I went to my local GP today and filled him in on what had happened last wednesday at the Gender Clinic. I told him how i was astonished at the unprofessionalism and the lack of help they offered. Previous to my visit to the Gender Clinic i had told my GP that it was possible to buy hormones of the internet but i felt uneasy about this idea as not only do you not really know if you getting what you think you are, but also that without the proper professional monitoring, it can be unsafe. To my astonishment i actually heard a member of staff at the Gender Clinic advising a patient that buying of the internet was a possibility as they could not offer them there until after the 'life test'!
Last year i was prescribed anti depressants to see if they would help lift my moods and give me the motivation to go about my daily life... they didn't! This is because, my daily life always included having to look at my reflection in the mirror in order to get ready, hence making me depressed again about the fact that i was still in fact male. Its proven that prescribing female hormones to a gender dysphoric patient actually makes the patient more relaxed, less anxious, less restless and generally happier knowing that they are on the path to starting their new lives. Now isn't it the job of the doctors and the NHS to help patients? Apparently i had the wrong impressions as it appears this is not the case.
There is a happy end to my day however. Having agreed that the anti depressants were a failure and that the hormones would indeed help to give my life some normality and set me on the right tracks, my GP has agreed to start my hormone treatment. I will be calling the Gender Clinic tomorrow to get the names and SAFE dosages for my doctor as he agrees internet hormones can not only be damaging but life threatening!
At last I'm finally happy in the knowledge that no longer will my body be getting taller, broader, more hairy... i will now start puberty all over again (joy!) but this time my body will be changing into the form that it should have always been. I cant wait!
I will let you know as soon as i begin my life long tablet regime. Take care, Lara x
Hey Lara. FWIW, They said the same to me (and that was a long time ago). The reality was somewhat different though. I was prescrobed hormones on my seond visit. I think if you try to push the system, they push back. It's not how it whould be, but it is. I believe that the clinic I went to (Charing Cross in London) actually use Hormones as a diagnostic tool these days so it can't (and probably won't) wait until either the start or completion of your RLT. They just need some indication of your seriousness. I took a letter from my employer which stated I had discussed transition with them and we had set a date for it to happen at work. This was the point that they started to prescribe. Anyway. Keep blogging and good luck.
ReplyDeletePS. Sorry about the spelling. I wrote that in a hurry!
ReplyDeleteHi Lara,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this experience with us. I'm a M2F currently going through the same process except I'm quite a bit older. It's nice to see someone of your age experiencing the exact same things as someone my age. (43). Just helps me to realize the thoughts and emotions are a normal part of the process. I look forward to following your progress. You can do it and I know you'll be very happy.