Another Kaiser doctor takes it in stride.

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Well, Kaiser came through again.

I've had an enlarged thyroid for about ten years now. Of course, when I had my physical in late December, my doctor noted that and wanted to have an endocrinologist look at it. As fate would have it, I was referred to same endocrinologist I was seeing then.

I went in one afternoon after work to see him. As usual for work, I was wearing the company uniform. Gray slacks, and a cranberry polo with the company logo on it. (NOTE: I always wear a bra with a slight B cup filled with prosthetic breasts.)

He did the usual introduction/reintroduction and called up my file on the computer and verbally went over what we had done in the past and finally told me what his thoughts were on my condition. (Something he never did before.)

He suggested another blood test, which I agreed to and wanted to do an examination and measurement of the enlarged portion. After examining it, he had my lay on my back with a pillow under my shoulders to make my neck stretch so the bulge would be really evident. (Normally, it's small enough that if you're not looking for it, you will look right past it.)

You can imagine what that did for my chest. We talked as he made his measurements and finally he asked, "Is your chest getting bigger?"

My reply was, "No, those are artificial."

He explained, as an endocrinologist he was concerned that I might have gynecomastia.

When I was sitting up again, he asked, "How long ago did you get the implants?"

"Oh, they aren't implants, they are prosthetics." I took one out an showed it to him for a second and replaced it.

At that point I felt I needed to explain a little about why I was wearing breast forms. So I gave him a thumbnail explanation of what meant to be transgender and explained that I was happy preforming as a male in my marriage but that at best I was androgyne and that the breast forms made me feel a bit more like I saw myself.

He listened with a thoughtful expression, nodding his head when I finished and asked, "Have he had this discussion before?"

"No, last time I saw you I was still hiding all my transgender attributes from everyone."

He looked a little puzzled and said, "I talked with someone who had the same feeling about his marriage and saw himself as androgen as well."

Well, he just got on with the visit as if he had noticed a birthmark and wondered if it had always been that dark.

The whole thing was very matter of fact.

Comments

Dignity

Well, that's the way they are supposed to treat you. Though, it is hard for me to imagine an Endocrinologist who would not be aware of the Transgender issue. Now days, if the medical school does not educate them, then the Human Resource people are very concerned about some one like us suing the ass off of them.

I will have to admit that where I live, people just seem so aware of GBLT issues. Most are at least superficially accepting. Do try to avoid the "Deer in the headlights" stare. Remind yourself not to do the furrowed brow thing that most males do.

Many Blessings

Gwendolyn

Androgyne

Dear Patti,

I think the word you wanted to use is androgyne, a person who considers erself or who appears to be of both genders (or sexes) at the same time. It is similar to the word androgynous, ie. having female and male characteristics in one; this can be used to describe a flower, among other things, which has both female and male parts. Also, being neither distinguishably masculine or feminine as in dress, appearance or behavior. From my dictionary at home, an actual book!

An androgen is a steroid hormone, like testosterone, that produces masculine characteristics and/or is anabolic, ie. builds muscle and other tissue.

Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee

Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee

Are they real?

Patricia Marie Allen's picture

Just as a side note to the above.

I know that those of us who wear breast forms often wonder, "Do they really feel real, or do they just look and act real?"

Well, as I was laying on my back with my chest rising above all else, one of the things the doctor did was use a tape measure to determine the size of my thyroid. To do so, he rested the heal of one hand on my chest, holding the tape as he stretched it over my thyroid. It just so happened that part of it came in contact with my right breast form.

It was after that that he asked if my chest was getting larger and when I said they were artificial, he assumed that I had had implants. So... I guess that they really do feel real. OK, OK I know he wasn't groping them like a teenager in the back seat, but he did feel the faux tissue and assume it was real.

Hugs
Patricia
([email protected])
http://members.tripod.com/~Patricia_Marie/index.html

Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper ubi femininus sub ubi

Hugs
Patricia

Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt