IT NEVER GOES AWAY
IT NEVER GOES AWAY
Gender Transition at a Mature Age
DR. ANNE L. KOCH
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY PRESS
New Brunswick, Camden, and Newark, New Jersey, and London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Koch, Anne L., author.
Title: It never goes away : gender transition at a mature age / Anne L. Koch.
Description: New Brunswick : Rutgers University Press, [2019] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018037965 | ISBN 9780813598390 (cloth)
Subjects: LCSH: Koch, Anne L. | Transgender peopleUnited States Biography. | Older transsexualsUnited StatesBiography. | Male-to-female transsexuals. | Transgender peopleIdentity.
Classification: LCC HQ77.8.K63 A3 2019 | DDC 306.76/80092 [B]dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018037965
A British Cataloging-in-Publication record for this book is available from the British Library.
Copyright 2019 by Anne L. Koch
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Please contact Rutgers University Press, 106 Somerset Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. The only exception to this prohibition is fair use as defined by U.S. copyright law.
The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992.
www.rutgersuniversitypress.org
Manufactured in the United States of America
This book is dedicated to those mature individuals who are contemplating a gender transition. Transitioning gender will be the most challenging thing you will ever do, but a successful transition can be accomplished. The key is to be fully informed and to have a game plan.
CONTENTS
Dr. Anne Koch is announced, and a tall, impeccably styled lady, oozing sophistication with her effortless chignon and tailored suit, takes the stage. This was the first time I encountered Dr. Koch. I thought, this keynote speakers appearance is reminiscent of a glamorous fashion executive. However, within seconds I realize that we are dealing with so much more than a pretty face!
My Auntie Annie is a forceshe was put on this planet with enough energy to fuel living several lives, and she has done just that! Dr. Kochs list of accomplishments is nothing short of absurd. Among her many titles are former college athlete, Harvard professor, endodontist, professional angler, inventor, model, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and mentor (especially to me!) and now (finally!) author. Dr. Koch has applied her zest and enthusiasm to every chapter of her life, and her transition is no different. Annies charisma spills out onto the pages of her story. In her signature, matter-of-fact tone, she frankly describes her transition in a relatable way.
As a cisgender woman and gender-affirmation surgeon, Annies memoir challenges my beliefs about gender on both a professional and a personal level. With so much wisdom afforded by her incredible range of life experiences, Annie is incredibly authentic. Though always gentle and charming, she is never afraid to voice her beliefs. She doesnt shy away from controversy, and she tells her story with refreshing honesty and insight. While accompanying her on this journey, readers will be captivated by her sheer resilience and unfailing, upbeat attitude.
Having ascended to the top of so many fields as a man, including athletics, entertainment, corporate America, and academia, Dr. Koch now holds her own as a female entrepreneurial powerhouse, and she is passionate about sharing her insights from this remarkable vantage point. An inspiration to ALL women and probably the most frequently quoted person in my life, she has finally penned the ultimate must-read memoir.
She was never bored because she was never boring.
Sidhbh Gallagher, MD
Founder and Director,
Indiana University Gender Affirmation Surgery
If you are transgender, the feeling of wanting to embody the sex you feel you are never goes away. It is always there, like the tide. For some, this feeling is overwhelming. Others try to compartmentalize it and move on with their lives. In some instances, the feeling cant be ignored, and the person transitions. But even when one transitions, it is not the end of the story. Rather, it is only the beginning.
For more than thirty-five years, I was a leading practitioner and educator in my dental medicine specialty. I treated over thirty thousand patients with compassion and concern, presented over one thousand lectures worldwide, founded a Harvard residency program in which I helped train dozens of residents, and created a successful education-technology company. This all came to an end when I changed sex. I underwent gender reassignment surgery at the age of sixty-three! I had no idea how difficult this transition would be.
When I transitioned, I had the unique opportunity to view the process through two separate prisms: that of a patient, and that of an experienced health-care provider. What I witnessed and went through was at times both exhilarating and concerning. Over the past five years, the number of individuals describing themselves as transgender has exploded. As these individuals work their way into the health-care system, chasing their own version of an aligned body and spirit, doctors in many different specialties are being called on to help facilitate these transitions. I found myself wondering whether these patients were being treated properly and with dignity, and whether they were being told the truth about what they could expect. How has the Internet and increased media coverage affected their status as patients? Its a complicated issue, and I decided to tell my story, as well as provide some information I learned along the way, in an attempt to bring some light to the issue, especially as it relates to mature people who might be considering a surgical transition. As a transsexual woman and as an experienced health-care provider, I feel comfortable sharing my observations, but they are only my opinions, and I completely respect the fact that others may disagree. Furthermore, in the interest of maintaining the privacy of people in my life who do not wish to be named, I have, on occasion, employed the use of pseudonyms throughout the book. The use of such pseudonyms will be noted by an asterisk next to their name on their introduction into the story.
I have no political agenda in writing this book. I do not support the far-right agenda, nor do I support the extreme transgender agenda. Proponents of the far-right agenda deny the physiological basis for gender dysphoria and insist on referring to it as a psychological problem. Supporters of the extreme transgender agenda are the polar opposite, viewing anyone who has an opinion other than the total embrace of everyones right to be in the exact body they choose as being transphobic. However, I do not bill for services in this area as a physician, and I am not interested in anyones personal agenda. What I am interested in is veracity. The truth.
