#mones

Out And About With Brum (1993)

Story: Victoria Hickle -- Art: Isidre Monés (Mones)

Today, the NHS shockingly suspended the use of puberty-blocking drugs for those under 16. This is terrible for hundreds of UK trans kids who access the treatment. As someone who medically transitioned under 16, I’m horrified at this ruling making it even harder to transition as a teen!

This isn’t about safety: it’s about controlling bodies. The decision comes as a judge expressed doubt those under 16 could fully give informed consent. Under-16s will now have to go to other specialists for treatment. These clinics can be costly and are hard to find. The kids will likely have to receive a court order as well, putting their bodies on the whims of a judge. 

Like any other prohibition, this is simply going to make it harder for trans kids to access care. They will go to underground markets and use sketchy online supplements. Not to mention a few months of extra time can make a world of different when you’re going through puberty!

The legal challenge was brought on by someone who thought that because transition didn’t work for her, it won’t work for anyone. The second claimant is the parent of a child whose body she wants to control. They used deceptive language like “protect vulnerable young people” from “experimental drugs” in their testimonies. The reality is that these drugs are incredibly safe, healthy, and are almost always needed without regret. I have no doubt these “concern trolls” just killed multiple trans youth. They know it, too.

I would not be here today without puberty suppression. I would not be here today without taking hormones as a minor. I would not be here today without adults respecting my bodily autonomy as a teenager. Respecting trans people means respecting trans kids’ decisions, too!.

today is (was) july 20 2023. currently blogging live from my bedroom, in the confines of my bed. i am comfies ^__^ there is so much to catch up on since our last chat! i actually had drafted the last post i made, and upon logging back in just now, realized it had went mostly unfinished and completely unpublished. well, i decided to change that; i went ahead and posted it. i think it is a necessary preface to the topics we will be discussing today. sit back, relax, grab your popcorn.

first things first -- i got my first prescription of mones! getting this prescription was a hassle and a half, let me tell you. i woke up 19 july 2023 with an insatiable yearning to progress with what i’d embarked on thus far regarding medical transition. it was nearing the one-month mark since my visit (june 20) that made it possible for me to even be in this position. i don’t remember what necessarily lit the fire under my ass on this particular day -- maybe dreams, maybe intuition, or a combination of both -- but i got my ass up and hopped on my zoom. i reached out to the dr i met at my visit and requested to start mones, to which she answered, yes, ma’am! next thing you know, we were planning a phone call to discuss things more seriously and finalize all plans. i of course had to reach out to the ceo of dollification, avanti. she had been helping/supporting me already since the visit, so it felt right to relay new information to her, and seek feedback. the next day, today, (well yesterday now) i had my phone call with the dr. she called me at the crack of dawn (9am) to which i immediately shot up out of bed to answer, we finalized plans, picked the pharmacy, made sure everything was good to go. mind you, my pharmacy is quite literally at arms distance. i got dolled up, walked over, went to the pharmacy area. to my surprise, there was a bit of a line -- all the girls are moning! after a few minutes, and attempting to beat the level i’m on in wordscapes, i eventually made my way to the front of the line. now, here’s where things get tricky. i’m nervous, palms sweating. the only time i ever needed a prescription is when i was on antibiotics maybe 4 years ago for strep. i know nothing about how insurance works (obviously, because it was to my surprise that i receive BILLS in the mail after dr’s visits???) and i knew today wouldn’t be the day an infinite fountain of knowledge began to pour. so, like any other situation, i prepared to wing it! i went up to the pharmacist desk, notified them of my prescription with my name, and forked over my insurance card. gracefully swaying, i patiently waited for the pharmacist to get me together. they seemed very busy and very understaffed, so i understood it would possibly be a minute. i’m glancing around the room, blissfully waiting to be served my yass pills, when the pharmacist notifies me that my insurance card does not have the information they need, and instead i need to provide a prescription card. can you imagine the shock on my face when i heard that? like, there’s a difference between the two? i thought you could access all insurance needs with this measly group number and ID. i stared dumbfounded for a moment before inquiring for clarification. they told me they needed a specific set of numbers and codes in order to access my prescription-based insurance coverage. i immediately hopped back on my zoom to figure out what i could find. that’s when they notify me as well that the prescription itself is not ready, and would need some time to be prepared. i understood, and inquired how much it would be without insurance. bracing for the worst, i prepared my ears to fold in at whatever absurd amount the pharmacist could possibly toss at me. imagine my shock AGAIN when i find out estradiol is 22 bucks -- at least my prescription and dosage. my jaw dropped at the sheer affordability of the product! i proceeded to pull out my wallet and ready my card -- under the guise i could easily secure my mones and go about my very day! the pharmacist reminded me that the prescription was not ready, and would be about another 30 minutes. so, i walked back home, on a mission to figure out the original numbers requested for my prescription coverage! just in case, yknow. 

after several lengthy phone calls, i got my account set up to access prescription based needs, and decided to take a gander at the coverage with insurance, it basically sliced the price in half, which is nice. however, i have bigger fish to fry with the person who’s plan i’m on, so i decided to handle bizness myself. they already got me a couple hundred more in debt just from my planned parenthood visit alone... not to mention the labs they FORCED me to do afe an additional fee. whatever. i got what i wanted! i soon headed back to the pharmacy to rightfully collect what is mine, and then went about my day. thank you, estradiol! 

i was just playing ice spice’s new song. a line from it goes, “she a baddie, she showing her panty,” and i feel like i’ve never resonated with something more. showing a little panty from under your skirt is a classic mixture of raunchy and sexy..i need that. i was planning on ushing and gushing about my goals with this new transition, but i can hardly think on those! there is another important topic matter that needs to. be discussed.

so, today, i finally addressed my issue with oomf -- the issue being that we’re not buggering each other. it was hard to come completely clean about these feelings because, how do you tell your friend and trusted life partner that you want to connect with them more intimately? there was no space in our friendship previously that allotted for these things and i was having thee hardest time communicating that. after stirring the pot and inciting violence, i made it abundantly clear that i want to experience them in new ways, and vice versa. i feel like there’s only so much i can do to communicate my affection, and the best way being to show it. intimately, respectfully. i feel like we’ve built so many channels of trust and communication to allow for this to happen, but i’m okay with whatever outcome. at the end of the day it is a partnership (in some sense) and we’d have to agree to make any changes.