The Hidden Cost of Transitioning: How Hormone Therapy May Have Saved My Life

From Symptoms to Diagnosis: A Life Dismissed

When I woke up from a colonoscopy, doctors told me I had colon cancer. The news came as a shock—particularly because I didn't even know what colon cancer was.

The procedure had been prompted by abnormal bloodwork during my annual hormone replacement therapy (HRT) checkup. I'd been on HRT since I was 19, beginning my transition from male to female, so regular blood tests were part of my care. Looking back, the diagnosis makes sense—my symptoms had been dismissed for years.

I experienced rectal bleeding for the first time at 16 and was told it was hemorrhoids. Throughout my late teens and early 20s, I seemed to be constantly ill. I was always exhausted and dealt with back pain that was diagnosed as sciatica, along with pneumonia, whooping cough, stomach ulcers, and bouts of vomiting. All of these were chalked up to being part of the transition process.

"I thought I was just being sick because of hormones," I said. "But now I realize that might have been a red flag."">

This pattern of dismissal continued until my body finally gave in. And while many would have seen it as an unfortunate twist of fate, what happened to me reveals something deeper: the hidden dangers of medical negligence and how systemic failures in healthcare can cost lives.

What I Thought Was Cancer

In December 2017, three weeks after my diagnosis, I underwent a colectomy. Surgeons removed a 5-centimeter tumor, 30 centimeters of my colon, and 25 lymph nodes; two of which were positive for cancer.

Doctors later discovered that the tumor had wrapped around a nerve, causing the symptoms that had been mistaken for sciatica. The fact that they missed this connection underscores a critical gap in diagnostic care—especially for transgender patients who are often overlooked when their symptoms don't fit standard medical narratives.

After 12 rounds of full-dose FOLFOX chemotherapy in 2018, the nodule on my left lung disappeared, and I was declared to have no evidence of disease (NED). But that wasn't the end of the story.

When the Cancer Returns

I returned to studying, focused on my transition, and worked as a veterinary technician. For two years, cancer felt like something that had happened to somebody else. Then, at 26, I underwent facial feminization surgery.

I expected to wake up feeling more like myself. Instead, I woke up unable to see out of my left eye. Doctors diagnosed me with a central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO), which happens when the main blood vessel supplying the retina becomes blocked. I had suddenly gone blind in one eye.

As doctors rushed to figure out what had caused it, they ordered scan after scan. Those scans revealed two nodules—one in each lung. This wasn't just a coincidence. It was a signal that my cancer had returned, and this time, it was Stage IV.

"If I hadn't been transitioning, the cancer may never have been discovered when it was," I said. "The very process of being diagnosed through HRT helped save my life."">

I started chemotherapy again and targeted therapy, then underwent two lung surgeries in 2021. I completed treatment in January 2022 and have had regular scans ever since.

A Second Chance at Life

September 15, 2021, was the last day cancer was in my body. Every test since then has shown no evidence of disease. Today, I share my story because I want other people facing cancer to have hope.

I was given terrible odds, yet I'm still here. Cancer statistics can be frightening, especially when the disease has spread. But statistics don't tell the whole story. There are people like me who are still living their lives and still making plans for the future.

This isn't just about survival—it's about visibility. It's about ensuring that the healthcare system recognizes the unique needs of transgender individuals, especially when it comes to early detection and proper diagnosis.

Why This Matters

The lack of awareness among medical professionals regarding gender dysphoria and its potential health implications is a critical issue in today's healthcare landscape. Many transgender patients experience dismissive or outright hostile treatment from doctors, leading to delayed diagnoses and worse outcomes.

In my case, the HRT checkups that led to my cancer diagnosis were not just routine. They were life-saving. My doctors were paying attention—and because of that, I didn't die young. I'm living a full life, but with one eye less than I should have.

This is why I am calling for urgent reform in how transgender healthcare is approached. It's time for medical institutions to stop assuming the worst about gender identity and instead treat each patient as a whole human being deserving of comprehensive care.

• Medical professionals must be trained to recognize signs that could indicate underlying conditions, even if they're not immediately obvious
• Regular monitoring and early intervention strategies are essential for patients transitioning
• Healthcare systems need to be more inclusive and aware of the unique challenges transgender individuals face in accessing proper care

The path forward isn't just about treating cancer—it's about ensuring that no one else falls through the cracks because their identity or symptoms don't fit into a narrow box. My story is not just about me; it's about every person whose life could be saved by better, more attentive medical care.