my little soapbox

[shelly]

Hi

I am a nursing student and am currently taking my anatomy and physiology course. Ahhhhhhhhhh, it's pretty hard stuff.

Anyway, we got to the part where the stupid book says "xx=female and xy=male, the diploid number of chromosomes is 46, etc," and I couldn't take it any more. What if some girl who was CAIS had to listen to that inaccurate description of her body because she is xy?, or some person with 47 xxy?

I asked the professor why they still teach this stuff when it is clear that there are xx males and xy females and just aobut everything in between?

I was trying to be careful to not "out" myself, since with a little binding and creative clothing I can pretty much pass for a man (although I DO get stared at and studied and marginalized, mocked, etc)

Anyway, I finally got up the courage to reveal my whole situation to the professor and e-mailed my pictures to her. I asked her if she would please explain that xy does NOT always = male and explained that since I am in a class full of medical students, they are going to come across people like me sooner or later, they need to know. This is a class full of 20 year olds who still think they have life figured out. I explained that as long as the educational system teaches "xy=male" cais girls and people like me are pretty much screwed.

Anyway, the teacher was very gracious and actually thanked me for giving her the opportunity to help her be a better teacher. This is a very influential teacher on campus and was dean of the science department and she actually has a buiding on campus named after her. She has an extensive background in microbiology and still some of these things (xx males for instance) seemed to be new to her.

I feel like if people can be reached at this level BEFORE they become doctors and nurses, then maybe we can make some progress toward being variations, not medical emergencies.

Hoping for a better tommorow,
Michelle

[Kailana]

As I was/am also a student/Nursing prerequisites. I have also had the subject of genetics XX and XY, XXY Klinefelters, XX Turners, Down Syndrome and a few others mentioned in my psycholgy 101, psychology 103 courses as well. I often comment on the misinformation and many of my instructors have gotten to know me better. I have also been a guest speaker in several of the gender studies classes on campus.

The majority of students are younger, but theres usually some other older students as well. Some of my instructors use terms like most men are XY and woman are XX when talking about genetics. I have often had interested students ask for more information about myself after class. Some of them have become friends, most seem to understand me a great deal better after talking with me. I have also shown many online using the college computers other case studies for many conditions where genetics/hormones can make a intersexed person. For students and teachers alike, there are tons of information online, actual medical case studies and reports on tons of conditions, that the college computers have access to that you will not be able to get from a home computer.

I have mentioned before, about using a college campus computer lab/library computers on campus, the access they have is amazing when it comes to looking up case studies. I have spent hours upon hours looking at medical findings for most conditions. i have also been able to get many long forgotten reports on how an intersexed patient should be treated by medical professionals dating all the way back to the 40's. A great deal of my knowledge about how we should be treated actually comes from studies from the late 60's. particularly of interest for me was how an adult diagnosed as IS should be treated. Basically, for an adult who is diagnosed as IS, the gender change, was reported to be the most successfull of all corrective surgeries. i should say, that of the 3 categories of patients studied, infants/teens/adults, that the ones who were happiest, were the adults, when they chose to change there gender, the highest suicide rates, highest depresion rates came from the(diagnosed age) teenagers(reassigned), in the middle was infants(reassigned) and lowest was Adults(who reassigned). I have yet to ever see this study repeated or mentioned in any of the newer studies. From my memory, i believeit was dated 1968. Ill have to go digging for it. i do have it on paper. it was a very interesting study to read.

Oh and finally, good luck on the anatomy and physiology course. I do hope for a profession in the medical field too someday.
Best wishes

[shelly]

Dear Kailana,

My best wishes for your career, I hope it goes well. I am also looking forward to gettting ahold of a good medical library because I have pretty much gone through every article on intersex that I can find on the internet.

Yes I took my psyc courses years ago. My first year of college was before most of the kids in my classes were born. They almost fall over when I tell them how old I really am. I have that Klinefelter's type baby face still and the lack of facial hair makes me pass as much younger ( I do not have KS, but some of the problems with testosterone still apply to me)

Anyway, glad to see that there is someone else out there trying to change the system from within. Good luck again on your studies. When you are done what kind of a job do you hope to get?

Hugs
M

[Kailana]

in all honesty id love to be a physicians assistant, but it all depends on how well i do. As it is rightnow i am not enrolled, the V.A. didn't pay my tuition as i have had some medical issues and testing. I tend to have some depressive episodes and the education advisor suggested i wait tell the Winter regristration before hitting the books again. As it is, im awake early this morning as I am stressing over my bone biopsy, which i am traveling once again to Seattle to talk over the results with my hematologist. So i am hoping for some good news. I'll try to post later when i get home tonight. Honestly right now an RN, seems to be what i can manage, financial wise. Who knows about the future though. I may concentrate later in the Mental Health area of practice. Really unsure at the moment exactly what i plan for the future.

Take care

[shelly]

Hey Kailana,

Being a P.A. would be great, but why not at least start with the RN? YOu would get GREAT healthcare, and have 4 days a week off. Hmmmmm

Good luck again
M

[Kailana]

An RN is currently what i can afford, what i am able at the moment to pay for. I would like however to continue my education in the nursing field. I would be quite happy as an RN. Fact thats probably what I will do, once im done with schooling, and continue my education while working down the road. Basically I will need the employment to have the funds for continue with further Education. I am currently going to school with the assistance of the V.A's, vocational rehabilitation. Without there help, I don't really have the means to pay for schooling. There program will assist me while I am working towards an RN degree. Without them, I don't really know what I would be doing. Well, not true, i'd probably be falling further apart, classes does give me some security on a daily basis. It provides a good deal of stability knowing what i need to do for the day.