Life Of Michelle K

[Michelle_K]

Watching some video about Linux yesterday, it mentioned that Microsoft Windows had everything. I thought, yes, Jack of all trades, master of none. I thought about the DVDs I tried to make on Windows 8, and a lot ended up being unplayable. I would then try on my XP machine, using non windows software, and the non windows software would inform me that the file was too large for the disc. It would have been nice if the windows DVD burner had informed me that the file was too large instead of burning the file onto the disc until there was no more room, and then inform me of a disc failure.
 I'm getting a new laptop with Windows 11. I'll see if I can do it right this time. First thing to do is try to make a Windows 11 installer using the laptop itself. Then see if I can partition the drive without destroying the software. The final step will be a dual boot system with Linux.

I once had a subscription to a psychology magazine. And I know the basics of computer programing. I wondered once about combining the two and reprogram my own mind. At the very least, understand that whether or not my dad knew it, he was brainwashing me.

Reading in other forums about the person having to know about estrogen and having to teach their doctor about what estrogen does to the male body helps me understand that doctors don't know everything. Knowing what I know about Klinefelter syndrome, I can dismiss the endocrinologist's opinion on the subject. I don't know if it was an outright lie, or she was misinformed.
If in fact that estrogen is needed, and not just a lack of testosterone for breast growth, and I already have breast growth, then it should indicate that I already have estrogen in my system. It seems to me that I should be tested to find out how much I already have, to get a proper dosage to bring it to the proper level.

Someplace I read about the importance of a person having estrogen coursing through their veins having the proper marking of female on the license. It is to avoid being given any medication that would conflict with estrogen.
Michelle

[Lori Dee]

All humans produce both estrogen and testosterone. The presence of ovaries and the lack of testes provide more estrogen than testosterone. The lack of ovaries and presence of testes provide more testosterone and less estrogen. The difference is also in the quantity of each produced.

[Michelle_K]

I just watched a couple of videos about HRT injection. They were very informative. They were done by a registered nurse, and were very detailed. Part of my learning about HRT.

Part of my dislike for injections might go back to my childhood. It took three different attempts to get a reaction from the smallpox vaccine. My mother said I got sick after the third attempt, and I don't have the smallpox vaccine scar. My mother had claimed that she had smallpox when she was younger. I doubt that, perhaps cowpox. That would raise another possibility that I had gotten the cowpox earlier, and became immune to smallpox.

I had a friend once that was diabetic. I saw him do a self injection. He told me that his sister was diabetic, and mentally was unable to do self injections. Her husband had to help her. She died when he was not around a few days to help her.

Could you imagine playing darts with used syringes.
Michelle

[Dances With Trees]

Could you imagine playing darts with used syringes.

Now, I can. I would guess it would be a bit more challenging than feathered darts. Hope you get all the HRT worked out to your satisfaction, Michelle, and best of luck with the whole Linux/Windows thing (about which I know absolutely nothing).

[Lilis]

Could you imagine playing darts with used syringes.

Wait... what? Hahaha, your dark humor made me laugh.

Darts with syringes? Now that's one way to get your shot in!

ROFL 🤣

~ Lilis 💉

[Michelle_K]

My new laptop arrived. I have it set up and made a restore USB stick. I downloaded Steam, and went to sign on. When it asked for my password, I checked my password list and Steam was not there. Somewhere around here is a piece of paper with the password written on it. I can do a change password after signing in with the other computer.

Something I read, Cleaning is putting things out of sight, and then forgetting where you put them.

Remembering now why I mistrust doctors. A year ago my LDL was in the normal range. That should mean no clogged arteries, That should also give me a history of normal cholesterol, except for the low HDL.
In may my LDL was too high,  At the VA it was way lower, but still a bit high. At my pre op exam she again mentioned statins. I know, my HDL is too low. Calculate the difference between the two plus my weight and when I quit smoking and the calculation equals statins.

Probably the same kind of thoughts about my lung damage. Former smoker makes it obvious that the damage is due to smoking, when it was really emphysema. I never did mention that I would get lung pain log before I started smoking.
Michelle

[Lori Dee]

Something I read, Cleaning is putting things out of sight, and then forgetting where you put them.

I love this!

[Michelle_K]

I hesitate to say things sometimes. If challenged, I have a tendency to break down, unable to verbally defend myself. My sister knew this, not giving me a chance to speak. Ask if she can do something and before I can respond, states silence is consent. I never had the chance to say no.

Another example would be my sister knocking over the ash tray. I stop and clean it up, my dad seeing me clean it up. He assumes I am cleaning it up so that he would not find out I knocked over the ash tray. I get a lecture where he states he knows I knocked it over, because I was cleaning it up. I do not get a chance to defend myself. After all, if she knocked it over she would be cleaning it up.
My sister learned from that, she can knock the ash tray over, and blame me.

You don't know me very well, I'm the one that broke both wrists at the same time. In the emergency room the doctor wanted to know if I understood that they were just stabilizing my wrists. About All I could say was "not fix, stabilize. In the operating room they wrapped my arms up so I couldn't even bend my elbows. I got sent to a different hospital, where they had to order another metal insert for my wrist. I had to wait a whole week for them to arrive. In the meantime I had the choice Of getting the inserts and going back home. or getting casts and spending months in a nursing home. I got the inserts, and spent another week in the hospital.
I don't know if the occupational therapist realized it, but I started doing finger exercises on my own in the emergency room. When I was released from the hospital, I dressed myself. I don't know if the occupational therapist was surprised when I tied my own shoes. I was released with the understanding that I did not need anybody to stay with me.
Nobody said I couldn't drive. So, the next day, I put about eighty miles on my car. Straight driving was okay, making turns got a little rough.

