Member-only story
Perhaps I should lead this post off with medical care as referring to myself as a “pre-opt” transgender woman. Since I have never had any of the gender affirming surgeries so appealing to more and more trans women, when I go to the hospital for any sort of a procedure I face the reality of being called a “biological male” as one gruff nurse called me years ago. At this point of my life, not undergoing any major surgeries at all is my final decision and I am sticking to it. For any number of reasons, having a vagina has never been that important to me to define my gender which resides firmly in my brain.
As many of you know, I take advantage of the Veterans Administration health care system for all my medical needs. In doing so. I have been able to experience very little pushback from doctors and primary care providers who make or carry personal grudges against transgender women and trans men. I bring this up because I know several transgender women who have encountered problems getting certain treatments at all, all the way to finding a suitable, knowledgeable doctor at all. The worst that has happened to me at the VA, is that I have been miss-gendered on occasion.
Regardless I will face another gauntlet of doctors and nurses when I go in for yet another colonoscopy. Which, if you have been through one, you know the prep work and fasting you…
