I really hope this gains more public attention. Top surgery literally saves lives. This run-around Moe and other trans people encounter is not just an inconvenience.
@@francishooper1649 Nah, transition is pretty much a life-saver for many people, or at least a huge quality of life improver. There is a ton of data about it. Transphobes tho, choose to pretend that those mountains of data don't exist.
As another trans person in NZ I really appreciate you making a video talking about your experiences! Still watching the video - on the part about getting dripfed bits of hope, I totally get that, Ive been on testosterone for a year now but havent even tried to find out about top surgery bc I Know I could not cope with getting screwed around like that
It breaks my heart to hear of your struggles. And there's so many others out there, across the world, dealing with these unnecessary and life-threatening road blocks. Thank you for sharing your story and raising awareness. I'm so impressed with your bravery and eloquence in the face of such frustrating ugliness. I wish you the very best! I hope your move opens a new, brighter chapter in your life!
I also started my search for top surgery (in NZ) in 2020 and multiple gps kept telling me they'd ask around and see about getting me on the waitlist. It took a couple months before I was told the public waitlist was completely closed because it was too long to treat people before they retired and/or died. I was never told they only did four surgeries per year. The private surgeon I contacted quoted me around $30k :'') I'd much rather be here than in the US where I was born but the health system here is very much the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, and so many people suffer for it. I hope you're able to get your surgery soon, Moe.
Hey, Not sure if this is helpful but I've being talking to Chris Porter in Christchurch and he's doing surgeries around the 20k mark (at least according to the quote I got). His results are just as good as other surgeons and a solid 5k cheaper :))
I think they are hopefully. They posted a video on tiktok playing the banjo a few months ago. They might just be taking a break from the internet. I was curious too, that’s why I checked.
I'm sure they use letters and phonecalls instead of email deliberately because they know there will be people who will miss them and henceforth it'll weed out some people from the waiting list Love the waistcoat
The only legit US top surgery that seems even vaguely feasible is around 25-30k, and well, in most states I can't get any coverage, the fact that any country isn't helping us, including NZ, is constantly heartbreaking I was so close to affording top surgery a couple years ago... But suddenly a really bad dental emergency came up, I needed surgery on my jaw, it took all the money I had saved for it in about 3-4 months, no more top surgery for another however many years if ever, especially with our current inflation/recession I had to be stealth at my job, until I had a health crisis from working in a binder, now for the most part I can't even work lol Love living here, love almost dying and our insurances covering nothing
I'm so sorry you've had to go through all this horseshit in order to get the healthcare you need. I'm angry on behalf all my non-binary and trans siblings who are struggling to get what they need. Solidarity from the US
Ello! A non-binary Australian here I haven’t even looked into any kind of public top surgery in Australia i just assumed we didn’t have it, I’ll probably look into it later today, but to not make this extremely long my experience with any kind of medical professional even therapists has been shit. 90% of the doctors iv gone to with issues didnt help, have had a period of time where i couldnt even keep food down my gp did some tests they all came back clear and so she said ‘well thats weird i hope it fixes itself might be a phycological problem, see you next time!’ I have gone to my doctor and therapist about sleeping every time I get told its about my sleeping habits before bed and that i don’t qualify for any kind of sleeping drugs. I have been struggling to sleep since childhood, well before I had a phone and even when i did have a phone for the first 3-4 years i wasnt allowed it in my bedroom at all. This video is so maddening to watch knowing whats happening in America for trans people as well, I’m so angry and hurt at those who are supposed to help us and instead as you said ‘spoon feed us hope’ while making us jump through their hurdles and their criteria to get the healthcare we need. I was gonna go in and quit my second job with the lower pay and lower amount of hours today but I am really going to have to look into top surgery costs and see if thats something i should do as i am doubtful I want to even attempt at any publicly funded options because of the wait time, criteria and the fact my parents ‘make too much money’ without considering the fact that maybe one of them would refuse to even consider the idea of helping getting my tits removed. I wish you and all trans people and anyone in general luck for any procedure they need but remember trans rights are human rights and trans healthcare is a necessity in our lives. (Oops this was long anyways im just mad 💀💀)
Not sure which state you are in but I know in Queensland we don't have any public options for top surgery, only private. When I had my surgery in late 2021 it cost me a bit over $10,000 (that's after medicare and medibank rebates) and I've since heard that the prices have increased slightly since then. And I was lucky in that I lived in the same city as my surgeon so I didn't have to pay for transport or accomodation, plus my parents were willing to pay for a majority of the surgery but most people aren't in that situation. One thing I have seen talked about online is people getting some super funds released on compassionate grounds to be able to pay for surgery but of course that requires you to have worked enough to have significant funds.
I'm in Victoria and yeah we also don't seem to have any public options I only found things about the Medicare rebates and how private health insurance can take off some of the cost, which we dont have, any private healthcare we've used has been paid out of pocket (Rip my parents wallets on my brothers braces and jaw reconstruction surgery). From everything I'v seen 10k is usually how much it is with depending on your area or doctors or whatever could go up to 20k. My mums really the only one in the family whos been actively tryna learn and support me with my dad in general sayin some nasty things which he thinks isnt a big deal and is just his opinion so hes not gonna let his money touch funding my top surgery with a 10f pole. I'm gonna try strike up a deal with my parents to have us both go halfsies on the cost but I pay them back over time (Banks are dumb I am NOT takin out a god damn loan for top surgery lmfao thats risky my parents do have the money to help its not like its gonna financially ruin em but me being in debt to the bank would)
Enby in SA here - as far as I know there aren't public options for any gender affirming surgeries or care, granted that's from what I can tell having attempted to find out in the past month between intermittent mental health/"oh god I'm never going to be able to transition" breaks. I'm living on the DSP and have barely any work capacity, so with how much it costs it'll either be decades of saving (if no big emergencies happen that would need the money), waiting until a day where they become bulk billed procedures (who knows if that _ever_ will happen), or never. The only silver lining is I now know for absolute certain that I experience dysphoria, ahaha...
this is completely out of the left field, but i've had sleep issues all my life, too, had it chalked up to "sleep hygiene" a lot, too, but then realised consistent sleep issues are part of adhd. see if you can find yourself a checklist for adhd symptoms and expressions, cause if it's adhd, and you can show your gp or whomever how much you align to it, there's a chance of getting proper aid with it.
@@doobat708 oh shit really?? Iv been diagnosed with ADHD for idk maybe 7 or 8 months now and have been on Vyvanse (Started at 10mg and have been upped to now 50mg which is really helping with the adhd) Ill def bring it up next time I go to my adhd doctor. And yeah I had always struggled with it and when going to the doctors for help with anxiety and depression and things after I came out to my mum sleep was what we tried to tackle (Not gonna go into my whole experience with melatonin its a long story basically had a non lethal OD on it and haven't taken it since). Everyone everywhere kept going on and on about sleep hygiene which to me, is all bullshit and makes no sense. - My phone wasn't the issue when I was a child or young teen. I either didn't have one or didn't have it in my bedroom. - 'No lights on an hour before you go to sleep' If I'm laying in bed in a pitch-black room with no lights on for hours I should be able to sleep. - Exercise more, Yes I'm physically and mentally exhausted all I wanna do is sleep but I just don't hit the point where I enter sleep. - Get out in the sun more! Already done that it doesnt help - Keep your room cooler! I sleep with a fan on I overheat easily in bed I generally have it on all year round -Keep a routine! Yep thats what highschool was and yet I had the worst schedual of my entire life staying awake for 48hrs then getting one nights rest for probably 8-9 hours then staying awake another 48hr. I even now actively avoid situations like staying at a friends place overnight or being out late ect that could disrupt anything and it just doesnt work It just becomes so hard to believe anything that any expert says when the same mantra thats repeated over and over doesnt work Iv been somewhat looking into doing a sleep study which my parents would be willing to pay for and help me with so thats probably the next step then when i see my adhd doctor ask him bout it next. Sorry for the rant again LMAO sleep topics get me fired up as well all my experiences with medical professionals just make me loose hope in all of em and that Im better off on my own tryna figure it out.
