I’ve just cleared the penultimate hurdle in my marathon race for HRT – a journey which began in 2015. The winning post is in sight!
And by penultimate hurdle I mean a blood test. I popped along to my local hospital clinic this afternoon and gave them a couple of vials of the red stuff.
“Can you confirm your full name?” asked the nurse, eyeing the form which stated “Gender: female” on it. I wasn’t looking particularly “en femme” at all.
“Yep, Andie Nell ___________,” I answered. No raised eyebrows. No bother. Gotta love the NHS staff.
Then: “A little scratch…”
It feels more like a sharp jab than a little scratch to me, but there you go. All relatively painless. It took me about two minutes from walking into the clinic to walking out again.
My blood will be tested for about ten different things – I can’t remember what, sorry! Should have taken a picture of the form, I guess.
I’ve now got to wait for the results to come through, which could be as soon as Monday. And then I tootle off back to the gender clinic on February 12 with the results in my hot little hand to pass to the endocrinologist.
Straight after that, I have a meeting with my psychotherapist, Sally Robbins-Cherry. Then, providing all is well with bloods, I’ll sign a consent form and Sally will write a letter to my GP, telling her to start prescribing HRT.
I don’t imagine that will take long – maybe a few days – and then off we jolly well go! The start of the rest of my life. I feel so happy and so excited. I really can’t wait to get going.
In one way, it’s been a pain in the arse to wait so long to get here – I was referred to the gender clinic by my GP the best part of two and a half years ago.
But, looking back, it has been positive, too, as the time has been useful to get my head around the whole process and how far I want to go.
And that means estrogen and T-blockers certainly. I’ve almost finished my course of (self-funded) facial laser treatment, so I definitely want to finish that off with electrolysis, funded by the NHS. While the laser zaps the darker hairs, electro will be needed to kill any white ones, of which there are a fair few. It’s a pigment thing.
And I want to give the voice classes a try, too. If I can alter my voice to make it slightly more feminine, that’s got to be good. As for surgery, still dunno – wait and see. I’ll know whether or not I want to go down that avenue, as it were, later. I’m certainly not putting any pressure on myself to make a decision now.
A few more things – I gained half a paaahnd at Slimming World last night. Not wholly unexpected after being out all last weekend. I’m off to a gig in Chesterfield tonight, so really looking forward to that – tribute bands of the Stones Roses and The Smiths, plus Tom Hingley from the Inspiral Carpets at the after-show party. So all very Madchester.
Then I’ve got a friend visiting for the weekend from tomorrow, so I need to try to watch the beer/wine intake to get a loss on those scales next week.
Also, I’ve started reading a book called To My Trans Sisters, edited by Charlie Craggs. It’s only just come out, and it’s ideal for someone in my position, who’s just about to start transitioning.
It basically features lots of letters from the great and the good of the trans world who’ve already been there and done it – so there’s lots of advice about loving yourself and being patient and positive, that sort of thing. I started reading it last night and am loving it already.
And that’s about it! Have a wonderful weekend, ladies, gentlemen and you gender non-conforming beauties!
Andie xxx
codeinfig says
Then: “A little scratch…”
usually when brits say things like “a little scratch” they mean theyre taking your arm and keeping it, and fitting you with part of an umbrella. youre lucky you caught them in a good mood!
my favourite is when they test for iron. you can try it at home if you have a vial of your own blood, just take a magnet and see if it sticks to the vial. of course they only use medical-grade magnets, theyre a little more accurate.
Nat says
My wonderful friend…another step closer…you’re doing brilliant!
X x x