Here I go 3

[Laurie]

Left out a few details... 

Not even going to mention the special dessert I fixed for you?   

All I will say about it was that the special dessert is that it included chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and cherries. No pictures were taken. So, by the site rules it didn't happen.  I will say we both enjoyed consuming it.

[Laurie]

  Okay another update:

  Today I had an appointment with my GP at the VA. Just a routine twice a year check up. I discussed a few thing with him concerning my HRT medications. When the doc gets the paraphernalia correct I will be starting Estradiol Valerate intramuscular injections administered by myself. Neither he nor I are sure he has ordered the correct syringes and needles. He has also ordered my progesterone for me. Cost will determine if I get progesterone from the VA or Kaiser once I know what the VA charges. I had sent him the endocrine society progesterone article before the appointment and that may have changed his mind about prescribing it for me. Anyway I had no problems having home make these changes. I asked and then he asked me why injections and I told him my reasons. It was as simple as that.
  Also today was blood letting day.. 6 vials and pee in the bottle. three sticks and two techs later, they had my blood and handed me a bottle only to discover they missed one lab test nothing important, I'll get it done later. It's only to check my 1Ac (blood sugar) The others were just my E & T levels and different panels.
  Tomorrow and Thursday are visits with Christina, my electrocutioner for 2 hours each. Three more hours scheduled for the first 2 weeks of April. April 8th is my battery of appointments for cancer screening and with my oncologist and my mental health pill pusher nurse for my anti-depressant checkup. Seems I have been dreaming more since I started the Zoloft and more again after it was increased. Of course these are not usually pleasant dream and a couple have been a bit intense. I have waken Michelle while dreaming a few times with my thrashing. I do not really have a history of dreaming much and those I have had have mostly been unpleasant. My theory is most of my dreaming has been caused by being uncomfortable in how I and laying or due to a need to visit the bathroom therefore My dreams are unpleasant to wake me up and correct a problem. Who wants to wake during a pleasant dream? I don't think I would want to wake if I did have a good dream.
  Oh I almost forgot, I got a chuckle today when I was checking in at the VA. I gave the lady my info so she could look me up as I handed her my VA ID card. By this time she knows I am Laurie. She looks at my ID and gets a strangle look. It says Leonard and shows a picture of some old guy. I said "yes I need to get it changed". She replied "yes, you do. It confused be a bit at first" I took it as a pass. After the doc and labs I had a new picture taken and the request submitted for a corrected VA ID. It might even be here before my April appointments at the hospital.

Okay, that all folks.

Hugs,
   Laurie

[LizK]

Thanks for the update Laurie...nice to know you are still moving ahead. The dreaming I can relate to and it was put to me that it may also be a way of letting go of issues and or possibly a way of dealing with the. Either way unpleasant dreams can be very upsetting.

Take care

Hugs
Liz

[Laurie]

 Labs

Testosterone    virtually non-existent all tests total, free, whatever lower than cis- females.

Estradiol     124.3 pg/ml   this should be an accurate level test was about 12 hours after last dose.

  Other labs taken (normal checkup  or for cancer screening) appear to indicate, I am still alive and kicking. Nothing to worry about there. More appointments Oncologist, ct scan, mental health pill pusher etc happen early next month. Yep, it's getting to be glow in the dark time again. At least they won't be calling the wrong name this time. My VA name change was finally done. I even received my corrected VA ID in the mail today.

I am officially switching to estradiol valerate. It is ordered, along with syringe and needles. I anticipate having to have needles and syringe changed, due to my doc not being sure what to order. I need to wait to see what I get, then, I'll need to help him get the correct stuff ordered. Once, I have the drugs and the correct paraphernalia, I will begin my pain in the butt regimen.  I would impart the dosage, but as everyone knows, such information is verboten.  My next change to work on, will be to get off spirolactone. I have been taking a half of my original dose for about a year now. I will be lobbying my doc to either let me reduce it by half again or eliminate it altogether.

nothing more to add

Hugs,
  laurie

[davina61]

That's good news dear, having my bum pierced on Thurs but that's anti T . Look after your self XXXX

[Laurie]

  Davinia, I will be doing the honors myself with either 1 or 2 shots a week in the tail end. the twice a week with be splitting the good stuff dose in half. I already do 2 shots a day in my tummy for my insulin.  I should be able it though the needles will be a bit larger.