Glad to see you back Moe, sorry that you had to experience all this, these healthcare systems are just unacceptable, but thank you for sharing your story and spreading the awareness!
im 14 and ive been on the waiting list for puberty blockers since i was 11. the past few years have been just cancelled appointments, and rescheduling, over and over again. I've know already gone through puberty which really sucks because i could have had it not happen had they not rescheduled all those appointments. (this was in Christchurch)
as a fellow nz trans, i get where you're coming from. not only are gp's undereducated on basic trans issues, but it is so hard to get consistent information about publicly funded surgery. i'm trying to navigate dysphoria and late realised autism, and life can be rough. i hope you're doing well, moe. i'm so glad to hear that your gofundme is taking off
I’m so sorry you had to go through all that. Here in the US, we don’t have any publicly funded surgeries for transgender individuals, but at least the government is upfront about it. I hope you are able to raise the money soon. I wish things were different for those of us who have gender dysphoria.
Hi there! I'd like to clarify just for anyone reading your comment that, from my experience in California, Medi-Cal covers all of the top surgery. I'm very lucky to be having a government funded top surgery next month.
@@plarnston Yes, I'm in California, too, and my understanding is that all insurance plans in California are required to cover gender-affirming care. Although we have a very messed-up healthcare system in the US, I have to admit that it seems to be producing better outcomes for trans people than what I've heard about in other countries.
Was about to come here and say this as well, I got top surgery in California through Medi-Cal and it was completely covered. I'm also pursuing metoidioplasty and that's covered as well, although they may have to advocate for me to get a mons reduction covered.
@@plarnston thank you! I had no idea. I live in Indiana, so things are pretty bleak for transgender individuals here. California is usually a lot more progressive than the rest of the country. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery!
yeah that’s a bad situation I live halfway around the world so I can’t exactly enact policy change, but thanks for spreading awareness, and I hope there are kiwis of voting age watching this too. :)
That’s terrible! I’m so sorry that happened :( in my country we also technically have some trans surgeries publically but only after you legally change your gender marker and to do that you have to sue your parents so I just decided to go private from the start. Good lucj with your surgery, I hope you get it quickly and all goes well
Another nz transgender here (Actually in your class lmao). I was tugged around trying to get onto the waitlist for public top surgery cause I wasn't on T at the time, eventually got a callback 6 months later saying they weren't taking the new referrals. Obviously the private route is borderline impossible, even though top surgery would literally ease my quite serious posture/nerve issues, it's just not on the cards. T as well was a complete fight cause my papers were left unsent in a drawer for over a month, I got on for a short stretch after a year and then immediately had to stop because of a country wide shortage of a specific kind of T. I'm so sorry you got fucked over so hard it's so infuriating to see, it really feels like a huge joke, but hank you for talking about it.
My GP said the same thing. So the bad news is that I have a diagnosis of gender identity disorder. But the good news is that I have a diagnosis of gender identity disorder.
More I’m so sorry. I’m literally crying reading this because you have shown me how privileged I was to get top surgery. It was a bit of a struggle for me but compared to you it was a cake walk. I’m sorry more that the system sucks where you are and if I could send u the money I would
I'm from Italy and here for access public gender affirmation surgeries you have to be one year on hormone replacement therapy so i understand your frustration on this things. Thank you for share ❤
I very much appreciate you making a video about this topic, because you're right, not enough people are talking about this. Part of the reason I'm not seeking an ADHD or autism diagnosis right now as a trans person in NZ is due to how difficult it can be for some people to get gender affirming care with those diagnoses, I've seen some of my friends deal with that BS firsthand. I still don't know if I want to go down a medical route with my transition, but while that's still a possibility I have to maximize my chances of being able to qualify, and it sucks that I feel the need to make that choice in the first place but here we are.
i'm so sorry to hear about all this moe, it's so so so shitty. i'm in the UK and our trans healthcare honestly isn't great, but i'm very lucky to be where i am currently. i've been on T for 3 years now and I had top surgery just over a year ago, and lately there have been shortages of T almost every time I go to refill my prescription, both with shots and gel. there was a shortage of shots so they put me on gel and now there's a shortage of gel so they're going to try with shots again. my top surgery experience was honestly great (once I finally got there, the initial gender clinic appointments were pretty awful and I was made to feel like I wouldn't be allowed to transition bc of anxiety at first), but friends who are a bigger size than me have had bad experiences with the same surgeon, which really isn't good. apparently it's a thing now that GPs can just 'opt out' of trans healthcare too, I saw someone in wales yesterday tweet a photo of a letter they got saying their GP had just decided not to provide their healthcare anymore. shit's just scary everywhere lately and it feels like it's getting worse and worse. it's just disgusting that they /knew/ they weren't going to be doing your top surgery but they strung you along anyway. feels reminiscent of when I was trying to get on T, and it's just fucking awful. it's good to hear that your fundraising is working though, I hope you'll be able to get it soon!
Nice to hear from you again, Moe! It's roughly the same situation in my country too... Ive been bouncing around doctors and nurses and neuropsychs and therapists over the span of ~5 years just to get access to HRT, and recently they told me I need to see someone about my overall mental wellbeing before allowing me to begin my medical transition :/ I'm not a unique case and I'm fortunate to have gotten more comfortable with my current self despite it all but it's still unfair how much we have to put up with just to help ourselves like life more. I hope this video gets more attention.
Ah man, the testosterone requirement is disconcerting and feels like it came from a very ill informed place. I can say anecdotally as someone from wellington, I know more people who I’ve thought to count who are in dire need of top surgery but either don’t want T or would actively find it detrimental. It does make me concerned how many trans and expert voices are heard and consulted when these decisions are made
If any Kiwi sees this, it's not a requirement to be on T at all to get top surgery in almost all states but NSW (from memory). You guys have the same access to medical care here so if you can organise some place to stay with at least one carer, then please look into travelling here if you need to get stuff off your chest (lol)! If you have the funds, travelling across the ditch and staying somewhere temporarily may be worth it if you live in a non-funded area and would otherwise have to change your address. Also, the surgeons here are likely to be better practiced so please have a look and see if any follow the procedure you want plus weigh up their track record from previous surgeries. Only issue is that there's a good 2 year wait for pretty much everything trans-affirming related once you're out of the public system for children. There is a Reddit page for all this stuff related to Australia if you want to establish a community of support people who can inform you on this more and even help you during recovery, if you don't have an accepting support network from back home :)
I’m so sorry you had to go through this, I’m from the UK and this situation sounds disturbingly similar to my experience with CAMHs. I hope you’re able to access private care soon!
Seriously, what is their problem? Just let trans people get the surgeries they want/need. Can guarantee you if you wanted your breasts enhanced, you'd have been in there quick as lightning.
I went private as well. Payed around 8,000 USD for top surgery without nipple grafts. My surgeon was Dr. Turkeltaub in Arizona. Hope you find an option that suits you. ❤
I'm so sorry this happened to you Moe. You should not have gone through all that shit. It breaks my heart and I hope that the medical system changes for the better of the patients.
I'm really sorry to hear all you had to go through. I hope that this issue gets the attention needed and is resolved. So many trans ppl need this surgeries to live, and, as you pointed out, It ain't specially cheap to get It private.
@@transwomenaremale tell that to all the cis men with gynecomastia. Also, to put It simple, not every trans man need top surgery but since gender disforia affects severely your mental health, It can cost you your life. Still, I believe people deserve to live somewhat of a fullfilling life if that doesn't hurt other people.
@@vwolf5 Lmfao “cis” men with gynecomastia get their breasts removed because they’re not supposed to have them. Females are supposed to have breasts. I don’t love them but I accept that they’re healthy parts of my body.
I'm so devastated for you Moe. Dealing with public health is exhausting at the best of times. Thank you for making this video I'm really grateful to hear your experience and appreciate you highlighting trans health issues that I have not heard talked about. The stats you have shared are so disheartening
It's not just about bigotry. Mental health services in NZ have been a shitshow for decades and have fallen apart at the seams with covid. Gender dysphoria isn't the only condition that they have given up treating. For example it's next to impossible to get treatment for adult ADHD on the public sector. They won't just say 'we don't have resources for you, good luck', they go through this torturous system of waitlist and assessments only to deny you care, making it seem like you aren't worthy enough to make the cut, rather than being honest that 'you would benefit from this care but we don't have capacity'. It's cruel and unusual punishment for an already vulnerable population.
