DEARMEMBER,
Thi
si
s
s
uewewant
edt
of
eat
ur
es
omet
hi
ngt
hati
s
ahugemi
l
es
t
onei
nmanyt
r
anspeopl
e’
sj
our
neys
ofs
el
f
ac
t
ual
i
zat
i
on:
s
ur
ger
y
.
Forme,
t
ops
ur
ger
y
wast
hef
i
r
s
t“
l
i
ghtatt
heendoft
het
unnel
”Ic
oul
d
f
oc
usont
ogett
hr
oughal
lt
het
ought
i
mesofear
l
y
t
r
ans
i
t
i
ont
hemi
s
gender
i
ngs
,
t
heendl
es
sdoc
t
or
s
’
appoi
nt
ment
s
,
t
hedai
l
ybi
ndi
ng.
Tops
ur
ger
y
wasal
s
ot
hef
i
r
s
tt
i
met
hatIf
el
tl
i
kemypar
ent
s
ac
t
ual
l
ys
uppor
t
edmyt
r
ans
i
t
i
on.
Ihadc
omeout
t
omymom t
hr
oughabat
hr
oom doorbef
or
ei
mmedi
at
el
yhoppi
ngi
nac
art
odr
i
vef
r
om Lexi
ngt
on,
Sout
hCar
ol
i
na,
t
oLosAngel
es
,
Cal
i
f
or
ni
a.
Then,
ac
oupl
emont
hsl
at
er
,
It
ol
dt
hem overt
hephonet
hatIhads
t
ar
t
edhor
monesandpi
c
keda
s
ur
ger
ydat
e.
Buti
twas
n’
tunt
i
lIwashomef
orChr
i
s
t
masbr
eak,
booki
ngour10days
t
ayatahos
t
el
i
nSanFr
anc
i
s
c
o,
t
hatIc
oul
dr
eal
l
yf
eelt
hei
rs
uppor
t
.
Myt
r
ans
i
t
i
onwentf
r
om s
omet
hi
ngIwasj
us
t
t
el
l
i
ngt
hem Iwasdoi
ng(
s
ec
r
et
l
yf
ear
i
ngt
heywoul
dobj
ec
ti
fIwas
n’
ts
uperdec
l
ar
at
i
veanddec
i
s
i
ve
abouti
t
)t
os
omet
hi
ngt
hatt
heywer
eac
t
i
vel
yi
nvol
vedi
npl
anni
ng.
Mymom woul
devenbef
l
yi
ng
outf
ormypr
oc
edur
eandaf
t
erc
ar
e.
Il
i
t
er
al
l
yhadnoteveni
magi
nedt
hi
sasapos
s
i
bi
l
i
t
y
.
Ibur
s
t
i
nt
ot
ear
sofj
oy
.
l
e
t
t
e
rf
r
o
mE
d
i
t
o
rI
nC
h
i
e
f
It
hi
nks
ur
ger
yc
anbes
upert
oughf
ort
r
ansguysbec
aus
es
omanyofusar
ei
nt
hehabi
tofdoi
ngever
yt
hi
ngf
orour
s
el
ves
.
I
tc
anal
s
obehowt
her
es
toft
hewor
l
dexpec
t
sust
obe.
St
one.
Col
d.
But
c
h.
Forexampl
e,
whenIwasr
el
eas
edf
r
om t
hehos
pi
t
alj
us
thour
saf
t
ermys
ur
ger
y,
t
hemal
enur
s
e
t
eas
edme,
“
Youdon’
tneedawheelc
hai
r
,
bos
s
,
doyou?”Hunc
hedover
,
Iwal
kedmys
el
ft
ot
het
axi
c
abbehi
ndmymom andpar
t
ner
.
Butc
r
ankyands
t
i
f
fandbor
ed,
Ihadnoc
hoi
c
ebutt
oas
kt
hem f
or
hel
p:
t
omi
c
r
owavec
or
ners
t
or
es
paghet
t
i
,
t
oempt
yandmeas
ur
edr
ai
ns
,
t
ogot
ot
hebat
hr
oom.
I
washumbl
ed.
Andwhent
hedoc
t
orr
eveal
edmyc
hes
tandIs
hower
edf
ort
hef
i
r
s
tt
i
me,
Idi
dn’
ts
t
op
gi
ggl
i
ngf
or15mi
nut
es
.
Iwass
of
uc
ki
nghappy
.
Ihavemi
xedf
eel
i
ngsabouts
ur
ger
y
.
Ihavemi
xedf
eel
i
ngsaboutal
otoft
hi
ngs
.
Atonepoi
nti
nmy
l
i
f
eIf
el
tt
hatIneededt
omar
t
yrmys
el
fbykeepi
ngmybr
eas
t
sands
howi
ngt
hatmenc
anhave
boobst
oo.
Ineverf
el
tl
i
keIwasbor
ni
nt
hewr
ongbody
.
Atanot
herpoi
nti
nmyl
i
f
eIf
el
tt
hatIc
oul
d
nol
ongerl
i
veatal
li
fIwasr
eadasf
emal
e.
Whowoul
dhavet
houghtt
hati
namat
t
erofaf
ewhour
s
,
i
nar
out
i
ne,
out
pat
i
entpr
oc
edur
e,
Ic
oul
dber
ebor
n?
Now,
mymot
heri
dol
i
zest
hi
st
r
i
pf
orus
.
Shehasi
nc
or
por
at
edi
t
si
mager
yi
nt
oherar
tandc
ommemor
at
esi
tannual
l
yasmy“
s
ec
ondbi
r
t
hday
.
”If
el
ts
os
c
ar
edandgui
l
t
yaboutc
omi
ngoutast
r
anst
o
mymom bec
aus
eIt
houghtIwast
aki
ngawayherl
i
t
t
l
egi
r
l
.
Al
otoft
hes
t
or
i
esIknowaboutmyc
onc
ept
i
onandmys
el
far
eabouthowbadl
ymypar
ent
swant
edadaught
er
.
Iwast
er
r
i
f
i
edaboutl
os
i
ng
myc
onnec
t
i
onwi
t
ht
hem.
Butbys
howi
ngupf
ormys
ur
ger
y,
mymom hel
dt
omet
i
ght
l
y
.
Iknow
t
hatnotever
yonehasamot
hert
os
howupf
ort
hem,
butbehi
ndever
ygenderaf
f
i
r
mi
ngs
ur
ger
y
t
her
ei
sanet
wor
kofgenderaf
f
i
r
mi
ngpeopl
ewhet
herat
her
api
s
t
,
adoc
t
or
,
af
ami
l
ymemberora
f
r
i
end.
Jus
tknowt
hati
fyouar
ec
ons
i
der
i
ngt
r
ans
i
t
i
oni
ngand/
ors
ur
ger
y,
youar
enotal
one.
Ihope
t
hatt
hi
si
s
s
uebr
i
ngsyous
omec
omf
or
tandc
l
ar
i
t
yonyourj
our
neyt
owar
dyouraut
hent
i
cs
el
f
.
Bon
voyage
Love,
@e
d
d
i
e
wo
o
d
f
t
m @e
d
d
i
e
wo
o
d
f
t
m
@e
d
d
i
e
wo
o
d
f
t
m
d
o
Wo
e
i
d
d
E