The Chiropractor

Ok,

so while I'm on this kick to overall health and wellness, my girlfriend suggested that I go to the chiropractor with her last week, Friday. She called ahead to get us both in.

I was nervous to have to come out to yet another medical professional, especially one that was located in Suburbia and not affiliated with a well known hospital or anything. I was scared that they would have a negative reaction to me.

I knew I had to come out to them though if I wanted treatment because my medical insurance still says that I'm female, so in order to process the claims, I would have to be upfront.

And so I was. And they really handled it very well I think. The chiropractor's wife was the receptionist/office manager and was really great. She called me "he" from the beginning and so did the rest of her employees and they did so without reservation or judgment which was very nice.

When I had my actual exam with the chiro himself, I told him on his own and in a very matter of fact way. I could sense he was uncomfortable, but handled it well also. HE continued with my exam and treatment plan and still continued to make small talk.

I think he may have been taken aback because he never would have guessed I was born female. I had a full five o clock shadow the day I saw him last week.

Then I went back to the chiro again today. And today, I had a massage with a massage therapist named Jaime. We talked about how she spelled hers JAIME and I spell mine JAMIE. She said, "Well, of course you spell yours that way, you are a boy silly!" And I was happy she saw me as a boy, but I also knew in that moment she had no idea I was trans.

I had to get undressed for my massage, and I decided to just leave on my boxers. I laid face down on the table, and then she came in and we started.

As she began the massage, she ran her hand across the middle of my back where there was an indentation from my sports bra and she said, "Were you laying on something that left a mark in your back?" I was like, "yeah". I knew I was going to have to tell her about me, especially if I ended up getting a full body massage later (I was only having my back and hip worked on today).

The massage continued and she asked me about my girlfriend and how we met, if I thought she was the one, if I wanted children, the typical get to know you questions. And she was telling me not to get Rebecca pregnant unless I was sure I wanted to have children, and that I'm lucky we have had no accidents yet, things like that.

We had a very easy going, flowing conversation. She answered the questions for me as well.

She was working on my back and telling me I was going to have to flip over so she could work on my hip more. And that is when I got really nervous. She would be looking for a flat chest and a bulge in my boxers that I didn't have. But she said she'd be working on my back for a while so we would get to the hip later.

Then as the conversation continued, she kept bringing up her gay guy friends, about how one of them was in denial for a long time, he finally came out and was comfortable with himself, how she knows a gay couple in Madison, etc.

And she's doing this assuming I'm a heterosexual, biological male.

I've had many people do this before. And I know it's because I come off as a gay guy to most people. I do have feminine qualities and I'm somewhat flamboyant, and I'm totally ok with that. But it's important for me to establish with people who I am and where I've come from so that they don't feel the need to label me as a gay guy who is afraid to come out. Once they understand that I am a transman, they have a better understanding of who I am.

So, I know she's totally trying to make me feel comfortable, and tell me it's ok to be gay.

And this is when I decided I had to tell her about me because clearly she had no idea.

When she asked me why I moved back to Illinois I had just briefly said LA wasn't for me right now.

I decided to expand by telling her I went to LA to transition from female to male and that I started hormones.

She was shocked, but not bad shocked, good shocked really. She was like, "Oh my god, I never would have guessed!! Really?? Are you sure??" And then she's like, "So do you still have a va jay jay and boobs?" And I was like, "yes, and that is what that mark on my back is from. I was wearing a sports bra and binder."

She was very supportive and thought it was really cool. She asked questions and wanted to know more. She was a little more blunt than most people are when they first find out, but I appreciated it.


Once I was done with the massage and got dressed, she definitely was taking a second look at me and I could see her studying me, probably trying to see the "female" in me, trying to see how she could have ever missed the fact that I was female first.


Now that she knows though, I'm sure I can relax more when she's massaging me. I don't have to feel like I'm hiding anything or lacking anything that she might be looking for, which is good.

I then got adjusted by the chiro when I was done with the massage. He was nice. Whenever he addresses me, he calls me buddy. How are you feeling buddy? How was your weekend buddy? Good to see you buddy!

So, another good experience on the books. I'm very surprised but happy.