Gosh that horrible!!! I was denied a referral to be put on the waiting list for bottom because I'm back on nicotine since covid and my BMI was over by 0.1 because I gained weight due to being almost bedridden for a year due to surgery and a broken leg. So I understand the devastation. Though I've been lucky with hormones and a bilateral orchidectomy, the dangling carrot for transgender-surgeries is always underfunded and unsupported. kia kaha
I’m so sorry Moe, this is such absolute bullshit. Please keep us updated, we are all rooting for you! Thank you so much for bringing attention to this!
"A sad transgender, lying on the floor crying" Ah, yes. My partner has been living w/ one of those for a while. 😅 On a serious note... I'm so sorry for what you've been put through, Moe. And while I'm sad to be disabused of my notions about NZ, because living in the US is terrifying... I'm glad you are speaking the truth. The truth matters.
As an American where even health insurance doesn’t generally cover any transgender-geared surgeries (or even breast reduction for women who are in major pain from the size of their busts!) as they’re seen as cosmetic instead of medical care, at first as you were telling your story I still thought you were lucky. But your point about how New Zealand is seen and prides itself as being a progressive safe haven when they’re quietly putting trans people’s lives as risk, that really made me agree with you. Either way what you and others have gone through with the waitlist bs and barring is terrible, but thank you for discussing this and opening my perspective!
i’ve been following your threads on twitter and seen you posting about this in real time, and it still shocks me that they’re allowed to just string you along like that. i’m so sorry you had to go through that
13:50 - "I don't think I know anyone my age who has that sort of money" - So I checked your age on twitter, and damn, I did not realize I was older than you.
I'm so very sorry you had to go through all this shit! * hug * It's unbelievable that NZ is funding so very few top surgeries. There are plenty of people who need one. Cis and trans people alike. And who has the money to fund it privately?
I’m really glad your talking about this, as a trans American I’ve really only heard good things about New Zealand’s healthcare and acceptance of trans people. It’s of course disheartening to know that someplace I thought I could escape to turns out to be not that different, but I’d rather know now than find out the hard way. I really am hoping you get top surgery as soon as you can, no one should’ve had to go through what you went through
It makes me so angry to learn about the tough time you've had with the medical services there. It's weird how folks where I'm from (the US) think of New Zealand as this progressive wonderland. Maybe compared to us it is in some ways (I mean, we're charging towards fascism pretty quickly), but this sounds really awful. I hope you can raise the funds you need (I chipped in a bit, wish I could do more). Hang in there.
It's so cool saying a video from you every couple semesters, and seeing how much you're changing. Hopefully the video won't destroy the impression that your transition is going out.
im still with the youth gender clinic up here in auckland and they pretty much told me i should look overseas. im perfectly healthy but my bmi is to high so they just flat out refuse to do it here. there is next to no way i can get my bmi down as it’s linked to my mental health which will not improve without top surgery. ive had no choice but to seek mental health support now, bc of all this but they won’t even help me with that. they cant take more people without more funding. so im just kinda screwed atm no help anywhere. im a complete shut in now. such a love hate relationship with this country
Doctors going off of BMI really annoys me and I empathise with you on that point, it's shit. I'm completely outside the normal deviation in terms of height so it applies to me even less so, which actually caused me to be over-prescribed medication and anaesthetic when I had my wisdom teeth out. My weight is also related to possible insulin resistance so little chance there. Thailand is consistently recommended as a cheaper place to get top surgery but perhaps check out surgery options here in Oz first? Good luck :)
I feel like this is a running theme with underfunded public health services throughout the world. The amount of rescheduling to end up delivering something that amounts to a non-treatment is something that I'm familiar with, and I'm not trans. This is something that, given enough underfunding, will happen to those seeking medical treatment for anything more complicated than a common cold. We need to halt (and reverse!) the systematic dismantlement of our healthcare systems in those few countries where we are lucky enough to have one to begin with. Best of luck, however! Hope you can get top surgery soon.
I agree with your statement a 100%, however what I can’t grab my head around is how only 11 top surgeries where funded through public service, in NZ, like we’re not talking about 100/200 a year, 11 ? That’s ridiculously low :(
Glad to see a new video from you. Clicked on this one because it was quick. I'm dtill down for your longer form videos, but please don't feel obligated to make huge video essays, we are happy to see your contebt for you. I am sorry the road to top surgery has been heart breaking. Fellow person in the road via private practice. Let's hope 2023 is the year.
Another trans person from welly here, the MOH is horrendous when it comes to our healthcare. It is so incredibly disheartening and makes me spiral sometimes thinking i'll have to save for a necessary surgery while my friends can save for holidays and houses, etc. ❤ But I wanted to ask where you got your info from about publicly-funded top surgeries in Wellington, bc my mate got his done last year (2022) so it can't be correct? Not wanting to give false hope at all tho, he's been on the waiting list since he was 18, got it done just before turning 21, which is a stupid amount of time. Love your videos and wishing you the best with your givealittle, me te aroha nui ❤
wait, did he get fully funded top surgery through the Capital & Coast District Health Board? Maybe he got it through a different DHB? If he did get it through the CCD, then I'm at a loss and I have even less of a clue as to what is going on than I thought I did. But hey, big congrats to him ! :)) I did try and research as best I could, I looked at stats from PATHA (among other sources), I got inside info from my mum who works in healthcare and I just relayed what I was told by different doctors/nurses etc. but to be honest nobody seems to have a clear idea of whats going on,, which i think is indicative of the problem. But yee, apologises if any of my info is incorrect, if it turns out I've made any mistakes I'll put up a wee correction :)
What an absolutely disgusting situation. Should you ever get appointments rescheduled, for whatever kind of care, call back and ask WHY. Always demand to know the reason. Sometimes the reason is valid, sometimes it's complete pish. In my experience, once a health care provider has had to deal with my repeated (pissed off but polite) calls to ask about the rescheduling, they find it's easier to just have my appointment over with. And, sure, cancer patients need the actual surgery more urgently, but not those assessments they kept rescheduling, those are pretty specific to trans health care. Regardless of whether or not AoNZ is seen as progressive, it's similar to the Netherlands, in that, while there's an increase in trans people seeking professional care, there is a decrease in the number of caregivers throughout all layers of healthcare providers - this is what disproportionately affects trans people.
I am in the same boat on whether I want to go on T. I never thought I'd be lucky in the us. My insurance in theory will do top surgery without it, but it also depends on the place. Even if the insurance will cover it, where you can get the top surgery could require T for even a couple years. This is so disappointing given the news out of NZ with the terfs. Hopefully things can change with education given the overwhelming support shown. Maybe a lot of people just don't know of the injustices. It's still a slow moving ship though. I hope things look up soon for you. That whole situation is beyond cruel.
Same thing happened to me in the us. I waited 2 years to get top and one dr kept cancling and then wouldnt call ever for my appointment after they ran me around about letters. They set me up with a new surgeon after they scheduled my top in june. But it fell through too cause it took forever to schedule and he ended up cancling it. Then finally i went to dr wong in denver Colorado. She never cancled but the wait was 6 months for consult. 4 for surgery but she had a canclation and i got a day 13 days sooner. Also 2 days after my bday. Im now 8 months post op. Super glad and the wait sucked but im so glad i made it through. You got this moe
i grew up in nz, and moved to australia back at the beginning of 2019 (coming out as trans in august 2018, funnily enough) and struggled quite a bit through the system where i live now, eventually starting T last october. top surgery here seems so much simpler than back in nz though, and i don't know whether to be happy that i'm here or sad for you all back there. the insurance i get through my job (in a supermarket) covers top surgery partially, the referral to surgery procedure is straightforward, and the waitlist isn't too long (2 years is a long time but it took me 4 years for T so i'll take it). it can't be free, but it won't cost more than $8k out of pocket, hopefully.
I relate to long waits. I've been waiting for a connective tissue specialist for well over a year, and I was told the wait list for allergy testing was 2-3 years. I'm in Canada, and not all things have both private and public options. Some things are only public (most specialists, some surgeons, GPs), and other things are only private (non-emergency psychology/therapy, dental, glasses) so it's really hard to get anything done. Not to mention going between the two systems can be an issue if they don't trust each other. My previous GP had great relationships with private practices (psychologists, naturopathic clinics, physiotherapists, etc) but my newer one even questioned the ADHD diagnosis that cost over $1000 just because I couldn't wait 4 years through university to get the help I needed like extra time on tests. I've had to make the hard choice to sort of hide any gender discomfort for the time because I know how bad the system is, and my family wouldn't support me. It's something I'm sort of forced to stay silent about unless I want more headache, pain, and fear. Thankfully my dysphoria is manageable with clothing for the most part, but sometimes I feel stuck. Access to healthcare shouldn't be behind years of waiting, or thousands of dollars.
