Thursday, April 5, 2018

8 years




It’s been eight years since I took the plunge to start my medical transition to male. Eight years ago, I started testosterone. First as a gel I rubbed on my skin, then a cream that was less expensive, and finally, before the year was out, injections because my body needed a better dosing system in order to do the thing. It is also my de facto chest surgery anniversary. Three years since the original surgery and 2 since the revision.

A lot has changed since 2010. I’m myself more than I have ever been prior. I have accepted that my beard will not likely fill in any more and that my hairline will only keep receding. Some things have remained the same though: I am still working at the animal shelter. I am in a different role recently, though. This job has been a blessing in regards to my transition. Way back when I started in 2009, I asked for my name (my current legal name) to be on my nametag. Only a few months in, I requested a change in pronouns. With very few exceptions, people were amazing about it. Now that I’ve been there for so long, many of the people I originally worked with are no longer there. The people who have replaced them have only known me as male. In most ways, that’s amazing and wonderful to me. But I am not stealth, so in other ways, it can be a bit exhausting to ‘come out’ to people more or less constantly (generally not in person, but if you add me on facebook and look around, you’ll know!)

I’ve had some rough patches. Dealing with family at times. Old friends. But my community, my job, the friends I’ve retained from university. All of these have been stellar and I wouldn’t trade my experience.

Anyhow, all this to say that 8 years ago my life began to change for the better. Here’s to more years.