So I have still been dealing with ongoing illness. I am out of commission at least 4 days out of the week with migraines, flu-like symptoms, digestive problems, and body/nerve/muscle/bone pain… Was finally able to get an mri to check on my tumor, but will be a while before I get the results. My lymph nodes have been tender for a while and are starting to swell again. Really wish it didn’t take so long to get anything done. Kinda stuck in the position that I can’t get any meaningful sort of assistance without a diagnosis, but I can’t see the specialists I need to obtain one without assistance as I have no income due to being sick all the time. Kinda feeling like I might die before I actually get the help I legitimately need. To make matters more unhelpful, I can’t get hormones through the clinic I go to, so have been off my T for 2 months. I am very isolated where I am, and it is very difficult to keep up a positive mood. I could really use some encouragement and good energy. It is hard to keep fighting when you feel like you are hitting a wall.

I have some exciting news for the Michigan transgender community… 

Until recently the options for surgeries in MI were limited to spending years going through the U of Mi AA gender research center, traveling out of state, or risking surgery with Dr. Wilson (a known mal-practitioner), or using a regular plastic surgeon who has little to no TG experience. 

Well now there is a new option… A very good friend and associate of mine has been working with a plastic surgeon who has 25+ yrs of surgical experience, Dr. Kenneth Wolfe, and has been doing procedures for trans people for several years with good results. They have opened an office in Southfield Michigan and plan to build a team specializing in TG services.

At this time they are offering standard services such as Lipo, tummy tucks, mons lift, body sculpting, etc… They are providing TG services such as breast augmentation for trans women, and chest reconstruction or reductions for trans men. They also have done a lot of revisions on chest surgeries, and I plan to have them revise mine. (no bottom surgery available yet, but they may be adding it in the future)

They are working to add other doctors to their team to provide HRT, facial reconstruction, and other necessary services. They also plan to bring on a financial adviser to assist in obtaining medical funding.

If you are considering having chest surgery or breast augmentation, you should definitely consider making an appt for a consultation. They are reasonably priced, and have prior experience in TG care. It will save you a lot of travel expense if you don’t have to leave the state for surgery. As they build a larger TG client base, they will be able to continue to add to their services, which is great for our community.

In order to make a consultation appt you will need to call Marcia (Mar-cee-yah) Fosnaugh-Avis at 248-252-4254, and let her know that Aaron Watkins has referred you. They do have another office, but the Southfield office is the one that handles all TG care. Marcia handles all of the intake, consults, and evaluations, after-care, etc for all TG services.

Fosnaugh Cosmetic Surgery Center

Dr. Kenneth Wolfe

20240 W. 12 Mile Rd

I have some exciting news for the Michigan transgender community… 

Until recently the options for surgeries in MI were limited to spending years going through the U of Mi AA gender research center, traveling out of state, or risking surgery with Dr. Wilson (a known mal-practitioner), or using a regular plastic surgeon who has little to no TG experience. 

Well now there is a new option… A very good friend and associate of mine has been working with a plastic surgeon who has 25+ yrs of surgical experience, Dr. Kenneth Wolfe, and has been doing procedures for trans people for several years with good results. They have opened an office in Southfield Michigan and plan to build a team specializing in TG services.

At this time they are offering standard services such as Lipo, tummy tucks, mons lift, body sculpting, etc… They are providing TG services such as breast augmentation for trans women, and chest reconstruction or reductions for trans men. They also have done a lot of revisions on chest surgeries, and I plan to have them revise mine. (no bottom surgery - yet)

They are working to add other doctors to their team to provide HRT, facial reconstruction, and other necessary services. They also plan to bring on a financial adviser to assist in obtaining medical funding.

If you are considering having chest surgery or breast augmentation, you should definitely consider making an appt for a consultation. They are reasonably priced, and have prior experience in TG care.

It will save you a lot of travel expense if you don’t have to leave the state for surgery. As they build a larger TG client base, they will be able to continue to add to their services, which is great for our community.

In order to make a consultation appt you will need to call Marcia (Mar-cee-yah) Fosnaugh-Avis at 248-252-4254, and let her know that Aaron Watkins has referred you. They do have another office in Charter Twp, but the Southfield office is the one that handles all TG care. Marcia handles all of the intake, consults, and evaluations for all TG services.

