Ask a trans person!

[asphaltcowboi]

question?
i have taken T is the past for about 9 mos. my personality changed for the worse and friends convinced me it was the T. ive been off T for about a year. i would like to start back on it. has anyone else had agressiveness, meanness issues with T? and now i know what to expect is it possiable to curb the issues?

[Kobi]

I have a question....

I'm presuming you are familiar with the stiry about Kye on the GWU NCAA basketball team. He said "I'm not a trans, I am a man."

Is that a personal preference or is there a distinction that is made in the community?

[Kobi]

I have a question....

I'm presuming you are familiar with the article about Kye on the GWU NCAA womens basketball team. He said "I'm not a trans, I am a man."

Is that a personal preference or is there a distinction that is made in the community?

[Thinker]

Originally Posted by Kobi

I have a question....

I'm presuming you are familiar with the article about Kye on the GWU NCAA womens basketball team. He said "I'm not a trans, I am a man."

Is that a personal preference or is there a distinction that is made in the community?

Personally speaking, I think it's just a self-identification thing.....so a personal preference.

There are many who reject the "female at birth" notion and many who accept it without question. It's just self-identification.

Just my opinion, of course...

[Linus]

Originally Posted by Kobi

I have a question....

I'm presuming you are familiar with the article about Kye on the GWU NCAA womens basketball team. He said "I'm not a trans, I am a man."

Is that a personal preference or is there a distinction that is made in the community?

Originally Posted by Thinker

Personally speaking, I think it's just a self-identification thing.....so a personal preference.

There are many who reject the "female at birth" notion and many who accept it without question. It's just self-identification.

Just my opinion, of course...

I have to agree with Thinker about this. It is an identity choice.

[Leigh]

I agree as well that its a personal preference, as I've seen that with many people to be the case. I've known trans guys who compleely shun the notion that they were ever female even if only at birth, and I've known other guys who embrace who they were as they transition. I personally am the kind of guy who embraces My past and knows that I may have been born female, but I'm still a man and am matching My outside to My inside feelings. I'm not ashamed of any of My years as a female, no I dont like that but I embrace it and know that I had may good times in the past ~ times that I wouldn't trade for the world

[EnderD_503]

Originally Posted by Kobi

I have a question....

I'm presuming you are familiar with the article about Kye on the GWU NCAA womens basketball team. He said "I'm not a trans, I am a man."

Is that a personal preference or is there a distinction that is made in the community?

I think you could say it's both. I also kind of cringe when people talk as though its about denying that you were born with female anatomy. I don't think many out there actually deny that, since it's a little hard to deny with it in your face every day. Personally, when I reject the word "trans" it's because I don't like its implications for me, and I consider my mental/neurological sex more important than the biological sex I was born into, since that is what determines my consciousness as an individual. I know a lot of guys my age see it this way, too, so it may also be generational.

Personally, I don't think saying "I'm not trans, I am a man" is necessarily denying having been born biologically female (I didn't get the impression that Kye was denying that fact), but taking the mind as more important than the physical manifestation of sex one was born into.

That's my two cents, anyway.

Edit, wanted to add that I don't think this kind of statement necessarily severs one from the LGBT or trans community. It's simply a different way of seeing your situation.

[Greyson]

Originally Posted by EnderD_503

I think you could say it's both. I also kind of cringe when people talk as though its about denying that you were born with female anatomy. I don't think many out there actually deny that, since it's a little hard to deny with it in your face every day. Personally, when I reject the word "trans" it's because I don't like its implications for me, and I consider my mental/neurological sex more important than the biological sex I was born into, since that is what determines my consciousness as an individual. I know a lot of guys my age see it this way, too, so it may also be generational.

Personally, I don't think saying "I'm not trans, I am a man" is necessarily denying having been born biologically female (I didn't get the impression that Kye was denying that fact), but taking the mind as more important than the physical manifestation of sex one was born into.That's my two cents, anyway.

Edit, wanted to add that I don't think this kind of statement necessarily severs one from the LGBT or trans community. It's simply a different way of seeing your situation.

Ender, thanks for giving your perspective. Your post helped me get a better understanding of where you and others are coming from. On this particular nuance, we differ.

For me saying I am a "Transman" lends clarity to those that are trying to fit me somewhere on the gender spectrum. I do want them to know, I was born into a female body and my gender expression, how I think, how I feel, how I move through this world, did not and does not fit the constructs of how gender is perceived, critiqued. (BTW, I don't agree with how gender is broken down by the larger culture. Femininity and masculinity are not exclusive to either female or the male sex.)

