So Much News

[Guest AmyB]

Hi everyone, sorry I've not been around in the past week, my Internet connection conked out last weekend and has only just started working again! So much has happened in the last week when I look at it rationally it's amazing but in my heart everything still seems so far away, but everything is really positive. Sorry it's a bit bloggish, I love reading all posts about how everyone else is getting on though.

Doctors visit, HRT

First and foremost, big news first, My girlfriend and I have now seen Dr Curtis. I have Finasteride for my hair (but I'm not taking it yet until I have the OK from the sperm storage people (see below) or we've banked the sperm), a letter confirming I'm under treatment for transsexualism (e.g. for giving to people/organisations if they make a fuss about changing my name/gender on their records), another clinical type letter for medical professionals talking about my case history... and my informed consent forms for oestrogen which he has signed! The forms require me to hold on to them for four weeks before signing, but the implication is that after that I can go back as soon as I want and I'll have oestrogen! Yay! A lingering area of concern though is whether my migraine will get worse with oestrogen therapy, but it's an unknown quantity until we try it.

He also said I shouldn't bank on needing FFS as I don't have much brow-bossing and my nose is small. He also said my shoulders were small and not wide and that I'm slim! No doctor has ever said that to me before. All good things!

Banking sperm

Before starting HRT though, we need to bank sperm, and that has been proving tricky. The cryopreservation places seem pretty lax about replying to emails so it's making it difficult to get things done. Of the ones who have replied, they're divided into those who want a GP referral and those who'll work with you direct. My regular (NHS) GP doesn't yet know I'm gender dysphoric/transsexual because we're doing everything we can with private health care as it's so much quicker, easier and less degrading, so they're a non-starter. Of the others they seem variable quality. I think we've settled on a company called Andrology Solutions because they've been the most helpful and they'll arrange for the sperm to be moved to any clinic worldwide at our request (no other provider has offered us this and one day we may move to Canada). They're also only one of two places who have known that they can legally store sperm longer than 10 years. The only down side is that they're down in London so that'll be another day of traveling each time we deposit a sample.

Voice therapy

I asked at the doctors appointment, but the outlook wasn't good. Apparently they're rare (no surprise ). BUT! I've found one, and he's got 15 years of experience working with transsexual voice, also teaches at a hospital and it seems like he's pretty good and professional, ENT experience etc. Costs aren't too bad either. Before we can do anything he wants do a nasendoscopy to examine my vocal cords (£100), then the first session is £120 (1 hr) and he'll do some computerised voice analysis to see what achievable with my voice, and after that sessions are once per month at £80 a time. He claims 6-8 sessions are typical. It's all most cost though. (My savings for a mortgage deposit seem to be being spent.)

And finally...

In a really nice piece of news, I've had a couple of people unsure if I'm genetically male or female recently! It's really nice - it's a big improvement from definitely male. One was a friend of a friend who I met at a birthday party and the other was a lady in her 60s in a supermarket yesterday. We were just leaving the ice cream aisle when she asked me to reach some ice cream for her. As I walked over to help she was saying "Ohh, thank you so much, you're such a nice... *looks up and down to try to figure it out* ... height!" She said it in a really nice and friendly way and wasn't the least bit bothered I was andro, but just pleased to have me help her reach the vanilla Häagen-Dazs. I was delighted she recognised as me as androgynous.

[Guest ~Brenda~]

Wow!

That is so cool Amy!!!

<gives Amy a big hug>

You are doing great!

Love

Brenda

[Carolyn Marie]

Amy, everything seems to be falling into place for you (except the Internet thingy ).

Congrats on all of it, Hon. You're on your way and the train is leaving the station. All aboard for Womanhood!

Carolyn Marie

[Guest viv]

Hi everyone, sorry I've not been around in the past week, my Internet connection conked out last weekend and has only just started working again! So much has happened in the last week when I look at it rationally it's amazing but in my heart everything still seems so far away, but everything is really positive. Sorry it's a bit bloggish, I love reading all posts about how everyone else is getting on though.

