Hey everyone!

I've been feeling like I'm getting ready to enter a new phase of my transition, though I can't quite explain why. I'm now 8 months on hormones, having just switched to injections and finally getting my levels where they need to be! The only men's clothes I own anymore are from back when I was 100 lbs heavier to sleep in, I don't boymode, my internal monologue is completely femme now, the voice is (slowly) starting to reveal itself, and I've completely socially transitioned! Even so, with the change to injections (and the multiple document change tabs I have open), I feel like things are really starting to kick into gear!

That said, I'm feeling lost and overwhelmed, and could really use some broad guidance. I know everyone's different, but I want to make sure I'm moving in the right general direction.

• I live in the Raleigh area of North Carolina, US
• I'm 38 in September
• No surgeries
• I'm firmly in the lower-middle class
• I'm legally blind, not that it's ever helped with health benefits before
• I'm self employed and pay for my own insurance through BCBS Marketplace. The plan I'm on doesn't cover HRT or my Planned Parenthood visits, but it says it DOES cover gender affirming operations
• I had a therapist for the first 4 months of my transition, and a couple months before that. Unfortunately I don't have one currently, and finding an LGBTQ friendly therapist in the area has been challenging... I'm working on it though!

As for my questions...

1. The name change and gender marker change seem super easy, but I should wait until I've been on hormones for a year so I can do both at the same time, right?
2. Health Insurance scares the hell out of me and I just don't get it. Say I want to pursue a vaginoplasty in the next couple years. Do I need to contact them over the phone so they can tell me where I can go and if they'll cover it, or do I need to pick and consult with a doctor first, then reach out to BCBS, and hope they'll cover it to some extent?
3. Is the process really just a matter of calling them and talking to someone for help?
4. Similarly, will my lapse in having a therapist affect the one year milestone for HRT? I have documented gender dysphoria on my paperwork from my old therapist as well as Planned Parenthood who I see every 3 months
5. I'm looking to get a BA and GRS hopefully by or around 40. I know you want to wait around 3 years to get a BA since the hormones are still working, but are there any other considerations I should make in terms of order and timing for surgeries?
6. I'm albino, so laser's not an option. Do I just need to strap in for electrolysis for the rest of my natural life?
7. My mom married a veteran about 10 years ago. Is there any insurance benefit to having him adopt me? We're in different states and I'm an adult so I realize this is a huge stretch, but, doesn't hurt to ask

Sorry if this was a little all over the place, I just want to make sure I'm making the most of my time and doing things as right as possible! Thank you all!!!