Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hey everyone so I'm going through the VA for my transition steps and meds however I am curious. Has anyone on here gone through the VA for their transition? Any recommendations for me? I am in the Firearms industry and love what I do! But I am absolutely terrified about social interactions and the fact of not knowing. I have a plan of what I want to achieve but I'll be 100% honest I have no friends currently where I am that are mtf and I would really like a few because its nice to bounce ideas off others. I am about as tough as they get for males "jack of all trades master of none" and I was scared to come out to my VA doc but when I did I explain I really want to achieve the big chest and butt with a cute tummy but I don't want to be super girly I still want to do the same things and do what I do but I want the body I feel inside if that makes sense. Ghaaaa sorry its just so many questions nobody around to actually talk too.

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Ashley, VA Directive 2013-003 is the document that contains VA treatment guidelines for transgender and intersex people. You can Google it.

Have you been to the Roll Call thread?

Hugs, Devlyn

There are a good number of us here that go through the VA for transition care. I have been using the VA for the last 2 years and with a few speed bumps, they have been very accommodating and quite helpful. I wouldn't hesitate to use your veteran's benefit. They don't offer a whole lot for transition, but they do cover your meds, follow up care, Orchiectomy, and voice training. Those are pretty significant services to get you started on your path. Some even have Trans coordinators. They will help with legal paperwork etc... there are a good number of us trans vets that also enjoy our stereotypical male hobbies. It's quite sexy for women to be good with their hands and make their way in a male dominated field. So don't think it's just you. You have plenty of sisters that are doing well. You're more than welcomed to PM me if you don't want it open on the forum... but feel free ask questions of anyone here.

A few VA things I have found out, you can get estradiol valerate injections and patches. It's not just pills. They'll try to give you just medroxyprogesterone, but you can request and receive Micronized Progesterone. Speech Pathology has a voice training program, I suggest making use of it. They will also offer an Orchiectomy if you so desire. I would line up a doctor for SRS prior to an orchie to ensure that they will do the surgery if you have had one.  Finasteride is also provided for hair loss if you request it.

I had some difficulties with the VA where I live, but I get the sense that different locations are better/worse.  My nurse that I now have and has been assigned to address my needs recently transferred form another state where she said they had very good trans care, she is very nice and helpful.  Would not do even an orchi where I live and I have to drive about 1 1/2 hrs to get to where the voice therapy sessions are held, but I want to try them if I can tie the trip in with other things useful.  The psychologist was courteous, but not very helpful and the endocrinologists I had were still thinking like 15 years ago.
     I would say certainly investigate what the VA will do for you in your area, but learn as much as you can BEFORE you go see them.  Read through University of California San Francisco Center for Excellence for Transgender Care and compare the latest guidelines for HRT and other issues and compare that to what you are offered and then decide if it will help you.  In the end I decided it was better for me to get my help privately.  You MUST be your own advocate on this journey.  Glad to see you here, people here will always try to help.  Toni

This is why I'm at Susan's! My therapist suggested that I check out the VA. So I just went and enrolled two days ago. I was afraid I wouldn't qualify, but as it turns out I do! So I'm thankful for you all posting on this thread! I'm already in HRT for 9 months but I'm afraid my estrogen is a little low. I'm thinking an endocrinologist could help. I've been searching for a surgeon for my orchi for a while now. Good to know the VA might cover that! Thank you all for the info!

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Location does seem to matter, at least a little.  I transferred from one location to another, and they added laser hair removal to what they'll do for me.  What area are you in if I might ask?  The local VA also covers wigs, the one I transferred from had an active support group, the new location doesn't.

Quote from: Artesia on November 30, 2017, 01:56:11 PM
Location does seem to matter, at least a little.  I transferred from one location to another, and they added laser hair removal to what they'll do for me.  What area are you in if I might ask?  The local VA also covers wigs, the one I transferred from had an active support group, the new location doesn't.

I'm in SW Washington

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Thanks, but man is that far away.  I'm in Indiana.  I was using the Indianapolis VA, but switched to the North West Indiana system recently.  The NWI VA system draws from Chicago.

Quote from: Ashley_wolf on November 30, 2017, 02:07:28 PM
I'm in SW Washington

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I'm in SW Washington.  I use the Seattle VA.  They are pretty good.  And you can always use the VA shuttle from Tacoma to Seattle and back if the drive is too much.

