The day in medicine
Jul. 3rd, 2009 08:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ceriAnother day, another appointment.
My nurse practitioner is very, very happy with me, and I'm very, very happy about that. Apparently my level of dread isn't unusual, and my practice in needing to go ahead and do stuff while feeling dread is paying off in more rapid establishing steps than he was expecting. Mutual satisfaction ensues.
My thyroid levels are actually right in the middle of the healthy range. That's a surprise, too, and welcome, since I have a history of low thyroid and one of my siblings had thyroid cancer a few years ago. Not everything that could be broken in my body actually is! :)
I've got a prescription for anti-diabetic drug metformin, which I'll start after the 4th of July holiday.
I have to check with the state about what forms of testosterone delivery they'll pay for, with the nurse practitioner telling me to expect that it'll be injection, since it's much cheaper the alternatives (and, he tells me, most effective in the long run, in their experience). I was feeling tensed and unhappy about this prospect, and I'm much relieved now. He reviewed the crucial concerns with me. First, infertility. Well, I'd decided long ago that I didn't want to subject a child to the genetic lottery I carry, and I've never been well enough to be anything like a good parent anyway. Second, testicular withering and contraction. Doesn't happen to everyone who takes a lot of testosterone, but it's common, and irreversible. He paused after telling me this and said, "This may not be as big a deal to you as to many of our clients." Right he is about that.
We went on to talk some about general long-term prospects, and the upshot is that he sees a lot of reason to be confident. And he thinks that what we're doing now will open up options for whatever I later decide to try when it comes to hormones - with a lot of weight off and my body in generally better shape, and the depression substantially lifted, I will be able to taper off the testosterone and be set for further treatments.
So that's all really, really welcome.
Next week: Vascular specialist on Monday, trying out the Ingersoll Center's group session on Wednesday, first of three diabetic training sessions on Friday. Yeesh. I'm getting a lot of chances to eat out. :)
My nurse practitioner is very, very happy with me, and I'm very, very happy about that. Apparently my level of dread isn't unusual, and my practice in needing to go ahead and do stuff while feeling dread is paying off in more rapid establishing steps than he was expecting. Mutual satisfaction ensues.
My thyroid levels are actually right in the middle of the healthy range. That's a surprise, too, and welcome, since I have a history of low thyroid and one of my siblings had thyroid cancer a few years ago. Not everything that could be broken in my body actually is! :)
I've got a prescription for anti-diabetic drug metformin, which I'll start after the 4th of July holiday.
I have to check with the state about what forms of testosterone delivery they'll pay for, with the nurse practitioner telling me to expect that it'll be injection, since it's much cheaper the alternatives (and, he tells me, most effective in the long run, in their experience). I was feeling tensed and unhappy about this prospect, and I'm much relieved now. He reviewed the crucial concerns with me. First, infertility. Well, I'd decided long ago that I didn't want to subject a child to the genetic lottery I carry, and I've never been well enough to be anything like a good parent anyway. Second, testicular withering and contraction. Doesn't happen to everyone who takes a lot of testosterone, but it's common, and irreversible. He paused after telling me this and said, "This may not be as big a deal to you as to many of our clients." Right he is about that.
We went on to talk some about general long-term prospects, and the upshot is that he sees a lot of reason to be confident. And he thinks that what we're doing now will open up options for whatever I later decide to try when it comes to hormones - with a lot of weight off and my body in generally better shape, and the depression substantially lifted, I will be able to taper off the testosterone and be set for further treatments.
So that's all really, really welcome.
Next week: Vascular specialist on Monday, trying out the Ingersoll Center's group session on Wednesday, first of three diabetic training sessions on Friday. Yeesh. I'm getting a lot of chances to eat out. :)
