Sam's Mastectomy
Beschermde donatie
Hey everyone!
If you're here then you might have heard a bit about me already, but lets clear some things up! My name is Sam Kraft and I'm a genderqueer/Transgender 27 year old! (I go by He/Him/They/Them)
It's taken me a long time to come to understand and accept this about myself. Not so much that I didn't know there was something about myself to consider, it just simply always how I felt, but had no education towards understanding. But I was not living in a home that would accept these differences or nurture my journey to educate myself on the completely normal differences of the human condition. I have taken it upon myself through the years to seek the information I need through professionals, studies, books, founded theories that would help me come to understand what it was about me that made me what almost everyone around me was telling me was wrong or evil, but I was fully aware of what I was by the time I was ready to finally come out.
I never once spoke to friends or family about this. Or asked for opinions from those that I was close to, not knowing who would try to emotionally punish me or be supportive of my journey to figure things out on my own.
My biggest fear was never my transitioning itself, though there are understandable worries that go hand in hand with transitioning. It is a big physical and hormonal adjustment after all. However the biggest fear comes from the social complications when dealing with my family. Many reject the notion, passing it off as a mistaken phase of ignorance on my part, as if I am only influenced by media and friends instead of extensive research to enlighten myself on matters that had tormented me for years (or better yet, my surrounding environment had tormented me to seek answers privately). Some family were accepting, and even fewer were supportive. But it honestly has all landed exactly where I predicted it would more or less and while I wish I could have come out years ago and begun my transition, I felt I was in no comfortable place financially and literally to do so. I was less focused on my own needs and more caught up in what my family would think, how they would judge me, reject me, how my ex husband would have taken this information.
Likely it would have lead to a split up much sooner in the relationship had I stopped bottling it all up and just let it burn me out like it did. I am burned out in the way that I am sick of keeping quiet about things I feel are ok, things that I feel are wrong or things that I feel are being fed ignorance or hate. It's not my responsibility to educate people around me, as I had to find my own education on all of this, but at the same time I am one of many ambassador's to better understanding the trans and LGBT+ community. I will help in other's understanding as best I can, but I can be prone to being frustrated if my willingness to offer sources of information goes rejected or ignored. That's willful ignorance then. That, like so many, I refuse to have patience for.
As for this fundraiser...
It's every bit my intentions to take the next steps in my personal transition. However doing so costs money, money in which I don't have a lot of and many insurance companies won't cover and offices won't accept. I am in search of an affordable insurance plan for things like therapy sessions and medications (which the companies will cover, however I'm too late this year to get onto a plan) but in the meantime I still need to get a head start on all of this and am in dire need of help to get to that point.
My first step has already been taken. I've seen a therapist and physician, have been approved for hormone therapy and am started on Testosterone, however the big main hurdle is the top corrective surgery. After some daily consistent research I've done and speaking to my therapist about potential costs I've deduced that it can be low range at about $5-6k just for the mastectomy. With the addition of fees it begins to really add up. Not to mention the bit of time needed for recovery.
This isn't even getting into when I will possibly need to have a hysterectomy for my own health (There is a small chance that my ovaries will be more susceptible to cancer if I do not have them removed after a few years on my hormone therapy treatment. But that may be covered by health insurance if my physician finds it necessary in time while keeping an eye on me).
** FTM Top Surgery Procedure Double Incision ($7,300-$8000)
(the website linked is one of many doctors I've looked up and his is the most informative for the procedures I've seen)
Because of all of this it's really begun to add up already and many businesses do not take insurance for the procedures, as well as many insurance companies also will refuse to cover under the knowledge that being a Transgender person is considered a pre-existing condition.
I am really going to be relying on the help of those around me to be able to get this done and I will appreciate anything and everything offered to help get me one step closer to my needs for this.
This is incredibly important for me to accomplish because without it, everything is all wrong. The dsyphoria has only gotten worse and every day is a struggle to simply be ok with my present state. At first I had convinced myself that it wasn't a sense of feeling trapped but with each passing day I actually do feel trapped inside myself. I cannot be social without feeling all wrong and going into a deep depression (even the thought of going out to experience that leaves me feeling dread), nor can I really enjoy my own company and that's no way to live. So I want to fix this.
And let me tell you, since I've started on my transition, there are still bad days but the good days are even better. The amount of times I'm misgendered in public is minimal at worst and none at best or left only to those in my family that do not agree with what I'm doing.
I hope this message speaks to you and you can find the opportunity to either offer something or at least spread the word. There are so many transgender individuals that struggle with this and my thoughts go out to them all and when I am able I will happily help pay it forward for you as well.
For further information on being a Transgender person and the various nuances it entails, feel free to check out a few of these sources and help me and the millions of others spread greater education and understanding about an incredibly common but misinformed and often ridiculed condition.
