What's the process for starting HRT?

[Espguarde]

Hello, I hope that questions like these are permitted here.

I'm still confused about the process for starting HRT. I live in Vancouver, but the Transgender Health Information Program (which has been mentioned several times on this site) is extremely slow with e-mail replies. Therefore, I fear that if I'm not specific and careful with my questions, it'll take an immense amount of time to receive an underwhelming amount of information. Frankly, I don't know that much about the specifics.

The psychiatrist I've been seeing is supportive of my desire to start transitioning, but he doesn't have experience with transgender issues. Therefore, I haven't received a hormone readiness assessment yet, nor do I know how long the process takes. It's also a bit difficult for me to speak to just anyone about personal issues; I was continuously persecuted by a group of health professionals for several years, and trying to bare through it resulted in consequences.

I live near one of the Trans* Specialty Care Clinics, but apparently I can't just walk in to ask questions. They have a long wait list and require a callback number, but I don't have one I can provide; I can text freely, but I can only send calls, not receive them. Also, in addition to personal deadlines I'd like to meet, I'm experiencing external circumstantial pressure to start the process as quickly as possible. I don't have much leeway with the latter, and the consequences are undesirable.

My questions:
1. What's the typical process for starting HRT in Canada?
2. What exactly is the hormone readiness assessment, and how long does it take?
3. How many different professionals will I need to interact with to start and continue HRT?
4. Do I need to be in contact with a general practitioner? If so, does anyone know how I might be able to find one who is trans-friendly? (I haven't seen my family doctor for around ten years, if not longer.)

Thanks.

[Madison (kiara jamie)]

well hello there fellow canadian, i understand your confusion, i myself live in calgary so i deal with alberta health care instead of BC healthcare, i don't know if the process is the same but i will tell you my story if that helps

i started by seeing a psychologist i believe that was very helpful with my transgendered issue's, apparently she had dealt with quite a few transgendered people in the past and saw them through the whole process, basically we started by talking about my gender identity disorder and how it had affected me in the past, which only took one session(i came prepared), and on my second visit we started the 5 pages of questions(i can't remember how many) that understand the severity of my GID, basically it took about 8 sessions total i believe and she had me write a document detailing my past experiences about being transgendered, she sent the document i wrote to my General practitioner with a recommendation that i be sent to a one of the major "gatekeepers" of alberta to be approved for HRT, i was expecting an 18 month wait but was contacted about 6 months later and got my meeting, basically i met with the psychologist  specialist for transgendered people in alberta and was approved for hrt immediately because i had a trans-history document sent to him with the referral, then it was just a 2 week wait to see my endo and i was on hrt

one thing to note to though, if you come to alberta i would be happy to help you take the same path i took and also BTW alberta has reinstated full coverage for GRS and unlike BC's 2 year RLE, its only one year in alberta, just food for thought 

and the flames are better than the canucks bahhhh