Laurie

[Jessica]

  Davinia, I will be doing the honors myself with either 1 or 2 shots a week in the tail end. the twice a week with be splitting the good stuff dose in half. I already do 2 shots a day in my tummy for my insulin.  I should be able it though the needles will be a bit larger.

Laurie

Sis, you know how I get when you talk like that 😣

[Laurie]

Sis, you know how I get when you talk like that 😣

  Volunteering to do it for me?....

[Laurie]

 
Hello folks,

  This update is for the few of you that do still read my posts. Oh I don't blame anyone for not reading after all I am not really a part of the place anymore. I don't think I could be and active member here again if I were so inclined. I do miss a lot of you and that is probably the reason I still bother to drop in. It is sad for me as I used to really feel like I had a wonderful connection with the forums. That was lost with a blunt reminder that this is not our site. I fooled myself into thinking we had a community here and that the site really belonged to all of us who work to make it a wonderful and helpful site for others. This site will never be that same for me again.
   Oh hell, on with the update. I have all the needles. the syringes, and the vial of estradiol valerate (Delestron) I need to administer my dosages twice a week for a month. The question now is when to actually start. It is as simple as taking my oral estradiol one day and starting the injections the next. I will decide to do it one of these days.
  On another note I have had my 6 month GP visit and labs ordered by him and those ordered by my oncologist two weeks ago. All the labs were okay. my T is non-existent and estradiol is 124 pg/ml which is the best it has ever been when taken at a low point or trough. IE last dose taken the evening before. I expect that to go up after starting the injections.  I had my cancer screening CT scan yesterday and got a call from my oncologist today with another 4 month reprieve handed down. It has been 4 and a half years so far since the last sighting of cancer. That probably means my time is running out. I have definitely lived well beyond my expected prognosis for the second time. I feel the odds are mounting against me. in the meantime I am alive and enjoying life with Michelle when we can be together and missing her when we are apart. This weekend we should be together again and with luck we will be together 2 months or more.
  I told my pill pusher about my concern about my increased and fitful dreams. We have decided to try going back to the lower dose of sertraline HCL that I was taking and see how that works.
  That's all folks!

Hugs,
  Laurie

[Faith]

 
Of course I read .. it's the responding that I have troubles with

[TonyaW]

Of course I read .. it's the responding that I have troubles with

What she said.

And Laurie

Your threads were among the ones I read every time I checked in when I first got on here two and a half years ago.  Still check in on a thread if I see you've posted.

So keep posting, or don't, whatever you need. But know there are some of reading when you do even if we don't always say so.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

[davina61]

I always check to see if you have posted, have a lovely time on your "hols" and keep posting.

[Stevi]

Laurie,

Friend,

I don't check in as often as I once did either.  When I do, I look in on a bunch of friends.  Always look for something from you.  Disappointed when there is nothing here.

Hugs,
Stevi

[LizK]

Thanks Laurie I have been a little preoccupied of late but I was hoping you would let us know how the screening went. I am so very happy that you do have a reprieve and really glad to hear you remain in good health.

Chat soon

Liz





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jessica]

Hey sis, you hear enough from me already, but I still read your threads.

Hugs, Jess

[Michelle_P]

I suspect Laurie is waiting for me to be willing to tend to her Delestron.  A round of "Pin the tail on my Laurie" every several days, perhaps...

All I have to do is suppress my vasovagal response...

[Maddie]

Laurie,
I'm glad that you and others still post here, even if this forum isn't everything it was for you at one point. Even if life's other issues take your time away.

I didn't log on here for a couple years because I felt turned away by certain things.

But I need to read about these medical terms and how real people are dealing with these things. My attempts at gender counseling and doctors have been less than fruitful on these subjects, so I'm hoping to arm myself with the info and experience of women like you and others here.  Thank you

[Drexy/Drex]

Good news missy

[Laurie]

 Hi Folks,

  Thank you all who responded to my less than uplifting post. It wasn't one of my better days I guess.

  Small update:

  I started my delestron (estradiol valerate) Monday with my first shot self administered. I have decided to split my dose into 2 a week. I was a little sore on my right upper butt cheek yesterday from the shot but that subsided and wasn't bad anyway. I know it has to be a coincidence but my right breast has been a bit sore yesterday and a bit more today. I probably have bee laying on it when sleeping. Next shot will be tomorrow evening. I have noticed no effects from switching delivery methods yet.

  That's it, update all done.

Hugs,
  Laurie

[davina61]

I have noticed the boobige alternating sides with the side the patches go on so its probably not your imagination.