Christine on the job, 1990
New boobs, new hair, new PC
Finally testosterone free, 1991
While many coworkers were very supportive, quite a few who'd been friendly either backed way off or even began joking about me. These included people I had taken time from my own work to help with their own programming problems. Despite my many contributions, instead of a transfer to the prestigious and highly visible Development group, I was stuck back in Customizations where I'd have less contact with customers and fellow employees. Hoping I could earn my way back into management's good graces, I worked my ass off. At least I wasn't fired despite the lack of an Employment Non-Discrimination Act to have prevented that.
In 2001 my liver got sick so my doctor told me to stop taking all medications, including female hormones. Since most health insurance specifically excludes transsexual-related procedures, and I was still thousands of dollars away from having enough for sex reassignment (sex change) surgery, I needed an orchiectomy (castration) to remove the source of testosterone in my body. If I'd had any remaining doubts about not wanting a male body, this would have been the moment, yet I didn't hesitate to get this surgery.
Though it took nearly a year to see them, the effect of my orchiectomy on my appearance was dramatic. My features softened greatly, my body hair growth tapered way back and my muscles became less pronounced. Even better was the psychological effect; after decades of rage, I became a much more calm person, one more likely to burst into tears than lash out in violence and fury.
Remaining Literary Content Removed
(saving it for the book)