I recently had my semi-annual thyroid ultrasound, that my ENT prefers to do because I have a thyroid lump (which are common as you get older), because of my cancer history in the past, and because I'm out to her and she knows I am on cross gender hormone therapy. The ultrasound turned out negative on any dangerous changes yet again but yesterday was the day I went in to hear this myself.
It was too warm yesterday to hide in a sweater or jacket. So... I just went with it. Women's Wrangler jeans, tennis shoes, my black WOW Molten Core t-shirt (yes I play MMOs) with a bra underneath, my black cap to hide that thin (no longer completely bald!) top, and my purse.
The reaction in the waiting room was priceless. Several people just smiled nicely at me but this one man and woman were soooo uncomfortable. They looked at me a few times and I just smiled nicely back at them then they stopped looking. I actually looked at them and they were looking at anything in the room except me. Lots of discomfort there but that's their issue, not mine. Yet everyone else in the waiting room was nice, smiled, and an older woman spoke to me.
Then I got called back. The entire staff there knows about me. Some nice smiles from the two ladies behind the desk. The intake nurse knows and knows me and we chatted while she did BP, temp, etc. Her comment, "You've changed so much in two years. You are so much more comfortable with yourself." Which made me grin even wider of course. And my audiologist was there finishing with a patient, saw me in the hallway and said "You look great!" Then my doctor came into the patient exam room, I let her know of my one hormone change to ethinyl estradiol and she made sure that was in the records then confirmed my other prescriptions. No change in the thyroid and she said, "You really look a lot more comfortable now. Are you doing a legal name change too?" So we talked about that and she gave me some advice, saying it's easiest for them if I bring them a copy of the name change order after I get my new insurance card from my employer. She said changing them together was the easiest way to do this. She also commented that it's been obvious to her to see the changes in my semi-annual visits since before I began HRT 16 months ago.
Then as I checked out, one of the women behind the desk grinned at me and said, "We'll see you again in six months, Ms. Ramsey!" I exited to the waiting room with this giant grin. The couple who couldn't look at me rapidly looked away. The intake nurse had been outside to the lab one door over so was just re-entering and held the door with a very friendly, "See you!" Two women just smiled. A couple other people looked at me with real "Huh???" expressions on their faces but I didn't care. I was on cloud nine and got in my car and came home.
Who knew going for a doctor's visit could be so entertaining?
