Quote from: Shannon1979 on March 20, 2013, 11:44:02 AM
But when i spoke to them earlier they told me my my appointment would probably not be untill June. why the hell does everything in this damn country always take forever.
We all want to get on with our transitions as quickly as possible. I complained about this to the NHS last year: I pointed out that by the time we've plucked up the courage to seek medical attention, we're usually at crisis point within our lives and we need to be seen
yesterday. Being made to wait ages is simply cruel, especially since NHS guidelines state we should be seen within 18 weeks (even that feels way too long!).
However, a little perspective might help. You're actually quite fortunate if you're going to get into a GIC by June. Many people in this country are having to wait at least a year - sometimes longer - for their first appointment. I waited 8 months before cancelling my referral to a particular GIC because they're so inundated that they hadn't even processed the paperwork, let alone offered me an appointment. I got my doctors to pull a lot of strings so that I could get an early appointment at a different GIC... but even then, I'll be waiting almost a year between seeing my GP and attending the GIC. That's the downside of living in a catchment area with a lot of other trans people.
Just make sure you keep chasing them up. If you don't keep on top of it, they'll treat you like just another number on their system and they'll happily let you wait until they can be bothered to see you. If you make yourself known to them, you're much more likely to be seen sooner. And that's true for anything within the NHS.
And please bear in mind that many GICs take a dim view of people who self-medicate. You could find it actually slows down your progress. Self-medicating can be dangerous so even though I understand how awful it is to be made to wait ages before you can see anyone, hopefully it will only be a couple of months before you can start to
safely transition.
