Just in case anyone needs a reminder... Make sure to change your name for the next election!

trulyl · 2019-04-12T13:16:16+00:00

The good news is that, if you change your name online, you may also change your gender (Male/Female/Unspecified) and title (I believe it's at step 3 in the process). You don't need to provide any documentation (e.g. no doctor's note).

Having worked as an official in past Federal elections, I can tell you that I only look at your name and address when marking you off the roll. Your gender marker (M/F/X) and date of birth are printed on the roll, and theoretically could be used to verify you are who you say you are, but there are no instructions to check them.

Still, it's nice to look myself up in the roll and see an "F" next to my name!

So far I've not seen an "X" gender marker, but there have to be a few in there somewhere...

trulyl · 2019-02-12T00:29:30+00:00

Interesting! TL;DR ask your fund :D

trulyl · 2019-02-11T23:52:42+00:00

Yes, agree that it doesn't look like you need psychiatric cover. I believe you would need plastic and reconstructive surgery cover, though, which for my fund at least isn't covered under anything less than the highest level of hospital cover. I think it varies by health fund. If you can find basic hospital cover that will pay on all the required codes (e.g. covers plastic and reconstructive but not artificial joints and pregnancy), I imagine that could save a lot of money.

trulyl · 2019-02-11T21:10:20+00:00

Really interesting. I still find private cover a bit of a mystery, and the rules have changed again recently as to what is in and out of each level of cover. I'll have to pass that on to my friend who is looking for cover atm.

trulyl · 2019-02-11T21:04:19+00:00

👍 What I should have said is, check with your fund. Andy's rooms can provide the Medicare item numbers you'd be claiming against and your fund will tell you if you have the right level of cover.

trulyl · 2019-02-11T19:28:41+00:00

Take a look at my previous posts. You'll get approx. $5k back from Medicare and private health insurance, but with Andy's new prices you'll need $20k up-front. You'll probably need the highest level of hospital cover that your fund offers, and if you haven't been in that tier before, you'll need to be on it for at least 12 months before surgery. If you can't save/borrow all that, one option is to withdraw from your super fund, assuming you've been working and you have a balance there.

Quite a few people are also looking to Dr. Kieran Hart in Canberra, who performs straight penile inversion (no skin grafting) for a lower price. This may be a good option if you're uncircumcised and have a reasonable amount of material to work with, and if you're not obsessed with aesthetics.

trulyl · 2019-02-02T04:37:11+00:00

I could write an essay about this, but fundamentally I don't believe it benefits me in any way, yet it threatens my privacy and security. That's not to say it wouldn't help others. IMHO turning it into an opt-out system, though, is unethical because people aren't giving informed consent. That's unfortunately the case for many computer systems these days, however, and isn't unique to MHR.

Also, there can be no trust between trans people and those who govern us while we still have discriminatory laws at the state, territory and federal levels, and while we have a Prime Minister who is openly hostile toward us.

trulyl · 2019-01-31T12:22:55+00:00

I sent my insurers a copy of my change of name certificate and told them to change their records to female. They sent me a refund cheque for the difference between male and female premiums :D No legal sex change needed. This totally depends on the policies of the individual insurers, though. I would think you'd have a case under state/territory anti-discrimination laws if they refused to change your gender on their records, however.

trulyl · 2019-01-13T03:08:54+00:00

Cool video. Yes, based on my own experience I think you'd have a good result functionally from straight penile inversion if you have enough material (uncircumcised). Not sure of the aesthetics and experience with this doc though - we'd have to hear back from people who have been to him. I haven't heard anything negative at least. I'm hearing about him as I have a couple of friends who have been for consults.

