Surgery - Where to Begin

[MaxAloysius]

Okay, I need some help please guys! I've been on T for almost four months now, and I've decided I really need to get onto surgery now. Like...now. Wearing a binder actually greatly affects my health, and I have a number of recurring conditions that are aggravated by it, and come summer I do a lot of passing out; braining yourself on the bathroom tiles tends to loose it's fun after the first dozen times. Needless to say, I really want my chest gone as soon as possible so I can get back some semblance of a life.

So where do I start? My doctor is a bit of a dick, so I'm pretty sure she'll tell me I'm not ready yet or something, but do I go about getting an appointment for surgery through her? Or am I supposed to find a surgeon on my own and call and make an appointment with them about it?

If it helps at all I live in Eastern Australia.

[Aussie Jay]

Mate you find a surgeon you want a consult with but generally here you'll need a referal from your GP and a letter from a psych. Is there no chance you can talk to this 'dick' of a doctor? Make her listen etc?? Do you mean she will think you are emotionally not ready or physically??

Eastern Australia - there are a few. You probably know about the FTMAustralia website where it has a list of most of the surgeons around the country.. Do you know who you want to see??

I saw the popular one in Sydney first and didn't overly enjoy the experience, so saw a reconstructive surgeon in my home town, who to my surprise, I really liked!! But unfortunately I still needed that letter of referral from the GP and a shrink

[MaxAloysius]

I'm catching up with my lovely psych (the only one of four I went to...pricks...) on Monday, and she will be more than happy to write me a letter for surgery, as she offered to do a long time ago, so that won't be a problem for me.

I think my doctor will tell me I'm not ready because she still doesn't think I'm ready to be on T, she thinks I'm much too young to make these kind of decisions, and that I will change my mind. She's put me through a lot of crap, and been very patronising to me through this whole process, and I don't see her thinking four months on T is enough for me to know I'm ready for surgery, despite the fact I would have had it done first if the medical system would let me make my own damn choices. Wearing a binder is seriously ruining my life, and if I have as many problems this summer as I did the last, I may well loose my job and a whole tonne of brain cells because of it.

And no I didn't know about that site, thanks! Will check it out!

[Aussie Jay]

Man that sucks. Well can you get the psych to write a letter to your GP as well?? When I wanted surgery, my GP sent me for a psych appt as I hadn't had one for a while and he wanted to get ticks in all boxes, the shrink actually wrote the GP a letter as well if that makes sense.. Maybe that is something you can ask about?? If she didn't think you were ready I am surprised she would write you the script for T mate - that's big bickies for a GP to do if she's not sure you meet the right criteria etc hey!!

Out of curiosity are you going through a gender clinic?? Or where abouts are you?? I started the process years ago in Melbourne, completed the psych stuff in Brisbane and am now in the full swing of things up in FNQ - if I have any contacts I can share I will, I just don't know where you are! And yeah the FTMAustralia website is a wealth of knowledge mate. I have sent Craig (the administrator) contact details for psychs and GPs I have used so it is info coming from guys like you and me, to help others - and they also have a yahoo group and chat boards so check it out if you're keen.

Lemme know if there is anything else I can do to try help you out mate!

[MaxAloysius]

Thanks for the info mate, will send you a PM about where I live.

My lovely psych wrote my GP a scary letter to get me on hormones, telling her she'd cause me severe psychological trauma and stuff if she prevented me from going on hormones as she had been doing. I have a blood test next week, and then an appointment with my GP after, so I will definitely ask if my psych can write her a letter expressing how important this is too. And no, no gender clinic for me because they're all too far away, just my doc.