[atomiczombie]

Originally Posted by Greyson

Ender, thanks for giving your perspective. Your post helped me get a better understanding of where you and others are coming from. On this particular nuance, we differ.

For me saying I am a "Transman" lends clarity to those that are trying to fit me somewhere on the gender spectrum. I do want them to know, I was born into a female body and my gender expression, how I think, how I feel, how I move through this world, did not and does not fit the constructs of how gender is perceived, critiqued. (BTW, I don't agree with how gender is broken down by the larger culture. Femininity and masculinity are not exclusive to either female or the male sex.)

I am right here with you Greyson. I claim "transguy" because for me, I am on a spectrum. My upbringing and experiences when I was young and in the closet have shaped me and are part of who I am. But I am a guy, not a woman. For me trans means I stand outside the gender norms. It just fits for me and how I feel as a person.

There is nothing wrong with guys IDing as men and not trans. That is their sense of self and should be acknowledged and respected. We are a diverse population, not completely homogenous. But its that way with any of the "letters" in the LGBTQ community.

[Joe Mario]

Curious how other guys on T feel about being referred to as TransSexual?

I don't like the term for myself.
I feel similarly to other posters who say the term
"Trans Guy" is a comfortable fit.

PS: The 'Trans' part of the term for me is used partly as social clarification with people I don't wish to, but who might otherwise take me for a bio-male.

Looking forward to your take on it

[weatherboi]

Originally Posted by Joe Mario

Curious how other guys on T feel about being referred to as TransSexual?
why does a guy here have to be on T in order to answer this question?

I don't like the term for myself.
I feel similarly to other posters who say the term
"Trans Guy" is a comfortable fit.

PS: The 'Trans' part of the term for me is used partly as social clarification with people I don't wish to, but who might otherwise take me for a bio-male.

Looking forward to your take on it

Joe Mario-
Trans covers a lot more guys,than just guys on T. For example, a guy decides to only get top surgery but never use T. His opinion would be just as influential to the conversation. I am going to assume you thought out your question because of it being only specific to guys on T so I need some clarification as to why. Thanks in advance for taking the time out to answer this question.

[Blade]

I have a question for those who have had top surgery. How did you pay for your surgery?

It has been suggested that I have a reduction for health reasons and my insurance would pay for it. As tempting as that sounds they wouldn't be gone they'd still be there just much smaller.

So how did you pay for your surgery?

[Linus]

Originally Posted by Blade

I have a question for those who have had top surgery. How did you pay for your surgery?

It has been suggested that I have a reduction for health reasons and my insurance would pay for it. As tempting as that sounds they wouldn't be gone they'd still be there just much smaller.

So how did you pay for your surgery?

Actually that is one way to do it. The Insurance Company cannot verify how the procedure is done (HIPPA violation), just that the surgeon has done it. I will be applying to see if my insurance will cover mine (Dr. V. has said that I'm large enough and with the back issues I've had to potentially qualify this way).

That said, I still have to cover it on my own and apply for insurance coverage. For me, I had some money saved to pay for taxes I thought I'd pay but turned out I didn't need to and that I actually got a refund. The combination of the two was enough to cover the cost of surgery.

There are some grants you can get. Look for the Jim Collins Foundation. They were created to cover surgery costs specifically for trans individuals in need.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Linus

Actually that is one way to do it. The Insurance Company cannot verify how the procedure is done (HIPPA violation), just that the surgeon has done it. I will be applying to see if my insurance will cover mine (Dr. V. has said that I'm large enough and with the back issues I've had to potentially qualify this way).

That said, I still have to cover it on my own and apply for insurance coverage. For me, I had some money saved to pay for taxes I thought I'd pay but turned out I didn't need to and that I actually got a refund. The combination of the two was enough to cover the cost of surgery.

There are some grants you can get. Look for the Jim Collins Foundation. They were created to cover surgery costs specifically for trans individuals in need.

Hey, Linus.

I thought you had Aetna? Do they no longer pay for male chest reconstruction/gender identity medical services?

[Linus]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Hey, Linus.

I thought you had Aetna? Do they no longer pay for male chest reconstruction/gender identity medical services?

