Transitioning at a mature age is difficult. I would like to give you a bit of encouragement. Your dream is accessible. It requires persistence to sort it all out, but much of the cost of medical procedures you need is covered by Medicare. I had to fight for it, but it was not too difficult and I eventually got them to comply with the mandate of the Obama administration. Gender affirming surgical care is absolutely covered. It is black-and-white. That definitely includes bottom surgery, perhaps top surgery and maybe even other things.
If you’re like me, my biggest challenge was a sense of urgency. Realistically I knew I only had so many years left to enjoy my authentic self. The prospect of spending five or 10 years to complete the process was just not acceptable. I went on an aggressive campaign and essentially completed all the surgical interventions in about 16 months. It took its toll, but now I am moving forward with my life. It was definitely worth it for me. The only thing I have to wait on is the continued work of HRT. The subtle changes it creates in your face take about three years to fully develop. I still have a little more than a year to go. Trans women I know who are ahead of me have experienced this phenomenon. It is amazing the change that occurs somewhere late in the second year or in the third year.
In the beginning, I was incredibly impatient. As the HRT began to work and I began to plan my schedule, I became far more comfortable with just enjoying the process of evolution. It was nice to see the subtle changes, maybe not on a day-to-day basis, but every couple of weeks. I felt authentic, because I was becoming so. If you are like me, you may have lingering doubts. I think that those of us who are older always do. I’ve come this far, why can’t I just enjoy the rest of my life the way I’ve always been? Or even the more existential question of, Am I losing my mind or am I really transgender? For me the way to rephrase the question was was to ask myself, Could I ever imagine going back to what I once was? The answer was always no. Embracing my true self created a much brighter future. I wish you the best of luck in your own journey and there are lots of us here to walk with you along your path rooting you on.🌹
