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Hi, I recently decided to explore doing something about my trans issues, and would like advice and support. I spoke to my therapist, who recommended connecting with transgender services at Kaiser, who covers that. I'm 49, assigned "male" at birth, and have been wanting to be a girl as far back as age 8. Thank you.

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  • VickySGV

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  • Root Admin

Hello WendyLynn,

Welcome to Laura's Playground. :)

MaryEllen

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  • Admin

Hi Wendy, I am a little bit north of you, but I am a member of the Kaiser HMO who has gotten good help and service from them, in counseling and in Endo and related health issues. I have actually provided training for a few of their providers and they are for the most part eager to know more and how to be caring as well as giving care. I was a year early for getting GCS from them but HRT and other related medical have been great. My gynecologist and endocrinologist have both received special training on how to deal with me. Enjoy yourself here.

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  • Forum Moderator

Hello WendyLynn and welcome to Laura's. Please join in to the conversation!

Cheers,

Jani

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  • Forum Moderator

Welcome to Laura's WendyLynn. Glad you found us. Grab a seat on one of the swings and enjoy the fact that your not alone.

Hugs,

Charlize

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WendyLynn, welcome to Laura's! Nice to have you here! I am 58, and its been a long-slow journey.

Wish you the best in your journey ahead.

Huggs,

Opal

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  • Forum Moderator

Hi there Wendy and welcome to Laura's forums :)

I do hope you enjoy your time here with us and find this web site useful.

Hugs

Cyndi -

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Guest April63

Hi WendyLynn! I'm also from San Diego, but I live in San Jose now. I'm glad to hear that you've decided to explore your identity! I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have!

April

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Thank you, everyone! I've been at work and such and haven't been able to reply until now. I'm not sure how far I want to go with things, or how quickly. I've had a lot of trauma in the past around this issue and its manifestations, but recently I've had very supportive and accepting friends who have inspired me to explore my options.

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Hi Wendy, I am a little bit north of you, but I am a member of the Kaiser HMO who has gotten good help and service from them, in counseling and in Endo and related health issues. I have actually provided training for a few of their providers and they are for the most part eager to know more and how to be caring as well as giving care. I was a year early for getting GCS from them but HRT and other related medical have been great. My gynecologist and endocrinologist have both received special training on how to deal with me. Enjoy yourself here.

Thank you! I did hear that Kaiser in Los Angeles and Northern California are great for trans care. I do have a wonderful therapist outside of Kaiser who has helped me immensely with other issues for the past couple of years. I have not yet contacted my psychiatrist at Kaiser. She is great, but I don't know how I'm going to approach her yet. I worry about the confidentiality aspect - can I use Kaiser's transgender services without any of my other Kaiser providers knowing? Will I have to see a Kaiser therapist in addition to my regular therapist? Could get expensive. I don't even know what I want to do yet, apart from hormones.....I have no intention of "coming out" in the foreseeable future to anyone who doesn't already know. (A few close friends, my sister and her wife, maybe the local LGBTQIA center)

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Welcome to Laura's WendyLynn. Glad you found us. Grab a seat on one of the swings and enjoy the fact that your not alone.

Hugs,

Charlize

Thank you!

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WendyLynn, welcome to Laura's! Nice to have you here! I am 58, and its been a long-slow journey.

Wish you the best in your journey ahead.

Huggs,

Opal

Thanks so much

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Hi WendyLynn! I'm also from San Diego, but I live in San Jose now. I'm glad to hear that you've decided to explore your identity! I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have!

April

Thank you!

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  • Admin

With Kaiser, your mental health is the same co-pay as your doctor visits, and any group work is about half of what the doctors are. Low, and that includes Gender Therapy as well. Your mental health records stay in the mental health department and you will have some control over who sees them there. The only exception will be if it is found that some drug is not a good thing for you. IE for me Prozac will not be prescribed again You can give your current therapist permission to talk with any new therapists that you see, and you can make it specific. Depending on what services are local to you they may even cover some outside care as well, but I know they are trying to get all their regions covered with GD care.

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Guest KerryUK

Hiya WendyLyn,

Welcome, nobody will be critical of how far you wish to go - that decision is yours and yours alone to make. Come in, take a seat and make yourself at home - you're amongst friends.

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I'm with Kaiser on the east coast, and I would say that they have been great. It was nice having everything in one place and not worry about the endo, GT, and GP being on the same page. I was recently invited to an information session to speak with the surgeons they are signing on to handle GCS. From what they have told us, they are expecting to remove any trans care exclusions in their policies (mine had it for the last plan year) and make them all uniform.

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  • Forum Moderator

Hi Wendy Lynn,

Welcome to Laura's. It's good to meet you! Where ever you go or however far you travel on your journey, you are always welcome here. Hope you can join in the conversation!

Lots of love,

Timber Wolf?

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Hi Wendy and welcome. I'm just up the street from you in north county. I also have Kaiser and as far as insurances go, it's one of the better ones. That's particularly true in CA. They are very good when it comes to confidentiality, protecting health information, and appropriately sharing between providers. You'll have more control over that with Kaiser vs. other insurance companies.

