Well here’s a blog post I didn’t expect to be writing during this lifetime.
I went for a coffee with some friends yesterday evening, and during the conversation I showed them the problems I have with my feet. These are numerous, (the problems, not my feet), but the main non-medical issue is the size of them.
In order to be able to get ANY footwear on I need to buy a UK size 13, (EU 47, US 14, CM 31.5) and, because of the high instep and circulatory problems I have, a wide fitting is also needed.
This makes buying Men’s shoes really difficult, and women’s shoes virtually impossible, something which really jerks up the dysphoria rating.
So today, being in desperate need of more Prozac as I’d run out a week ago, I made the effort to get along to see my Doc.
He doubled my Furosemide tablets with the intention of helping to reduce the swelling in my feet, and then I sent down the curve ball …
During the conversation with the girls yesterday evening I had cemented in my own mind something which I had been considering for a while, my intent to get a toe (and associated Metatarsil) removed from each foot, and I told him this was what I wanted done.
He checked with me that I’d had no other surgery with regard to my Dysphoria and then, to my slight surprise, the conversation went something along these lines …
- He said that I couldn’t be the first MtF person to have this problem
- That he would make enquiries with the NHS Trust as to the funding for it
- That he would refer me to Orthopedics with a view to having the surgery done, and
- Suggested that at my next GIC appointment I should have a “Plan B” ready so as to ask them to fund it if the local trust said “No”
Easy as that !!!
I’m still in a slight state of shock, but WOW do I feel a lot more positive about the future now !!
Sure, the post-op period wouldn’t be a simple matter, but I can cope with that at the time. For now, Whoopie !!! Time to think about shoe shopping !!!
Ok, maybe not to that extreme … 😀
Tish 