I agree that some mandatory waits are not as bad as they seem. It can just be overdone at times. At some point I had to wait almost 1.5 years to get my first real appointment after my initial assassment to see if I was eligble, and that was just plain stupid.
However, the docs and psychologist in Holland are fair about it. They tell me they wish to speed things up, but there is just an overload of people who need help, and because genderteams are multidiciplinary (as in, shrinks and many different kinds of doctors have to work together) the process just takes ages.
I also understand that if you are hasty, rash decisions can be made. There are other conditions that sometimes explain the genderconfusion and hormones and surgery would just make the person regret it at a later point. In Holland they do not fear claims. I am sure we have to sign something too. But what they do genuinly fear is that the person regrets his or her decision later in life, and that must be prevented. A few months wait in between steps helps, because you do start to think and read up etc. It keeps the mind going.
But yes, waiting sucks....When my psychologist told me that our appointment on the 8th of march had to be postponed to the 26th of April I wanted to strangle him. No hormones for me for at least another 3 months. I can almost see my female body wring its hands with a grin "time for more torture, muahahhaha"
