So you want to know just how much I've spent on the project otherwise known as "transition"? Well, it's hard to calculate. I think of myself and transition to be works in progress so the best I can do is give you the running total of what I've spent so far. I'm hopful that transition won't cost too much more than I've already spent - but who knows what crazy idea I'll get for doing something else!

My transition costs (as of May 2004):

Hormones - implanted estrogen and progesterone pellets with Dr. O'Dea in Los Angeles, CA - $600 every 4 months ($1800 per year). Have been on them for 3 years now - $5,400 total so far.

Psychologist - $115 per session with Dr. Criswell, sessions weekly for the first year. Every two weeks the second year. Infrequent the third year. Total spent approx. $9,000.

Electrology - Local in the Northern Virginia area, 50 hours on the face at $100 per hour, total spent about $5,000.

Laser - 6 sessions in Toronto Canada to clear face and chest – $6,000.

Electrology - 300 hours at E2000 in Dallas TX, $110 - $150 per hour, $35,000.

Hair Transplant Surgery - With Dr. Cole in Chevy Chase MD, 2400 micro grafts - $9,000.

Divorce legal fees - $2,800.

Name change legal fees- $250.

Breast Augmentation - With Dr. Weston in Reston, VA. Total cost was $6,000.

Speech Therapy - 70 hours at George Washington University, $40 per hour - $2,800 total.

SRS (Vaginoplasty) - With Dr. Schrang in Neenah, WI. $18,000 total.

SRS part two (Labiaplasty) - Again with Dr. Schrang in Neenah, WI. $4,000 total.

Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS) - With Dr. Ousterhout in San Francisco, CA. $39,000 total.

Miscellaneous expenses have included legal help with official gender change approx. $300. Amended birth certificate approx. $100. Amended college diplomas $150. New wardrobe costs were about $12,000 over a three year period. Travel costs associated with the various surgeries and electroloysis have cost about $4,500.

Divorce also cost me a goodly hunk of my retirement funds - approx. $75K, I assumed about $40K in debt, gave up my half of a house's equity and have an obligation to pay $170K in child support (spread over about 12 years). Then there are the costs in terms of changes to my relationships with my kids, family and friends - no way to express those in terms of money!

My thoughts on the costs of transition:

Ignoring the cost of the divorce and divorce related stuff and the total is right around $130,000. Wow! That's quite a bit of money! But I guess it all depends on how you look at it. I look at it this way, I'm mostly done with transition. Aside from hormones, and clothes, my recurring costs are pretty close to zero. I spent the first 40 years of my life being very unhappy. I spent $130,000 to be able to live the next 50 years (most everyone in my family lives to be in their 90's) being happy. It's as if I'm spending $50 per week for the rest of my life to be happy. ($130,000/50 years/52 weeks/year = $50) Seems like a very affordable, and reasonable price to pay to be happy!

Yes, yes, I know this approach ignores the whole fact that I just spent $130K in 3 years. High upfront costs. To that I say, right you are. I was very fortunate in that I transitioned quickly, got financial help from my parents and had some assets to use. And I've taken on some debt. The fact is transition costs money. A whole lot of money. I chose to spend everything I had, and then some, to transition.

Bottom line - I spent a lot of money, in a short period of time, on top shelf options to get done with most of transition in a very timely manner. It worked for me. I was willing to pay the price in terms of what I've had to give up, and the amount of debt I've assumed responsibility for. Overall I'm quite satisfied by how my transition has turned out!