Finally

Yesterday I had my latest appointment at The Laurels gender clinic. I had everything planned. It was to be a family trip because its Easter holidays. Everyone was told that they had to be ready to leave the house at 8 to make sure that we got to Exeter by 9:30 for my appointment.

Oh the best laid plans...

As I was putting on my make-up I hear the words "you do know that you appointment is at 9 o'clock." What! My diary says 9:30. The letter from the clinic confirming my appointment had a different time and I'd not noticed. Its an hours drive from home to Exeter. Things are going to be really tight.

I rushed through applying my make-up, grabbed my bag and a coat and we were out the door. It was 10 past 8. I switched on the Satnav and it said that we'd arrive at 10 past 9. With nothing that I could do without seriously breaking the speed limit to get us there on time we enjoyed the drive.

Just before 9 we rang the clinic to let them know that I'd be a bit late and they were fine about it.

We arrived at the car park, left the car and made our way outside. It was a nice day, overcast but not raining as forecast in the weather reports. I sent the family off into Exeter for a couple of hours with instructions to see if they could find somewhere for us to have lunch. With them heading in one direction I went in the other and made it to the clinic only slightly late.

Things were pretty relaxed and I made myself a drink before going in with S my counselor. We chatted about how things were going for the remainder of my appointment and then I went to see the doctor.

Doctor Dean asked me a few questions, one of which completely threw me. He asked me how I was getting on with the hormones. All I could do was look at him blankly and then tell him that I wasn't on hormones.

It would seem that my GP was supposed to prescribe me hormones. The blood tests I'd had were to confirm levels but didn't require me to wait until they had been done for hormones to be prescribed. Doctor Dean told me that I should go back to my GP and ask for a prescription for hormones.

After leaving the clinic I met up with the family and after a quick wander around Debenhams we went to Pizza Express for lunch.

The service there was really good until we'd finished our lunch and were about to pay for it. One of the waiters then undid all of their good work. On two occasions while dealing with us he called me, just loud enough for me to be unsure if I'd heard correctly or not, "sir". I couldn't be sure that is what he said but after we'd left the restaurant my other half asked me if he'd called me sir so I'm pretty sure that I heard correctly. Its only the second time that has happened to me and I'm not positive about the first time it happened.

When we got back from Exeter I tried to make an appointment with my GP but she wasn't available. However, I managed to remedy that today and after explaining things to her I finally received a prescription for estrogen. Tomorrow after nearly 45 years on this Earth I will begin taking hormones to help me be that one step closer to being who I should have been when I was born.