Ireland has a 3 year waitinglist for therapy to start there is a 4 year waitinglist for gender dysphoria diagnosis and 2+waitinglist for endocrinology be thankful for what you have
How is it cheaper for top surgery in the US than a country with far superior healthcare? I'm so sorry this happened to you. One of my buddies had his top surgery last fall and he's a totally different person now. Like, his whole outlook on life and everything has gotten so much better. I hope you can get everything done soon enough. It's great that so many people pitched in to help get you some money. Had I anything I'd help out too (transmascs gotta help out other transmascs, you know?), but alas I am broke.
hello, i am so sorry that you went through all of this... its disappointing how the medical system shits on trans people. in the country where i live, it is also a requirement to be at least a year on testosterone to have access to top surgery, and i do think it is dangerous - it affected me in my choice of whether or not to go on T. in my ideal world, i would get top surgery in the first place and then decide about hormones... good luck with your go fund me, i hope it all finally works out for you, and thank you for your videos.
I am very sorry that you had to go through so much devastation... Living in Germany i have a similar problem, althouh the healthcare system here is very good, there are very few psychologists that are actually educated on trans issues and finding one that is founded by public healthcare and willing to write a letter of indication or reports neccesary for name change is near impossible in my experience. After moths of trying to scedule an appointment and not even getting a response from the public counceling center for trans people in Cologne, i see no other option than paying a private psychologist 800€ just to maybe get a letter of indication for HRT.
Hello, Moe! I'm not gonna lie. I was a bit worried about you in the past months. Of course just like anybody else you do not owe anyone an online presence! But since I don't have any other social media other than RUclips (a decision I'll keep sticking by for multiple reasons) it does mean that I had no way of knowing if you were doing (relatively) alright. So everytime I thought about you I hoped that you were doing okay. But enough about me. The way the medical system treated you (and presumably a lot of other trans people in New Zealand) is shameful, honestly. I mean. Not even telling you about rescheduled appointments??? In what world is that acceptable?! Let alone the whole stringing you along knowing full well that actually there is no publicly funded top surgery option for you... Like, c'mon! At least having the decency to be upfront and straightforward with that would have been better/the correct way to do this. I may never be able to truly feel how you felt, but trust me when I say that I absolutely get being angry/upset/frustrated/pissed at that, at least. Like... That was just needlessly cruel. Having a public/universal healthcare system is definitely obviously a good thing. I mean. Having learned about how having insufficient health insurance in the USA can lead you to being knee deep in debt from medical bills just for having had an unfortunate accident or some other kind of misfortune... Or even in the context of giving birth or whatever... Yeah, no. Thanks. I feel like countries with universal public healthcare systems do actually do a better job with that (more average medical needs, I suppose???) stuff, at least. But that doesn't mean that such a system cannot also be underfunded or mismanaged or still unfair in other regards. And it sucks that trans related healthcare often seems to be drawing the shorter stick. And trans people have to suffer the consequences of that. It's disgraceful, honestly. Trying to see the bright side I am definitely also very happy for you that people have (and hopefully will keep doing so) donated to your fundraiser to help you out! It's always nice to see that generosity continues to be a human trait even when - or maybe especially when - less pleasant traits (to put it mildly) also do prevail. Also your outfit and your hair in this video is just *chef's kiss* ! Please be sure to take good care of yourself! Sincerely, Meeko (she/her, they/them)
Ah thank you Meeko, you're the best. You've been here from the very start and it means the world. It's always so lovely to hear from you, I hope you've been doing alright as of late? Much love
@@CopsHateMoe Yeah, well. I have had my ups and downs. I am working on getting more long term therapy/mental health care to work through my stuff, having just finished a short term online therapy course that was thankfully covered by insurance. Which did definitely help. But there's still a way to go. Uni and such being stressful as well. But I have made a good friend. And I am looking forward to going on an excursion this summer. So yeah. A full bouquet of stuff^^ Hugs
I can confirm, I live in Auckland. It's shit 😅Just getting regular surgery is hard enough. I had to wait over a year for a stomach surgery that came undone two weeks afterwards. I didn't even get past my GP for trans health care, they just told me I'd be turned down so theres no point doing a referral. Same thing happen when I attempted to be referred for a tubal ligation as well. I'd change doctors, but I can only afford this one because its covered by student fees at my university.
Your experience is pretty much what's going on across the globe with state run healthcare. Because of covid many people were put on the back burner for medical care unless it was urgent life or death.Now there;s just a huge backlog. And so the people who are sick go first. Then people getting elective surgeries are last. While what u are experiencing is psychologically taxing. There are many others who are literally years behind on their treatment and have been living in terrible pain for a couple of years.
11 Top surgeries were publicly funded. That's $275 000 NZD if we assume the public sectors are paid the same as private. Which would mean me, as a tax payer on my current rates would have to work 91 months to pay for those surgeries. Not really fair.
Here in the states, specifically Wisconsin, there is a very real chance that if the Republican running for Supreme court right now, will tip the tide to Republicans gaining control and gutting trans rights here. It's been happening all over the country, and before there was a tentative feeling of fear, while now I cannot dissociate how real that reality is. I'm working on getting the insurance (state funded) to even consider covering, which requires a hand signature. The first letter was digitally signed, so working on having that remedied. I fear my neurodivergent brain waited too long for this. I'm on T for like about two years and I really don't know what I would do without that top surgery. I waited over ten years, in part because I was unsure, since I first came out. Whether or not you go on T, I hope you get the funding you need. As another broke trans-masc individual, I feel you.
dude, i just want to thank you so much, you really helped me on my trans journey and have always brought a smile to my face when times were tough. you rock!
I didn't realise you were a fellow New Zealander, the Medical health care does kinda suck but im not a trans person so idk that much but love your channel and guitar tutorials, best of luck 2 u, chur
Offset your carbon footprint on Wren: www.wren.co/start/copshatemoe The first 100 people who sign up will have 10 extra trees planted in their name!
You're breathtaking! 🥰
I really hope this gains more public attention. Top surgery literally saves lives. This run-around Moe and other trans people encounter is not just an inconvenience.
If you need radical body modification in order to not commit suicide, the problem isn’t your body.
This is unsupported by evidence.
@@francishooper1649 Nah, transition is pretty much a life-saver for many people, or at least a huge quality of life improver.
There is a ton of data about it. Transphobes tho, choose to pretend that those mountains of data don't exist.
@@francishooper1649 Trans people tend to off themselves when they are refused free top surgery.
@@moniidzia and that s-cide statistic is even higher after they get said surgeries done, but everyone chooses to forget that part!
Man, I'd probably have started throwing chairs at that point
Aye it definitely put my pacifism to the test
Yeah, holy shit that's fucked up
As another trans person in NZ I really appreciate you making a video talking about your experiences!
Still watching the video - on the part about getting dripfed bits of hope, I totally get that, Ive been on testosterone for a year now but havent even tried to find out about top surgery bc I Know I could not cope with getting screwed around like that
It breaks my heart to hear of your struggles. And there's so many others out there, across the world, dealing with these unnecessary and life-threatening road blocks. Thank you for sharing your story and raising awareness. I'm so impressed with your bravery and eloquence in the face of such frustrating ugliness.
I wish you the very best! I hope your move opens a new, brighter chapter in your life!
I also started my search for top surgery (in NZ) in 2020 and multiple gps kept telling me they'd ask around and see about getting me on the waitlist. It took a couple months before I was told the public waitlist was completely closed because it was too long to treat people before they retired and/or died. I was never told they only did four surgeries per year.
The private surgeon I contacted quoted me around $30k :'')
I'd much rather be here than in the US where I was born but the health system here is very much the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, and so many people suffer for it. I hope you're able to get your surgery soon, Moe.
