And so it begins....

This month, Dandelion is starting hormone blockers (Lupron).  ARGGGHHHH!!!!

We had hoped for later, but as we all know, everything we don't want will come to us sooner!

At a scheduled appointment for blood work it was apparent that he was entering the Tanner 2 stage of puberty.  This is where the medical establishment, in a perfect world, comes in and saves all gender variant pre-pubertal youth with hormones blockers. 

Yay!  The evils that puberty can perform on your body are being stopped, delayed and being held captive until you are old enough - mature enough - to understand the benefits and risks of hormone therapy and make an informed decision. 

We are ever so grateful that this is an option for us.  I know that going through puberty as a female would be traumatic for Dandelion. 

Even knowing that Lupron has its own caveats and dark side, I am confident in the decision we are making for him.  I feel that any physical issues that may arise will certainly be better and easier to cope with than the mental and emotional trauma that developing breasts and getting a period would bring him.

On top of that, Lupron comes with a $500/month price tag (hey, spend it now on delaying the inevitable or spend it in the future on therapy...).  Yeah, WOW!  Meanwhile, no extended health plans around this home... 

We have been incredibly fortunate that the staff at CHEO, upon knowing of my financial situation, made arrangements for the pharmaceutical company to offer compassionate care.  Thank you, Brenda in Endocrinology, for making this happen without any delay to Dandelion's treatment and ensuring his well-being!

Allow me to send a shout out to all the staff at CHEO for being so progressive in their management of gender variant youth, along with understanding that it can often be financially difficult for the families involved.  Double kudos to the staff for taking it upon themselves, without any request being made by the parent (there I was with no plan and expecting to muddle through and take from Peter to pay Paul...), to ensure that no child falls into the cracks. 

*huge sigh of relief*

I will make a concerted effort to post more often because now we are "in the game" - so to speak.  This is where the excitement begins!