Quote from: Artesia on November 30, 2017, 01:56:11 PM
Location does seem to matter, at least a little.  I transferred from one location to another, and they added laser hair removal to what they'll do for me.  What area are you in if I might ask?  The local VA also covers wigs, the one I transferred from had an active support group, the new location doesn't.

I'm going to the Amarillo TX VA. Doubtful they will be that helpful. Hormones and voice therapy is what the LGBT liaison said would be covered.

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My comments were in reference to a VA in central Tx.

It seems to be different depending on location. I do know that in the last few years they set parameters and a central learning facility in Loma Linda. EVERYTHING that is changed/adjusted is by "Loma Linda" standards.

While I am within 3 hours of Philadelphia, NYC and DC, the VA I go to is in the back end of nowhere. I was the first through their system and they had no clue how to deal with me. We muddled through and there are many more now. We have a support group that I honestly never go to, voice therapy that is a few years too late for me and a shuttle to the more specialized VA endo in Philly. Okay so support group; It is supposed to be for transSEXUALS but appears to be open for all trans. I wouldn't mind but I have nothing to offer in support for them and I end up feeling like I can only really talk to or relate with the only other full time girl. AND a couple of them make me feel VERY uncomfortable. I am there to talk about trans issues and not have someone say how attractive they think that I am or what they would do to me if I was their girlfriend. At first I thought some of it was dysphoria for them, you know how before you are passable seeing a passable trans person makes you feel like... I don't know, UGH! I guess. Maybe for one of them, she still makes my skin crawl the way she looks at me though, but the other just got worse. I told the therapist and she said she would do something but that person was still there the next time I went, I never even checked in, just turned around and left. The bus ride to the specialist; One of the ones that makes me feel uncomfortable rides it. And the voice therapy is at the specialists. 😊

Really though it's better than I make it sound. The meds are soooooo much cheaper and with everything else they are doing the best that they can. One thing that I hate is that they still have me down as male and the mail that they send is addressed to Mr Michelle. They refuse to do anything about it and the one girl even called me he like 10 times in 5 minutes when she was asking for help to fix it. I hadn't been called he in more than a year, i wanted to scream at her, 'I am a girl you evil witch!' When my surgery is done, if they don't change it, I will stop using them for anything. I don't know how to lie about or avoid talking about my past but if I could and feel comfortable with it, I would go complete stealth in a heartbeat. There are so few people that when they know will completely accept you and treat you as female. To the rest we are a boy or trans and sometimes it gets old. Even some the men that hit on you! Really! I fall for the person period, but they don't know that. I am not saying that I am out of their league but they would need the Hubble Telescope to see my league from theirs. They would NEVER hit on a cis girl like that. Um...      that sounds shallow and petty. I just hate how there are different rules for us and I don't know how to change it.

End of rant and back on topic.

The VA has so much to offer us, you should definitely check it out. I transitioned in a vacuum in an area and VA that barely accepted that there were transsexual people. This area and VA are no longer like that and I hope that you have an easier time of it than I did.

  Hi I'm Laurie and I go to the Portland, Oregon VA. I've been going there about 4 years now and last year I told my PCP that I thought I was transgender. He was quite helpful and as it turned he is qualified to prescribe the medications for my transition. I am also getting gender therapy and voice lessons. I think the only way you can get the VA to do an orchiectomy is if it is deemed medically necessary. I've been quite happy with the VA here.

They justify the orchie by reducing the high levels of estrogen, which they deem a "risk".

Quote from: Laurie on November 30, 2017, 08:25:06 PM
  Hi I'm Laurie and I go to the Portland, Oregon VA. I've been going there about 4 years now and last year I told my PCP that I thought I was transgender. He was quite helpful and as it turned he is qualified to prescribe the medications for my transition. I am also getting gender therapy and voice lessons. I think the only way you can get the VA to do an orchiectomy is if it is deemed medically necessary. I've been quite happy with the VA here.

Currently with my PTSD I dred driving to Portland so I go to the Vancouver location. I was told my primary care doc is who I have to speak to about being trans. Kind of nervous because I don't really care for her. But on my journey I see it as my first checkpoint.

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Quote from: Harley Quinn on November 30, 2017, 03:49:51 PM
I'm in SW Washington.  I use the Seattle VA.  They are pretty good.  And you can always use the VA shuttle from Tacoma to Seattle and back if the drive is too much.

Harley shoot me a pm I would love to get together and talk!

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  I have also had an extended in hospital stay at the Seattle VA. About 4 1/2 weeks of intensive cancer treatments under ICU level monitoring three years ago. I must say they treated me well there also. Unfortunately I can't comment on their LGBTQ record.

Laurie

Quote from: FinallyMichelle on November 30, 2017, 07:34:50 PM
One thing that I hate is that they still have me down as male and the mail that they send is addressed to Mr Michelle. They refuse to do anything about it and the one girl even called me he like 10 times in 5 minutes when she was asking for help to fix it.

My VA has told me that it can take as long as a year to get the preferred name and gender changed on their paperwork.  They also told me that they can not change the gender, or the official name, until they get the court order for the name and gender change.  Sadly, this means that your mail will continue to come like that for a while.  If you did have your name and gender legally changed, go through your advocate, they should be able to help more.

I was told the same thing so I made sure that I had all of my documents done and with  me. I had the court order, New ss# card, birth certificate, drivers license and even brought my new dd214. I didn't know about an advocate, I will have to talk to one. Thank you. 😊

Quote from: Artesia on December 02, 2017, 10:22:00 AM
My VA has told me that it can take as long as a year to get the preferred name and gender changed on their paperwork.  They also told me that they can not change the gender, or the official name, until they get the court order for the name and gender change.  Sadly, this means that your mail will continue to come like that for a while.  If you did have your name and gender legally changed, go through your advocate, they should be able to help more.

  I verified the official name change obstacles just this last week. It requires 2 legal documents showing your new name and a form filled out to get a change made in the system. They also will not change my VA ID picture until then. Here in Portland they don't even have a mechanism for adding a preferred name or gender to the system. The only way I've gotten the to call for me by Laurie is to have it noted on their working paperwork when I check in at an appointment. I cannot do this for every appointment I have as not all use paperwork for the appointments. Some are strictly computerized, so those still come out and holler for Mr W.  or Leonard W.

Quote from: Laurie on December 02, 2017, 12:59:47 PM
  I verified the official name change obstacles just this last week. It requires 2 legal documents showing your new name and a form filled out to get a change made in the system. They also will not change my VA ID picture until then. Here in Portland they don't even have a mechanism for adding a preferred name or gender to the system. The only way I've gotten the to call for me by Laurie is to have it noted on their working paperwork when I check in at an appointment. I cannot do this for every appointment I have as not all use paperwork for the appointments. Some are strictly computerized, so those still come out and holler for Mr W.  or Leonard W.

I think the Chicago VA system is one of the first to implement the preferred name system.  I guess they're trying to work out all the bugs.  There seem to be a bunch.  The intake paperwork had the preferred name section on it, thus far it hasn't really worked out.  But I'm a patient woman.  Most of my doctors use my preferred name, or just call me by last name only.  As to the legal changing of the name...I'll have to wait until the end of February for my court date to even begin that process.

Quote from: Harley Quinn on December 01, 2017, 10:23:09 AM
They justify the orchie by reducing the high levels of estrogen, which they deem a "risk".

I was just told that the VA will not do any surgeries unless it's medically necessary. Like cancer or liver/kidney damage.

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I'm transitioning through the Reno VA and they have been very helpful and supportive. Dealing with trans issues is still relatively new to them and they're trying to get a more comprehensive system in place right now, but they've covered hormones (completely free! yay disability rating!!) and therapy pretty well for me. They even have a trans group that i'm a part of that meets there. They are also currently helping me with all the name/gender change stuff both in the VA system and everywhere else, and they always call me by my preferred name and gender even though it's not legally changed yet. I also think there is a good chance that I can justify orchi through them due to my higher risk of clotting.

Thanks Devlyn Marie for the telling us about VA Directive 2013-003, that was just the push I needed. I go to a clinic in Northwest Pa. so I don't have high hopes but I'm going to try.

Hey girl, I'm in the fire arms industry myself and am going to be going threw the same stuff soon I have no trans friends here where I am we should talk.

Quote from: Rae anne on December 26, 2017, 06:30:19 AM
Thanks Devlyn Marie for the telling us about VA Directive 2013-003, that was just the push I needed. I go to a clinic in Northwest Pa. so I don't have high hopes but I'm going to try.

Big hug! Off you go, then!  :)

Hugs, Devlyn