Finding A Doc

[Manyfaces]

Day after tomorrow I'll have my hormone letter in hand, and I want to find a doctor and get started as quickly as possible.  I'm unsure exactly how to go about it. 

My regular doctor's specialty is internal medicine, and I'm thinking I'll start with her, see if she is amenable to doing the hormone therapy for me, or, if not, whether she can refer me to an endo or other doctor who will.  I'm hoping I can find out by phone before actually making an appointment--if she's open to doing it at all, I mean--because I don't want to waste an appointment if she isn't going to help.  So, I guess I have to figure out how to explain this, briefly but clearly, to whoever answers the phone.

I'm curious:  How did you find a doctor, and how hard was it, and do you have any recommendations for the best way to proceed?  Any ideas about what to say when I make the call? 

[seldom]

I live in a big city with a LGBT center.  It was pretty easy.  I called their number for TS services, and made an appointment.  Since they had a deal with my insurance company, everything, save for the hormones themselves, is free.

This is much easier if you live in a big city as supposed to a small town because of this.  GLBT centers are a godsend.  It completely avoids the whole "looking for a doctor" thing that many TS have to or had to endure. 

While some TS in DC still go with endo's, many choose the Whitman Walker Clinic because of the fact they don't have to worry about their insurance not covering HRT or finding TS services. 

It all depends where you live.  Your general practitioner (internal medicine) may be able to do it if they are familiar with doing HRT.  It doesn't have to be an endo. 

[Dora]

I live in a small town of less then 5,000 people. My choices were obviously limited. The first doctor was agreeable and was willing to prescribe the hormones, but he wanted an MD who he would be able to contact for problems/questions as he had zero experience with TG.

The second doctor said the same thing, practically word for word. But when I asked him how he personally felt about it, he said, "This is America - you are free to do whatever you want." I'm not sure just how to take that, but my gut feeling was it was against his (maybe moral?) principles. I don't want a doctor who isn't behind me 100%.

The third doctor was very interested and we talked for an hour. She asked all the usual curiosity questions and I had very good feelings about her. However, she too wanted an outside consultant.

Long story short, I found an on line MD who was willing to consult with her on questions and concerns. She made the call and 10 days later I am now on HRT.

The point is, it takes perseverance. And time. You may get lucky, or you may have to spend some time and effort to make it happen.

One of the best things I did was to create a "Dora's Road Map." It contains a timeline of myself from birth until now. In it I list as many things as I could remember about my TG history along with the approximate age I was when it happened. I then made a road map of how I plan to get from here to there. I included what and when I would do and I cross items off as I make it happen. I also included a couple of TS information primers and a couple of articles written specifically for the doctor prescribing the hormones. I bundled it up in a folder and gave it to her on my first visit. Once she read it she realized it wasn't just a pipe dream or a lark, and that I was serious about pursuing this transition,. Giving this road map to my doctor made a HUGE difference and I would probably be still searching for a doctor.

Good luck to you and hang in there!

Dora