OH Doctor!!

Well who'd of thunk it?!  You are sick you go to a Doctor, you want a little eye work done you go to a Doctor.  You need a replacement for your son, you call the Doctor.  Wait a minute!  It's not THAT easy.  For a week straight, I called, and was refused.  Yes refused.  How can they do that??!! You ask.  Well they can claim ignorance for one.  "Sorry, I don't have experience with that". and they can claim it as a "mental disorder" and the suggestion that I might see Psych instead.  Or they can just plain not get back to you.  I literally, started losing sleep over this.  My old Dr. Mary has moved out of town.  And more surprisingly, I was left with the assurance that I could still see her.  Her license in this state in tack, she could write our lab orders and continue our scripts.  Ok, seems easy.  I even got her email and phone number the last visit.  The phone has since been shut off and the emails are going unanswered.  How could this be happening?  With my son due for labwork in just two short weeks, I started the search.  See above...this is the result.  But after a much needed break for the weekend (with a day off work at the last minute...Hurray), and our very first group meeting, I felt inspired.

I got a great message from a Dr willing to help the fight to find someone.  We sent emails all morning.  Both of us agreeing to set our sights on the hospital I work for Phoenix Childrens.  It's the fourth largest in the country and should help right?  Well I tried a year ago and got NO response.  At least this year I got two. 

I also had a mom at group that saw someone she felt pretty good about.

I got a call in the morning from my daughter's friend who works at a Children's Medical group, and there was a Doctor there who talked with Docs over the weekend and found a couple options for us.

Then I got this email...I won't post the whole thing for privacy but those words, "I'm willing to work with your son".  First of all, "son" so he does get it!  second of all, "willing to work with..." is all I needed to hear.  I also, got CC'd in on the email he wrote to his scheduling coordinator (yes used to be called secretaries, oh how far we have come).  In that he said we "NEED" to get Max in this month even if it meant overbooking and him having to stay late! 

What a relief! 

Now let's hope we can get this ball rolling, and make PCH start their own gender clinic someday! :)  Oh and maybe a day job for me in it :)

Let the Groups begin

So Julian (a huge mentor to Max, and wonderful friend to me) and I have been working on getting a group together for the kids and parents.  It's open to all Gender non conforming kids, trans or otherwise, and their parents.  Our first meeting was Sunday and we had four kids and the parents.  I think it went REALLY well and hope we just keep growing from there! :)

A year

It's amazing that when you look at things from behind, they seem so far away.  I'm sure for Max, starting Testosterone seemed so very far away.  In fact he had a countdown chain of 101 days.  He knew even before that, that he would be getting it, so the waiting seemed endless.  WOW! What a year it's been.  So many changes in my boy.  Deep voice, those changes were quick, and have slowed (or at least I don't see a difference anymore).  His Adam's apple came, a dream he really wanted but wasn't sure would happen.  He's gone to a wonderful accepting school.  He has become a voice for the youth of the LGBTQ community.  He had his surgery, and is standing tall and proud.  Now, I think on this day, the day his shot is due before his actual "anniversary" (on Saturday):   It's been an amazing journey so far on the road to manhood.