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It Never Goes Away: Gender Transition at a Mature Age
Current price:
$37.75
Publication Date: May 10th, 2019
Publisher:
Rutgers University Press
ISBN:
9780813598390
Pages:
228
Description
If you are transgendered, the feeling of wanting your body to match the sex you feel you are never goes away. For some, though, especially those who grew up before trans people were widely out and advocating for equality, these feelings were often compartmentalized and rarely acted upon. Now that gender reassignment has become much more commonplace, many of these people may feel increasing pressure to finally undergo the procedures they have always secretly wanted.
Ken Koch was one of those people. Married twice, a veteran, and a world traveler, a health scare when he was sixty-three prompted him to acknowledge the feelings that had plagued him since he was a small child. By undergoing a host of procedures, he radically changed his appearance and became Anne Koch. In the process though, Anne lost everything that Ken had accomplished. She had to remake herself from the ground up. Hoping to help other people in her age bracket who may be considering transitioning, Anne describes the step by step procedures that she underwent, and shares the cost to her personal life, in order to show seniors that although it is never too late to become the person you always knew you were, it is better to go into that new life prepared for some serious challenges. Both a fascinating memoir of a well-educated man growing up trans yet repressed in the mid-twentieth century, and a guidebook to navigating the tricky waters of gender reassignment as a senior, It Never Goes Away shows how what we see in the television world of Transparent translates in real life.
Praise for It Never Goes Away: Gender Transition at a Mature Age
"Bravo to Dr. Anne Koch! It Never Goes Away is a must-read that is filled with both words of wisdom and lots of practical information for a journey that many persons are now pursuing or will embark on some day. As a role model and humanitarian, Dr. Koch has produced an important example for families and friends who are supporting loved ones on their gender affirmation journey."
— Gloria Bachmann
“Dr. Koch shares an authentic, informative, and up to date compelling personal narrative. With passion, innovation, and sharp attention to detail, she provides a formative roadmap for how to meet the needs of anyone considering a transition later in life. This is a must read for the Trans community and their allies.”
— Sheila Nutt
"Dr. Annie Koch has devoted much of her professional life to teaching others. In this revealing and personal account of her remarkable life she continues to inspire and encourages each of us to be true to ourselves; it's never too late. I've been fortunate to know Annie personally and anyone who reads her story will never forget her!"
— Jeffrey Spiegel, MD, FACS
"Dr. Anne Koch presents a compelling narrative of her later-in-life transition, skillfully weaving together experiences drawn from her professional and personal life. She adds an important voice to the literature on transgender health that will move health systems to continually improve care in this area."
— Jenny Siegel, MD
“It Never Goes Away is a riveting story about the gender transition journey of Dr. Anne Koch, a leading practitioner and educator in dental medicine. Her gentle but necessarily didactic story succeeds in unmasking the stigma faced so long by transgender people. The book “shines light” on one of the biggest problems in transgender medicine—that there is no continuity of care by many healthcare providers, with an exception of a few large gender centers and institutions. It Never Goes Away will become a core reading in educational programs at schools of medicine in the United States and Canada.”
— Lisa McBride
"I finished this book in one sitting! It's a must-read for all healthcare practitioners....A very open and revealing work that will help everyone understand the struggles of transgender people and will be an indispensable tool for persons contemplating transition, since even complex medical concepts are explained clearly. Annie's story shows that even when transition happens late in life, the best years may still be ahead if you have the courage to face them."
— Amelia Guzman
"This is a must-read that is filled with both words of wisdom and lots of practical information for a journey that until recently was a thought that many times remained unfulfilled. Dr. Koch is a role model and humanitarian and provides us with an important example for families and friends who support their loved ones on their gender affirmation journey. Not only is this filled with information, it is authentic and a compelling personal narrative that is written with passion. It is written from the heart, revealing and inspirational."
— Reviews by Amos Lassen
