I'm taking the plunge and finally having gender-affirming surgery this June!

**tl;dr I would love your support! Money helps, but I will also need substantial assistance during the first few weeks of recovery. If we know each other and you have the ability, please let me know!**

Because of cost and medical trauma, surgery has always felt impossible. I coped by convincing myself that it wasn't important, that the dysphoria was manageable. But the fear of losing access permanently is very clarifying and motivating. Every day, this country moves exponentially closer to that reality. So — even though I'm living paycheck to paycheck with only $100 in savings — I have an opportunity, and I'm taking it.

The only advantage to spending 1/4 of my income on health care is that I hit my out-of-pocket maximum pretty quickly, so the surgery itself will cost little. However, I need many other things and will miss a lot of work. (I do not get paid time off.) Also, my local family's ability to help will be limited this summer. Also also, I'm exhausted from providing care to myself and many other disabled trans people as an activist, friend, and counselor during the scariest period to be trans in the so-called US I have ever known in the nearly twenty years since I came out.

If you want to donate money, I would be so grateful. Even better, if we already know each other and you can provide physical help — getting groceries, walking our elderly dog, doing chores, watering our garden, etc. — while I'm confined to bed during late June and early July, hit me up ASAP so I can start planning. Thanks, friends. Death to dysphoria! Long live trans people!

P.S. The little dinosaur was given to me last month by my surgeon's office; they said they like to give patients little things like that so we have a tangible reminder of the moment we started this journey.