Fosnaugh Cosmetic Surgery Center

Dr. Kenneth Wolfe

20240 W. 12 Mile Rd

Well it took a while but ive finally been able to get a new phone. My old phone stopped working because there are no Tmobile towers in the panhandle.

Ive been staying in the Freeport area of Florida. Its been really nice to be able to spend time with family that I normally only got to see once every couple years.

Ive applied for medical assistance here and am currently just playing the waiting game. If it goes through ill be able to see the specialists I need and hopefully get some real answers.

Im still having a lot of fatigue, fevers that come and go, night sweats, nausea and digestive issues, migraines, nerve and muscle pain, dizziness, and trouble sleeping.

Im also still feeling a lot of pressure in the ear with the tumor in it, and sounds are often distorted as if listening from under water.

However, I do feel like the change of scenery and warmer weather has been helpful.

Since I’ve had such a rough time with my health, and keep getting denied for assistance in Michigan, I have relocated to Florida. I’m staying with family for now, and am about to re-start the process of applying for assistance here. I’ve been told that since it is a more prosperous state, it is easier to actually obtain the help you need.

I have had extremely limited access to internet since I have gotten down here since my cell barely works here, so its been a bit difficult to update.

I’ve still been getting sick a lot, but hopefully the drs down here actually know what they are doing, and can figure out what the problem is.

As it stands, I am between 30 and 40 thousand in debt from my 3 hospital stays in August and the 20 odd cat scans, mri’s, and ultrasounds that were done. Really pissed that I went through all of that and still don’t have an answer.

My employer layed me off, so now I am losing my medical insurance. Apparently I made literally 100 bucks less than I needed to qualify for unemployment so now I will have no income. If I hadn’t have been hospitalized I would have made enough.

Getting very frustrated. What have I paid taxes for since age 15 if I can’t get the help I need and I am going to be made destitute just because I got sick? Its bullshit.

As always, thanks to the folks that have been checking on me and sending me well wishes. It means a lot to me that you all care so much. If you would like to help with my situation, donations can be made via paypal to aaron_ftm@yahoo.com.

Ok… There are times when it feels as if the universe has actually aligned itself in such a way, just to prevent me from being able to anything about my health problems or be able to receive any assistance.

All of the rest of my tests have still come back as either negative or inconcusive. And they just want to play wait and see with my tumor. So at this point, I still have no diagnosis, other than that they can tell that my immune system is compromised (hence the infections I’ve been getting). Since they don’t know why, I have officially been denied assistance due to “lack of information”. I am very much out of dr money, and not sure how I am going to be able to proceed with additional testing.

In the last 3 months I’ve had to come up with 900 bucks to fix my van, then move, then spent a month in the hospital (incurring several thousand dollars in debt and nearly dying), then had to come up with another 600 for repairs.

Now I’ve received a 10 day vacancy notice, since the place I was staying at was apparantly sold in April, so we all have to be out by Sunday.

If anyone knows of anyone looking for a gay/trans room mate in metro detroit, please let me know. Ideally, I would like to find something where my part of the rent and utilities would be around 300.

Kinda just hoping for a bit of good luck. It would be nice.

So this is becoming the longest month ever… I was told it would be a month or so in order to get all of the various test and culture results. So far, other than the crazy infections, everything has been coming back as negative or inconclusive. There is definitely something wrong, but it is looking more and more like it is something weird and uncommon. They haven’t yet ruled out cancer, but that may not be what it is. Fingers crossed.

I have another follow up next week, so hopefully they will be able to tell me something then. In the mean time, aid is still on hold, and I am still attempting to play catch up on everything I couldn’t pay while I was in the hospital for most of August, and the ever increasing amount of medical debt that I am racking up. It is quite a bit frustrating, and worrisome.

I am still feeling weak and fatigued, but definitely less so, and much improved over how I was feeling in August. Still not back to 100% though, and without knowing what is wrong, I don’t have any idea of how long it is going to last.

I want to again thank the folks who have been so kind as to donate to my medical fund. It has been an immense help, and literally has been a life saver. Looks like this situation is going to take a while to get resolved and get some aid going through. So if you would like to help out in the mean time, you can donate via paypal to aaron_ftm@yahoo.com.

I appreciate everyone’s concern, well wishes, and assistance during this rough and a bit scary time in my life. Really you guys… THANK YOU.

Loves,

Aaron