Transgender Studies Quarterly
GenderQueer
Dysphoria
My primary Therapists office
Transgender
Trans FAQs
American Psychological Association
Chest Recontrustion steps
If you're here then you might have heard a bit about me already, but lets clear some things up! My name is Sam Kraft and I'm a genderqueer/Transgender 27 year old! (I go by He/Him/They/Them)
It's taken me a long time to come to understand and accept this about myself. Not so much that I didn't know there was something about myself to consider, it just simply always how I felt, but had no education towards understanding. But I was not living in a home that would accept these differences or nurture my journey to educate myself on the completely normal differences of the human condition. I have taken it upon myself through the years to seek the information I need through professionals, studies, books, founded theories that would help me come to understand what it was about me that made me what almost everyone around me was telling me was wrong or evil, but I was fully aware of what I was by the time I was ready to finally come out.
I never once spoke to friends or family about this. Or asked for opinions from those that I was close to, not knowing who would try to emotionally punish me or be supportive of my journey to figure things out on my own.
My biggest fear was never my transitioning itself, though there are understandable worries that go hand in hand with transitioning. It is a big physical and hormonal adjustment after all. However the biggest fear comes from the social complications when dealing with my family. Many reject the notion, passing it off as a mistaken phase of ignorance on my part, as if I am only influenced by media and friends instead of extensive research to enlighten myself on matters that had tormented me for years (or better yet, my surrounding environment had tormented me to seek answers privately). Some family were accepting, and even fewer were supportive. But it honestly has all landed exactly where I predicted it would more or less and while I wish I could have come out years ago and begun my transition, I felt I was in no comfortable place financially and literally to do so. I was less focused on my own needs and more caught up in what my family would think, how they would judge me, reject me, how my ex husband would have taken this information.
Likely it would have lead to a split up much sooner in the relationship had I stopped bottling it all up and just let it burn me out like it did. I am burned out in the way that I am sick of keeping quiet about things I feel are ok, things that I feel are wrong or things that I feel are being fed ignorance or hate. It's not my responsibility to educate people around me, as I had to find my own education on all of this, but at the same time I am one of many ambassador's to better understanding the trans and LGBT+ community. I will help in other's understanding as best I can, but I can be prone to being frustrated if my willingness to offer sources of information goes rejected or ignored. That's willful ignorance then. That, like so many, I refuse to have patience for.
As for this fundraiser...
It's every bit my intentions to take the next steps in my personal transition. However doing so costs money, money in which I don't have a lot of and many insurance companies won't cover and offices won't accept. I am in search of an affordable insurance plan for things like therapy sessions and medications (which the companies will cover, however I'm too late this year to get onto a plan) but in the meantime I still need to get a head start on all of this and am in dire need of help to get to that point.
My first step has already been taken. I've seen a therapist and physician, have been approved for hormone therapy and am started on Testosterone, however the big main hurdle is the top corrective surgery. After some daily consistent research I've done and speaking to my therapist about potential costs I've deduced that it can be low range at about $5-6k just for the mastectomy. With the addition of fees it begins to really add up. Not to mention the bit of time needed for recovery.
This isn't even getting into when I will possibly need to have a hysterectomy for my own health (There is a small chance that my ovaries will be more susceptible to cancer if I do not have them removed after a few years on my hormone therapy treatment. But that may be covered by health insurance if my physician finds it necessary in time while keeping an eye on me).
** FTM Top Surgery Procedure Double Incision ($7,300-$8000)
(the website linked is one of many doctors I've looked up and his is the most informative for the procedures I've seen)
Because of all of this it's really begun to add up already and many businesses do not take insurance for the procedures, as well as many insurance companies also will refuse to cover under the knowledge that being a Transgender person is considered a pre-existing condition.
I am really going to be relying on the help of those around me to be able to get this done and I will appreciate anything and everything offered to help get me one step closer to my needs for this.
This is incredibly important for me to accomplish because without it, everything is all wrong. The dsyphoria has only gotten worse and every day is a struggle to simply be ok with my present state. At first I had convinced myself that it wasn't a sense of feeling trapped but with each passing day I actually do feel trapped inside myself. I cannot be social without feeling all wrong and going into a deep depression (even the thought of going out to experience that leaves me feeling dread), nor can I really enjoy my own company and that's no way to live. So I want to fix this.
And let me tell you, since I've started on my transition, there are still bad days but the good days are even better. The amount of times I'm misgendered in public is minimal at worst and none at best or left only to those in my family that do not agree with what I'm doing.
I hope this message speaks to you and you can find the opportunity to either offer something or at least spread the word. There are so many transgender individuals that struggle with this and my thoughts go out to them all and when I am able I will happily help pay it forward for you as well.
For further information on being a Transgender person and the various nuances it entails, feel free to check out a few of these sources and help me and the millions of others spread greater education and understanding about an incredibly common but misinformed and often ridiculed condition.
Transgender Studies Quarterly
GenderQueer
Dysphoria
My primary Therapists office
Transgender
Trans FAQs
American Psychological Association
Chest Recontrustion steps
Organisator
Sam Kraft
Organisator
Orlando, FL