I'm hoping that after the bladder surgery, I won't need anybody to stay with me. Like I stated elsewhere I may have an advantage due to my low weight. I seem to have stabilized for the time being at 155 pounds. I may remain at that weight and later lose some more. I still have the possibility of weighing 150 pounds when I get the operation. Not a big deal if I don't lose more weight.
Another advantage is that I do get exercise. Although, It has not been easy to go for walks with the cold wet weather. With the smart watch, I was surprised by how many steps it showed just from me wandering around the house.
Lastly I am not on any prescription medication, so health-wise, I'm pretty much ok there. I'm using a nicotine patch to control my autism, and that will have to stop. I'll see what happens afterwords. If my vision goes back to before, or if my eyes are now retrained to see properly.
Michelle

[Michelle_K]

Out of curiosity I put my testosterone level into a search along with some other search. Checking one result in a forum, it basically said run, don't walk to your urologist. That is too low. Back in 2005, the chart showed the lower level of normal to be 200. The newer chart shows the lower level to be 300. Back to this later.
Again back in 2005, my prostate level was 4.28, that would be 0.28 over normal. It seems to me that the doctor made several mistakes. 1 was getting the levels from a previous doctor, ignoring that at the time I was in for a UTI, and the previous doctor had diagnosed prostatitis.
2. ignoring that I was at his office for an UTI, and not allowing time to pass for inflammation.
3. Insisting that I needed an immediate biopsy instead of sending me to an urologist for another opinion. He did not accept no for an answer. The biopsy was negative for cancer, but did state that I had inflammation, confirming prostatitis.
Now the biopsy consisted of punching holes into my prostate to take tissue samples, leaving me with a damaged prostate. Healing would leave scar tissue, and now wondering if it could function properly with the scar tissue, and if that is part of the reason I now have a high PSA.
My cholesterol was a little bit high, and my glucose was in the normal range, but declared to be borderline diabetic. Again, the doctor insisted that I needed to see the nutritionist at the hospital, and would not take no for my answer. Insurance would not pay for the nutritionist.

The same doctor ignored the low testosterone, stating that it was normal. The new charts show 300 as being low, mine being 375. That would put my in the lower half of the chart. Doing more research, I finally found a chart for testosterone levels of Klinefelter syndrome. Their chart considers anything in the lower half of the normal level and below to be low for Klinefelter syndrome. So when Klinefelter syndrome states low testosterone, they are including the lower half of the normal chart. My testosterone has been low my entire life, judging by the feminization of my body during puberty. Leaving me wondering why my parents didn't notice.
I also decided to check if there was some special way to to find the long leg of Klinefelter syndrome. I did find it was the relationship of the leg measurement to torso measurement, not just getting 6 foot tall. I found that even at 5 ft 9.5 inches, the leg to torso measurement fits Klinefelter syndrome, as does my longer wing span.

Like I said, you don't know me. I have read that some intersex people don't find out they are intersex until an operation reveals it. An operation maybe like an appendectomy, where the doctor writes in the medical records that he observed a healthy ovary while performing the operation. I haven't been able yet to get ahold of my military medical records to prove it is written there. I thought I had seen something on a chiropractic x-ray. I had asked my family doctor if I could get an x-ray to prove one way or the other. I was told there was no need because it doesn't happen. When I mentioned it to the endocrinologist, I was told that it had to be a transcription error. The same endocrinologist that was to give me a prescription for estrogen. The same one that told me that since Klinefelter was not in my records, it was not possible for me to have Klinefelter syndrome. I got sent to a therapist for gender dysphoria diagnosis, and after the session waited for them to contact me and never heard anything since.
In the meantime I have low sex hormones, and it does affect my life.

So it look like I am intersex in two different ways, only I can't prove any of it, and have no diagnosis for either one.
Michelle

[Lori Dee]

So it look like I am intersex in two different ways, only I can't prove any of it, and have no diagnosis for either one.

Are you able to have your test done and pay for it yourself? If that is a possibility, I would look into that. Very often, doctors will not order tests that insurance does not cover. And insurance won't pay for it if there is no medical necessity.

I had a similar situation with sinus problems. My doctors kept saying it was seasonal allergies. I told them that I am not allergic to anything. After much complaining, they agreed to refer me to an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist) for the sinus issues. Their exam was negative. Round and round we went. I pointed to my labs showing the neutrophils in normal range, i.e., no allergies. Back to the ENT, and he agreed to do a full allergy test. He tested me for 80 known allergens. All negative.

My point is that sometimes you can bully the VA into doing the tests you ask for, if you can show a good reason for it. For example, lab tests, symptoms, etc. If that doesn't work, you might need to just get the karyotype test done yourself. Then present your doctor with the test results from a certified lab and request that it be entered into your medical records.

It is important to stay focused on one thing when talking to your doctors. If you discuss multiple issues, they will filter out what they are not interested in and focus on something that needs to be treated. If your only discussion is about getting tested or entering test results in your records, they have no choice but to address that issue.

[Pema]

It is important to stay focused on one thing when talking to your doctors. If you discuss multiple issues, they will filter out what they are not interested in and focus on something that needs to be treated. If your only discussion is about getting tested or entering test results in your records, they have no choice but to address that issue.

Definitely. Also, if you give them multiple issues, they'll tend to focus on the one that's easiest to resolve - the "low hanging fruit." A hard-to-diagnose issue will always get put on the back burner unless it's the only one you present.