Moving Swiftly On

Or

'The Tale of the Garlic Sausage'

A Warning to travellers

As my friendly and faithful followers of my protracted pursuance of perfection are undoubtedly aware, today I finally had my first visit with a surgeon at Charing Cross.

Deciding this time to be well prepared, and due to the early start, a long bus journey and the fact I knew sleep would not come easily, I thought it would be a good idea to make up a picnic for the trip the night before. So about 1am, while waiting for the PC's to finish off their thing, (updates, spy checks, de-frag and such), I made my way into the kitchen to assemble the feast.

Rolls; check. Bread; check. Butter; check. Cheese; check. Cold meat; check. Tuna; check. Garlic sausage; check. Mayo; check. Plus mini pork pies, sausage rolls, Jaffa cakes, vacuum flask, coffee &c.

Yes, we did a shop a couple of days ago. Ok, I can do something with this. So I started making up the picnic. On opening the sealed Garlic sausage, I immediately became aware of a certain pungency about it, and after extracting some, decided that it had better go into something pretty airtight before it went back into the refridgerator. I found one and continued.

Anyway, all done and dusted, packed up in a sandwich bag in a sandwich box.

About mid morning, time for a coffee and a bite. I got my bag, and noticed a slight whiff of garlic. Oh oh. Opening the box, I quickly realised that 1) It was a good thing I was sat alone, and 2) It would be a good idea not to eat the offending article until after I had seen the surgeon. I know there are places for garlic fans, offering all foods garlic flavoured, including ice-cream. I have often wondered what some things might be like, but it was not my intention to try it on a fairly crowded bus. Having now done so, I can honestly say it is not recommendedThe Jaffa cakes in particular certainly did not taste the way the manufacture intended.

Don't do it.

Back to the real story.

The gender clinic is in it's own building, all smart and new. The only problem is that it also caters for other types of mental illnes, and you someitmes get some very strange people talking to you while you wait. The main hospital outpatients is rather decrepit, and does not fill you with confidence. Add to that there is no proper waiting room,and all consulting rooms are in one corridor with seats down either side, and barely room to pass in between, and you will get an idea of the conditions. While waiting, I was given a handout, informing me that, with permission, interviews with the surgeon would be filmed, with the intention of improving the transgender service. Yes, I'm up for that. And I'm not bothered about preserving my identity and all that that implies, though they do promise to try to.

I'm called in, only 10 minutes late, and Mr Bellringer introduced himself, asked the usual questions about how long and all that, and generally told me what happens.

Then it's time for the first examination. I go behind a screen, and while I'm on the table, with my knickers round my kneecaps, he tells me the camera has run out of film, he has no spare, and doesn't know how to save it to camera or PC. So over to me, a cursory look, and the old doctors thing placing a hand on and tapping it with the other on my pubic bone, and that's it. Really. That was it.

Next comes the weight. "You are somewhat overweight", he tells me. Now he needs to know how much, to give me a target. After some searching, some scales are located. End result, I need to lose 10kgs. Not as bad as I expected, after some of the horror stories Dr Barrett told me. As soon as I have lost it, he will put me on the waiting list. And with a little negotiation, I can get my GP to send a letter confirming I have made it, and not have to travel up there for a weigh-in. Result.

So, as soon as I make my target weight, I will go on the list, which is standing at around three months. Just one more examination between hitting target and the ch-op! So by the summer, all will be finished, because now I really have a goal, not just a maybe/if and then.

One thing they will not do is the replacement of the expanders with the final sealed units for the breast augmentation, due to possibility of cross infection, so I will have to get back to my local hospital for that. No problem, they are ready for that, I just have to let them know.

So here is one happy lady. Pity I'm working this weekend, or there might just have been a small celebration. Though come to think of it....

Hugs and kisses to all,

Sue.