As far as where you want to go, you can determine that with the help and support of therapist as well as others that you've mentioned. Regardless, in the end it's up to you and you don't need anyone's approval. We'll take ya however! This is a really good forum and though I've only been here a short time, I feel very welcome. There are some really caring knowledgable and supportive people here.

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  • Posts

    • MirandaB
      Was just thinking (worrying?) about this since I have had an issue arise and need to see a new-to-me specialist, so sifting through the (in-network) doctors and trying to find one who gives the impression that they'd treat my condition and not try to wean me off HRT first. 
    • MirandaB
      Yesterday I went back to the store I shopped last week (where they remembered the "Miranda" to write on the changing room board) since I knew if I waited long enough I'd get a decent discount sent to me to pick up a second item I had hesitated to buy last time.    Was wearing a pair of jeans I picked up at Macys discount rack ala @Sally Stone  for the crazy price of two dollars!
    • Birdie
      My wardrobe is almost entirely from Torrid, but I know how to shop there.    Using the store credit card I got 5% off, plus 10% off ordering something and picking it up in the store. I also take their survey every time for an additional 10% off (25% off total).    I then shop their clearance items that are usually 30-70% off already.   I get 'name brand' items for Walmart prices. 
    • Carolyn Marie
      https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/03/273fdffe00c0-japan-society-on-transgender-issues-to-drop-disorder-from-name.html     Carolyn Marie
    • Carolyn Marie
      https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/mar/18/science-knowledge-gap-trans-healthcare     I like the reference to "trans broken arm syndrome."  I've experienced it myself.  The more research, the better, certainly.  The problem as I see it, especially concerning reports in the popular press, is that preliminary results are often used to "prove" someones POV, or are misunderstood or used in a political way.  That is never helpful, and it isn't confined to reporting on trans health care issues.  For example, how many times have we read or heard about studies that "prove" coffee is bad, or chocolate is bad, or eggs are bad, etc., only to read weeks or months later that the opposite is true?  In the case of trans health care, it all gets politicized, too.   Carolyn Marie
    • Cisco1127
      I just finished the intake forms for an online informed consent clinic through Plume and im both nervous and excited to meet with my provider next week via video chat. I'm worried I will be turned down and cannot get a prescription for a variety of reasons. I was asked so many invasive questions during intake, which I knew would happen. I worried about what I should leave out, how honest I should be, what could be something that would deny me a prescription. I've been fighting with myself for a long time and now that I have opened myself up to hoping for change, I am so scared of having the carrot dangled in my face only to be ripped away.    And a part of me is scared of starting testosterone. I'm even more scared of inaction. Of not at least trying it and seeing how I feel about the changes. If I don't try it, I will never know, and I will be stuck in the loop of questioning whether or not it is right for me until I am filled with regrets for chances not taken rather than opportunities I've pursued.     Has anyone here ever felt fear and apprehension about staring HRT? How did you get over that fear? How do I know in my heart if this is right for me when I am always running through all of the endless possibilities of good and bad results?     
    • Carolyn Marie
      In keeping with @VickySGV's train of thought, here are links to a couple of Canadian legal resources.  I hope these can help you, as you do seem to need it.   https://justicetrans.org/en/resources/   https://www.courthouselibrary.ca/how-we-can-help/our-library-services/lawmatters-public-libraries/lgbt-legal-resource-round   https://www.halco.org/our-services/trans-legal-needs-assessment-ontario   BTW, welcome to Transgender Pulse, hon.  You are safe here.   Carolyn Marie
    • awkward-yet-sweet
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    • Sally Stone
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    • EasyE
      Discovered this recently as well... you have to be more of a hunter because it isn't always obvious what the sizes are... at least the store near me organizes fairly well by color and such ... found a nice pair of khakis and a nice white skort, though also found a few shirts that when I got home, yikes, way too tight... 
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Wow.  To borrow things and break them... that's what we call a "USDA A-Grade Crap Filet."  Most mechanics hate it when others borrow their tools...or even touch them.  And that's with permission.  Without permission?  My GF would probably put somebody in the hospital for that.    And definitely, if they gotta borrow something multiple times...better be buying their own when that paycheck shows up.  At least get the Harbor Freight version.  Most of their stuff ain't that bad. 
    • awkward-yet-sweet
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    • Mmindy
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    • Adrianna Danielle
      Finally found out boss did fire a co worker I hated.A mechanic and I was one of 3 mechanics fixing his screw ups.Plus he would go into other other mechanic's toolboxes taking off with tools without asking.One was mine,one was a diesel compression tester kit of mine and broke the gauge part which I will have my Snap On dealer order me a new gauge tommorrow when he comes in
    • VickySGV
      Find and get in touch with the closest LGBTQ center near you and (1) they will know of programs that employ Trans people willingly and (2) will have ways to get you competent legal help to break you free of your family and their controlling and damaging behavior toward you.  I do not know Canadian Law on this, but here where I am you could get a court order to stop them from interfering in your life.  Gender Dysphoria is not a mental health issue that should keep you from managing your personal affairs.  The people at those centers know what we go through and are ready to help you.
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