Intersex Surgery Soon...

I was born with ambiguous genitalia. They (the doctors) gender assigned me as a male. I was born a 46 XY or male (the official diagnosis is 46 XY DSD gonadal dysgenesis complete with a uterus, streaked gonads, chordee and hypospadias). This confirms my earlier hypothesis that I was an intersex child. This certainly explains the 7 surgeries I can recall, and the scars where I don’t recall having surgery.

For 47 of my 55 years I was deceived, lied to, and basically ignored by all the primary care doctors I’ve had throughout my life. They told me that their reasoning for all the surgeries was to get my testicles to descend. This was simply not true. There are no testicles to descend. There are streaked gonads imbedded in the uterus. They never mentioned the uterus. Unfortunately, I am now experiencing complications that require surgery to remove some of the female parts and the streaked gonads.

On Monday March 24th, I will undergo what very few men will ever go through, a radical hysterectomy. They will remove the uterus, ovarian tissue, testicular tissue, and any associated plumbing connecting these organs. They will remove my bullet fragment I collected while living in California in the ‘80’s. They will locate and repair any hernias or issues that are causing me a great deal of pain. As a bonus they plan to remove my gallbladder too. What makes this surgery interesting is the Da Vinci robotic procedure that will be used for most of the surgery. I’m sure it will be a fun-filled day at Summerlin Hospital. Maybe they will give me an ice cream cone if I’m a good boy.

 http://www.valleyhealthsystemlv.com/hospital-services/robotic-surgery

Is Google making us stupid?

As I began reading this article I became distracted by shiny objects and <SQUIRREL> long worded sentences. The article “Is Google Making Us Stupid” by Nicolas Carr is rather lengthy. During my perusal of this I checked my email 3 times, updated Facebook twice, and re-posted several meme’s. While all this was going on, Fox News was spewing tabloid news as if it was real, or important. Twitter was afire over Arizona’s lack of common sense concerning recent hate sponsored legislation and Honey Booboo was proclaiming her mom’s current honeymoon the best ever. One wonders how many she’s been to. Meanwhile, CNN sent a Breaking news text letting me know that there was no breaking news at the moment. I had to stop what I was doing and SKYPE my wife the good news. Fortunately I was only driving to the grocery store so there wasn’t a lot of traffic to distract me from texting.

The moral to my last paragraph is that in this day-and-age, we are bombarded with information. We are forced to “skim” information simply to filter the information presented to us. When I find an article or paper that requires my deeper attention, I read the abstract to make sure that it is relevant and then I check the source for validity. Personally, I will print the article that I need to read so that I can highlight portions of the article. It also makes it easier to make notes in the margins when it’s a hard copy. The Internet lends itself to a fast pace “instant” gratification society such as ours. Everything designed for the web is abbreviated, abridged, or shortened. A special abbreviated language is used in text and chat rooms to make communication easier and certainly faster. By design, that’s how the Internet works, and for the most part this is a good thing.

So the question posed by the title of this article has no easy all-encompassing answer. For me, Google is merely a tool similar to all the other data bases I use to achieve my quest for information. So the answer in my case is NO!

References

Carr, N. (2008). Is Google making us stupid? Atlantic Monthly 302(1), 56-63. Retrieved February 18, 2014 from EBSCOhost Religion and Philosophy Collection.

Intersex Update:

UPDATE: Well, what a week. I fought the lab for 3 weeks to get my karyotype results. They came back 46 XY DSD. The ultrasound indicates a smaller than normal prostate which means I and a true hermaphrodite. I have a uterus with suspected streak gonads (or ovaries). Testosterone levels are below 35 NG/DL while estrogen levels are over 142 ng/mL. I have 3 surgeons, gynecologist, urologist, and a general ready to do battle on March 14th. The will be removing the uterus, all gonad tissue, and my gall bladder. They also suspect a hernia is hiding in there somewhere. Once this is complete HRT will need to start assuming I can find an Endocrinologist that have enough balls (no pun intended) to take on the case.

GOOD JOB ARIZONA!

GOOD JOB ARIZONA!

Arizona: SB 1062, state sponsored hate or religious freedom?

The state of Arizona recently passed a bill designed to "protect" religious freedom by allowing businesses to discriminate against those they feel violate their religious beliefs. Essentially a legalized defense to discriminate against anyone! See the actual bill here Arizona Bills. 

This Los Angeles Times article sheds more light on this bill:

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-ff-gay-rights-arizona-20140221,0,1812097.story#axzz2uAhnSAZk

In my opinion this bill is nothing but state sponsored hate. This will give anyone wishing to discriminate a viable defense by claiming religious privilege. If you happen to be fat, atheist, disabled, LGBT, of color, female, drive a motorcycle, have tattoos, dress differently...the list is endless, this bill will essentially allow businesses, industry, even private citizens to discriminate at will. This is a disgraceful back-step in the quest for equal rights. Its been my experience that businesses already have the right to refuse service for legitimate reasons. I'm sure you've seen the signs: no shoes, no shirt, no service. Do we need a state law forcing the issue? No! In fact this is not a law protecting the good citizens of Arizona, this is a law protecting businesses so they won't be sued by people who feel that they were discriminated against. If a business or individual claims that service to another will violate their religious beliefs, this bill shields them to discriminate and refuse service to that person or organization. 

This has far reaching affects. If you live in a community where the nearest hospital is managed by a religious entity, you can legally be refused entry if they think you are LGBT or a host of other self identified titles. If a local grocery store has a religious owner and decides that the elderly gay man in a wheel chair doesn't deserve entry to their store, this bill allows them to refuse service to that person even if its the only lifeline this elderly person has to get what they need to survive. 

