Lovely Today

Tuesday, I had an appointment at the vein clinic. It was a six-month follow-up to check for blood clots. Actually, it was more like 11 months because I had to cancel two previous appointments.

I awoke to heavy rain Tuesday morning with more to pore throughout the day. With that forecast, I thought about going to the appointment in boy mode rather than as a woman. But for consistency, I decided to put on my big girl panties and go en femme because I had gone to my previous appointment as a woman.

My appointment was at 1 PM, so I had plenty of time to get ready. I decided to wear the new dress from Venus that failed me in October when a loose button fell to the floor just as I was getting ready to go out. I accessorized with earrings, necklace, watch, black bag and black patent pumps (see photo).

I left home at 12:15 PM and arrived 10 minutes early for my 1 PM appointment accompanied by heavy rain during the entire trip. I was able to park in the spot closest to the door of the doctor’s office and the rain let up a bit, so with an umbrella in hand, I did not get wet.

I checked in with the receptionist and she greeted me with a big smile and, “Hi, Ms. . Please be seated.” 

I did not have to say a word – I guess my previous visit made an impression.

My visit was basically identical to my previous visit. The only difference was that they performed an ultrasound on both legs instead of just the leg that had vein removal. As a result, the appointment was twice as long. And just like my previous appointment, the doctor was his usual pleasant self and did not show any reaction to my feminine presentation.

I checked out with the woman who handles appointments and she said I was done – no further appointments unless there was a problem.

I exited with “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

She replied, “Same to you. And by the way, you look lovely today.”

Wearing Saks

Fred Armisen femulating on an episode of television’s Portlandia.

Peggy Sue Got Married

Peggy Sue is a Southern girl and a ham radio operator like myself and we regularly exchange e-mails about being girls and being hams. She wrote the following in a recent e-mail.

I pray your personal situation is not overwhelming you. My wife is balancing numerous medical issues, but we are managing to keep everything under control. I have combined some of my crossdressing days with taking her to her medical appointments. Although her doctors have known her for years, they never knew I was a crossdresser.

I wrote back.

How did your wife's doctor react to your revelation?

Peggy Sue replied.

There was very little reaction from my wife's doctors. However, the female staff was very approving and very vocal in their approval, even to the point of asking questions as to how I do makeup, purchase clothes, what does Lucy (my wife) think of it, how often to I femulate, etc.

The doctor reaction reminded me of my own physician the first time he saw my painted toes and shaved chest, which was very little reaction, other than yeah, he commented his understanding was that most crossdressers are married heterosexual men.

Wearing Ann Taylor

The evening gown competition in the 1968 documentary The Queen.

In and Out

What is stylish today may be passé tomorrow, but the day after tomorrow, it may become stylish again.

I have been femulating for 55 years, so I own clothing that has gone around the block more than once. I also regretfully disposed of clothing that came back in style after their exit from my wardrobe.

What to keep and what to trash is a crapshoot, but an article posted on WhoWhatWear provides some guidance in that regard. (Sure glad I saved everything leopard!)

So without further ado, I direct you to "My 55-Year-Old Mom Says These Are the Best Fashion Investments."

Wearing Derek Lam 10 Crosby bag (Source: ShopBop)

Oslo Grace, male womenswear model

What's Up, Doc?

It takes my mind and body a few days (more like weeks) to get used to the switch between standard time and daylight savings time. So to my discombobulated mind and body, the 10:45 AM doctors' appointment on the second day of daylight savings time felt more like 9:45 AM. (The appointment was a six-month follow-up exam for the varicose vein removal procedure I had during the summer.)

Instead of sleeping in late to make up for the time change, not to mention getting over a week-long head cold, I had to get my dupa out of bed early to get pretty for my doctor's appointment. (No one said being a woman is easy!)

The weather forecast was promising with high temps in the mid-50's, so I decided to wear my long-sleeve sweater dress and thereby, forgo heavy outerwear (I did take along a lightweight coat just in case).

Basically, I wore the same outfit I came home wearing after my last visit to the mall, that is, my new Ann Taylor sweater dress and my Payless white kitten heel booties. The only difference was I wore a black bag instead of the fuchsia Jessica Simpson bag.

I arrived at the doctor's office 10 minutes before my appointment. Checking in with the receptionist, I informed her that I had different insurance than when I last visited the office. With a big smile on her face, she said, "It looks like that's not the only thing that's different. You look fantastic!"

"Thank-you," I said as I blushed.

After I handed over my new insurance cards, she asked, "No name change?"

I shook my head no and she asked me to be seated to wait for my appointment.

I cooled my kitten heels for about 20 minutes in the empty waiting room. While I sat there, a female physician's assistant (PA) who works in the office came into the waiting room to get a cup of water from the water machine. She said, "Hello" as she walked back to wherever she came from taking her sweet time to check me out.

Finally, a male PA who I had never encountered before fetched me to begin my appointment, which started off with an ultrasound. He did not react to my female presentation and called me by my male name. He asked me to bare my leg and put on a pair of paper shorts and slippers, then left the examination room to allow me to strip in privacy. I was glad I wore thigh highs rather than pantyhose, so after I took off my booties, I only had to remove the hosiery from one leg, hike up my skirt and slip into the shorts and slippers.

