Letter in hand, Endo on Monday. Advice?

[Hope springs]

 Got my letter tonight. Woot!. I have an appointment with a trans friendly GP who prescribes hrt. My only fear now is he will ask some questions and get answers he may not like. Has anyone had a problem with gatekeeping even if they had a letter?
  Assuming he writes the script, im probably just going to fill it at evil walmart. They had the best deals even without coupons. My excitement is mounting. In five days i will either be holding my hormones or a large bottle of whisky and wailing like a toddler ( or maybe both).
  Any advice on this first step into the sea of estrogen is appreciated. Many thousands have preceded me but i can't help but feel like a unique snowflake.

Big hugs

[Dena]

There will be no gate keeping unless there is something you are doing that is really unhealthy. The whisky isn't a good idea and if you have something like weight issues, you will be advised to get it under control. In my case, the only thing I have ever been asked was about health issues and as I have almost no health issues, appointments are pretty much an non event. It's possible they might wait until your blood tests come back before issuing you a prescription but that should only be a matter of a few days.

Walmart tends to be the cheapest place to fill prescriptions in my experience and you will most likely get to know the people behind the counter. They have always been friendly toward me and have never judged me.

[Hope springs]

Thanks!

Forgot to mention i already have a blood panel from a different doctor. My cholesterol is a little high so i will likely ask for statins. Some doctors will still prescribe hormones so long as you take statins to get cholesterol under control.

[Dena]

Depending on how high the levels are, the doctor may request diet modification. Statins can have side effects so a doctor will want to avoid them if they aren't needed. In my case, my Alkaline Phosphatase levels always test low but with years of testing the doctors never discussed doing anything about it. I only realized it when I requested a complete duplicate of my medical records.

[Deborah]

My endo did ask a couple of questions like , "how long have you felt like this?"  I just told her and there were no problems.

Walmart was a different story though.  The pharmacist there was concerned there was a mistake in the prescription.  I finally had to explain to him what was going on.  That was somewhat stressful but once he knew he filled the prescription without further issue.


It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.
André Gide, Autumn Leaves

[AshleyP]

My only fear now is he will ask some questions and get answers he may not like. Has anyone had a problem with gatekeeping even if they had a letter?

Smoking could be a problem. My cholesterol was really high, but nobody seemed to care much about that. You might review the list of risks/complications and offer that you know of them and understand. I remember overlooking one that I was reminded of, weight gain. Seems to be the main one that I've encountered.

Good luck with the appointment and let us know how it goes.

All the best,
--AshleyP

[Hope springs]

Smoking could be a problem. My cholesterol was really high, but nobody seemed to care much about that. You might review the list of risks/complications and offer that you know of them and understand. I remember overlooking one that I was reminded of, weight gain. Seems to be the main one that I've encountered.

Good luck with the appointment and let us know how it goes.

All the best,
--AshleyP

Thanks Deborah!

Ashley,
  Ive quit smoking in preparation for this momentus occasion. Since my cholesterol is high i have already made some chamges. I have cut out sugery snacks, started eating fruits that help with LDLs, eat nuts that have the good fats and hit the treadmill every 3 days. Hopefully thays enougj to help control weight gain.

[josie76]

My endocrinologist's only concern was my blood pressure was high. The day I was there it was 150/90. I take blood pressure mess so normally for years it has been 130/90 at highest. Stress has kept it higher these last few months.

[JeanetteLW]

Congrats Hope, No advice just happy thoughts for you.

Hugs,
   Jeanette

[Denise]

My MD and one question, "tell me about yourself with regards to your gender dysphoria." I got about 30 seconds in and he started writing the scripts.

When I was done, I asked him "well, am I doing the right thing?" His response "You are a classic case.  No question, the feelings will get worse and worse."

[Janes Groove]

I've been going to Walmart pharmacy for years and nobody every remembered me. Not once. Every time I went they asked me my name. 

Now they all know me by sight and address me by my name right away, "What can we do for you today, Ms. ****"
or "I think we've got your prescription ready, Ms. ****."

Not just the pharmacists either. The techs too.

[Hope springs]

Thank you ladies. Im sure i will get more nervous the closer we get to moday. Im super excited too. Part of me wants to crush the estrodiol and snort it,  then one under tongue and then one in my ear just for giggles. Which leads to my next question. Whats the number one side affect of estrogen overdose? Im going with lifetime movie network marathon while crying for no reason

[Dena]

Overdose from a doctor isn't very likely however I knew somebody who was self medicating and for reasons I can't explain was not aware of how much she was taking. She figured something was wrong when she was getting morning sickness.

[Hope springs]

UPDATE!!

JUST got back from the doctor. I have my scripts in hand. He was super nice and things couldnt have gone smoother. Tonight i take my first pill. Yeeeeeeeesss!!

[JeanetteLW]

YAY!! Congrats Hope.  Enjoy the ride may your nipples be tender soon.

  Hugs,
    Jeanette