Hey, Not sure if this is helpful but I've being talking to Chris Porter in Christchurch and he's doing surgeries around the 20k mark (at least according to the quote I got). His results are just as good as other surgeons and a solid 5k cheaper :))
If it is possible for you, and you don't mind, it might pay to look into getting it overseas?
@@CopsHateMoe Thank you! It's so hard to find other surgeons here.
@@CopsHateMoeyou should seek mental help. You are lost...
Does someone know what's happened to Moe? The videos aren't coming out for about a year now. If they're doing okay?
I think they are hopefully. They posted a video on tiktok playing the banjo a few months ago. They might just be taking a break from the internet. I was curious too, that’s why I checked.
I'm sure they use letters and phonecalls instead of email deliberately because they know there will be people who will miss them and henceforth it'll weed out some people from the waiting list
Love the waistcoat
The only legit US top surgery that seems even vaguely feasible is around 25-30k, and well, in most states I can't get any coverage, the fact that any country isn't helping us, including NZ, is constantly heartbreaking
I was so close to affording top surgery a couple years ago... But suddenly a really bad dental emergency came up, I needed surgery on my jaw, it took all the money I had saved for it in about 3-4 months, no more top surgery for another however many years if ever, especially with our current inflation/recession
I had to be stealth at my job, until I had a health crisis from working in a binder, now for the most part I can't even work lol
Love living here, love almost dying and our insurances covering nothing
I'm so sorry you've had to go through all this horseshit in order to get the healthcare you need. I'm angry on behalf all my non-binary and trans siblings who are struggling to get what they need. Solidarity from the US
Self-mutilation isn't healthcare luv.
Happy to see a new video, but shitty that you went through all that! ❤
Ello! A non-binary Australian here
I haven’t even looked into any kind of public top surgery in Australia i just assumed we didn’t have it, I’ll probably look into it later today, but to not make this extremely long my experience with any kind of medical professional even therapists has been shit.
90% of the doctors iv gone to with issues didnt help, have had a period of time where i couldnt even keep food down my gp did some tests they all came back clear and so she said ‘well thats weird i hope it fixes itself might be a phycological problem, see you next time!’
I have gone to my doctor and therapist about sleeping every time I get told its about my sleeping habits before bed and that i don’t qualify for any kind of sleeping drugs. I have been struggling to sleep since childhood, well before I had a phone and even when i did have a phone for the first 3-4 years i wasnt allowed it in my bedroom at all.
This video is so maddening to watch knowing whats happening in America for trans people as well, I’m so angry and hurt at those who are supposed to help us and instead as you said ‘spoon feed us hope’ while making us jump through their hurdles and their criteria to get the healthcare we need.
I was gonna go in and quit my second job with the lower pay and lower amount of hours today but I am really going to have to look into top surgery costs and see if thats something i should do as i am doubtful I want to even attempt at any publicly funded options because of the wait time, criteria and the fact my parents ‘make too much money’ without considering the fact that maybe one of them would refuse to even consider the idea of helping getting my tits removed.
I wish you and all trans people and anyone in general luck for any procedure they need but remember trans rights are human rights and trans healthcare is a necessity in our lives.
(Oops this was long anyways im just mad 💀💀)
Not sure which state you are in but I know in Queensland we don't have any public options for top surgery, only private. When I had my surgery in late 2021 it cost me a bit over $10,000 (that's after medicare and medibank rebates) and I've since heard that the prices have increased slightly since then. And I was lucky in that I lived in the same city as my surgeon so I didn't have to pay for transport or accomodation, plus my parents were willing to pay for a majority of the surgery but most people aren't in that situation. One thing I have seen talked about online is people getting some super funds released on compassionate grounds to be able to pay for surgery but of course that requires you to have worked enough to have significant funds.
I'm in Victoria and yeah we also don't seem to have any public options I only found things about the Medicare rebates and how private health insurance can take off some of the cost, which we dont have, any private healthcare we've used has been paid out of pocket (Rip my parents wallets on my brothers braces and jaw reconstruction surgery). From everything I'v seen 10k is usually how much it is with depending on your area or doctors or whatever could go up to 20k.
My mums really the only one in the family whos been actively tryna learn and support me with my dad in general sayin some nasty things which he thinks isnt a big deal and is just his opinion so hes not gonna let his money touch funding my top surgery with a 10f pole. I'm gonna try strike up a deal with my parents to have us both go halfsies on the cost but I pay them back over time (Banks are dumb I am NOT takin out a god damn loan for top surgery lmfao thats risky my parents do have the money to help its not like its gonna financially ruin em but me being in debt to the bank would)
Enby in SA here - as far as I know there aren't public options for any gender affirming surgeries or care, granted that's from what I can tell having attempted to find out in the past month between intermittent mental health/"oh god I'm never going to be able to transition" breaks. I'm living on the DSP and have barely any work capacity, so with how much it costs it'll either be decades of saving (if no big emergencies happen that would need the money), waiting until a day where they become bulk billed procedures (who knows if that _ever_ will happen), or never.
The only silver lining is I now know for absolute certain that I experience dysphoria, ahaha...
this is completely out of the left field, but i've had sleep issues all my life, too, had it chalked up to "sleep hygiene" a lot, too, but then realised consistent sleep issues are part of adhd. see if you can find yourself a checklist for adhd symptoms and expressions, cause if it's adhd, and you can show your gp or whomever how much you align to it, there's a chance of getting proper aid with it.
@@doobat708 oh shit really?? Iv been diagnosed with ADHD for idk maybe 7 or 8 months now and have been on Vyvanse (Started at 10mg and have been upped to now 50mg which is really helping with the adhd) Ill def bring it up next time I go to my adhd doctor.
And yeah I had always struggled with it and when going to the doctors for help with anxiety and depression and things after I came out to my mum sleep was what we tried to tackle (Not gonna go into my whole experience with melatonin its a long story basically had a non lethal OD on it and haven't taken it since). Everyone everywhere kept going on and on about sleep hygiene which to me, is all bullshit and makes no sense.
- My phone wasn't the issue when I was a child or young teen. I either didn't have one or didn't have it in my bedroom.
- 'No lights on an hour before you go to sleep' If I'm laying in bed in a pitch-black room with no lights on for hours I should be able to sleep.
- Exercise more, Yes I'm physically and mentally exhausted all I wanna do is sleep but I just don't hit the point where I enter sleep.
- Get out in the sun more! Already done that it doesnt help
- Keep your room cooler! I sleep with a fan on I overheat easily in bed I generally have it on all year round
-Keep a routine! Yep thats what highschool was and yet I had the worst schedual of my entire life staying awake for 48hrs then getting one nights rest for probably 8-9 hours then staying awake another 48hr. I even now actively avoid situations like staying at a friends place overnight or being out late ect that could disrupt anything and it just doesnt work
It just becomes so hard to believe anything that any expert says when the same mantra thats repeated over and over doesnt work Iv been somewhat looking into doing a sleep study which my parents would be willing to pay for and help me with so thats probably the next step then when i see my adhd doctor ask him bout it next. Sorry for the rant again LMAO sleep topics get me fired up as well all my experiences with medical professionals just make me loose hope in all of em and that Im better off on my own tryna figure it out.
Glad to see you back Moe, sorry that you had to experience all this, these healthcare systems are just unacceptable, but thank you for sharing your story and spreading the awareness!
Hope you're doing ok Moe
im 14 and ive been on the waiting list for puberty blockers since i was 11. the past few years have been just cancelled appointments, and rescheduling, over and over again. I've know already gone through puberty which really sucks because i could have had it not happen had they not rescheduled all those appointments. (this was in Christchurch)
Hey, how's it going now?
as a fellow nz trans, i get where you're coming from. not only are gp's undereducated on basic trans issues, but it is so hard to get consistent information about publicly funded surgery. i'm trying to navigate dysphoria and late realised autism, and life can be rough. i hope you're doing well, moe. i'm so glad to hear that your gofundme is taking off
I’m so sorry you had to go through all that. Here in the US, we don’t have any publicly funded surgeries for transgender individuals, but at least the government is upfront about it. I hope you are able to raise the money soon. I wish things were different for those of us who have gender dysphoria.
Hi there! I'd like to clarify just for anyone reading your comment that, from my experience in California, Medi-Cal covers all of the top surgery. I'm very lucky to be having a government funded top surgery next month.
