A MAN who went to hospital with a kidney stone was stunned when a nurse gave him his results - and revealed that he was actually a woman.

Steve Crecelius, a photographer from Denver, Colorado, was born with both male and female traits and had long repressed his feminine side.

But after an ultrasound made the discovery, he no longer lives as a man and goes by 'Stevie' - a move that his wife and their six children support.

'I remember wearing my mom’s clothes and makeup, very secretly, not telling anybody,' Crecelius, who chose to hide behind a male persona, told Fox31.

But 40 years later, the nurse gave the explanation for his feelings, revealing that he was intersex.

'I had a kidney stone and we’re in the emergency room,' Crecelius said. 'The nurse is reading the ultrasound and says, "Huh, this says you’re a female". It validated everything I had always felt inside.'

While Crecelius appeared to have male genitalia, the ultrasound indicated he also had internal female sex organs - just one of the conditions under the umbrella term 'intersex'.

When they arrived home, his wife Debbie forced him to talk about it - a conversation that Crecelius had avoided in fear that he would lose his family.

But rather than walking away, she was supportive, choosing to deal with the news by taking Stevie shopping for her first bra, The Denver Post reported.

Debbie admitted it has not been easy and feared that she would never get her husband back - but stood by Stevie, saying: 'You will be who you are'.

'I didn’t sign on for this, but who signs on for anything?' Debbie told Fox31. 'She’s the same person she was as a he on the inside.'

They battled through by being open about their concerns as they adjusted through the changes.

'We asked each other questions,' Debbie told the Post. 'He asked me, "What if you meet someone along the way?" I said, "What if you meet someone?" The road goes both ways.'

The couple, who have now been together more than 25 years, still share a room and a bed together.

'She still relates to my heart and soul, and I still relate to hers, and I think that that’s the essence of true love,' Crecelius said.



Originally published as Man discovers he's actually a woman