Introduction

[vintagedoll42]

Hi everyone! I just joined today because I have a lifelong curiousity about gender issues and physical differences, even though, for the most part, I guess I'm "normal."

Funny how life takes you on paths--in this last year my husband and I have become very good friends with someone with XX--Praeder5 CAH (salt wasting type) who identifies as a lesbian woman. So I have stepped up my reading about CAH, and intersex in general, even though I already had a basic understanding. I'm currently reading Fixing Sex by Karkazis--best I've read so far!

I hope to learn a little more here. My friend is still in a process of self-discovery and learning more medically about CAH herself, as well as the genital surgery she has already experienced. I enjoy sharing what I find out with her and supporting her--she has not had very much acceptance of herself AS SHE IS, rather, everyone wants her to fit more neatly into a category--an experience I'm sure most of you are familiar with. We have had lots of very interesting discussions about gender identity, psychology, and the medical ethics involved in the treatment of intersexed people.

So, learn me, folks! Actually, just let me lurk...I appreciate it!

[Kailana]

I am glad you are there for your friend. All are welcome here by the way as long as they are here for Intersex related reasons. learning more informaton, sharing thoughts, trying to learn more to better help a friend; whatever is always welcome.

Other books I have read:

Interses and Identity: The Contented Self by Sharon E. Preeves; Rutgers University Press. not bad but alot of information on conditions is missing. Still helpfull.

Between XX and XY: Intersexuality And The Myth of Two Sexes. by Gerald n. Callahan; Chicago Review Press distributed by Independent Publishers Group.
Again not bad, also missing alot of information on many intersex conditions.

actually I am kind of upset with as I did contribute alot of information that was edited out. Which just makes me feel like how I do when dealing with many doctors, redacted records, incomplete information just upsets me alot, ie doing my best to cope with some minor depression, a common occurance for me.

[Dianne]

... doing my best to cope with some minor depression, a common occurance for me.

:grouphug0

[Kailana]

short comment i stole from friends.

"Normal is a setting on a dryer".

I thought was fairly appropriate comment as a follow up post to this intro.

[miriam]

"Normal is a setting on a dryer".


LOL :happy45:

Groeten, Miriam

[fraulein_Maria]

she has not had very much acceptance of herself AS SHE IS, rather, everyone wants her to fit more neatly into a category--an experience I'm sure most of you are familiar with.

>>>>> a sad and depressingly more than common experience. Thankfully, some of us have recovered enough to be enraged about what was done to us. That makes us less than popular at most CAH support groups, because they are run..... not by the people WITH CAH (like an AIS support group, or a cancer support group) but by the doctors and parents who hurt us in the first place..... kind of like a survivors of incest group being run by the offenders.

In any event, welcome. :sign16:

Sorry i've been MIA everybody. I had to move, i did move, and the dust is finally settling.

[Dianne]

My dear, you should clean up the dust BEFORE you move in ;)

[fraulein_Maria]

My dear, you should clean up the dust BEFORE you move in ;)

>>> LOL :) the dust was raised as i sped out of my old place!

my "loopy landlady" made calling the police a necessity i had heretofore prefered to avoid, but she raised her hand to strike me... thus expediting my moving plans. it was hot, i had (still have) no AC, and had to work many long hours in the field. Drank lots of water, and tried to keep my salt level up with pickles and tater chips..... but apparently i pissed it all out anyway. At least the EMT's put me on normal saline instead of D5W. Its nice to have a friend around who knows what to tell them when i'm incoherent. <<<

[Kailana]

welcome back, sorry to hear you had to move. i hope your in a better place now.

simple question on the use of normal saline in an IV? I am curious mostly because a normal IV makes me very very sick. again the use of a normal IV solution causes ketoacidosis, god i hope i got that correctly. it screws up my blood plasman levels badly, and eventually those brilliant doct's will run a 5%-8% sodium ? solution (not sure if it was a sodium/bicarbonate or potassium/bicarb solution it gets a little confusing sometimes when i dont remember exactly what they said it was) and that clears up whatever problem they gave me with the normal IV.