@@plarnston Yes, I'm in California, too, and my understanding is that all insurance plans in California are required to cover gender-affirming care. Although we have a very messed-up healthcare system in the US, I have to admit that it seems to be producing better outcomes for trans people than what I've heard about in other countries.
Was about to come here and say this as well, I got top surgery in California through Medi-Cal and it was completely covered. I'm also pursuing metoidioplasty and that's covered as well, although they may have to advocate for me to get a mons reduction covered.
@@plarnston thank you! I had no idea. I live in Indiana, so things are pretty bleak for transgender individuals here. California is usually a lot more progressive than the rest of the country. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery!
Hey Moe I missed you
Hello!
yeah that’s a bad situation
I live halfway around the world so I can’t exactly enact policy change, but thanks for spreading awareness, and I hope there are kiwis of voting age watching this too. :)
That’s terrible! I’m so sorry that happened :( in my country we also technically have some trans surgeries publically but only after you legally change your gender marker and to do that you have to sue your parents so I just decided to go private from the start.
Good lucj with your surgery, I hope you get it quickly and all goes well
This sounds almost as bad as the current healthcare crisis here in Finland... Thank you so much for sharing your story...
Another nz transgender here (Actually in your class lmao). I was tugged around trying to get onto the waitlist for public top surgery cause I wasn't on T at the time, eventually got a callback 6 months later saying they weren't taking the new referrals. Obviously the private route is borderline impossible, even though top surgery would literally ease my quite serious posture/nerve issues, it's just not on the cards. T as well was a complete fight cause my papers were left unsent in a drawer for over a month, I got on for a short stretch after a year and then immediately had to stop because of a country wide shortage of a specific kind of T. I'm so sorry you got fucked over so hard it's so infuriating to see, it really feels like a huge joke, but hank you for talking about it.
omg hello fellow classmate :D
I'm sorry you've been struggling with the system as well, I send big love
My GP said the same thing. So the bad news is that I have a diagnosis of gender identity disorder. But the good news is that I have a diagnosis of gender identity disorder.
that's not a good thing
I was a bit late to the premiere, but it's lovely as always to see a new video from you, Moe!
You're back you're back you're back🤗
hehe i am indeed 😎
@@CopsHateMoe I did not forget about you.
More I’m so sorry. I’m literally crying reading this because you have shown me how privileged I was to get top surgery. It was a bit of a struggle for me but compared to you it was a cake walk. I’m sorry more that the system sucks where you are and if I could send u the money I would
I'm from Italy and here for access public gender affirmation surgeries you have to be one year on hormone replacement therapy so i understand your frustration on this things. Thank you for share ❤
as a trans kid in nz i know for a fact that if i ever want top surgery i'm gonna have to fund it entirely by myself, its kinda crushing.
I very much appreciate you making a video about this topic, because you're right, not enough people are talking about this. Part of the reason I'm not seeking an ADHD or autism diagnosis right now as a trans person in NZ is due to how difficult it can be for some people to get gender affirming care with those diagnoses, I've seen some of my friends deal with that BS firsthand. I still don't know if I want to go down a medical route with my transition, but while that's still a possibility I have to maximize my chances of being able to qualify, and it sucks that I feel the need to make that choice in the first place but here we are.
Missed seeing your videos on here homie. Wouldnt have cracked my egg without ya.
i'm so sorry to hear about all this moe, it's so so so shitty. i'm in the UK and our trans healthcare honestly isn't great, but i'm very lucky to be where i am currently. i've been on T for 3 years now and I had top surgery just over a year ago, and lately there have been shortages of T almost every time I go to refill my prescription, both with shots and gel. there was a shortage of shots so they put me on gel and now there's a shortage of gel so they're going to try with shots again. my top surgery experience was honestly great (once I finally got there, the initial gender clinic appointments were pretty awful and I was made to feel like I wouldn't be allowed to transition bc of anxiety at first), but friends who are a bigger size than me have had bad experiences with the same surgeon, which really isn't good. apparently it's a thing now that GPs can just 'opt out' of trans healthcare too, I saw someone in wales yesterday tweet a photo of a letter they got saying their GP had just decided not to provide their healthcare anymore. shit's just scary everywhere lately and it feels like it's getting worse and worse. it's just disgusting that they /knew/ they weren't going to be doing your top surgery but they strung you along anyway. feels reminiscent of when I was trying to get on T, and it's just fucking awful. it's good to hear that your fundraising is working though, I hope you'll be able to get it soon!
Nice to hear from you again, Moe!
It's roughly the same situation in my country too... Ive been bouncing around doctors and nurses and neuropsychs and therapists over the span of ~5 years just to get access to HRT, and recently they told me I need to see someone about my overall mental wellbeing before allowing me to begin my medical transition :/
I'm not a unique case and I'm fortunate to have gotten more comfortable with my current self despite it all but it's still unfair how much we have to put up with just to help ourselves like life more. I hope this video gets more attention.
Ah man, the testosterone requirement is disconcerting and feels like it came from a very ill informed place. I can say anecdotally as someone from wellington, I know more people who I’ve thought to count who are in dire need of top surgery but either don’t want T or would actively find it detrimental. It does make me concerned how many trans and expert voices are heard and consulted when these decisions are made
If any Kiwi sees this, it's not a requirement to be on T at all to get top surgery in almost all states but NSW (from memory). You guys have the same access to medical care here so if you can organise some place to stay with at least one carer, then please look into travelling here if you need to get stuff off your chest (lol)! If you have the funds, travelling across the ditch and staying somewhere temporarily may be worth it if you live in a non-funded area and would otherwise have to change your address. Also, the surgeons here are likely to be better practiced so please have a look and see if any follow the procedure you want plus weigh up their track record from previous surgeries.
Only issue is that there's a good 2 year wait for pretty much everything trans-affirming related once you're out of the public system for children. There is a Reddit page for all this stuff related to Australia if you want to establish a community of support people who can inform you on this more and even help you during recovery, if you don't have an accepting support network from back home :)
I’m so sorry you had to go through this, I’m from the UK and this situation sounds disturbingly similar to my experience with CAMHs. I hope you’re able to access private care soon!
Please make more videos. Not only is your voice very soothing, but what you are talking about is incredibly important.
Seriously, what is their problem? Just let trans people get the surgeries they want/need. Can guarantee you if you wanted your breasts enhanced, you'd have been in there quick as lightning.
I went private as well. Payed around 8,000 USD for top surgery without nipple grafts. My surgeon was Dr. Turkeltaub in Arizona. Hope you find an option that suits you. ❤
I'm so sorry this happened to you Moe. You should not have gone through all that shit. It breaks my heart and I hope that the medical system changes for the better of the patients.
I'm really sorry to hear all you had to go through. I hope that this issue gets the attention needed and is resolved. So many trans ppl need this surgeries to live, and, as you pointed out, It ain't specially cheap to get It private.
If you need your breasts cut off in order to live then the issue isn’t your breasts…
@@transwomenaremale tell that to all the cis men with gynecomastia.
Also, to put It simple, not every trans man need top surgery but since gender disforia affects severely your mental health, It can cost you your life.
Still, I believe people deserve to live somewhat of a fullfilling life if that doesn't hurt other people.
@@vwolf5 Lmfao “cis” men with gynecomastia get their breasts removed because they’re not supposed to have them. Females are supposed to have breasts. I don’t love them but I accept that they’re healthy parts of my body.
I'm really sorry you had to go through this Moe. I hope you sharing your experience brings more attention to this issue ❤
I'm so devastated for you Moe. Dealing with public health is exhausting at the best of times. Thank you for making this video I'm really grateful to hear your experience and appreciate you highlighting trans health issues that I have not heard talked about. The stats you have shared are so disheartening
this is horrible :(
i'm cis, but i'm so sorry you've gone through this experience and this is extremely eye opening as a medical student
What is cis?
It's not just about bigotry. Mental health services in NZ have been a shitshow for decades and have fallen apart at the seams with covid. Gender dysphoria isn't the only condition that they have given up treating. For example it's next to impossible to get treatment for adult ADHD on the public sector. They won't just say 'we don't have resources for you, good luck', they go through this torturous system of waitlist and assessments only to deny you care, making it seem like you aren't worthy enough to make the cut, rather than being honest that 'you would benefit from this care but we don't have capacity'. It's cruel and unusual punishment for an already vulnerable population.
