Moving further along the path, encounter with an endocrinologist

[Eryn]

(Written on 2-27-16 and copied to a new post in order to avoid violating the double posting rule):
Well, I have documented it here!

My appointment went well. My T was 12, up a bit, but negligible. BP was excellent (with Spiro I no longer fear The Machine!) and blood work checked out, so I'll see her in 6 months, with blood work at 3 to keep an eye on levels.

She also scheduled me for a mammogram and told me to see my GP for a general checkup.

So far I am pleased with my progress. My mental attitude is good, emotions flow more freely, and physical changes are coming along slowly. I'm doing better than I expected. My only complaint is fatigue, but that is to be expected when I lose muscle mass.

Written on 4-6-16:

Mammogram Day!

We had some time off, so Mimi and I scheduled our mammograms back-to-back to save us a trip to the radiologist. We went down first thing in the morning. Mimi was called first and was out 15 minutes later.

A couple of minutes later I was called. The tech escorted me to the changing room where there were small lockers for my purse and clothing. I put on a paper gown and followed the tech to The Machine. Yes, the fabled machine so hated by GGs and i was going to put some tender parts of my own body into it.

First was the paperwork. The tech shot questions at me. Phone number?, birth date?, Family history of breast cancer?, was it my time of the month? was I pregnant? was I taking any hormones? etc. I told her that I was taking estrodiol and spironolactone. She said "what's spironolactone?" I said "it's a T-blocker." "Huh?" she says. I say "Testosterone blocker, it stops me from producing testosterone." Suddenly the light dawns in her eyes. "Oh!" She says. She goes back to the top of the form and asks "Are you now male or female?" I replied "medically, I'm still male." She changed the checkmark and off to The Machine we went.

Now, as pleased as I am with my development, I'm not very well-endowed. 38A. The tech fussed about quite a lot getting the machine to the proper height and getting all of me stuffed onto the platform and squished under the transparent side of the vise. The measurements on the machine went up to 8 and I was barely a 3. My breasts were at the tech's eye level so she spent some time on tiptoe getting things lined up. She apologized for handling things so much and I told her that I didn't mind as long as the pictures were correct!

As she was taking the first picture I was struck with a wave of weakness and nausea. This isn't normal at all for me and I asked if I could sit down for a minute and compose myself. She fanned me with a magazine and slowly the feeling passed. It was probably caused by the fact that I hadn't eaten anything that morning. I felt better and stood for the remaining three pictures. She kept having to rearrange the paper gown and I asked "Do you mind if I just take this off and make things simpler? She agreed and her job was much easier without the added complication.

When she was done she said "Congratulations, your first mammogram is done! See you in a year!" I got dressed, retrieved my purse, and rejoined Mimi in the waiting room.

We then went to a nice breakfast with my sister in law, daughter, and her boyfriend!