First time to the endo?

[Nicky-Nicole]

Just wondering what happens the first time you go to the endo? what tests do they take? what is talked about? do they percscribe anything the first time or is that after the blood work comes back? I'm going for the first time in a few weeks and just wanted to get a heads up on things.

[Lucy]

Good question

[Renae.Lupini]

I was doing the whole self-medicating thing so my therapist about went ballistic and assured me that I could get proper treatment at a local clinic. They were comfortable with the regimen I was doing and tested everything from testosterone to cholesterol. Every doctor is different and anything that you think should be tested then you need to ask them to do so. no matter what, always be open with your doctor. Ask the silly questions and ones out of left field. To you they may seem nuts, but something in them may end up benefiting you in the long run.

[seldom]

Generally speaking.
Expect a physical exam and blood tests.  They also ask about you and your families medical history. 
Do not expect hormones until your blood tests come back.

Cost...well it depends where you go.  They can vary widely.  I go to a GLBT clinc that has an arrangement with my insurance company.  I just have to cover the $10 co-pay.
You may have to go to a regular endo and not have insurance coverage.  So shopping around would be helpful. 

Your blood tests may take a week to a month to process.

[Renae.Lupini]

Generally speaking.
Expect a physical exam and blood tests.  They also ask about you and your families medical history. 
Do not expect hormones until your blood tests come back.

Cost...well it depends where you go.  They can vary widely.  I go to a GLBT clinc that has an arangement with my insurance company.  I just have to cover the $10 co-pay.
You may have to go to a regular endo and not have insurance coverage.  So shopping around would be helpful. 

Your blood tests may take a week to a month to process.

Whitman-Walker?

[seldom]

Of course I go to Whitman-Walker.  I live in the DC area after all. 

[Nicky-Nicole]

Short answer: Depends on a variety of factors. Or are you looking more for examples of our own experiences?

examples or your own experiences would be helpful to.

[Kate]

Just wondering what happens the first time you go to the endo? what tests do they take? what is talked about? do they percscribe anything the first time or is that after the blood work comes back? I'm going for the first time in a few weeks and just wanted to get a heads up on things.

I was already on HRT when I saw my doctor. He took blood and performed all the usual blood tests. He wrote me prescriptions for everything I was already taking during that first visit, before seeing any test results other than a pre-HRT baseline I'd brought with me. He didn't give me a physical. He asked about my wife and job, basically looking to see if I was in a reasonably stable situation. He glanced at my HRT letter and assorted documentation and said he appreciated my care and thoroughness.

My tests came back in a few days, and he cleared me to continue my regimen.

He's NOT an endo however, just my General Practitioner.

~Kate~

[seldom]

A GP who is experienced with TS patients is as good as an endo, if not a little better than an endo with no TS experience. 

[Nicky-Nicole]

My endo (Dr. Collins in cincy,ohio)has a lot of experience with mtf and ftm but more mtf.So thats a good thing. My family doc. and my theropist both recommend him.There's only one other place to go to and that at the gender clinic at Crist Hospital but they only have one day a month to get in,which i think is stupid,and its on a friday always,which is the hardest time for me to get off work.plus my ins. will not pay anything for the clinic so with all that in mind i'm for sure going to Dr. Collins.

[LostInTime]

My first endoc really, really stunk. However, he was a fave in the community and that is because he did absolutely no blood work at all. Visits consisted of showing up, answering a couple of questions from one of the younger docs/docs in training/nurses, getting an injection in the butt and walking out the door with prescriptions. Oh and his staff loved arguing over the insurance, which the company I had then always paid them without question.

Fast Forward a few years and I got to see a real doctor. Full blood panel was done. Liver function, cholesterol, testosterone counts, HIV test, and a couple of other things were looked at. 5 small vials of blood. The real joy was watching the person taking the blood trying to hit a vein and then get blood out of it. Urine sample was taken for tests as well.

I had a lot of follow up tests due to a genetic condition that I have but once that was done, I was given my scripts and return every 6 months.

And yes, a physical exam is done every time I go to see my endoc.

For the first visit the doc asked me a bunch of questions, kind of like being at the therapist's office but was very relaxed. When did I realise I was TS? What therapists I have seen? Meds from when I was on HRT earlier?

[seldom]

Lost in time that first endo is worse then DIY.

Because he should KNOW better. 

[Kaitlyn]

Lets see, the first time I saw a doctor (she was a GP, staff physician) was at the health clinic at my school. She discussed with me what I had been taking, what kind of physical and mental effects I'd seen, what kind of dosage I had tried and was comfortable with, and what my desires/intentions were. All in all, she very much worked with me on figuring out what would best suit my situation. She had some blood taken for testing (renal and lipid panel, testosterone, cholesterol, potassium, and some others, two sizable vials altogether), and I walked out that day with some prescriptions. I had expected some sort of physical exam actually, but she never mentioned it.

It was a wonderful experience, really. It kind of made me wish I had looked or tried sooner.

[Berliegh]

What is your therapist like? What procedures do they usually follow? How willing are they to deviate from past courses of action? How personal are they? How professional are they? How much do they base their method on what the patient wants? How much do they base their method on past experience? How much do they base their method on their own ideals? What is your past history? Who is your therapist and what are they like? How do you act? How assertive are you? How old are you? What is your health like? What does your bloodwork show? Does the endo not usually need bloodwork first? What is your medical history? What is your family's medical history?

Short answer: Depends on a variety of factors. Or are you looking more for examples of our own experiences?

What does a therapist do? and what are their skills?. We don't have them in the UK to my knowledge, I've never seen one. Also what are the endocrinologists like in the U.S? here they are very limited in their knowledge regarding gender issues.....usually it's trial and error over here and we try different things till we find what medication suits us best. There isn't much direction or any kind of treatment program especially with the NHS and most of my knowledge over the last 10 years has been gained from the internet.

[Lisbeth]

Generally speaking.
Do not expect hormones until your blood tests come back.

This was not true in my case.  She said that most patients don't get their prescriptions on the first visit, but I had all my ducks in a row.  I had been referred to her by my GP who was part of the same health system (Park Nicollet), and my therapist had already faxed in my hormone letter.  She had all my medical charts going back for years.  Yes, she ordered blood work, but it was all repeats of things in my file.  I went from there to the pharmacy and stuck my first patch on when I got home.

Posted on: July 03, 2007, 10:11:38 AM

Also what are the endocrinologists like in the U.S? here they are very limited in their knowledge regarding gender issues.....usually it's trial and error over here and we try different things till we find what medication suits us best. There isn't much direction or any kind of treatment program especially with the NHS and most of my knowledge over the last 10 years has been gained from the internet.

I do not actually see an endocrinologist.  My doctor is an OB/GYN who specializes in GLBT medicine.  I had been seeing her for a year and half before I found out that Park Nicollet publishes a glossy flyer on their transgender services that has her picture on it.  Near the top it says, "We are one of the largest transgender practices in Minnesota."

[scurvydog]

I'm speaking from the UK perspective as well.

It seems to me I'm educating my endo some of the time, although I have faith in the fact he knows what he's doing.

The first time I went they took a urine sample and some bloods from me and then I went on hormone blockers (FTM) as I was under 18 at the time. They do a full blood count. They get liver and kidney function, basically check your organs are doing what they should, from this.

I just go back every 4 months for more bloodwork, and they keep track of my organ function and my hormone levels.

[spx_1112]

How are everyone's checkups?