endo appointment

[Alexthecat]

My first endo appointment is March 29th. They are going to be sending me a packet in the mail. Anything else I should know?

[FTMax]

If it doesn't say so in the packet, call and ask if you should be fasting when you come in. It'll depend what kind of blood tests they want to do, and if they do them on site on the same day. Mine did, and they forgot to tell me to fast. Luckily I had a friend who goes there who warned me.

If they're trans-friendly and have prescribed to folks before, expect to go over your medical history, mental health history, and lifestyle. It is also a good idea to look over your insurance and see what forms of T they will cover, if you are considering topical gels/creams.

Good luck!

[Alexthecat]

I got the packet today in the mail. Looks like the first appointment is to get to know me then after that he would order tests or whatever else I need.

[FTMax]

Call and ask if he orders the tests on the same day, or if there is a delay. That was how mine went as well - a little get to know you session with my doctor where she filled out a bunch of history stuff on the computer, talked about my transition goals, and then she ordered my labs and sent me off to get them done. If I hadn't been fasting it would've been another trip.

It's really only relevant for the first set of blood work, and then for your annual one once you stop getting things checked quarterly. For the big tests I have to fast and my doctor orders 4 additional tests to get a more complete picture.

[Alexthecat]

Turns out he doesn't do initial blood work with the reasoning that it will change any ways. He does know about subcutaneous injections and the 10ml vials. Even got my script with no problems. It was scary how easy it was to get.