A rant -- Waiting, waiting and...more waiting

[Mr.X]

So, how many of you guys are tired of the ever so long waiting bouts in between and even before treatment? I'm not sure this is applicable to American folks, who pay for everything themselves and thus things are sped up a little, right?

But over here, the process is a little different. We don't have to pay for our treatment in Holland. The therapist, the hormones and the surgery is all paid for by our healthinsurance. Sounds great, right? Well, of course it is money wise, but the entire process is accompanied with long waits because there are only that many doctors and therapists involved, and a lot of people that need help.

Even before I could start seeing a therapist I waited 14 months! You have to sign up, fill in some tests and then after more than a year they have time for you. When I was finally starting, I could only see my therapist once a month. And even that was too often last time. I saw him on the 19th of februari, and he had no appointment available until the 26th of april. That's over two months waiting, which only makes me more anxious and depressed. Today, I could finally meet up with him and he says the diagnostic phase is over. It only took them a year or so...That means I'll be admitted to the genderteam, and upon a small discussion with the entire team, I'll likely be eligable for treatment. Great! But lo and behold, before I can even touch T, I have to wait 2 more months for physical exams.....Yup, again, waiting!

I am sooooo tired of this I want to smash something.

Okay....rant over. Any of you feeling like this? Or am I just being impatient?

[spacerace]

Waiting certainly sucks. Good luck. You've all ready waited 14 months! Hopefully that is the long haul and you'll get there soon. People in the United States have to wait sometimes too, but yes, generally we can speed things up.

Just because I am curious about international trans health care - what private options are available in your country for a therapist and doctor that would be willing to do trans care, if you had chosen to pay for things yourself? Are they super duper pricey?

[Edge]

I hate waiting too. I've been waiting since December just for my doctor to find out what the requirements are for me to get on hormones.

[Mr.X]

Just because I am curious about international trans health care - what private options are available in your country for a therapist and doctor that would be willing to do trans care, if you had chosen to pay for things yourself? Are they super duper pricey?

To be honest, I don't have a clue. I don't even think anyone considers this, because our genderteams are amongst the best in the world (apparently). But yes, apart from the long waiting.

I hate waiting too. I've been waiting since December just for my doctor to find out what the requirements are for me to get on hormones.

I feel for you. I really do. I mean, looking for requirements surely doesn't take 4 months? 

[Simon]

I wish we had resources in the States like many of you have in other areas of the world. We still have hoops to jump through. Then that's only possible if you have the funds. Surgery almost always requires getting an extra job or putting yourself under mounds of debt here. A lot of people here don't get anything done because most often it's not covered by insurance and they can't fund it.

I understand anticipation for things to come but really you're very fortunate to have the tax funded resources. At least you know it's coming, right?

[CursedFireDean]

This is kind of how I feel knowing I won't be able to start T for another year... I just get so tired of waiting sometimes :/

[AdamMLP]

It gets like that here in the UK with the NHS, but the waits tend to vary depending on which Gender Identity Clinic you get referred to.  I haven't been through the system myself yet because of other problems I have with the NHS (I refuse to go anywhere near the psychiatrist who will refuse to let anyone else see me if he recognises my name because of how he treated me in the past), but I've heard of some people having ridiculously long waits, especially for Charing Cross which is seen as the 'best' GIC.  One guy on youtube asked to go to a different one, the Laurels, and got seen a lot quicker.

Here you can go and see people privately, which can speed things up as well by the sounds of it.  From my small amount of research into it that's about £350 for the initial appointment and £150 for those afterwards, if I've remembered the numbers correctly, which it's likely that I haven't knowing me.  I'd love to do that, and I have the money, but I don't think it's the responsible thing to do because I can't get a skilled job unless I have a car because I live in the middle of nowhere, and driving lessons alone are a small fortune.  If it wasn't for the NHS I would be taking the risk.

I'm sick of waiting until I'm classed as an adult by the mental health teams so that I don't have to live in fear of that psychiatrist demanding that he's the one who has to see me, all because he believes that no one else is capable of dealing with me.  And then I'll have the waits to actually get the appointments to prove I'm mentally sound, and then referred to a GIC and get their appointments.  It doesn't help either that now there's been a change in how the referrals and funding works, so some GP's are getting confused and things are going awry.  All the joys of a national health system.

[Natkat]

Yeah alot of people in my country have to wait for years just so they "might" be considered help.
some get rejejcted or refuse to go thought the system, then they find doctors on your own, it faster but not really easy to find and somethimes you must go to other countrys to find them.

I did have papers on Neatherland with some information but now there totally gone on my computer and all I can find is this s*** little paper who just says basic on what is able in neatherland and not.grrr


I have been trying wating to get old enough for threatment and it sucks, my best advice is to use your time usefully.

p.s.
for my country what I would decribe as inhumane threatment isnt the waiting itself but the point that many of the patients do not have a end date on when they can expect to get help, or in other word, rejejcted or accepted threatment. This lead them into a mental hard position where they each time they show up getting disapointed for more waiting and more waitning never know how long there going to wait and never knowing if they out of sudden is to being refused threatment.

I think you should have a time limit for how long you can expect to wait, if your doctor is gonna give you a couple of mounths then you can go with that or if he tells you it might take a half year, but if he keep telling you to wait more and more without giving details on how long or how sure your to getting permission, then I would recomend to try look around if theres other posibilatys you can do.

[randomroads]

While I totally feel for you and know just how much waiting for something sucks, this thread makes me happy to be American. Within 3 weeks of setting an appointment I started T. Yes, I have to pay for it out of pocket. Yes I have to drive a six hour round trip. These things are nothing compared to the agony of waiting for years because of federal insurance regulations having a death grip on what doctors can and cannot do.

I'm not sure if CareCredit is accepted in other countries but anyone who's facing a financial burden because of medical care should look into it. I found out that the DR that I want for my top surgery accepts it and that's a lot better than saving up to pay in cash. Now all I have to do is save up for the travel and hotel expense which should only be around $1000 USD. Since finding out I'm hoping to schedule within a year.

[Simon]

I'm not sure if CareCredit is accepted in other countries but anyone who's facing a financial burden because of medical care should look into it. I found out that the DR that I want for my top surgery accepts it and that's a lot better than saving up to pay in cash.

Just be aware that CareCredit has a high interest rate if you are ever late for a payment. They slap you hard if payments are ever delinquent for any reason. I do agree that it is worth looking into for those who have no other options though.

[randomroads]

That is a really good point. Only use CareCredit if you're sure you can make your payments every time. Many of us can make payments but suck at saving money (like me).