They do. I have to prove all that. Dr. V indicated that I could probably apply under either. The downside is that I have a $5K+ deductible so.. I'm still paying for the majority of it :P

[The Oopster]

Originally Posted by Blade

I have a question for those who have had top surgery. How did you pay for your surgery?

It has been suggested that I have a reduction for health reasons and my insurance would pay for it. As tempting as that sounds they wouldn't be gone they'd still be there just much smaller.

So how did you pay for your surgery?

I had contemplated this and in fact my insurance at the time denied the claim despite all my back problems. They said I had too many and that it wouldn't help! Wrong ... but I am glad they didn't at the time because I wouldn't have been happy with just a reduction and couldn't imagine doing surgery twice. I'm gettin older and the healing time and process more lengthy each time.

I ended up getting a car accident settlement that was enough to pay for my surgery and time off work since i had a job without vacation or sick time.

Don't recommend that route but my experience was everything just happened when it needed to happen. It Fell into place at the time that my sanity was wearing out and something needed to be done. Got the money and had surgery two weeks later because it was the slow period of work and if I was going to miss that was the time to be off.

[theoddz]

Originally Posted by Blade

I have a question for those who have had top surgery. How did you pay for your surgery?

It has been suggested that I have a reduction for health reasons and my insurance would pay for it. As tempting as that sounds they wouldn't be gone they'd still be there just much smaller.

So how did you pay for your surgery?

I'm going to answer your question and also another common question that's asked, simply so others will know what this takes, moneywise, to do, since this procedure is seldom covered by insurance at all.

I paid entirely out of my own pocket. Dr. V's fee, about $7750, included everything (he has his own accredited surgical center) except the lab pathology, which ran about $450. Surprisingly, my health insurance (FEHB) paid for that, minus a $38 deductible, which I paid.

I had to travel to Newport Beach, California, from here in Las Vegas, so by the time I added up the travel expenses (for my girlfriend and me), hotel, meals, etc., the total cost was right under $10K.

~Theo~

[TCB]

Originally Posted by theoddz

I'm going to answer your question and also another common question that's asked, simply so others will know what this takes, moneywise, to do, since this procedure is seldom covered by insurance at all.

I paid entirely out of my own pocket. Dr. V's fee, about $7750, included everything (he has his own accredited surgical center) except the lab pathology, which ran about $450. Surprisingly, my health insurance (FEHB) paid for that, minus a $38 deductible, which I paid.

I had to travel to Newport Beach, California, from here in Las Vegas, so by the time I added up the travel expenses (for my girlfriend and me), hotel, meals, etc., the total cost was right under $10K.

~Theo~

Are you happy with the results from Dr. V? If he is in Newport beach, that would be ideal for me. I'm still trying to figure out how to raise funds for my surgery. It's getting to a point, where I don't care what I need to do to make this happen.
I have Kaiser insurance, but I'm pretty sure they won't cover squat. I've asked my Endo about it, and he pretty much confirmed that.

[The Oopster]

Originally Posted by TCB

Are you happy with the results from Dr. V? If he is in Newport beach, that would be ideal for me. I'm still trying to figure out how to raise funds for my surgery. It's getting to a point, where I don't care what I need to do to make this happen.
I have Kaiser insurance, but I'm pretty sure they won't cover squat. I've asked my Endo about it, and he pretty much confirmed that.

Hey cris did I ever show you my surgery? Dr V is who I went to. Yes he is in newport beach. He was more around 8k for me. Linus just had his with Dr. V so he would know the most current rates. Nice thing is you would cut down other costs with how close he is to you.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by TCB

Are you happy with the results from Dr. V? If he is in Newport beach, that would be ideal for me. I'm still trying to figure out how to raise funds for my surgery. It's getting to a point, where I don't care what I need to do to make this happen.
I have Kaiser insurance, but I'm pretty sure they won't cover squat. I've asked my Endo about it, and he pretty much confirmed that.

I believe that Aetna continues to be the only insurance that will cover male reconstructive top surgery, however, you can call your insurance directly, and ask.

You may find a doctor who is willing to adjust the ICD-9 code (medical/billing code) to breast reduction, but you would have to meet the criteria for a medically needed breast reduction, which is based on a number of things, including measurements of indentations in your shoulders from bra straps, a documented history of back problems due to chest size, etc.

(In regards to the above, I have not heard of any surgeons that fudge the ICD-9 code, but it would not surprise me if there were some surgeons out there who would be willing to do this due their empathy around transpeople's issues).