[VergeOfDiscovery]

Just happen to notice this event is taking place right nearby so may go and check it out. 

Trans Health Care: Beyond Transitioning

Endodontist Anne Koch, DMD, underwent gender reaffirming surgery at 63, transitioning from male to female. As both a transwoman and a healthcare provider, Dr. Koch offers a unique perspective on the health outcomes of a population that is still greatly underserved.

Dr. Koch, author of the forthcoming book It Never Goes Away: Gender Transition at a Mature Age, will share her experience during a lecture on October 26 from 7-8 pm at the Zedeck Amphitheater in Evans Hall, as the first in an annual series of lectures PCOM plans to hold to recognize LGBT History Month.

Dr. Koch will share her personal story both prior to and after transitioning, and the process and unique challenges that surround transitioning at a mature age. She will also discuss treatment options for both male-to-female and female-to-male patients, and creating an open and welcoming clinical environment for LGBTQIA patients.

http://www.pcom.edu/campuses/philadelphi...ocate.html

[The First Aria]

Sounds very interesting.  If you go, please give all a report!

[VergeOfDiscovery]

Gender Transition at a Mature Age: A Personal Narrative by Dr. Anne Koch

So this was a very interesting and very personal presentation by Dr. Anne Koch. This final presentation was open to the public after a day of presentations to the medical students.

The earlier presentations focused on trans health care, while this evening session focused specifically on transitioning late in life and based on her own experience (transitioned at 63 and she is now 68).

What was striking about the presentation is how much of a storied and accomplished life this one person had and how she sensed the desire to change over time (and why she put it off).

• Star quarterback in High School
  
• Star sports player in college as well but gave it up (couldn't bear the locker room)
  
• Air Force Pilot
  
• Lived in Asia for years and while there was spotted as the ideal manly EVERY MAN for several commercials and ads (one in the nude)
  
• Married for ten years
  
• At one point decided to try for entry into a Endodontics program with a 2% acceptance rate and if not accepted would transition at that time
  
• Was accepted to the abovementioned program, excelled, treated over 30,000 patients, invented a patented process and created a $40+ million dollar company
  
• Founder and director of postdoctoral endodontics at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine
  

Dr. Koch was diagnosed with a particular type of skin cancer after 60 and decided it was now or never and decided to fully transition.

She made an interesting observation that many gravitate to endocrinologists at first whereas that was not necessarily the ideal approach (and was not for her). Keep in mind, while living in Asia, she mentioned estrogen was readily available over the counter and had taken it for a while prior.

Her approach was to go to the best plastic surgeons in Boston and had several procedures done in two major stints (over 100k in work). She showed several before, during and after pictures. The immediate post procedure pics looked frighteningly painful! But what was amazing, only a short time later when starting to heal, Dr. Koch looked way more feminine. She also noted how for implants she went with the smallest ones available. Her aim was and is to present herself as a professional business woman.

She mentioned one of the most surprising things from the experience was how many of those closest to her distanced themselves afterwards. And it was only after a while, as some friends and colleagues started to come back, then others did as well.

She mentioned how she decided upon where to live going forward and chose Cape Cod as everyone is accepting or doesn't even care about where one might be on this whole spectrum.

Was a fascinating presentation and I'm sure I got some of the details wrong somewhere.

She has an upcoming book on the subject which I'm sure will cover the specific details of her experience.

One final note...she recounted how her grandmother, who was born in the 1800s, had asked her multiple times when he (name was Ken) was a child whether he ever wanted to be a girl.

Her grandmother's name was Anne.

[julieTG]

WOW
x

Julie

[Katie]

Better to arrive late to the party than not at all!

[jannet.duff]

Very interesting.
Thanks for posting.