortable with writing one and that I met all requirements and was mentally stable and no other problems which she just said yes, next time you come in a month I will have one written up and the fee for the time to type it up and all. Seems in Thailand they only require one instead of two so I would not need the second therapist that I was seeing also. At first my mom was scared of flying and did not want to go due to the amount of time to stay there and recover and all but she finally said she would not let me go to another country by myself, lol.

Seems that my mom is liking having a daughter around that is so much like her lately and could not be away from me that long and I also told her I would like her along due to having someone to go with me and thinking of it as more of a rebirth in my book. So far, I have a bank loan almost finished, in a month my letter for surgery, and a date of June 30 for surgery with also having to be there 3 days early and I still have to get a letter from my medical doctor that has done the hormones and all.

The next step is to tell my job that yes, I am going to be taking some time off for surgery and give advance notice of a month or two and if they require any proof I can get that as well easyly, lol. I look back and seems to wonder how I went through transition as smoothly as I did and still holding down a job during the process and all and having all my customers that known me a few years still liking me without any problems at all. And still having more classmates always sending friendship request(my latest one send me a request to my present female account and had hers set before to block everyone except friends so I accepted and finally sent a response and asked if she knew my situation and did she have a problem with it, lol, she basically told me that we had known each other since we were 5 years old and this is the first photo she has seen of me with a smile all the way to my eyes and that whatever makes me happy is what matters).

Also, had to have my yearly blood work done and everything was good except the bad cholesterol. The other day I was buying a printer cartridge for my printer and paid with a credit card in the electronics department and after the sale the guy told me to have a good day sir and then looked at chest level and apoligized and said mam, lol(that got a big smile out of me). I have also hit what most of us have of the body giving you the big hint hint that you do not have the muscle to go toe to toe like you used to with anyone anymore and that is a scary think and makes me think more of how to not be put into a situation like that anymore.

Some of my customers have been complimenting me on having my hair have blond highlights put in which they like alot and one of them that has known me for a while said that I was also glowing and it was showing through due to how she could tell how happy and just being myself I am(keep hearing that alot lately). This is how my life has been lately, growing more but only able to tell how much when I look back at how far I have come already and look forward to the future(knowing that SRS is just another step in the process that does not end there). Sorry for the long post and have fun reading it.

Laura Renee Hamilton

[Guest]

Well done, Laura! All the best to you - you're almost there!

Thanks for sharing - loved every word of it!

Love, Kat

[Guest Hayley21]

Hi Laura,

I am so proud of you I hope everything continues to get better for you

Please keep us posted

hayley