Ezra's Top Surgery
Donation protected
Hello friends, family, and anyone else taking the time to read this! I'm raising funds to help finance my top surgery. This is another exciting moment in my transition. I'm so grateful for the various forms of support so many of you have already shared with me. Below I've written a bit about my self-process and the procedure I will be having at the end of this month. I'm also including a resource directory at the end of my page as a way to share additional information on the services I've used during my medical transition. I hope this can be helpful to others seeking to learn more about or access trans* affirmative healthcare. With all of your support and any of your donations I will be able to enjoy this life changing moment. Having less financial stress, means I can focus more on a smooth, healthy recovery. Thanks for choosing being a part of my journey!
• T rans affirmative healthcare- Healthcare that centers the specific needs of trans* and gender non-conforming people. This includes a wide range of medical services and procedures, including top surgery!
• N O more binding! For years, binding my chest has made me more comfortable with my body, but binding my chest for years has also been extremely uncomfortable for my body.
• P rivilege- I am grateful to have had guidance from other queer and trans* folks who have navigated the healthcare system before me. Without their advice, I would have never known how to access the resources I’ve needed!
• S ubcutaneous mastectomy- This is the specific procedure I will be having for my top surgery. It’s outpatient and recovery is about three weeks. For more info, see the resource directory below.
• U CLA Gender Healthcare Program- I currently receive medical services through UCLA’s Gender Healthcare Program. I will be undergoing my top surgery with Dr. Andrew De Lio at UCLA Medical Center on January 29th.
• R esource directory- I decided to include a list of all the resources to I’ve used throughout my medical transition. I hope by including them all in one place it can make the process easier for the next person. Please pass it along!
• G ender affirmation- Everyone’s identity formation is different. Top surgery is an important step in aligning my external gender expression and personal sense of self.
• E motional relief- The evolution of my trans* identity has been a long and emotional journey but with each phase I find more comfort in who I am becoming.
• R esults: A flatter chest! But also physically feeling more at home in a body that aligns with my identity.
• Y ou can donate below- Although my insurance covers some of the cost of surgery, it does not cover all the expenses of pre-op and post-op appointments or recovery. I will miss three weeks (unpaid) of work after my top surgery, making it difficult to finance everything without assistance. Any donation will help alleviate financial stress during my post-operative recovery, while also allowing me to focus my attention on my healing process!
Where exactly are donations going? :
- $1,500 going towards surgery (subcutaneous maceotcmy)
- $500 to help me pay part of my rent since i'll be out out of work for a month
What procedure will be preformed? :
- I will be having Keyhole. If interested in the specifics, I’ve provided a link below.
https://www.topsurgery.net/procedures/keyhole-top-surgery.htm
When and where?:
- January 29th, 2019! At UCLA Medical Center in Westwood CA.
Resource Directory:
Planned Parenthood Fresno, CA is where I went to start hormones. Here they offer affordable health care and “Informed Consent” for patients +18 seeking hormone therapy (if under 17 you need a guardian's signature) :
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-mar-monte/patient-resources/transgender-services
St. John’s Well Child and Family Center Downtown, Los Angeles is where I continued hormone therapy. Similar to Planned Parenthood, offering affordable healthcare and “informed consent.”:
http://www.wellchild.org/transgender-health-program/
UCLA Gender Health Program Los Angeles: where I’m currently receiving general health care, hormone related care, and getting top surgery with Andrew Da Lio, MD. (They do not do informed consent here, you’d need to use insurance)
Program:
https://www.uclahealth.org/gender-health/
Andrew Da Lio, MD:
https://www.uclahealth.org/andrew-da-lio
Therapist Letter Studio City, CA. Through the queer grapevine I was able to meet with Aydin Olson-Kennedy, A Licensed Clinical Social Worker who also happens to be trans. I contacted him through email, scheduled an appointment, and two days later I had my letter:
https://www.lagendercenter.org/aydin-olson-kennedy
LGBT Center OC Santa Ana, CA. I went to one of their workshops to fill out the paperwork to legally change my name. With the help of an attorney to guide me through the process. These name change workshops are completely free. They offer a plethora of services/events/programs, too many to list. Also if you’re not in the OC you can still contact them through email and they will help you find lgbtq+ care nearest you:
https://www.lgbtcenteroc.org/
(Please feel free to message me if you have any further questions on the information in resource directory!)
