Copyright 2012 By Priscilla Diane Games. Reprinted with permission. I am most grateful to Priscilla Diane Games.for so generously sharing such an important and personal story with us.
By Priscilla Diane Games.
About two weeks ago I had the pleasure of being a guest in one of the Hospitals here in the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan area. Let me first state that I am Intersexed: I am a Human Chimera with 2 blood types, all of my female genitalia minus one ovary plus my labia and clitoris( which was used to create a scrotum and penis at birth). I also have one testicle and a very small prostate gland along with a hybrid ova-teste. I may also have two complete sets of DNA in me.
I was in the Hospital after fainting after standing up, and taking an unscheduled dive into our backyard swimming pool.
The Doctors were able to clear this up fairly quickly when they realized that I was still taking the same blood pressure medicine; whos at the same doses that I was prescribed when I weighed 370 pounds.(I now weigh 190) and had a cholesterol level over 500.(It;s now safely at 113) My blood pressure was averaging 90/60, so every time I stood up, I would come close to fainting.
The problem came when the Doctor that was in charge of the floor came in to the room and asked about my features. To paraphrase he said," You have soft, feminine features like a woman, but a strong jawline and chin like a man." "You have no Adams apple to speak of, but a reasonably low voice." "And of course, you obviously have breasts(38C) that are natural, but you also have a small penis and male gonads." "What exactly are you, and how do we care for you?" So I ended up with a room full of Doctors, Nurses, and Aides listening and taking notes while I gave an impromptu three hour lecture on Intersex disorders and the information I had garnered on them and care from doing mounds of Research from every source I could glean.
The problem and question I have is, though I have a rare disorder, should I be the one who has to instruct Doctors; who went to post-secondary school for eight years plus serve almost as many as an intern, then served an additional number of years in residency before being allowed to practice on their own. Should I be the one instructing floor Nurses. They have gone to school for two to four years and have their own internships to serve before they can get their licenses. They are also on the front lines of patient care and shouldn't need me, a disabled person with an A.A.S. and access to the Library and the Internet to do their leg work for them. Was I flattered that they trusted and respected my intelligence that much? Absolutely. However, was I concerned that they needed to trust my knowledge that much? Without a doubt. It was at that moment I decided to become both activist and advocate for the Intersex/Transgender/Gender fluid community specifically, and the LGBT movement generally.
We need to get out there and educate! Being Intersexed or Transgender is not a Mental Disorder. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Studies list both as purely mental disorders. We need to band together, put out petitions, and finally make it illegal to discriminate against anyone because of either their sexual or gender preference, or lack of choice. We need to put pressure on our congressmen to make medicare and medicaid pay for gender re-assignment surgery. And we need put forth a national referendum for Gay Marriage.
