What exactly is the process with starting T?

[carcinogeneticist]

I've asked on another site before, and got a pretty decent answer but it was also vague, so I decided to ask here as well.
Basically what I was told was that I need to be diagnosed as transgender by a therapist first, which I have been, apparently. (I'd asked my current therapist if that was something she could do for me, only to find that the doctor I'd seen to get my depression/anxiety meds gave me that diagnosis already)

So the next step is to see an endocrinologist or?
I've also read in other places that you need some kind of letter to proceed?

My therapist is not well-versed in transgender things so she is unclear as well on what the process is. I REALLY don't want to see a new counselor because this is already my second counselor this year and I really have trouble getting comfortable with anyone new and I've only finally gotten comfortable with her so I'm really reluctant to have to do that all over again. That being said, she really wants to help me so if we know what to do, she'll do it for me.

So yeah, basically just... what do I do from here? Do I just call and schedule an appointment with an endocrinologist first or get the letter or what do I do exactly? She said she'd fax my chart/diagnosis/whatever to the endo if I got an appointment but do I need the letter first to even see the endo about the hormone stuff or... I'm at a loss?

Does anyone know? Please help, I'm pretty sure the longer I go without T or being able to start hormones or anything the more depressed and suicidal I'm going to get.

I searched to see if I could find an answer to my question in other threads but couldn't find anything so I figured this thread would be ok.

Additional question: Does anyone know if Blue Cross Blue Shield will cover hormones?

[Ayden]

I used to have BCBS before my partner changed jobs, and they wouldn't cover the hormones, but I can get my T for really cheap.

As far as what you should do next, you are on the right track. Contact a doctor and ask them if they work with trans people. If they say yes, then make sure to ask what their requirements are. If they want a letter, ask them if there is certain information they want in the letter. The letter that my therapist sent my doctor was pretty detailed, and my doc told me that she would have been happy with a letter that stated my mental stabilityand diagnosis. As for what doctor to go to, check for an Endo, Internal Medicine (what mine is), or a GP that is willing to work with you and has some knowledge of hormones.

[Nygeel]

See if your primary care doctor will prescribe you hormones. An endocrinologist isn't necessarily needed to get hormones (although specialists are preferred).

[carcinogeneticist]

You're on the right track.  The next step is to get someone to prescribe it to you.  Ask your doctor if he or she would be willing to prescribe you hormones, and if the answer is no (might not be comfortable with it), then ask for a referral to an endocrinologist.  Or, if you know an endo you want to see, contact them to make sure they would be willing to work with a trans person.  Get an appointment.  Many (most?) doctors will want a letter from a mental health professional basically stating your diagnosis, and that hormone therapy is the right next step for you.  Check with the doctor to see what he or she would specifically like to have in the letter.  They will run bloodwork, and if all is well, you get your prescription.

I don't know about your insurance, but my impression is that insurance is mostly a bust when it comes to trans things. 

Correct me if I'm wrong, anyone, about anything that I've said.

Hope that helps.

Thank you for your answer and help.

I don't currently have a doctor because I haven't had insurance in about 3 years or so... and my mom got insurance because she wanted to have a way to pay for my depression medication but if I don't have insurance, I can qualify for medicaid which I hear does actually cover it, so should I probably do that instead?

Should I get a doctor first or see an endo first? Or find a doctor and I don't have to see an endo? Or doctor first and then endo and then doctor?

Also in the document that you linked what parts are relevant? I appreciate the link I just don't know what parts to read. My computer can't handle me having a 120 page document open for long enough to read the whole thing and a lot of it seems to be more geared towards doctors or?? I don't know what to read with this.

I used to have BCBS before my partner changed jobs, and they wouldn't cover the hormones, but I can get my T for really cheap.

As far as what you should do next, you are on the right track. Contact a doctor and ask them if they work with trans people. If they say yes, then make sure to ask what their requirements are. If they want a letter, ask them if there is certain information they want in the letter. The letter that my therapist sent my doctor was pretty detailed, and my doc told me that she would have been happy with a letter that stated my mental stabilityand diagnosis. As for what doctor to go to, check for an Endo, Internal Medicine (what mine is), or a GP that is willing to work with you and has some knowledge of hormones.

Thank you. I guess that answers my question about whether or not to just try for medicaid. Since I'm not working and my family's income is low, I should qualify for it. So Hopefully that works.

Also thank you for the advice with the doctors. I'll look into that. Thankfully I think there is a resource of trans-friendly endos/doctors in my area.

See if your primary care doctor will prescribe you hormones. An endocrinologist isn't necessarily needed to get hormones (although specialists are preferred).

Thank you as well. All of your answers have been extremely helpful to me. I will look for a doctor to see. But I guess I should probably wait to see if I can get medicaid since I doubt I can afford to see the doctor without already having some kind of coverage. Thank you again.

[Sea-Sam]

My therapist says I need to get my genes tested first.  Is this supposed to help?  I have an appointment on the 20th.

[Nygeel]

My therapist says I need to get my genes tested first.  Is this supposed to help?  I have an appointment on the 20th.

It doesn't and costs a whole friggen lot.

[Sea-Sam]

Well I think it's covered..   but why would she want me to?  That doesn't make sense if it's not helpful.

[Nygeel]

Well I think it's covered..   but why would she want me to?  That doesn't make sense if it's not helpful.

Really the only reason why they ask to get tested is to check for intersex conditions. The problem is that genes are only going to tell you if you're genetically intersex (ex: being female but XY, or XXY). It changes the diagnosis slightly, but really is kind of meaningless. Treatment isn't any different.

[poptart]

What happened with me was this... my therapist wrote a letter of referral to my GP (family doctor, whatever you call it there) and then I had to schedule an appointment with my GP where he forwarded the letter to an endo and made me take a blood test. The endo called me and scheduled an appointment and then I had my first T shot when I went to that appointment which was approx 1 month later.

[wheat thins are delicious]

My therapist says I need to get my genes tested first.  Is this supposed to help?  I have an appointment on the 20th.

Your therapist doesn't know ->-bleeped-<-.

[poptart]

My therapist says I need to get my genes tested first.  Is this supposed to help?  I have an appointment on the 20th.

Is this a qualified gender therapist or a regular therapist? If the 2nd I would switch to someone who actually knows what they are doing. Genetic testing is not a mandatory part of the process.
But yeah, it's to check if you are intersex since a diagnosis of GID can't be given in that circumstance.

[geek]

For me it was

Get docked around by my GP for a month
Get referred to private psychologist
Get referred to trans friendly private GP
Get referred to psychiatrist again private
See psychiatrist for two one hour appointments
See GP for first shot


I had bloods done, genes, t lvl, liver etc

The bloods were free for me (Australia) and I could claim some of it back from Medicare for the other stuff

All of the progress was done in under a month, so from my psychologist to tshot.