Please help Lucas get this whole thing over with.

Hello friends! In classic me fashion, I am asking for help at the last minute, to help me complete this last step in a journey I've been on for almost a decade.

I have been actively working towards my last gender affirming surgery for years, and I finally have it scheduled for October 3, in Ann Arbor, MI, with a surgeon from the University of Michigan. This is the closest place that does the surgery I need, and it's a 600 mile (11 hour) drive each way. In addition to traveling for the surgery itself, I'll have to go to two in-person post-op appointments. Up until now, I've only had to do one in-person appointment (thank goodness for virtual visits), so this is going to be quite an undertaking.

I've done an incredible amount of legwork to get to this point, and I'm so close to just being done with my transition. It has been a beautiful, magical journey for me, but I am so ready to just be done. Up until a few weeks ago, I had no idea if insurance would actually cover this, or what it would cost me if they did. The surgeon is out of network with my insurance, but they approved my prior authorization request which covers the vast majority of the surgery itself, which I am beyond grateful for. After so many denials, phone calls to insurance and hospital staff, paperwork, emails, therapist visits, frustration, and complaining to anyone who would listen about what a frustrating process this is - I got an approval.

Unfortunately this hasn't given me enough time to actually save up money. I'll be real honest, I didn't think this would happen. I'm still not convinced it'll happen, and I don't think I'll believe it until I'm being put under for surgery. Maybe not even then.

I'm doing everything as cheaply as possible, because I do not get any paid time off from work, and neither does my partner, and she'll be my caretaker during this. She will be able to work remotely, luckily, but I will be completely out of work for at least six weeks, and likely unable to work full-time hours for a while after that. I've already connected with community resources to help me as much as possible during that time, but things are still going to be rough for a while.

Please consider donating if you are able. Or keep me in your thoughts on October 3rd, when I have surgery. I love you and appreciate you more than I can put into words.

With gratitude,

Lucas

My estimates for the cost breakdown:

$300 for the hotel for surgery - booked through the hospital for three nights - the night before surgery, the night I'll be in the hospital, and one more night in case of complications.

$200 for the hotel for postop visits - only one night each trip, hopefully.

$600 for gas and tolls over the Mackinac Bridge for the three trips.

$200 for food

$200 for medical supplies

Anything raised over this amount will go directly towards the surgery itself ($2756 per UM), or covering our bills while I'm out of work for six weeks.

Please feel free to message me if you have any questions oranything. I recognize that this whole thing is not something that people are super familiar with, so I am an open book. Thank you for reading all of this, and thank you for your support.