I’ve been in the Internet chat rooms, I’ve sat in offices with patients, I’ve listened to people on the phone and in person. I know how much misinformation there is out there, and how many of you take that as Gospel. I’m here to tell you, if you believe all of it, you are doing yourself a grave injustice.
I spend half my days correcting false information, so I know there is a lot of it out there. There are even those who like to take my own words and twist them around to suit their personal needs when chatting with others (I know who you are!). I see so much nonsense that my own mind gets boggled and confused, and I’m supposed to be the professional! No wonder so many of you are so very rattled and shaken. So let’s correct a few major falsehoods right here.
The first one I want to address is the statement “you aren’t a real transgender unless you go all the way”. Such prejudicial bias in that sentence, isn’t there?! Basically, you are who you are. No one particular action, decision, or comment is going to change that. Transgenders come in as many forms and styles as there are people wearing the label. It is not appropriate for every person to undergo SRS. It is not appropriate for every TG to be taking hormones. It is not appropriate for every TG to be taking the same hormones in the same dosages. It is not appropriate for every TG to live life the same way as the next. What is appropriate is what works for YOU and your life. You are a real transgender, regardless of whether or not you take hormones, regardless of whether or not you opt for surgery. Never forget that. You ARE real!
The second one is “if you are really serious you would take prescription drugs, herbs don’t work”. More prejudicial bias at work here. If you are serious, then you should be addressing your personal needs, your personal health, your personal goals. You are serious when you embark on a path and stick with it to its logical conclusion. You are serious when you ingest anything that is designed to alter your current body chemistry. Period. Where do you naysayers think drugs come from? They come directly from herbs originally, but because the big companies can’t patent a plant, they work to make a chemical copy of what they think a plant has in it that makes it work the way it does. Sometimes they come close, sometimes they are very far off. That doesn’t matter to them, what matters is that they have a patented product to sell and make more money off of. Nobody gets rich growing, harvesting, and marketing herbs. Comfortable, sometimes maybe; rich, no way. And if herbs didn’t work in some degree, then why and how did the idea come about in the first place? Of course, there can be some truth to that original statement – herbs don’t work, if you are looking for the same speed, the same effects, the same negatives, the same positives. We can’t compare apples and oranges and come out with papayas. That aside, if you take the correct herbs matched to your body and your medical history, then you are just as serious as the self-prescribing tranny next door or in that favorite chat room.
Since I am now accepted and qualified as both counselor and primary doctor for SRS patients heading to Thailand, as well as natural SRS patients I have in other countries, I think I would be the first to know if a natural regimen wasn’t “appropriate”. Thanks to open minds that exist, it is not only appropriate, it’s happening. Natural is not inferior. Synthetics are not superior. It’s a personal choice based on your personal needs.
You are not incorrect if you choose one way over another. You are only incorrect if you throw away your health pursuing nonsense or listening to nonsense or BELIEVING nonsense. You should be committed to the process, you should be committed to protecting your long-term health, and you should be committed to being yourself. That’s all the pre-requisites there should be on any path. The rest is up to you. You are an individual, what you do needs to be right for you, not decided by people who have never met you and could never know how your health and safety could be compromised by your following their “expert advice”. Being transgendered does not make one an instant expert on the subject, it only makes one an expert on their own personal situation and transition. Bear that in mind, and keep plugging forward on your chosen personal path. Listen to advice, check out resources, consult with REAL certified professionals, but ultimately, all the decisions about your body should be yours and yours alone.
Rev. Dr. EarthAngel
The Herbal Encyclopedia
Benevolent Member of The Sissify Staff