The PA returned, had me lay down on the examination table and began the ultrasound exam. It is painless, but messy because they use a clear gel on the ultrasound probe for better conductivity. When the test is done, they hand you a roll of paper towels to remove the gel from your skin.

The test took about 15 minutes and I passed (no blood clots).

He moved me to the next room where two female nurses took my blood pressure and photos of my leg. One nurse was new to me (I think she was a new employee and in-training), but I had dealt with the other nurse on previous visits and she went gaga over my new appearance. She "loved" my dress, my booties, my hairdo, my makeup; she "loved" everything about me!

She fetched the doctor and when he came in the room, he shook my hand and asked how I was feeling as he examined my leg and viewed the before and after photos of my leg on the nurse's computer screen. He was his usual very pleasant self, but did not show any reaction to my feminine presentation. Then everyone left the room, so I could get dressed.

I had done a thorough job of removing all the gel from my leg, so slipping into my thigh high was not a problem. When fully dressed, I exited the office and drove home.

And so it goes.

Wearing Bebe (Source: Bebe)

Walter Evers (Source: Pinterest)

Happy Aphelion Day!

A nurse femulation, circa 1920

Tuesday, I went to the doctor for a physical ― my first in the 21st Century.

This was a brand new doctor for me. My old GP moved years ago (probably in the 20th Century) and his office is now nearly an hour away, so I have been looking for a new GP.

When I had my first bout with poison ivy in May, I went to the local urgent care center and while I was there, I asked if there were any GP's in that medical building (which is a very convenient 10 minutes from my home). They gave me a list and when I returned home, I researched the list and chose one as my new GP.

I think I made a good choice. He is young, personable and seems to know his stuff. Instead of giving me a physical, he wanted me to get blood work and then come back for the physical after he gets the results, which makes sense to me. (I got the blood work done Thursday morning.)

They did check my vitals and took a urine sample. The doctor gave me a clean bill of health regarding my vitals and urinalysis, so so far, so good.

Since colon cancer runs in my family, he referred me for a colonoscopy (my third ― I hate the prep, but don't mind the test) and he also referred me to a vein center to deal with the varicose veins in my left leg.

I had varicose veins in that leg surgically removed over 25 years ago, but they returned about ten years ago. Now, instead of surgery, they stick a needle in my leg and insert some drug that dissolves the veins, so I will not have to go to the hospital as I did 25 years ago.

And so it goes.

Wearing BooHoo (Source: BooHoo)

Patrick Timsit (right) femulates in the 1995 French film Pédale douce.

Amy and the Doctor

By Amy

Today, our regular contributor, Amy, writes about finding self-improvement in the doctor's office.

With self-improvement foremost in my mind, I have followed the zillions of magazine pieces written on face lifts, nose jobs, eyebrow lifts, neck lifts, etc. I have read everything I can on facial feminization surgery and all that can be accomplished. I perpetually come back to my own base line appearance and count my blessings; no prominent brow bone; no Adam's apple; reasonable cheek bones; very good skin. (Thanks Mom!)

I did conclude that as I was aging some areas of my face were showing signs of drooping as fat and collagen were naturally lessening. I embarked on meeting with several dermatologists which turned out to be the best series of meetings, advice and support I could imagine.

Early on, I started in boy mode. Each doctor I met was a woman specializing in helping women look their best. I was right up front. I wanted to improve my appearance, to be more youthful, and have a soft feminine look.

The first of these doctors didn’t miss a beat and started me on a program called Thermage. You need to look into it, but in short, it is a form of laser passed over your face with the effect of triggering your skin to replenish lost collagen. For my skin type and other variables, the multiple sessions were very successful. An added benefit is that the laser greatly thinned my beard in the most natural way. What remains of my facial hair is thin, light in color, hidden easily under a very light foundation.

Secondly, I started on a prescription of Retin A. I have used it nightly for years. The evenness of color of my skin, the noticeably reduced pore size and near elimination of black heads is amazing. I use it everywhere below the eyes as my skin under my brows won’t tolerate it. I will never quit using this!

My appearance definitely improved and I began seeing all my doctors as Amy. At every office the staff and doctors cheered me on and enthusiastically helped me begin with new products. Dermal fillers were coming of age as was Botox.

I started eliminating frown lines between my eyes and filling little imperfections with these amazing products. They needed to be replenished, but I have found that by staying on schedule, I built a good foundation and moved forward.

Recently Juvaderm came on the scene and it was recommended I enhance my cheeks slightly for a more feminine shape. A more feminine contour was easily achieved and the skin under my eyes tightened and smoothed noticeably. Every place I have used fillers has served to make up volume in my face and slightly tightened the surrounding areas. Years melted away and people notice!

I now see four different doctors for these various tune ups! The method to this madness is that they all assess my needs and see things differently. Their skills are also different. One is especially good at removing the downturned line at the corners of my mouth. Another is particularly good at raising my brows and smoothing my forehead with Botox. So multiple opinions can matter.

Seeing multiple doctors in this way also taught me that I am not the only client pursuing a feminine appearance. Many of their trans clients have done far more invasive procedures; some are just discovering how helpful a dermatologist can be.

I am pleased to say that I have great relationships with these doctors and enjoy a very personable and intimate level of service. I love it when they do their magic and stand back and smile broadly! They enjoy helping me achieve my goals and would certainly do the same for you.

Wearing Brahmin.

Actor Richard O'Brien