Gosh that horrible!!!
I was denied a referral to be put on the waiting list for bottom because I'm back on nicotine since covid and my BMI was over by 0.1 because I gained weight due to being almost bedridden for a year due to surgery and a broken leg. So I understand the devastation.
Though I've been lucky with hormones and a bilateral orchidectomy, the dangling carrot for transgender-surgeries is always underfunded and unsupported.
kia kaha
Their treatment of you is just incredibly wrong and unprofessional. And only four a year??? Its like they just dont want to take care of you.
I’m so sorry Moe, this is such absolute bullshit. Please keep us updated, we are all rooting for you! Thank you so much for bringing attention to this!
This absolutely sucks, countries with public health services are really letting trans people down lately. Good luck getting funding for private!
thanks so much Luxander, you're the best :')
"A sad transgender, lying on the floor crying"
Ah, yes. My partner has been living w/ one of those for a while. 😅
On a serious note... I'm so sorry for what you've been put through, Moe. And while I'm sad to be disabused of my notions about NZ, because living in the US is terrifying... I'm glad you are speaking the truth. The truth matters.
As an American where even health insurance doesn’t generally cover any transgender-geared surgeries (or even breast reduction for women who are in major pain from the size of their busts!) as they’re seen as cosmetic instead of medical care, at first as you were telling your story I still thought you were lucky. But your point about how New Zealand is seen and prides itself as being a progressive safe haven when they’re quietly putting trans people’s lives as risk, that really made me agree with you. Either way what you and others have gone through with the waitlist bs and barring is terrible, but thank you for discussing this and opening my perspective!
i’ve been following your threads on twitter and seen you posting about this in real time, and it still shocks me that they’re allowed to just string you along like that. i’m so sorry you had to go through that
EVERYBODY SHUTUP IT'S A NEW COPS HATE MOE.
Sending all the love and hugs from the US!
13:50 - "I don't think I know anyone my age who has that sort of money" - So I checked your age on twitter, and damn, I did not realize I was older than you.
I'm so very sorry you had to go through all this shit! * hug *
It's unbelievable that NZ is funding so very few top surgeries. There are plenty of people who need one. Cis and trans people alike. And who has the money to fund it privately?
In general healthcare in New Zealand is appalling and not fit for purpose.
It's a shame that the Cheap/Fast/Good Triangle has to be considered in matters of health.
I’m really glad your talking about this, as a trans American I’ve really only heard good things about New Zealand’s healthcare and acceptance of trans people. It’s of course disheartening to know that someplace I thought I could escape to turns out to be not that different, but I’d rather know now than find out the hard way. I really am hoping you get top surgery as soon as you can, no one should’ve had to go through what you went through
It makes me so angry to learn about the tough time you've had with the medical services there. It's weird how folks where I'm from (the US) think of New Zealand as this progressive wonderland. Maybe compared to us it is in some ways (I mean, we're charging towards fascism pretty quickly), but this sounds really awful. I hope you can raise the funds you need (I chipped in a bit, wish I could do more). Hang in there.
Yeah, I hear people talk about leaving the US, but I can't think of any country where things are actually good for trans people.
You seem like such a lovely person, you don't deserve this :/
It's so cool saying a video from you every couple semesters, and seeing how much you're changing. Hopefully the video won't destroy the impression that your transition is going out.
im still with the youth gender clinic up here in auckland and they pretty much told me i should look overseas.
im perfectly healthy but my bmi is to high so they just flat out refuse to do it here. there is next to no way i can get my bmi down as it’s linked to my mental health which will not improve without top surgery.
ive had no choice but to seek mental health support now, bc of all this but they won’t even help me with that. they cant take more people without more funding.
so im just kinda screwed atm no help anywhere. im a complete shut in now. such a love hate relationship with this country
Doctors going off of BMI really annoys me and I empathise with you on that point, it's shit. I'm completely outside the normal deviation in terms of height so it applies to me even less so, which actually caused me to be over-prescribed medication and anaesthetic when I had my wisdom teeth out. My weight is also related to possible insulin resistance so little chance there. Thailand is consistently recommended as a cheaper place to get top surgery but perhaps check out surgery options here in Oz first? Good luck :)
I missed you Moe! 🤩
love your pfp
@@NoahQuinn06 Thank you!! 💖
I feel like this is a running theme with underfunded public health services throughout the world. The amount of rescheduling to end up delivering something that amounts to a non-treatment is something that I'm familiar with, and I'm not trans. This is something that, given enough underfunding, will happen to those seeking medical treatment for anything more complicated than a common cold. We need to halt (and reverse!) the systematic dismantlement of our healthcare systems in those few countries where we are lucky enough to have one to begin with.
Best of luck, however! Hope you can get top surgery soon.
I agree with your statement a 100%, however what I can’t grab my head around is how only 11 top surgeries where funded through public service, in NZ, like we’re not talking about 100/200 a year, 11 ? That’s ridiculously low :(
People ought to be able to sue for this
Glad to see a new video from you. Clicked on this one because it was quick. I'm dtill down for your longer form videos, but please don't feel obligated to make huge video essays, we are happy to see your contebt for you.
I am sorry the road to top surgery has been heart breaking. Fellow person in the road via private practice. Let's hope 2023 is the year.
Another trans person from welly here, the MOH is horrendous when it comes to our healthcare. It is so incredibly disheartening and makes me spiral sometimes thinking i'll have to save for a necessary surgery while my friends can save for holidays and houses, etc. ❤
But I wanted to ask where you got your info from about publicly-funded top surgeries in Wellington, bc my mate got his done last year (2022) so it can't be correct? Not wanting to give false hope at all tho, he's been on the waiting list since he was 18, got it done just before turning 21, which is a stupid amount of time.
Love your videos and wishing you the best with your givealittle, me te aroha nui ❤
wait, did he get fully funded top surgery through the Capital & Coast District Health Board? Maybe he got it through a different DHB? If he did get it through the CCD, then I'm at a loss and I have even less of a clue as to what is going on than I thought I did. But hey, big congrats to him ! :)) I did try and research as best I could, I looked at stats from PATHA (among other sources), I got inside info from my mum who works in healthcare and I just relayed what I was told by different doctors/nurses etc. but to be honest nobody seems to have a clear idea of whats going on,, which i think is indicative of the problem. But yee, apologises if any of my info is incorrect, if it turns out I've made any mistakes I'll put up a wee correction :)
The world is failing trans pwoplw right now
Love what you do! Keep up the good fight! Hello from the Hoardies!
What an absolutely disgusting situation. Should you ever get appointments rescheduled, for whatever kind of care, call back and ask WHY. Always demand to know the reason. Sometimes the reason is valid, sometimes it's complete pish. In my experience, once a health care provider has had to deal with my repeated (pissed off but polite) calls to ask about the rescheduling, they find it's easier to just have my appointment over with. And, sure, cancer patients need the actual surgery more urgently, but not those assessments they kept rescheduling, those are pretty specific to trans health care.
Regardless of whether or not AoNZ is seen as progressive, it's similar to the Netherlands, in that, while there's an increase in trans people seeking professional care, there is a decrease in the number of caregivers throughout all layers of healthcare providers - this is what disproportionately affects trans people.
Solidarity from Canada. I love your style!!
I am in the same boat on whether I want to go on T. I never thought I'd be lucky in the us. My insurance in theory will do top surgery without it, but it also depends on the place. Even if the insurance will cover it, where you can get the top surgery could require T for even a couple years. This is so disappointing given the news out of NZ with the terfs. Hopefully things can change with education given the overwhelming support shown. Maybe a lot of people just don't know of the injustices. It's still a slow moving ship though. I hope things look up soon for you. That whole situation is beyond cruel.
Accessing healthcare should not be this difficult.
It gives me mixed feelings of sadness, fear and anger to know this is how things are.
Same thing happened to me in the us. I waited 2 years to get top and one dr kept cancling and then wouldnt call ever for my appointment after they ran me around about letters. They set me up with a new surgeon after they scheduled my top in june. But it fell through too cause it took forever to schedule and he ended up cancling it. Then finally i went to dr wong in denver Colorado. She never cancled but the wait was 6 months for consult. 4 for surgery but she had a canclation and i got a day 13 days sooner. Also 2 days after my bday. Im now 8 months post op. Super glad and the wait sucked but im so glad i made it through. You got this moe
Mutilating your body because of mental illness ideology. Horrible.
