I think the most brightening and hopeful part of my transition was early on when they told me I wouldn't need to stop birth control and get it out of my system before starting hormones and that T would treat my hormonal imbalance. It gave me severe migraines that left me hospitalized so I was terrified that I'd have to hospitalize myself again in order to begin, I don't think I'd have had the courage to do that and testosterone has helped a lot so im glad it worked out

I had fought my insurance to cover my top surgery for years before giving up and moving out of state. I honestly thought I was never going to be able to get it, but I tried one more time. My new insurance covered it, no issue. I ended up having to cancel my date tho because of the pandemic, but a few months in I called just to check in with the office and it was literally the day they had started rescheduling surgery dates. I got a confirmed surgery date 10 days out. I don't think words could ever explain the joy I felt after that phone call, especially after years and years of struggling to pursue it. Two weeks later it was over and done with, it was so surreal. To this day I feel like I owe that surgeons office and especially their insurance coordinator a life debt haha