Lilith Sigil

The cost and red tape:

Not everyone who is trans does a medical transition, some just do social transition. I am a medical transition person. When I started this process, I didn't know what I needed to do at all and had no real guidance.

The first thing I ended up doing was talking to my therapist about it, as I was already seeing them for my PTSD issues. They advised me a few things, like therapy and possibly trying things in private at home. I did not keep seeing her long after that, ended up leaving due to her not supporting people being trans.

To Reddit I went, finding people asking the same questions. I had already been wearing my proper clothes at home for a while at this point and determined what I should be called. They arvised seeing a therapist and talking to a doctor about meds. Now my therapist was out, so I went to a doctor at Planned Parenthood and talked with them

The my didn't want to see me without a therapist note and referred me back to the therapist. I was devistated and decided to just order some Estrogen fron Mexico. I took it for a good 4 months before the Fetynal scare and I stopped. I have up on it for 6 months, seeing a new therapist after the fact for while to help with these emotions before they referred me back to Planned Parenthood.

I went back, got my perscription, and have only evolved since. To that point I had spent well over 3k usd for my therapy and my secret estrogen. My insurance was paying now and I felt a heavy reliefe. I was still bumned about not growing properly in the chest after 6 months and they switched me to injections, and I have been on it since.

The government changed, and planned parenthood was out, and I was now without my Estrogen. I found a doctor, and survived after over a month without my meds (as a friend helped with some of their supply). I was advised by the new doctor that my top or bottom surgery would not be covered, only the medicine and such with my insurance. The cost given for an estinate of top surgery was about 9k, and bottom surgery was an astronomical 50k. Neither of these in my future with how much I already struggle to pay my bills.

I was once again at a loss, and the pharmacy began to refuse to fill my perscription again and wanted 300 for the medicine (money I didn't have). I instead opted to start a GoFundMe, which recieved no donations beyond an ex-girlfriend(current st the time). I applied for every respurce to help trans people that I could, to no avail. Now I wait for donations, approval point of pride, or for the government to re-add the surgery to covered items for insurance (as I am on Medicaid).

Transitioning medically is expensive, even social can be (if you name and gender changed before they banned it). I struggle to pay them, and scip doses of my meds to make them stretch. I horde the Estrogen injections for 2 months after I have started using them (28 day life after opened) just in case.