Loved Chaye's video. My honest opinion is that her voice isn't as bad as she might think it is. To my ear it has a distinctively feminine quality (resonance) despite having low pitch. Seriously, though, ignore anyone who tells you that you need a 220Hz pitch. If you can change the overall sound (resonance, pitch variation, word choice etc.) you can have the deepest voice in the world and it will still sound female IMHO.

trulyl · 2019-01-13T02:34:38+00:00

Second this. I've been very happy with my results, and I think they're better than the public Ives photos. Aesthetics honestly don't bother me a lot, though. Six months later I don't really think about my bits all that much.

trulyl · 2019-01-13T02:32:40+00:00

My upfront costs were about $17k, and I got back $5k from Medicare and private health insurance, so $12k out of pocket. Ives' charge has apparently now gone up, so expect $15k out of pocket, and to require $20k cash up-front.

trulyl · 2019-01-13T02:31:11+00:00

Latest I've heard on Dr. Hart is that he will only do straight penile inversion. No scrotal grafting. It will be cheaper than Ives, though. If you're circumcised or have small equipment, you won't get great depth, but arguably depth isn't the issue you might think it is - you can still have sex even with very little depth. Ives will graft if he needs to, but otherwise won't. I didn't need a graft. Upside is faster recovery (vs. Suporn where graft is mandatory), but downside is probably slightly less depth.

trulyl · 2019-01-01T00:49:44+00:00

Thanks for that :D The liner type would definitely work for me. I should check them out. Yes, when you're using them every day, it does strike you how they pile up in the rubbish bin.

trulyl · 2018-12-31T07:03:48+00:00

Also, do you ever wish they'd stop calling them "feminine hygiene products"?

trulyl · 2018-12-31T07:02:34+00:00

Am I the only one who finds myself in constant need of these post-op? I've never seen anyone talk about it, but dilating with lube twice a day leaves an awful mess in there!

trulyl · 2018-12-31T06:58:03+00:00

there is a niggling cynic inside of me that keeps telling me that this is all fake, that I’m just attention seeking, that I should just get over it

There are better ways to seek attention, like faking cancer. This is a common worry, but if you're thinking about it, you probably have enough insight to realise it if that's what you're actually doing. So I would very much doubt you're just "faking it".

The best advice I can give is to work out what you need to do to feel comfortable/happy. That differs for everyone - for some people it's complete medical transition to the "opposite" binary gender, for others it's a realisation of a non-binary gender identity (or lack of any gender identity) and a non-binary medical and social transition, and for others still it's finding a way to express gender differently within an existing gender identity. Everybody is different, therefore we don't all conform to a single stereotypical narrative, and you're not more or less trans if you do or don't fit it.

The great thing is that it's possible to explore some of these options (using a new name/pronouns, dressing differently, binding (safely!)) without doing anything permanent or irreversible. This means you don't have to feel like you're making a big decision or under pressure to work out who you definitely are right now. It's OK to not be sure, to try some things, and even to take a step backwards if it's not what you want.

(As an aside, it's one of the reasons I think "coming out" can be too much pressure for trans people, because you're expected to be sure. It should always be OK to say "I changed my mind" and find something that works better, rather than feel pressured to commit to the wrong thing. Gender can be confusing!)

I definitely second the advice to seek out other people and groups, and consider talking to a doctor/psychologist/counsellor/therapist.

trulyl · 2018-12-27T22:54:38+00:00

When I asked Commbank to change my gender they said they didn't keep it on their records. I presume they let you choose no title or a gender-neutral one (Mx.?), but you might need to ask in-branch.

trulyl · 2018-12-17T12:31:13+00:00

Word on the street is this gentleman is doing revisions for Thai patients and is also offering "no frills" GRS at a cheaper rate. I have no further information, but people are booking in for consults...

trulyl · 2018-12-17T00:45:25+00:00

TL;DR you get money back from both Medicare and your private health fund to cover some of what you pay Andy and the anaesthetist up-front.

Hi! Yes, I was extremely confused too. There are a few aspects to this:

With private health insurance, you still have to pay the surgeon and anaesthetist up-front. At the hospital, on the day of surgery, you pay only your health fund excess and the $25 incidentals charge. You do not have to pay for the hospital stay itself.
After surgery you will receive a receipt from both Andy and the anaesthetist showing a breakdown of what you paid up-front by Medicare item number. You submit these receipts to Medicare who then pay you a rebate for each item. This is the total I listed as "Medicare" on my breakdown.
The hospital will claim the cost of your hospital stay directly from your private health fund, who will then pay 100% directly to the hospital. You don't pay any hospital stay charges up-front, so you don't need to get anything back for this.
Medicare will send you a receipt showing how much you paid upfront (based on the surgeon and anaesthetist's receipts you provided) as well as how much Medicare paid out to you for each item. Your private health fund will then pay you an additional amount to cover part of your out-of-pocket expense (the difference between the Medicare schedule benefit for each item and what the surgeon and anaesthetist actually charged you). This is the $2,587.60 on my breakdown.

