i went to the doctor yesterday for my annual check-up. as it turns out, i hadn’t been since november of ‘06, so i was over due. i had the usual prodding, poking and peeking, blood tests, and extensive questioning that accompanies any thorough medical exam. i am fortunate and privileged to have the medical insurance that covers this (besides a $20 co-pay, and a small co-pay for the blood work), and i feel extremely lucky to have found an excellent medical group that specializes in lgbt medicine.
actually, i schedule my visits with the resident nurse practitioner as opposed to the doctor there. i usually prefer female medical personnel when it comes to someone poking in and around my body, and i’ve been seeing her since i moved to phoenix, so she knows my history.
at this visit, i met their new assistant, who performed most of the exam. she was quite personable, and she put me at ease immediately. apparently, she’s in training, and i was her first post-op trans woman. which was quite the experience since i was past due for an internal exam, and i haven’t found a gyno in the area with whom i was comfortable.
she did quite well, wielding that speculum like a pro, making this the most painless internal exam and pap smear i’ve had. well, it’s not actually a pap smear, since i don’t have a cervix - they’re just testing to make sure there are no abnormal cells floating around in there.
anyway, it seems i’m doing my part in helping to educate the next generation of medical personnel in trans health care. perhaps they should pay me next time 
“an excellent medical group that specializes in lgbt medicine.”
I wish I could find some place like that around here. I’ve had pretty bad luck with doctors, even the ones who say that their “specialty” is working with us “freaks”. …what I wouldn’t give to have a trans PCP.
Comment by Jon — February 17, 2008 @ 5:13 am
even back east in new jersey, i had to drive over an hour to the one guy who specialized in us “freaks”. and the only reason we were his specialty, was that the therapist i was seeing needed a doctor to provide medical care for her patients. so she found this guy (he originally and still did specialize in “sports medicine”) who was willing to learn, and over like 10 years or so, got the expertise.
pheonix has a rather large lgbt community, so we’re able to fully support two medical groups who exclusively treat lgbt people.
as i said, i’m fortunate.
Comment by nexy — February 17, 2008 @ 9:09 am