Green light

[Padma]

I crawled out of my sick bed on Wednesday (and paid for it - still post-viral) to head to London to see my shrink. After a certain amount of wriggling and questioning, he said he's happy to support me, and would write to my GP to prescribe estradiol, androcur and dutasteride.

Today, I got a copy of the letter he sent to my GP. This is a big deal not just because he's asking her to prescribe all the above (so I should get my prescription on Monday!) but also because unlike in the last letter he wrote to her 2 months ago, in this one he refers to me all the way through as "she, her". This has never happened to me before, and I'm all stirred up by it .

All ashore who's going ashore, I'm starting my journey home now.

Interesting to see how now, all my fears start to surface - and they're all about how others might treat me - and they're not very strong. I need to listen to them, but they're passengers, not crew.

And yes, I wish it was today! But maybe it's good to have a weekend to absorb this, and to recover a bit more from being ill before I start introducing new biochemistry into the mix!

[Sarah Louise]

Great news Padma, now the journey takes its next step. 

[kelly_aus]

That's fantastic news, Padma! I think I'll always remember taking my first dose..

[Jayne]

Thats fabulous news, every journeys starts with a small step & this is a huge step, I hope it goes well on monday.

p.s. get well soon

Big hugs from jane

[bojangles]

Congrats!

Love what you said about passengers, not crew. Hang onto that.

[bethw]

Congratulations Padma. That's fantastic news.
Enjoy your journey sis.
Hugs
Beth

[Hermione01]

Congrats Padma.    Great news.

[Jennifer]

YAY for Padma!

Jennifer

[eli77]

That's awesome, Padma. Congrats!

[Padma]

Hey, thanks you lot .

It feels funny posting about "just" starting on HRT, but it's a huge milestone for me. Partly because it does signify being taken seriously by the healthcare system - much as I hate to admit I need a bit of validation from "the professionals" it does matter . And I've noticed that the people around me are taking me more seriously now that I'm starting HRT too. That's a bit annoying, frankly! - that a lot of my friends seem to have been quietly thinking to themselves "oh, he'll get over this..." and are now seeing I mean business, and they're freaking out more, so I have yet another round of intense conversations and explanations going on, sigh.

On The Trans Girl Diaries there's an ironic cartoon about the "trans hierarchy", but it's obviously in people's minds, this stuff, about how seriously everyone takes you depending on what you're "doing" about transitioning. Yes, I very much want whatever HRT is gong to do to my body, but it still feels like a stepping stone towards the thing I most want, which is the SRS. And the fact that I'm less excited about boobs and all that makes me almost feel like I want HRT "under false pretences" - crazy. Someone really should make a transition board game!

[Anatta]

Kia Ora Padma,

Be careful, I've heard those types of pills can do strange things to the body 

Metta Zenda

[Jennifer]

Oh ya, get well soon.

Jennifer

[Jayne]

a lot of my friends seem to have been quietly thinking to themselves "oh, he'll get over this..." and are now seeing I mean business, and they're freaking out more, so I have yet another round of intense conversations and explanations going on, sigh.

it's obviously in people's minds, this stuff, about how seriously everyone takes you depending on what you're "doing" about transitioning.

I know what you mean about that attitude, many people who have seen me go out in public as a woman have no doubts about my intention to transition but most who've not seen me wearing makeup or womens clothes seem to think i'm going through a phase. Due to my age they probably think it's a mid-life crisis but replacing a sports car with a pair of boobs 

Great idea about the board game, it would be a best seller & would educate people 

[LordKAT]

   You are awesome!

[Padma]

First dose today - let the teen drama commence!!!!! Ahem.

[Maegan]

Hey Padma,

Congrats sis. It is about time you started your journey. It is going to be exciting times.

You are going to be amazed by all of the changes that are going to happen, not only physically, but mentally as well.

Enjoy! 

Huggs

Maegan

[Nemo]

Congrats! And yeah, know what you mean about the people taking you seriously.. had that with Mum. Still do in a way - first it "wasn't real 'til the HRT starts", now it's "not one or the other 'til surgery happens" Let this serve as advance warning, in fact - you're likely to "not really be a woman" with some people 'til your SRS is done with, as much as that sucks

*cough* progress thread *cough*

[Padma]

It's funny how others (and I) have just referred to this as "starting a journey". I'm feeling like the last few months have been pretty damn journeysome already, but perhaps more in the nature of booking tickets, getting my visa in order, and walking to the coast. Now I've got on board a ship that's carrying me faster than I could travel on my own. I've been journeying since last autumn, really, but this is definitely leaving the ma(i)nland and heading out to sea.

I popped into my bank while I was waiting for the pharmacist to sort out my pills, and checked out what they need from me to change the gender flags on my accounts - and they told me a very different story from their people over the phone. So now I'm going to write to the bank to get the definitive word on it. The CS people on the phone told me I'd just need a letter from my GP stating that I'm seriously transitioning. The people at the bank said I'd need some ID with my changed gender already on it - i.e. drivers' licence, passport. Oh well, one thing at a time!