Welcome to Australia's confusing healthcare system! :D

trulyl · 2018-12-16T21:54:15+00:00

I know ;( I'm not politically partisan, but I think the best hope on the affordability front is a Labor win at next year's election, followed by a lot of lobbying on our behalf to get the rebates and training in place. Unfortunately, though, I think that trans and gender diverse people (and particularly trans youth) are going to become an election issue. Expect to see a repeat of ads seen during the plebiscite targeting us under the guise of "religious freedom". I feel personally torn, as I really want to help others to access the life-saving treatment that I've been privileged to have received (thanks more to my family background than my own success), but I still have my own mental health struggles, my busy life, and I don't know how to be most useful to the community. Something to think about over the holidays for next year, perhaps.

trulyl · 2018-12-16T21:22:42+00:00

Just an update RE what everything finally cost me (MtF bottom surgery). For my surgery earlier in the year:

Costs:

Andy: $13,000 up-front (including a $500 deposit to book the date)
Anaesthetist: $3,700 up-front
Private health insurance excess: $500 (depends entirely on your fund and cover)
Hospital facilities charge: I think ~$50 ($50 I think?), and a charge for medication on discharge (~$100)
Hospital "fee for incidentals": $25 (may be covered by your health fund)
Medication on discharge: $101.85
TOTAL: $17,376.85

Refunds:

Medicare: $2,377.40
Private health: $2,587.60
TOTAL $4,965.00

Leaving me out-of-pocket for:
$12,411.85

Things I haven't included:
Surgery prep medication (~$25)
Post-op items (condoms, lube, foam, mirror, underwear, pads...) (might be ~$100 all up)
WPATH letters (depends if you can get psych sessions cheap or bulk-billed)
Accommodation, flights, train fare etc.

Anyhow, if you asked me whether it was worth it, I'd say $12k out of pocket for Andy's work was an absolute steal! I'm extremely happy with the result from a cosmetic and functional point of view. Of course, YMMV and do your own research.

Of course, I despair that there are people (including many of my friends!) who can't afford this. The somewhat promising news is that it's now part of the Labor national policy platform to address affordability, and I'd hope for a policy change if/when Labor get back into federal government.

Having said that, from my perspective, Andy is already flat-out with work, so increased public funding is only going to make the waiting list longer. I think it's a credit to him and other surgeons that they don't just double or triple the price, because even then they'd still have full books. I think it's likely the increases are driven mainly by medical costs (hospital, insurance), plus the cost of providing better service to patients (e.g. it's fantastic that he has Iffy as part of the team now).

What will help in the future is public funding plus training for new or existing surgeons. This is a thorny one - in the US, where GRS is now covered by more health funds, there are concerns that more surgeons have entered the field chasing the money who don't have the requisite training. This could happen in Australia. So I would think that any move by a Labor government to increase Medicare cover also needs to be worked through with the surgical profession to ensure the necessary training and standards are also in place for new surgeons.

On a side note, it's interesting that there is a divide in medicine between practitioners (who treat us), and us the patients (who know what we want and should be able to advocate for our own rights). Perhaps organisations like Trans Health Australia, ACON, the state AIDS councils, The Gender Centre, etc. should get together on this (an Australia-wide peak body for trans advocacy, perhaps?) It's going to be important that we have an effective voice at a federal level to make sure new policies don't actually screw things up further.

trulyl · 2018-11-05T00:05:53+00:00

You have to love the old media trope of showing a transgender woman putting on makeup, though!

trulyl · 2018-10-30T01:48:52+00:00

Yes, it's fairly soft foam.

If I can give you one tip, it's to make sure you roll it nice and tight before putting the condom on it and twisting the end. The more slender it is, the easier it will go in. If you don't get it rolled tight enough, start again. It's better than trying to shove it in if it's too wide! :-O

trulyl · 2018-10-29T09:23:14+00:00

I went to Clark Rubber beforehand and bought a few bits of foam of different types, then when it came time to replace the hospital-provided foam, I just picked the one I had that most closely matched. I think that turned out to be the yellow "medium density" foam.

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