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| JJ Hart. |
Today was my follow up appointment after my hospital visit with my Veteran’s Administration primary physician.
I have been going to the same clinic for nearly eight years
now and have experienced many ups and downs in how I am treated by the staff
and fellow patients. I started out with many negative stares and even bad
comments from staff when they went out of their way to call me “Sir.” Almost to
the point, I was ready to report on one lady who insisted on misgendering me to
the higher ups. But, by the time I came back, she was no longer there.
Over time, I became accepted by everyone as my confidence continued
to improve. So much so that today, I actually had the courage to sit down next
to another woman who was there with her husband who happened to have the same
last name as me. When he finished his appointment and came out into the waiting
room, the woman I was talking to made a point of saying we had the same last
name. The best part was when she said about me that “she” (me) had the same
last name. I naturally loved the fact that she recognized me for who I really
was.
Other than that, the appointment went well, and all the
traces of the pneumonia I had were gone. Plus, all my current vitals were good
and even after that point, I received a pneumonia vaccine and a new portable
blood pressure machine I can use at home.
The only drawback to the entire morning was when I went to
our favorite coffee shop when my appointment at the VA was over. The bad point
was the drive through was closed for some reason and I needed to take my immobile
self and go into the shop to order. They were struggling, but I was patient and
stayed until the staff got my order right. While I was placing and picking up
my order, I was not in a situation where I was gendered at all, so I escaped
with a neutral in that visit and headed home with our breakfast and coffee.
All in all, I am happy that the visit to the VA went as well
as it did and I think my next in-person appointment I have is the mammogram I
needed to reschedule for April. Other than that I have the virtual VA
appointments I regularly have scheduled, hopefully my calendar will continue to
be clear.
