Kaeren and Chrissty,
Thanks so much, and I am really glad to read your message here again. I guess we joined this forum on the nearly the same day.
Yesterday I visited a big university hospital. The technique of SRS is the most advanced there in this country. A doctor there is famous, as he proudly conducted several hundred SRSs successfully, including Ha Ri Su.
But, my purpose yesterday was to visit a psychiatrsit frist. Cashiers and nurses were too much routine, and did not notice my tall height, the junior's miniskirt, long red coat, and brown winter tights with manly voice.
There was no such thing 'privacy' in the psychiatrist's office. There were several patients in the waiting room, and the nurse loudly asked me "are you going to have SRS?" while I was standing in front of the cashier's desk.
Oh. My gosh.... This was her first question to me, and everybody there could hear it. It was like having sex without any foreplay. It was too much straightforward and .... very bold and of course plainly rude. As she also became aware of my anger, she reminded me that she can reimburse all money I already paid if I want to stop there. I became speechless.
I did not see the doctor. The nurse gave me a bunch of questionnaires for pyschiatirc test, asking me to fill in them at home and returning by postal mail. And I paid the charge by my credit card (ca. $200). She said I need to pay another $100 when I see the doctor after scoring and evaluating the questionnaires. She added that I may not have HRT without consulting the psychiatrist.
Sometimes the nurse studied my eyes. She explained how to fill out the questionnairs, and I sometimes was bored and did not pay attention to her. Then she asked me to listen carefully. Finally I found her mistake. One of questionnaires was marked as "for teens". I pointed out it, and she hurried to replace it with one for adults.
I said to her tha I can fill the questionnair within 1 hour at the waiting room, so that I do not need to mail them. She replied she should go home at 5:00 PM, and it was 4:30 PM.
It was a kind of cultural shock to me.
I was once so much upset on the treatment there, considering giving up my plan for HRT. But, I already spent several hours to visit there, and determined to listen what the pyschiatrist would say or recommend. HRT is not any kind of a must now. It is still optional....
I have not yet completed the questionnaires.
Barbie~~