"I am happy with the results of my transition so far," the patient says to the therapist.
"Good. How often are you getting out of your house now compared to before?
"Almost never, I don't feel like there is a point to it. I went out a couple of times after bottom surgery, but there's no real point to being outside aside from my job. It feels like so much effort now."
"How is your job?"
"They let me take paid leave for my last surgery, but customers still look at me confused or spitefully at times. My coworkers are supportive, but the job itself isn't great. If most of my coworkers and customers weren't so nice, I would be completely miserable. I'm more confident I think, but most of it is from my boss congratulating me and not from my surgery. I wish the surgery made me a little more confident, but at least if someone pulls down my pants they will think I'm cis, I guess. I hope it never happens though, but that worry has been lessened."
"Have you been able to have sex like you planned on after surgery?"
"Yes, I have had a hookup, but I can't feel anything down there yet. Sex is boring, and my partner feels bad. Our bedroom life is dead."
"What about the relationship in general?"
"It's ok. My partner tries to do things for me and cheer me up, and I try to do things too. My partner goes out but I don't. I tried, but it's easier to hop on discord and RP with them."
"How are your relationships online?"
"Some good, some bad. It seems like everyone is getting into drama. When I told my friends about my surgery, some were happy, but some cut me off for having insurance to pay for it. I'm also dealing with someone else who's been making callout posts on two of my friends, and even on discord it is stressful. Playing games is stressful too since we have to coordinate who goes where so some of my friends who broke up and who I broke up with don't see each other."
"What about real life friends?"
"I mostly talk to them on discord. They're hapoy for me, but they said I complained a lot more now and are worried."
"About what?"
"After surgery stuff. Dysphoria stuff."
"So has your dysphoria gone down with your surgery?"
"Yes, but just with my bottom. But even then I wish it would connect to the reproductive system I'm supposed to have, and I wish I could feel more pleasure with it. I still feel inadequate, and like the gender I am not. I sometimes dream of not having it, and how my life would be, and I get upset when I wake up from them."
"So has surgery made you happy?"
"Incredibly, yes. Everything has improved."