I just want to say that you are unearthly beautiful.
ah ! thank you!
i grew up in nz, and moved to australia back at the beginning of 2019 (coming out as trans in august 2018, funnily enough) and struggled quite a bit through the system where i live now, eventually starting T last october. top surgery here seems so much simpler than back in nz though, and i don't know whether to be happy that i'm here or sad for you all back there. the insurance i get through my job (in a supermarket) covers top surgery partially, the referral to surgery procedure is straightforward, and the waitlist isn't too long (2 years is a long time but it took me 4 years for T so i'll take it). it can't be free, but it won't cost more than $8k out of pocket, hopefully.
I relate to long waits. I've been waiting for a connective tissue specialist for well over a year, and I was told the wait list for allergy testing was 2-3 years. I'm in Canada, and not all things have both private and public options. Some things are only public (most specialists, some surgeons, GPs), and other things are only private (non-emergency psychology/therapy, dental, glasses) so it's really hard to get anything done. Not to mention going between the two systems can be an issue if they don't trust each other. My previous GP had great relationships with private practices (psychologists, naturopathic clinics, physiotherapists, etc) but my newer one even questioned the ADHD diagnosis that cost over $1000 just because I couldn't wait 4 years through university to get the help I needed like extra time on tests.
I've had to make the hard choice to sort of hide any gender discomfort for the time because I know how bad the system is, and my family wouldn't support me. It's something I'm sort of forced to stay silent about unless I want more headache, pain, and fear. Thankfully my dysphoria is manageable with clothing for the most part, but sometimes I feel stuck. Access to healthcare shouldn't be behind years of waiting, or thousands of dollars.
Ireland has a 3 year waitinglist for therapy to start there is a 4 year waitinglist for gender dysphoria diagnosis and 2+waitinglist for endocrinology be thankful for what you have
My favourite vaguely british-pacific vampire
wow, what a sorry state of things
i hope the issue gets more attention and most importantly a quick resolving
How is it cheaper for top surgery in the US than a country with far superior healthcare? I'm so sorry this happened to you. One of my buddies had his top surgery last fall and he's a totally different person now. Like, his whole outlook on life and everything has gotten so much better. I hope you can get everything done soon enough. It's great that so many people pitched in to help get you some money. Had I anything I'd help out too (transmascs gotta help out other transmascs, you know?), but alas I am broke.
As someone with a sadly similar situation my heart goes out to you and i wish i wasn't also poor or i would donate;
Holy shit youre handsome. You literally look like prince charming or something. (Sorry, ive just turned on the video and had to comment)
hello, i am so sorry that you went through all of this... its disappointing how the medical system shits on trans people. in the country where i live, it is also a requirement to be at least a year on testosterone to have access to top surgery, and i do think it is dangerous - it affected me in my choice of whether or not to go on T.
in my ideal world, i would get top surgery in the first place and then decide about hormones...
good luck with your go fund me, i hope it all finally works out for you, and thank you for your videos.
sending love from another country failing trans people 💚 trans liberation now!
I happy for another Moe video but I’m sad for you and other trans Kiwis going through this :/
I am very sorry that you had to go through so much devastation... Living in Germany i have a similar problem, althouh the healthcare system here is very good, there are very few psychologists that are actually educated on trans issues and finding one that is founded by public healthcare and willing to write a letter of indication or reports neccesary for name change is near impossible in my experience. After moths of trying to scedule an appointment and not even getting a response from the public counceling center for trans people in Cologne, i see no other option than paying a private psychologist 800€ just to maybe get a letter of indication for HRT.
Hello, Moe!
I'm not gonna lie. I was a bit worried about you in the past months. Of course just like anybody else you do not owe anyone an online presence! But since I don't have any other social media other than RUclips (a decision I'll keep sticking by for multiple reasons) it does mean that I had no way of knowing if you were doing (relatively) alright. So everytime I thought about you I hoped that you were doing okay. But enough about me.
The way the medical system treated you (and presumably a lot of other trans people in New Zealand) is shameful, honestly. I mean. Not even telling you about rescheduled appointments??? In what world is that acceptable?! Let alone the whole stringing you along knowing full well that actually there is no publicly funded top surgery option for you... Like, c'mon! At least having the decency to be upfront and straightforward with that would have been better/the correct way to do this. I may never be able to truly feel how you felt, but trust me when I say that I absolutely get being angry/upset/frustrated/pissed at that, at least. Like... That was just needlessly cruel.
Having a public/universal healthcare system is definitely obviously a good thing. I mean. Having learned about how having insufficient health insurance in the USA can lead you to being knee deep in debt from medical bills just for having had an unfortunate accident or some other kind of misfortune... Or even in the context of giving birth or whatever... Yeah, no. Thanks. I feel like countries with universal public healthcare systems do actually do a better job with that (more average medical needs, I suppose???) stuff, at least.
But that doesn't mean that such a system cannot also be underfunded or mismanaged or still unfair in other regards. And it sucks that trans related healthcare often seems to be drawing the shorter stick. And trans people have to suffer the consequences of that. It's disgraceful, honestly.
Trying to see the bright side I am definitely also very happy for you that people have (and hopefully will keep doing so) donated to your fundraiser to help you out! It's always nice to see that generosity continues to be a human trait even when - or maybe especially when - less pleasant traits (to put it mildly) also do prevail.
Also your outfit and your hair in this video is just *chef's kiss* !
Please be sure to take good care of yourself!
Sincerely,
Meeko (she/her, they/them)
Ah thank you Meeko, you're the best. You've been here from the very start and it means the world. It's always so lovely to hear from you, I hope you've been doing alright as of late? Much love
@@CopsHateMoe Yeah, well. I have had my ups and downs. I am working on getting more long term therapy/mental health care to work through my stuff, having just finished a short term online therapy course that was thankfully covered by insurance. Which did definitely help. But there's still a way to go. Uni and such being stressful as well.
But I have made a good friend. And I am looking forward to going on an excursion this summer. So yeah. A full bouquet of stuff^^ Hugs
I can confirm, I live in Auckland. It's shit 😅Just getting regular surgery is hard enough. I had to wait over a year for a stomach surgery that came undone two weeks afterwards. I didn't even get past my GP for trans health care, they just told me I'd be turned down so theres no point doing a referral. Same thing happen when I attempted to be referred for a tubal ligation as well. I'd change doctors, but I can only afford this one because its covered by student fees at my university.
I’ve always said, hope can be crippling
I hope that everything works out for you ❤
Your experience is pretty much what's going on across the globe with state run healthcare. Because of covid many people were put on the back burner for medical care unless it was urgent life or death.Now there;s just a huge backlog. And so the people who are sick go first. Then people getting elective surgeries are last. While what u are experiencing is psychologically taxing. There are many others who are literally years behind on their treatment and have been living in terrible pain for a couple of years.
Haven’t watched yet but love the fit and makeup
11 Top surgeries were publicly funded. That's $275 000 NZD if we assume the public sectors are paid the same as private. Which would mean me, as a tax payer on my current rates would have to work 91 months to pay for those surgeries. Not really fair.
this made me so angry just listening to it, I can't imagine what it felt like to live it.
Love from Luxander's Horde!
Here in the states, specifically Wisconsin, there is a very real chance that if the Republican running for Supreme court right now, will tip the tide to Republicans gaining control and gutting trans rights here. It's been happening all over the country, and before there was a tentative feeling of fear, while now I cannot dissociate how real that reality is. I'm working on getting the insurance (state funded) to even consider covering, which requires a hand signature. The first letter was digitally signed, so working on having that remedied. I fear my neurodivergent brain waited too long for this. I'm on T for like about two years and I really don't know what I would do without that top surgery. I waited over ten years, in part because I was unsure, since I first came out. Whether or not you go on T, I hope you get the funding you need. As another broke trans-masc individual, I feel you.
dude, i just want to thank you so much, you really helped me on my trans journey and have always brought a smile to my face when times were tough. you rock!
I didn't realise you were a fellow New Zealander, the Medical health care does kinda suck but im not a trans person so idk that much but love your channel and guitar tutorials, best of luck 2 u, chur
thank you !