So I've been trying, maybe a couple of time a year, over the last 10 years to get in at the one free clinic we have, always being turned away and told that I had to be entirely homeless to get services there. So I had found their web site a couple of weeks ago saying that they have like 20,000 clients and I know half my town isn't homeless, so I complained through their comments form. So as everyone knows, I had heard back from the director admitting that maybe the secretaries told me that on the phone to cut their own workload, and she had me come in for an intake. So I had the intake Monday which went awesome and I was told to come to the open clinic today that's first come first serve every Wednesday. And it's unbelievable. Among all this backwards, small town prejudice and hate is this little oasis of understanding. And I'm not the only trans person here because the first woman I saw (they have 2 docs and 2 psychs all are women) said that they might not be able to give you the surgeries but they can help you with transition & hormones and she said she just had a trans person (she didn't specify) come through that they helped, who transitioned then moved out of town. (Haha who'd stay here?! lol) So that just floored me - no psychiatric prerequisite? They'll just give me T??? No way!!
That'd be so awesome! But yeah, I came in to first and foremost address my weight, which they did everything I've been wanting for so long and more. I do have problems with dehydration, and they had a hard time trying to get blood out of me. But they finally got it and drew like 4 big tubes of blood. They're gonna check my thyroid, cortisol, something else ?, and general blood work to see how I am health-wise. And the doctor said that there's a pill for the cortisol problem if it's not my thyroid that they could get me on if that's the problem. So I'll find out the results next week. I'll be pretty devastated if I don't have an endocrine problem, because that's such a fast & easy fix. I'd be skinny in less than a year if that's the problem. But I would guess they're checking my hormones too, if they just hand out T to anyone who wants it.
I can't believe how well they understand transgender issues, everyone goes by the right pronouns and everything, it's so unreal. I got all emotional on the way home even. I broke down and got a bit teary-eyed just coz it's the first time in my life that I've ever felt like I had ANY grip on my own life and future. My life's been train wreck after train wreck after train wreck, so out of control even though I've been as straight as an arrow, played by the rules, and no matter how hard I worked or fought, my life was never something I had any control in what so ever. And for the first time I feel like I've finally got a grip on my own life and future. I really hope I end up on thyroid pills or some pill that'll help me lose weight next week. Then I'll ask them what's up with getting me on T.