Doctors visit, HRT

First and foremost, big news first, My girlfriend and I have now seen Dr Curtis. I have Finasteride for my hair (but I'm not taking it yet until I have the OK from the sperm storage people (see below) or we've banked the sperm), a letter confirming I'm under treatment for transsexualism (e.g. for giving to people/organisations if they make a fuss about changing my name/gender on their records), another clinical type letter for medical professionals talking about my case history... and my informed consent forms for oestrogen which he has signed! The forms require me to hold on to them for four weeks before signing, but the implication is that after that I can go back as soon as I want and I'll have oestrogen! Yay! A lingering area of concern though is whether my migraine will get worse with oestrogen therapy, but it's an unknown quantity until we try it.

He also said I shouldn't bank on needing FFS as I don't have much brow-bossing and my nose is small. He also said my shoulders were small and not wide and that I'm slim! No doctor has ever said that to me before. All good things!

Banking sperm

Before starting HRT though, we need to bank sperm, and that has been proving tricky. The cryopreservation places seem pretty lax about replying to emails so it's making it difficult to get things done. Of the ones who have replied, they're divided into those who want a GP referral and those who'll work with you direct. My regular (NHS) GP doesn't yet know I'm gender dysphoric/transsexual because we're doing everything we can with private health care as it's so much quicker, easier and less degrading, so they're a non-starter. Of the others they seem variable quality. I think we've settled on a company called Andrology Solutions because they've been the most helpful and they'll arrange for the sperm to be moved to any clinic worldwide at our request (no other provider has offered us this and one day we may move to Canada). They're also only one of two places who have known that they can legally store sperm longer than 10 years. The only down side is that they're down in London so that'll be another day of traveling each time we deposit a sample.

Voice therapy

I asked at the doctors appointment, but the outlook wasn't good. Apparently they're rare (no surprise ). BUT! I've found one, and he's got 15 years of experience working with transsexual voice, also teaches at a hospital and it seems like he's pretty good and professional, ENT experience etc. Costs aren't too bad either. Before we can do anything he wants do a nasendoscopy to examine my vocal cords (£100), then the first session is £120 (1 hr) and he'll do some computerised voice analysis to see what achievable with my voice, and after that sessions are once per month at £80 a time. He claims 6-8 sessions are typical. It's all most cost though. (My savings for a mortgage deposit seem to be being spent.)

And finally...

In a really nice piece of news, I've had a couple of people unsure if I'm genetically male or female recently! It's really nice - it's a big improvement from definitely male. One was a friend of a friend who I met at a birthday party and the other was a lady in her 60s in a supermarket yesterday. We were just leaving the ice cream aisle when she asked me to reach some ice cream for her. As I walked over to help she was saying "Ohh, thank you so much, you're such a nice... *looks up and down to try to figure it out* ... height!" She said it in a really nice and friendly way and wasn't the least bit bothered I was andro, but just pleased to have me help her reach the vanilla Häagen-Dazs. I was delighted she recognised as me as androgynous.

Hi Amy,

Dear me , so much news and all good. Aint it such a buzz when things start to fall into place ? The money you pay re voice therapy will be worth its weight in gold for, as you say , folk dont know what gender you are, now imagine talking to em female , job done imo , your just another woman . I get so much encouragement from stories

such as yours Amy, thank you so much for sharing your wonderful news, oh keep iy up girl, luv, viv,

[Guest Donna Jean]

Dang, girl........you are jammin'!

Just be careful to not get too caught up in it all and let your studies slip......OK?

I have to say that you certainly have a lot happening all at once!

That's great!

Makes everyone happy (and envious) for you!

Keep us posted on how it's all going, alright?

Good!

HUGGS!

Donna Jean

[Guest sparkles]

wow amy you are really moving forwards, i forgot to ask the doc about the hair when i went, though will be going back this time with a letter for hrt going to try and book in for next few weeks. are you planning on going full time soon

[Guest AmyB]

No definite timings on going full time yet, Sparkles... but I guess it depends on the definition of full time. I'll probably be at least partially out at university before Christmas (telling my thesis supervisor), but not fully out to the department until early next year sometime; legal name change in the next 6 months (?). How quickly will depend what reaction my supervisor thinks I'll get from the rest of the department.