hey guys, i feel like over the years i've read tons of stuff about the process of transitioning and whatnot, but now that i have my referral letter i feel like i don't exactly know what to do and i can't find any information that specifically answers my questions so i'm hoping someone here can help. i was seeing a counselor at the college i was attending, but then i decided to come home from college and transfer somewhere else in the fall, so i'm not with that counselor anymore. she wrote me a referral letter for t before i left . . . and now i'm back home and not sure what the next step is. i finally tried to look up information online and called around the area, assuming i needed to find an endocrinologist, but i have to get an appointment to figure out financial stuff before doing that, so i'm going to be financially rated sometime next week . . . but i'm not even sure if i go to an endo or what right now. i know that you usually have to get blood tests and stuff done before starting . . . so do i go to an endo then do blood tests? or the other way around? or something else? if someone could just explain what usually happens and in what order that'd be great. also, in my letter she says that i need to continue seeing a counselor, but i haven't done that yet (mostly due to lack of insurance) and i'm wondering a.) if it'd probably be acceptable to go to the doctor first and tell them i'm going to be starting counseling again soon and b.) if i need to specifically find a gender therapist or if a regular counselor would do.
and if anyone's from northeast ohio . . . does anyone know of where stuff like this can be done besides cleveland? i live much closer to akron but i'm going to have to try to get a ride to cleveland to the metrohealth clinic for this as far as i can tell.
any answers will be greatly appreciated, thanks!
- ray
