From Suppressing Melissa, to Finding Melissa.
Knowing that you are different from an early age can mess with your mind, especially if you do not have the understanding and support of others.
When children are born, doctors will physically check the genitalia of the child and mark either M or F on the birth certificate, depending on what they have down there. This process is referred to as “sex assigned at birth.” But science has proven this is not as binary as we once knew. The same goes for gender identity. Gender is a social construct based on our visible genitalia. If you were born with a penis, you are a boy; if you are born with a vagina, you are a woman. Again, research into this binarism has proven that our minds do not identify with this way of thinking.
In 2021, I came out as Transgender. I now use she/her or they pronouns. I do not identify with my sex assigned at birth. My journey has just begun, and over the last couple of years, I’ve become happier and happier with myself. However, one thing still lingers over me. I still have the wrong anatomy.
Recently, my new health insurance can cover some of the Gender Reassignment Surgery once I have an approval letter from them. This will take time as I need to jump through a few hoops. In addition, there is the cost of the hospital stay, after care, transport and minimum six weeks recovery out of work where I will not be paid for my time off work.
I will be travelling from Southern Maine to Pennsylvania to have my surgery. My surgeon requires the initial $21,000 up front before anything happens. If I can raise it soon, I could have my surgery as early as August 2023. I have spent a considerable amount of time organizing my finances and hoping to save more money. However, I am struggling to find the funds to pay for the rest of the surgery. This surgery is life or death for me. I will never be 100% happy with myself until this surgery is complete.
If you feel you’re able to help, it would mean the world to me.
Mel x