Scheduled a therapy appointment with Kaiser

[CarlyMcx]

Okay, so approximately a year after coming out to myself, coming out to my wife, and dressing female at home, and some partial dressing while out, I finally broke down and scheduled a therapy appointment with Kaiser.

From my limited conversation on the phone, it sounds like they set me up for some kind of orientation, and I don't know where things will go or what will happen from there.

Where this is going to lead -- a better understanding of myself, low dose hormones in place of the miserable mix of beta blockers and tranquilizers I am on now, full hormones, transition, I don't know.

But whatever happens, the Rubicon has been crossed.  I have to wait until April 19 for my first session.  It is a long wait, but at least I feel like I have accomplished something.

[Ms Grace]

Good luck! The 19th will be here before you know it!

[CarlyMcx]

So here is what happened:  I showed up dressed on the femme side of androgynous, wearing women's jeggings and T shirt from Aeropostale, women's espadrilles from Fila, and carrying my Coach messenger bag, and checked in for what Kaiser calls "Orientation."

I was sent down the hall to a small group room with about 18 chairs in it.  After everyone else showed up, there were about five trans guys, five trans girls including me, one parent, and Dr. Frank Patti, the head of the transgender program at Kaiser in Southern California.

I was the oldest person in the room other than the parent and Dr. Patti, and I may be wrong about the parent.  (I'm 53, FYI)

Every other transitioner in there was under twenty five, and further transitioned along than I was.  Some of the trans girls said they were already on hormones, and the rest looked like they were.

One of the trans guys said he was on hormones, and the rest all had great presentation, whether they were or not.

So I sat through an hour of being told about Kaiser's program, and Dr. Patti talking about all the children he was working with, and the services were available.

The big surprises were that Kaiser will pay for voice therapy, beard clearance, and the trach shave.

They will also pay for genital clearance preparatory for GRS, and Medicaid will cover the GRS ( assuming I ever get that far, and that is a big if.

At Kaiser, everyone has to complete this orientation before accessing other transgender services.  Those already on hormones had moved here from other states, and had to redo this orientation to get back on hormones.

So I completed orientation, and was told that someone from Kaiser will call me to schedule a "gender assessment" which is the next step.  I get the feeling that the gender assessment is the Kaiser version of gender therapy.  The first gender assessment is what is necessary to get hormones, beard clearance and trach shave.  If you want BA and FFS, you are on your own.

Then after a one year RLE, you get another assessment for genital clearance and GRS. 

So anyway, I now wait for the call for the gender assessment, and then we'll see where I'm at and go from there.

[CarlyMcx]

So I had my first one on one session with the therapist today, spent an hour telling her my life story, and guess what, she said I meet all the WPATH guidelines for gender dysphoria.

So that's it, I'm a girl.  And, just as important, I now know for sure that the panic attacks I have been suffering for the past dozen years are the product of gender dysphoria.

It is amazing just how much more at peace with myself I am after learning the truth after 53 years of life.

[Wendy Lynn]

Sorry to resurrect, but may I ask, what happened next?  does the Kaiser program assume you want to do a full transition?  What if one wanted to start hormones but not be "out"  at all until later?  A year or 2?

[Jacqueline]

Sorry to resurrect, but may I ask, what happened next?  does the Kaiser program assume you want to do a full transition?  What if one wanted to start hormones but not be "out"  at all until later?  A year or 2?

Wendy,

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Joanna

[Michelle_P]

Sorry to resurrect, but may I ask, what happened next?  does the Kaiser program assume you want to do a full transition?  What if one wanted to start hormones but not be "out"  at all until later?  A year or 2?

They don't seem to 'push' anything.  I've talked with my Kaiser therapist about this, and it is pretty much up to the individual.  I said I'd like to start HRT after about 10 weeks from my first therapy appointment, for example, and my therapist just turned to her computer and asked if I'd prefer a morning or afternoon appointment with the Transitions endocrinologist at that location.

Similarly, she mentioned that Kaiser covers electrolysis, and I asked if I could make use of that.  I was already seeing the electrolyst in the area that was a Kaiser contractor.  I had a phone appointment with the Kaiser screener two days later.  (No coverage yet.  They want me on blockers for 6 months, like my beard will go away!  Nope.  I'll try again in November.)

Kaiser Northern California operate the Multi-Specialty Transitions center in Oakland, California.  They've been doing GCS with a private clinic in Arizona, but are currently moving that in-house with a trained surgical team.  FFS is also moving in-house, as is laser hair removal.

It's pretty much been what I'm ready for, when I'm ready for it.  In group the leader has mentioned what services are available, but nobody seems to be pushing a schedule or requiring anyone to take specific steps.

It's been a pretty good experience so far, now that I'm learning the Kaiser 'ropes'.

- Michelle

[SerenaOhSerena]

I can relate to having Gender Dysphoric panic attacks. I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder a couple of years ago, right around the time I started thinking I may be trans. I can now say with certainty that my anxiety issues are definitely related to my gender identity disorder. I start HRT on August 15th. So elated to begin this journey!