Hoping for a GID diagnosis

[Caith721 (imported)]

Thanks, Batman. To borrow the words of Little Red Riding Hood:

Hopefully, my adrenal T won't be "too hot", or "too cold", but "just right".

[Caith721 (imported)]

This morning is the first time Dr. Reed's office has given me the courtesy of discussing scheduling, and now they finally tell me they are booked 100% the first two weeks of April. They could schedule me the third week of April, but that is a conflict with the other person who lives with me. I'd say spouse, but she hasn't behaved like one for a long, long time, and she's not the least bit empathetic, or even sensitive to my needs.

Right now I'm disappointed, pissed off, and my orchiectomy won't happen until June 9. Positive: I have a confirmed date. Negative: I've gotta wait two long, long months.

[Uncle Flo (imported)]

June 9 is my birthday. Happy birthday from me! --FLO--

[Mac (imported)]

Thank you, Danya.

I suppose it's absolutely no surprise in this day and age that so-called medical professionals simply don't provide the services expected of them. First it was the shrink, now it's the cardiologists, plus Dr. Reed's regular monthly schedule. If I was any kind of conspiracy theorist, I'd be going nuts right now.

It shouldn't require a shrink to get approval to have your testicles (or even penis) removed.

[Caith721 (imported)]

June 9 is my birthday. Happy birthday from me! --FLO--

Thank you, Uncle Flo!! I'll be certain to take pictures for you. I know you'll appreciate seeing the satisfaction I gain from this lovely gift. I'll be certain to h

ave a small cake with candles prepared for the event.

It shouldn't require a shrink to get

approval to have your testicles (or even penis) removed.

First and most importantly, I agree with you.

Technically, it doesn't require a shrink. It requires one person who's a Ph.D. and someone else with at least a Master's degree to provide the referral letters. I used my shrink because she's known me, my GID, and my clinical depression since 2004. Also because she has an M.D. and a Master's degree.

[butterflyjack (imported)]

Thanks, Batman. To borrow the words of Little Red Riding Hood:

Hopefully, my adrenal T won't be "too hot", or "too cold", but "just right".

Hmmm..Wouldn't that be "Goldilocks and the three bears"? And you can't shift the vacay days around, to postpone your time off until the last two weeks in April? I would guess not..But, you've waited a long time for this....June is just a few months off...Goldilocks...hehe smooches dragonfly

[Danya (imported)]

Right now I'm disappointed, pissed off, and my orchiectomy won't happen until June 9. Positive: I have a confirmed date. Negative: I've gotta wait two long, long months.

I'm disappointed for you, just reading your news. It can be extremely difficult to wait for things that will make such a huge difference and are crucial to one's well-being. I never expected you would have to wait this long.

[Caith721 (imported)]

I spoke with Anne at Dr. Reed's office this morning. I explained to her I was extremely disappointed that neither she nor Dr. Reed were willing and/or able to discuss scheduling with me in the previous week and a half. Technically, they should have been willing discuss a date the day they reviewed my two referral letters and deposited my cashier's check for 50% of their fee. What I gathered from talking with Anne this morning is, they don't call out to patients, they wait for patients to call in to them. It seems Dr. Reed has enough urology business in Miami combined with his SRS/GRS services that he stays busy five or six days a week without trying very hard.

Points to review for anyone else considering Dr. Reed in Miami:

1) Don't expect a lot of discussion with them before your referral letters are received.

2) Expect them to have a minimum of a two-to-three week (if not longer) delay in scheduling.

3) Dr. Reed is out of the office the last full week in every month. He's either teaching, presenting, or participating in conferences every month, and that's always his schedule.

4) If they can't or won't talk scheduling with you when you call, ask them when is their next opportunity. Be certain you keep calling them, don't wait, and don't expect them to call you back.

5) It's nowhere on their website, but their office hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Time. If they're in surgery, chances are they won't be answering the phone.

6) Apparently, he works in conjunction with a plastic/cosmetic surgeon, and this also affects the scheduling and availability of his surgical facilities.

All this being said, Anne was very polite and understanding when I explained my disappointment with them regarding scheduling. She allowed me to explain myself, and didn't react badly to what I said. She was willing to schedule me April 18th, but as I mentioned earlier, that's a problem with the other person in my house.

Here's how I'm looking at it, right now:

a) It's been over 52 years, what's another two months?

b) They've each had seven injections of Everclear, they're mostly dead.

c) I've got enough cyproterone acetate to take every other day until then.

d) At least I now have a definite, confirmed, scheduled surgery date. Nothing, and I mean absolutely NOTHING will change that, now. Not work, not family, nothing; except for possibly death.

[Caith721 (imported)]

Tomorrow (Wednesday) morning, we get on the plane to Miami and arrive there about noon. My consult with Dr. Reed is at 3 pm, and surgery is sometime Thursday. I'm bringing my own supply of Vicodin just in case they provide something weak like Percocet or just Tylenol. Hopefully I won't need anything for pain after Friday morning, anyway.

There will be no "goodbye" party for those pesky little devils, but I did take a rather long lunch today, just because it felt right to honor their departure in some small way. I think I'll enjoy being away from my annoying client and all their e-mails and phone calls for a week and a half, moreso than having them off.

I'll have a netbook in the hotel, so I'll be posting an update as soon as I return there after surgery.

[punkypink (imported)]

best wishes Caith. Glad to see someone's having an easier time of it.