This sounds disturbingly familiar to the lunch counter discrimination against those of color back in the 60's. Why then does this bill and its supporters feel that the very same discrimination that we fought against for so many years, is now okay because we placed a religious banner over the top? Jan Brewer, don't allow the great state of Arizona to sink to the level of Russia, Uganda, and a host of other countries and become another footnote in the set back for human rights. Veto this bill!


I ask the supporters of this bill 1 simple question...

WHAT ARE YOU SO AFRAID OF?

Why I carry a gun...

Carrying a weapon is a huge responsibility. One must be situationally aware of their surroundings at all times. This sometimes hinders the places I will go or the activities I do on my days off. Then there's the perception of others who are, shall we say "less educated" about the concept of concealed carry. So, to answer the question "do I enjoy carrying"? No! I carry so that my family and I have the means to avoid becoming a sad statistic. I carry because the forefathers of this country saw fit to allow law-abiding citizens a plausible system of self preservation. I carry because criminals don't give a damn about background checks, waiting periods, or whether or not they will spend an extra 5 years in jail for using a weapon. To criminals, gun control is a joke. I carry because drug addicts have no regard for human life (especially their own) and will kill for their next $5 fix. I carry because oppression seems to be the next Olympic sport designed to allow state sanctioned torture  and discrimination against their own citizens. Finally, I carry because I CAN and I will make no apologies for doing so!

I Need a Specialist

I find it difficult to understand the medical profession. I spent countless resources preparing for my office visit with an Endocrinologist. I had my records sent to her office. My cat scan was forwarded to her office. I did hours of research preparing questions and learning "the language" of her specialty. I even showered before going! We waited 20 minutes to see the doctor. While we waited, I was grilled by the medical assistant. Finally, the doctor arrived and told me that I knew more about my condition than she did. Then she told me she couldn't help me. Apparently the medical schools are not covering anatomy & physiology as they once did. I am seeing a surgeon next week. He has already indicated that he may not be able to help me either.

I am appealing to you, the readers, to help me find the doctor who specializes in Disorders of Sexual Development (DSD) more commonly known as “Intersex”. This was formally known as “true hermaphroditism”. I live in the Las Vegas area so I can see someone within a 300 mile radius if needed. I can also fly to a limited amount of cities if the need presents itself. I have a limited amount of insurance through Aetna & even more limited funds. There is a sense of urgency because I am experiencing a great deal of pain associated with this condition. If you know of anyone who specializes in these conditions, please let me know via the following email, jebenedict@yahoo.com . Thanks for reading! 

Defining...

Just for the record, my genitalia does not define me. So many accomplishments define me in spite of my intersex or DSD (Disorders of sex development). I've earned the love of a wonderful woman, 4 college degrees, and I'm working toward 2 more. I will not allow this to bring me down. I will get answers, and then I will take steps to preserve my health. I will support others who need the kind of support I wish I had when I was growing up. Laura, (my wife) with you by my side, the world is at my feet! 

If you would like further information on DSD, go to the following website: http://www.accordalliance.org/

 

Shame on the medical profession part II

I look back at the terror I felt every time I had gym class knowing that I had to shower with the other boys. I can't begin to describe the pain and hurt when they looked at me and laughed. To this day I am not able to go to the gym or any public area for fear that my "secret" will be found out. I dread doctor visits because most are not trained to deal with DSD. When I'm examined, that part of me is generally skipped. I feel lucky that I found a spouse who loves me for me and not my ability to perform in bed. My last marriage failed because I was unable to perform my "husband" duties. I've experienced sex partners who laughed at me for my lack of adequate genitalia. I've been cheated on because I couldn't perform. I've lost 2 marriages due to my inabilities. Parents, I urge you to take these things into consideration when you decide your child's future.

Shame on the medical profession!

In the 1950's, the medical profession was of the mindset that telling a parent or child of their ambiguous genitalia and gender assignment surgery was "bad practice" and should be avoided. My issue with this stems from my new found dis-trust of the medical profession. How am I supposed to trust my doctor to tell me the truth about anything. I've been lied to all my life. 55 years of lies. They purposely ignored my questions. They prevented other doctors from finding out the truth. They "lost" my records. I find myself trying to figure out who I can hold responsible for this. The only one I can come up with is myself. How can I fix that?

Wow, what a mind blower...I just got off the phone with my mother. She confirmed that I was born with ambiguous genitalia. They (the doctors) gender assigned me as a male. But, I was born a female complete with a uterus and ovaries or in my case ovotestis which is a combination of ovarian & testicular tissue. This confirms my earlier hypothesis that I was an intersex child. I am indeed an intersex person. Unfortunately, I am now experiencing complications that assure the need for surgery to remove some of the female parts sooner than later. The ovotestis are inflamed and in danger of becoming cancerous. The research continues.

I am a man with a uterus...Intersex child?

I'm not a huge blogger but I felt the need to open up about a condition I have. After a recent cat scan, it was determined that I possessed a uterus. I also believe a have what's known as ovotestes or a combination of ovaries & testicles. This is interesting to me because I suspect that I was born an intersex child with ambiguous genitalia. I also suspect that doctors constructed a penis so that I would be raised a male. Chromosome tests came back XY. I have several surgical scars from procedures in my lower abdomen, scars on my penis, undescended testicles (ovotestes are unable to descend) and a urethra underneath the penis (known as hypospadias). As a result, my penis has a 90 degree bend. My reasons for posting in this forum center on the need to research intersex conditions and connect with others who suspect they were born as an intersex child. How does this play into my bisexuality? Does this play a part in transgender people? Any thoughts?