Happy New Year

I want to acknowledge all those that have visited this site in the past year. In the two years that this site has been up, it's received nearly 75,000 hits. I've also received over 200 emails from people letting me know what's on their minds. I thank all of you for helping me through this process, and I wish all of you a very happy new year.

2003-01-02; When was the last time you had your prostate examined?
I finally went in for my annual physical exam. I didn’t have time to search out doctors like I did last year. Last year, I mailed out letters to several physicians to see if they would take a transsexual patient. This year, I just called a made an appointment with my new health care provider.  I asked for a woman physician because I feel women are a bit more understanding, but I put no other effort into making my choice.

Prior to actually seeing the doctor, I had the normal run through with the nurse. She checked my height, weight, blood pressure and temperature. The nurse then began to ask about my past history, during which she asked when was the last time I had a prostate exam. I told her that I don’t have a prostate. She looked up at me from the paperwork, and I told her that I was a female to male transsexual. I think all the blood drained from her face. Up to this point she was joking around with me and exchanging pleasantries, but now she was totally taken aback. I could tell she was uncomfortable, but I kept talking to her just as I had before, and by time she had finished my preliminary interview, she seemed more comfortable.

The nurse asked me to disrobe and wait on the exam table for the doctor. Halfway through a National Geographic article, the doctor enters. We chat for a moment, and she asks if there are any questions or concerns. I ask her directly if she has a problem  taking a transsexual patient. She say no, and I believed her. She then began her exam.

This doctor seems fine - time will tell more. I think I liked how my former doctor handled the situation better. I actually got to sit down and talk to her with my clothes on before the exam. I felt more comfortable that way. It gave me a better sense of how she might be as a doctor. With this doctor and with my clothes already bundled on the chair, I didn’t get to ease into the new relationship.

As far as the exam went, it was a normal physical. I discussed the craps I have occasionally, and she did a pelvic exam. She didn’t feel the craps were anything to be concerned about since they last for such a short time. They could be atrophy or intestinal pain or even possibly a cyst on an ovary (she didn’t feel the latter was a concern because everything in the exam felt normal). Then I had my first rectal exam which was no fun! Oh and I also had her look at the right side of my chest. That’s the side that isn’t quite right. I asked her if there was too much tissue left, and she said that it is probably more noticeable to me than it would be to anyone else who looked at it. She’s probably right. Then she wrote out my prescriptions, and I was off to the lab to have my blood drawn.

2003-01-23; Behold! Sideburns!
My beard has filled in quite nicely. While I don’t think I’ll ever have a thick beard like some guys, I have noticed that my beard is quite similar to that of many guys.

I am now in the middle of my first earnest attempt in growing sideburns. I have no problem growing a sideburn on the left side, but the right side is still thin. I give the right side a little dye while I’m dying the gray out of my beard and that helps to darken it up slightly. At the moment they seems to look fine.


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