• T rans affirmative healthcare- Healthcare that centers the specific needs of trans* and gender non-conforming people. This includes a wide range of medical services and procedures, including top surgery!
• N O more binding! For years, binding my chest has made me more comfortable with my body, but binding my chest for years has also been extremely uncomfortable for my body.
• P rivilege- I am grateful to have had guidance from other queer and trans* folks who have navigated the healthcare system before me. Without their advice, I would have never known how to access the resources I’ve needed!
• S ubcutaneous mastectomy- This is the specific procedure I will be having for my top surgery. It’s outpatient and recovery is about three weeks. For more info, see the resource directory below.
• U CLA Gender Healthcare Program- I currently receive medical services through UCLA’s Gender Healthcare Program. I will be undergoing my top surgery with Dr. Andrew De Lio at UCLA Medical Center on January 29th.
• R esource directory- I decided to include a list of all the resources to I’ve used throughout my medical transition. I hope by including them all in one place it can make the process easier for the next person. Please pass it along!
• G ender affirmation- Everyone’s identity formation is different. Top surgery is an important step in aligning my external gender expression and personal sense of self.
• E motional relief- The evolution of my trans* identity has been a long and emotional journey but with each phase I find more comfort in who I am becoming.
• R esults: A flatter chest! But also physically feeling more at home in a body that aligns with my identity.
• Y ou can donate below- Although my insurance covers some of the cost of surgery, it does not cover all the expenses of pre-op and post-op appointments or recovery. I will miss three weeks (unpaid) of work after my top surgery, making it difficult to finance everything without assistance. Any donation will help alleviate financial stress during my post-operative recovery, while also allowing me to focus my attention on my healing process!
Where exactly are donations going? :
- $1,500 going towards surgery (subcutaneous maceotcmy)
- $500 to help me pay part of my rent since i'll be out out of work for a month
What procedure will be preformed? :
- I will be having Keyhole. If interested in the specifics, I’ve provided a link below.
https://www.topsurgery.net/procedures/keyhole-top-surgery.htm
When and where?:
- January 29th, 2019! At UCLA Medical Center in Westwood CA.
Resource Directory:
Planned Parenthood Fresno, CA is where I went to start hormones. Here they offer affordable health care and “Informed Consent” for patients +18 seeking hormone therapy (if under 17 you need a guardian's signature) :
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-mar-monte/patient-resources/transgender-services
St. John’s Well Child and Family Center Downtown, Los Angeles is where I continued hormone therapy. Similar to Planned Parenthood, offering affordable healthcare and “informed consent.”:
http://www.wellchild.org/transgender-health-program/
UCLA Gender Health Program Los Angeles: where I’m currently receiving general health care, hormone related care, and getting top surgery with Andrew Da Lio, MD. (They do not do informed consent here, you’d need to use insurance)
Program:
https://www.uclahealth.org/gender-health/
Andrew Da Lio, MD:
https://www.uclahealth.org/andrew-da-lio
Therapist Letter Studio City, CA. Through the queer grapevine I was able to meet with Aydin Olson-Kennedy, A Licensed Clinical Social Worker who also happens to be trans. I contacted him through email, scheduled an appointment, and two days later I had my letter:
https://www.lagendercenter.org/aydin-olson-kennedy
LGBT Center OC Santa Ana, CA. I went to one of their workshops to fill out the paperwork to legally change my name. With the help of an attorney to guide me through the process. These name change workshops are completely free. They offer a plethora of services/events/programs, too many to list. Also if you’re not in the OC you can still contact them through email and they will help you find lgbtq+ care nearest you:
https://www.lgbtcenteroc.org/
(Please feel free to message me if you have any further questions on the information in resource directory!)
Organizer
Ezra Amorette
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA