Susan's Place Transgender Resources

In a West suburb of Toronto last fall at the age of 71, I thought I was out of options. A person from Sherbourne Health Center notified me of a new Community Health Center, East Mississauga Community Health Center near me was just starting a Gender friendly medical & support service. After a meeting there they still told me there was a wait list & didn't know how long but probably a year. I thought it was too late just to get on hormones. I got a call a few weeks ago & had an appointment with a Doctor this past Tuesday Jan. 29. A male GP, we got along very nicely. It was the interview. How I got started dressing & how I got to the point I am trans. Medical History. A brief  overview from him on were we go from today. Next Tuesday I go in for tests. Eventually will have to cover the risks of hormones at my age.

I was thrilled that I finally could be heard by a gender aware doctor. Good communication, exchange of information and the session went well. I left feeling elated and Happy! Moving forward for a change. It is probably going to take a number of appointments before we find out if it is safe enough for me to go on hormones. I can't get ahead of myself. After all these years I am good at being calm and face reality. Nonetheless a huge relief and felt a weight lifted off my body and felt like doing a Happy Dance! Exciting!

Thanks to many of you that shared info., experience and urged me to seek the medical gender friendly services in my area, I wouldn't have gotten this far without your positive support.

Love you.

Jamie

Wow. I can't express how happy I am for you. This is wonderful.

HI, Jill,

Oh, humbled, thanks for the "Happy!" Your posts are so grounded, insightful, positive and caring. Appreciate your support Beautiful Lady.

Have a Great weekend!
Hugs
Jamie

Jamie thats awesome!! You go Girl!!

Hugs
Bethany

  Jamie   Please keep us informed of your progress. I am 77 would like to have info how hormones work for us.

Hey Bethany,
I am trying to catch up on the forum and just read your intro. Welcome, your have come to a wonderful place. MD, your are a survivor! Superb, you are started on hormones. Wonderful you are in a comfortable place were your needs are being looked after. You are going to be more Beautiful, I am sure you are going to have the guys chasing you. Have a Happy life, Bless you. You go Girl, too!

Jamie

Grats.

Also, wow, topical.  My partner and I were just discussing this - and I'm close to you too - Hamilton.

I don't have a GP, haven't seen a doctor in probably 10 years, and I'm now past 30.  I've been saying I should get one for ages, but I REALLY want to make sure I get one who is LGBTQ friendly/aware so I can make sure I get the help and support I feel I need.

Mississagua is a bit on the far side, but doable for me so I might check it out - did you encounter any other resources that might help me or others to find one a little bit closer?

Congrats Jamie.

One Jamie to another ... Good for you, kid!

@Brownshoe,

QuoteJamie   Please keep us informed of your progress. I am 77 would like to have info how hormones work for us.

Thanks, will do.

@Mintra,

I have appreciate so many wonderful minds of many people in transition including you and your posts, congrats on your being post-op. Thanks for your kind words, that touches my heart.

@omdorastrix,

Glad I posted at a significant point for you. I am including the link to the East Mississauga Community Health Center, it may be 30 to 40 min. drive for you on the south east corner of Dixie & Dundas. I spoke to Ashley, if you are too far west she may know about something in your area. I think about mid February they have a "Gender Journeys" free 10 sessions of info. I am just outside their boundary, but I think they may make exceptions, but don't hold me to that.

http://www.eastmississaugachc.org/ (http://www.eastmississaugachc.org/)

If you haven't a GP or seen a Doctor in 10 years it would be good see one.

PM me if you like.

Oh Jamie D,

I don't know if I am as deep as you in thought and I respect your pov & contributions. Having read you posts about your medical situation preventing you from progressing, my heart is with you. If blood clots are an issue for me I will face that reality that it isn't worth the risk going forward and be Happy to still dress as a Lady as I have done the last 10 years. Just have to see how this plays out.
Thank you for your positive words, encouragement and support. Love You.

Love to all.

Jamie

Jamie, as we both know from life experience, "Hope springs eternal."

Jamie to Jamie,

Quoteas we both know from life experience, "Hope springs eternal."

So true.

Jamie

That's absolutely awesome.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. 

@JulieC,

Thank you, that is my fav word "awesome." Wow you are rocking 10 months on hrt & your pic I can't believe you are 59! Ten years ago at that age I was just starting to learn about all this via the internet. I'm keeping my toes crossed to, just hopping around lol.
Hugs
Jamie

Update,

I have had a couple of appointments on Fe. 5 & 12, but nothing to report. The 5th was a rehash with a female assistant Doctor. The 12th the female assistant did a physical. Then off to a lab for blood work. I also had an ecg done as the assistant noticed my heart occasionally skipped a beat. I needed to see my own GP a few days later for prescription renewals & told her about the heart. I saw her again on Feb. 25th to wear a halter for 24 hours to check my heartbeat, which has been sent for analysis. I don't have anything abnormal happening, so staying positive. Feb 26 saw my gender Doctors, up to now they have seen me in male mode as Jim, so this is the first time they saw me as Jamie (they like to see you in your preferred gender). The ecg report hasn't come back yet. I do have my gender  Docs & my GP sharing my records and current tests, so the halter heart results will be the better report to wait for. After seeing my gender docs I returned the halter to my GP. The GP receptionist, I was really pleased with her as she saw me femme (I had been to the office once before femme) and said, "HI Jamie!" My GP Dr. G., asked if I felt better being dressed as a woman. I thought it was the best that she asked. I mentioned as Jim in male mode, i can't wait to find the moment to get dressed & if the time is delayed I am so disappointed & get down a bit, when I get dressed then I want to hold on to the last second being in woman mode before I have to change if my wife & I have to go out amongst family or friends that don't know about Jamie, that is a downer. So yes, I am comfortable in my own skin as female & very Happy! This sure highlights the dysphoria I experience. My gender Doctor appointments now seem to be two weeks apart (darn), next few are going to be about the 3 items comprising the hrt, discussing the side effects and risks. I figure if I have a slight heart issue it can be controlled by medication. I am hoping it is a none issue. They gave me a link to read about the hrt components & to raise any questions I have. The blood work came back good, everything is normal, liver is in good shape. The Doctors appear to be positive about moving forward for hrt and that is the way I am looking at things too.

Next appointment is Mar. 12.
Hugs
Jamie

Mar. 12,

Heart report came back normal & healthy. That was the last hurdle. Thank God my health overall is excellent. So my gender Doctor said we are in the middle of a three month time frame from our first appointment on Jan. 29 to the end of April when I can start on an anti-androgen. My next two appointments will be three weeks apart so next one is Apr. 9, to go over things, much like today with questions I had and answers from the Doctor.

Whoopppeeee!

Thanks to my friends here. I wouldn't have probably gotten started on this journey if it hadn't been for your nurturing and support. I have watched all of Meghan Andrews videos, she mentioned this site, so I owe her a debt of gratitude as she got me here.
Love you all.
Jamie

Surprised today at my gender Dr. appointment, unexpectedly earlier than end of April he gave me my prescription for Spiro! He gave me the request for lab tests to be done sometime next week & I see the Dr. on April 30th to follow up on the results. If all goes well he said he may shorten up the wait time before I start on estrogen. Things are going a lot smoother & faster than I ever expected. Overwhelming! Bring on puberty...no, wait, again, gee I think once was enough! Oh well if it puts me in thecorrect body it is more than worth this process. I told him how Happy I was after celebrating milestones with two of three of mys best supportive sisters. I guess I am going to find out how much more Happier Happy can get lol!

I will update the progress. Not sure if a blog is my thing or even if anyone would find interesting, I never have done one before. I don't mind chronicling the steps here, like others progress journeys, I don't mind helping others coming up behind me.

Love to all here that nurtured me along the way with advice.
BIG HUGS
Jamie

May 30 update, an unexpected surprise, I have been maybe temporarily stopped taking Spiro. This is not meant to be a pity for me scene, I don't feel that way. I saw my gender Doctor, my last blood tests taken May 16 seemed to show a reading slightly over the maximum range for kidneys. With the lower BP I noticed some muscles & energy decline (I joined a thread discussion on this a while back), on direction from the Doc I drank more liquids (juices) to up the BP & energy which worked. After having a reading of higher than normal heart rate the Doc figured the lower BP made my heart work more to pump, listened to my heart, lungs & took my pulse & said everything sounded normal. Relieved.  Gender Dr. has ordered an ecg anyway. Also he has order an abdominal ultrasound to check out my Kidney. Also sending me back to the Endo that GP Dr. G sent me to last year. He wants to get his opinion on my situation & decide if Estrogen will be safe for me. If my wait time is anything like last year of 4 months, it may be Sept. before I have an appointment with Endo Dr.  I could see if my Endo says Spiro was problematic E will be more so plus with a statistic from my gender Dr., at my age on hormones I am 20% likely to have heart issues so I think 1 in 5 is not good odds & agree with my gender Dr., on that point, not worth the risk. This is all that I wanted to find out with this exploration. I am positive on what we have achieved & by summers end this transition could also come to an end. I can still be positive and proud that we gave it a ride. I have gotten a lot farther than I ever dreamed possible; more so than other people; so how can I be disappointed! I will just go on finding my moments to be Jamie as I have the last 12 years. I haven't given up but I am prepared accepting the reality staring me in the face as I suspect my Doctors information re further transition will be a no go, I will end this part of the journey. I am so lucky to have supportive family, friends & all you wonderful supportive friends here everyone is so classy, I wouldn't have gotten this far without any one of you, I am so blessed and humbled.

Hugs & Love

Jamie

Aw, hon! Let's hope the docs figure out something that works for you. Hugs, Devlyn

Hi Devlyn hun, thanks. That is what I am hoping for. That positive side of me has a slant that the Doctors may have an alternative, gives me hope to not give up yet. My best friend that I have not been successful at getting her on here, Cassandra said to me in an email yesterday, "it is hard on 20 year old people so it is probably too much to ask of a 70+ year old body to make such big changes." I will have to be patient & see how this plays out.

Hugs

Jamie

Got my fingers crossed for you!  Hugs, Devlyn

I hope it all works out and you can find an alternative solution.   By the way, your positivity is very inspirational. 

Devlyn, Beautiful soul, thanks for always caring.

learningtolove, I take solace in the knowledge we always have options, that buoys my spirits & try to stay positive. Like Yogi Bera's quote, "it ain't over until it is over." Like you said in your post about your letter to your mother, I can tell you think over what you are going to say & love the wisdom in your messages when you post. That makes you inspirational too. Wishing you success in your journey!

Hugs

Jamie

I wish you good luck, Jamie! I really do hope your doctor is able to figure out an alternative solution for you! I know I'm new here so we haven't had the chance to formally meet yet, but I just want you to know that from seeing the inspirational posts you make and the sweet, friendly way you interact with other people and from seeing your profile picture, I think you're a beautiful person inside and out. And no matter what happens, nothing will change that about you!

Hey Rinzler, welcome! You really know how to touch a girls emotions. Shucks, I owe any sweetness to my Mom (passed in the mid 90"s) who lives within my mind, I am so like her. A year ago I just had a quick interview with my Endo as to him recommending me for transition which was positive. He has excellent credentials as an Endo and works with transpeople. Now we will be getting down to the real situation at hand. I am sure we can communicate well. It will be interesting to hear his analysis, so on the optimistic side I am just looking at this phase of my life as being temporarily on hold. I know how I missed your introduction, my wife & I were away visiting friends for a few days & then we both had medical appointments through the last part of the week, a busy weekend & now just catching up. You have been really busy posting in the short time you have been here. You are a gem! I read your post & will respond to some of them. You came to the right place for info., support, friendship, community & family love. I am pleased to count you among my friends.

@ learningtolive, my apologies I responded as learningtolove, I was probably bleary eyed as I posted that around 3 in the morning. Either way it is a lovely usename.

Hugs

Jamie

Update...

...My gender Doctors office called me with an appoint date with my Endo on Monday Aug. 12 at 9 am. Last year I had to wait from mid Mar. to Aug. 1 for a consult. So my wait is half the time this year, phew. This will be different as I will be coming as a patient with a health issue & can I move forward. Last year I showed the Endo pics of me as a female. Depending on what is happening with my schedule after an appointment, if I am clear, I dress female when I go to my gender Dr., a couple of times with my GP Doctor. I think I should go this time to the Endo as female. The one twist is if I have to wait outside the office I am in view of the receptionist for my Asthma Specialist office accross the hall. They don't know this part of me, but then again I doubt they would recognize any resemblance, I will appear as female in the waiting area. Such a coincidence. It is a little amusing situation.

I am looking forward to seeing the Endo & if we can work something out.

Jamie

Big hug! They spend their lives in school for a reason, let's hope they come up with a solution for you! Hugs, Devlyn

Devlyn doll, thanks. You have a good point. I remember last year when my bro-in-law was at deaths door a Doctor said we still have about a dozen tricks still up our sleeve to bring him back, which they did. So I am looking forward to some positive tricks coming out of those sleeves lol.
Hugs to you too!
Jamie