Life update!

[Guest Kaylee]

Greetings all,

It's been quite a bit of time since I have posted anything more than a reply to someone else.  I thought it was time to change that.

After waiting 15 months,   I finally had my orchiectomy yesterday.  It's been a long road for something that seems so simple.

 

I started out with a new insurance plan (health net),  and a new primary doctor in March of 2016.  I had my 2 letters,  plus the one from the endo,  so my doctor put the request in right away.  I'd only been full time for a few months at this point,  so under health net policy,  did not qualify for SRS.  I could never tolerate Spiro,  so orchid seemed like a good option,  and have SRS at a later time.

 

It was June,  by the time I saw my first surgeon. An older guy,  who seemed uncomfortable,  in addition to being old school and performed the procedure the old way (from the side).  He referred me to another surgeon,  and  in July,  I saw the new guy.

He was younger,  and even seemed interested in trans related care,  but felt it best to refere to Dr.  Marco Bowers due to concerns of scars,  and tissue for later procedures. What he suggested was that I see Dr.  Bowers,  and if didn't work out,  he would perform the procedure.  It took 11 weeks of calls between,  the doctor,  the medical "group",  and health net to finally get approval for Dr. Bowers.  I live in So Cali,  and flew up to the bay area to see Bowers. Much to my dismay, I was told she couldn't get me scheduled for an Orchiectomy for a full year. I'd already been waiting 6 months,  and was honestly a little upset that they didn't tell me that before I flew up there.

At the same time,  I was looking at top surgery,  and 2 weeks later drove up again to see Dr.  Joel Beck,  as he often works in conjunction with Bowers. The visit was good,  he was very helpful and professional,  but it didn't make sense to spend a week up there for top surgery alone.

So,  I returned hoping for option 2,  that the local surgeon would perform the procedure.  I called the office to have him put in the request,  but weeks dragged into months...  with zero action by the doctors office. Every call was responded to with "the doctor's working on it",  or "there's no update,  I have to ask the doctor".

 

During the same time,  I tried for top surgery.  A surgeon who did not list "trans" experience,  but had good reviews and work otherwise. He even had an office near where I live in Narnia. I thought theeetimg went well,  but again,  zero effort by the doctor,  and no replies to my inquiries.

Finally,  by February,  I spoke with my Endo,  and she told me she was going to a convention,  and would speak to people she knew in hopes of finding someone to do my Orchiectomy... And she did. But them,  I had another issue to deal with. When I put in the request for Orchi,  I didn't qualify for SRS... but by the time I found a surgeon...  I DID! What to do,  what to do? It took the reality that I needed to get back to work before SRS (been living off savings),  so opted for Orchi.

Surgery was yesterday.  The pain was terrible for the first hour out of Anistasia,  but by the next morning was pretty much gone except for the (I have a small incision pain),  and the precautionary measures to ward off any complications.

The last 15 months seems just sooooo complicated for such a minor surgery. Sadly,  there are still many doctors who don't want to work with trans folks. They won't  say it,  they will just blow you off until you find another doctor: \

Anyhoo...  I'll update how I feel over the next week or so.  I imagine I'll feel pretty strange with no hormones in my system till I can start E again next week.

 

Cheers,

Kaylee

[Cyndee]

Congratulations Kaylee, sounds like quite the ordeal. Spiro is heavy stuff, I don't miss it either. 

Cyndi -

[tracy_j]

Congratulations Kaylee.

Sorry to year you have had such an uncertain time. I hope things settle down well!

Tracy x

 

[MarcieMarie12]

I am in the same boat with Kaiser and GCS, the plan covers it, I was told it would not be a problem that my old policy had the exclusion, but that turned out to not be the case. However, I had already arranged for my girlfriend.and work for the surgery date in August, and paid for my consult already, and had to put down $1,000 to reserve the date. Anyway I let my case worker have it yesterday. I know she is not in control of the process, but I am left with the feeling that she is there to push the paper along and not there to help me through the process. I've been waiting 3 weeks for the referral, they already approved me for surgery back in March. They told me it would take 4 days to get the referral and it is now day 20 and no referral.

BTW-I was happy with Kaiser up until this point.

[Jani]

Congratulations Kaylee.  Perseverance does pay off.

Jani

[Charlize]

Perhaps the struggle will make the outcome even sweeter.  I know when i reach down and realize the change physically it makes the emotional feelings even better.  Heal quickly and enjoy.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize