Hormone treatment question?

[samchindamo]

Hey!! So first of all let me apologize if this is in the wrong place, I'm new! haha. So I'm an FTM, already have been out and about it for quite some time and thankfully my parents are very good about it and because of other things in my life I've seen a regular therapist for a good 5 years and I'm very soon the age where I can start hormone therapy with parent consent, so we're trying to figure things out about a lot of it but I can't really find any straight forward answers so hear me out. I know I need a diagnoses of GID to start treatment, but what are the specific requirements for the person who diagnoses me and gives me the referral? My therapist that I've been with for years has had the diagnoses down for a long while, but she isn't allowed to refer me, so what steps do I need to take to find someone who can and who do they have to be? Apologies if I sound crazy!
Thank you for any help!!♥

[Mariah]

Hi Samchindamo, welcome to Susan's. Others will be a long that know the steps for the age your likely at. I look forward to seeing you around the forums. Good luck and hugs.
Mariah

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[LordKAT]

Many of your answers depend on your location. Can you give a vague idea of where you are?

[Laura_7]

  It seems  Raleigh, NC has been given as location...

You might have a look here:
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php?topic=118696.0


hugs

[KristinaM]

Hello Sam! I'm in the Raleigh area as well and just starting out on exploring the MTF path in front of me. My first therapist appointment is in 10 days actually.  I'm a bit older so I could go the "informed consent" route if I had to, but I'm hoping my therapist can make the referral to an endocrinologist for me.

Sorry I'm not much help at this point, but as I learn more about my own therapist and the whole process, I'll try to share it with you! Best of luck.

[KristinaM]

Hey Sam, me again. Just wanted to let you know that I found an endocrinologist in the area who specializes in treating transgendered peoples.  Apparently she's the only one, Dr. Elizabeth Holt at Raleigh Endocrine Associates.

You will need a referral letter from your therapist with the following information in it:

1) How long you've been under your therapist's care, how many visits, etc...
2) How long you've been in transition or questioned your gender, etc...
3) That your therapist is comfortable recommending you for hormones and they think you're socially, mentally, physically ready, etc...
4) Any other details your therapist feels like adding, perhaps notes from your talks about you and your situation.

Those are the general guidelines at least and more can be added, rephrased or whatnot as needed.

I know I mentioned about going the route of "informed consent" but you'll apparently need this letter just to get an appointment with her anyways.  It's kinda confusing, but that's a good place to start.  If you can find an endocrinologist or someone competent enough to prescribe hormones that doesn't require that letter, let me know, lol.  Oh, and Dr. Holt has an impressively long waiting list to get an appointment apparently.  Over 6 months!

[KristinaM]

Well, with all of the above said, my therapist didn't write my referral letter after all.  Not that she won't eventually, but she said she wasn't comfortable doing it so early in our therapy relationship and since I am so new to all of this.  I understand.  Of course this has been an issue of internalized conflict going back for 20+ years for me, but it's just now bubbled to the surface in such a fashion that I was able to put a label on it.

With that being said, and I feel kinda bad for doing this...I went to Planned Parenthood and got the doctor there to let me sign an Informed Consent form.  Did some blood work, and now I'm waiting to hear back from those results.  Once I've been cleared as healthy, she'll call in my prescriptions for Estradiol and Spiro.  w00t!

Sam, if you're still around and 18 or older, you can do the same.  Planned Parenthood is in downtown Raleigh, just google it and you'll find it.  Call, make the appointment, and then go in.  I was able to get an appointment in only two weeks and the appointment took nearly 2 hours from the time I walked in to when I walked out.  Lots of paperwork, and some waiting, and then she performed a physical on me as well.  My first physical with a breast exam, lol that was interesting.  Everyone even called me Kristina.  A bit awkward at first since it's my first real public acknowledgement by that name, but well worth it. 

If I don't hear anything back from you, I'll presume you're not coming to the site anymore and just send you my best wishes and say good luck to you.  Maybe this information will be useful to others at least.