Hiccup in my Forward Progress toward Surgery

There’s been a hiccup in my forward progress toward surgery to have my breasts removed:

 

The surgical “centre” (they spell it that way to look upscale, although that’s the British way to spell it) here in Tacoma–the one my doctor referred me to–doesn’t perform double mastectomies for gender dysphoria!

 

GRRRR and DAGNAB IT!!!

 

They recommend OHSU in Oregon for the surgery. The gal I talked to said, “They have a whole team there.”

 

I don’t need a whole team. I don’t care about breast reconstruction: I want them gone, erased. I don’t even care if I have nipples afterward. I don’t care about aesthetics. No one is going to see me naked anyway except myself and eventual caregivers if I live long enough to need them.

 

And unless there is no other option closer to home, I’m not going to have my sister or friend  drive me all the way to Oregon to have surgery done when it can be done close to home. It is done routinely here for breast cancer. Just because I don’t have breast cancer shouldn’t affect whether I can get the surgery.

 

I have the official diagnosis for gender dysphoria. That should be all I need to get this done locally in a liberal state.

 

If it is being denied locally for “religious reasons” (“We don’t believe God makes mistakes” or “There are only “confused” cisgender people on the planet”), I could take it to court and get punitive and distress damages for being denied the care  I’ve been authorized to get to confirm my gender visually.

 

I’m a little miffed.

 

I put in a call to my doctor to see if she can find another provider locally who will do the surgery. I’ll even go as far north as Seattle if need be.

 

But Oregon? NO! Whoever drove me there would have to stay in a hotel one or two nights, or more, so they could drive me home afterward, and that’s nuts.

 

And a three (or more) hour long drive after surgery isn’t my idea of a good time, either…

 

So the saga continues…

 

Dammit!