In my very first blog on OS, I wrote of the road ahead for me as a transsexual woman. I spoke of the possibility of losses, my hope for new awarenesses, and of the three surgeries most commonly undertaken by male-to-female (MTF) transwomen when they determine that they must physically transition. When I wrote that blog I had no idea that I would have all three surgeries within six months.

A little review for those of you who are new to my blog. I began my transition about fifteen months ago, June 6, 2008 to be exact. I went on estrogen (female hormones) in August, 2008, and had my first surgery on March 16, 2009. That was Feminine Facialization Surgery (FFS) and it was intended to make me look like my twin sister would look, if I had one. The effects of that surgery will take a full year to unfold, but suffice it to say I am elated with the results already.

The second surgery I had was on May 22, 2009, and it was Genital Reassignment Surgery (GRS) which took place in my mother's hometown of Trinidad, Colorado. This surgery removed my diagnosis of Gender Identity Disorder (GID) which is defined as having an internal gender identity that does not match your genital (or physical) identity. I was given the vagina I should have been born with on that day. I must say that it feels wonderful not to have a mismatch between what I know myself to be and what is between my legs. Really wonderful!

The three surgeries are typically referred to in transsexual shorthand as; top surgery (FFS), bottom surgery (GRS), and middle surgery (BA). Most often these surgeries are done over the course of one to two years. I will have had all three within a six month period in 2009, fulfilling a fortune cookie message I received in December 2008 that says, "You will have much to be thankful for in the new year." Truer words were never spoken!

Today I received a call from Malvika, the Patient Coordinator for Dr. Amy Wandel, a Cosmetic and Reconstructive surgeon in Sacramento, California. Eight days from today I will have BA (otherwise known as "middle surgery," or breast augmentation). I had a pre-op consultation last Friday, and I learned that I am a perfect candidate for the surgery. So my next, and final, surgery will be on Thursday, August 27 at 11:30 am. This will complete my physical transition, and all gender dissonance will forever be a memory from the past only.

Insurance did not pay for one dime of any of these surgeries. I had to clear out my 401K at work, borrow the maximum that I could from my credit union, and even put my car up for collateral for this last surgery. All told, I will have spent more in these last six months than I earn in an entire year, and then some. Some transpeople have the blessing of insurance that pays for all this 100%. If I were destitute, Medi-Cal, the California state medical fund for the poor, would pay for it. If my company just had the "other" Kaiser insurance plan, it would cover it. If I worked for Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, the City of San Francisco, or any of 64 other national employers, my insurance would have paid for it all. But mine, as good as it is, excludes transgender surgeries, claiming they are "cosmetic" only.

But this is not a day to grouse about health insurance. This is a day to make myself a nice Plymouth gin martini with garlic stuffed Sicilian olives, and toast a world where a deeply confused girl who was born with male stuff can get across the divide to the side she was supposed to play on. I was born in the right place, at the right time, right here and now to be able to take advantage of the medical technology that could set me free - the science that could quite literally transform me from an ugly duckling into a glorious swan.

Now is not a time for sadness. Now I have my final surgery date, and it is only eight days away. Tonight, I will celebrate!