Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transitioning => Hormone replacement therapy => Topic started by: sneakersjay on May 30, 2008, 09:09:06 AM

Title: Getting a Referral to an Endocrinologist from Primary Care Doctor
Post by: sneakersjay on May 30, 2008, 09:09:06 AM
ACK.  I'm really not in the mood to come out to every last person on the planet at the moment but the endo requires a referral from a primary care doc, not a therapist.  How do you go about telling/convincing your primary care doc to give you the referral to the endo?  Do endos take referrals from therapists?  Everything's getting so complicated...

Jay
Title: Re: Getting a Referral to an Endocrinologist from Primary Care Doctor
Post by: Kate on May 30, 2008, 09:52:46 AM
Quote from: sneakersjay on May 30, 2008, 09:09:06 AM
ACK.  I'm really not in the mood to come out to every last person on the planet at the moment but the endo requires a referral from a primary care doc, not a therapist.  How do you go about telling/convincing your primary care doc to give you the referral to the endo?  Do endos take referrals from therapists?  Everything's getting so complicated...

Every endo and doc is different. The endos my therapist wanted to send me to were OK with just a letter from her (my therapist). But every endo sets their own rules.

How do you convince your doc? Well, maybe take a letter from your therapist to your doctor which explains that you've been diagnosed with GID.. and just explain the endo situation. I'm not quite sure what sort of "referral" the endo is looking for though, since your doctor probably isn't qualified to diagnose GID? Does the endo want medical clearance on your overall health perhaps to begin HRT?

~Kate~
Title: Re: Getting a Referral to an Endocrinologist from Primary Care Doctor
Post by: sneakersjay on May 30, 2008, 09:59:40 AM
I think it's just a paperwork thing, that the endo knows I have a valid reason to make an appt and am not self-diagnosing.  I didn't tell the receptionist what the appt was for.  I talked to the guy who referred me to this endo (he uses her) and he said that the primary care doc shouldn't have an issue, and I could get a letter from my therapist explaining my GID and there should be no issue with referral.

So...I have a primary care appt Thurs, I should officially have my T letter in a few weeks, and I feel like a kid who just got a present.  ;D

Jay

P.S. Kate, how's your jewel today?  Feeling better, I hope.
Title: Re: Getting a Referral to an Endocrinologist from Primary Care Doctor
Post by: Kate on May 30, 2008, 10:08:52 AM
Quote from: sneakersjay on May 30, 2008, 09:59:40 AM
So...I have a primary care appt Thurs, I should officially have my T letter in a few weeks, and I feel like a kid who just got a present.  ;D

Yaaaaay Jay! That's so cool! So it is going to work out it seems?

QuoteP.S. Kate, how's your jewel today?  Feeling better, I hope.

Awl thanks, a little better, but it comes and goes. But I feel a TON better emotionally knowing it's not something serious. I can deal with pain, just not the depression of worrying is was from something BAD :(

~Kate~
Title: Re: Getting a Referral to an Endocrinologist from Primary Care Doctor
Post by: Laura91 on May 30, 2008, 10:29:10 AM
Quote from: Kate on May 30, 2008, 10:08:52 AM
Quote from: sneakersjay on May 30, 2008, 09:59:40 AM
So...I have a primary care appt Thurs, I should officially have my T letter in a few weeks, and I feel like a kid who just got a present.  ;D

Yaaaaay Jay! That's so cool! So it is going to work out it seems?

QuoteP.S. Kate, how's your jewel today?  Feeling better, I hope.

Awl thanks, a little better, but it comes and goes. But I feel a TON better emotionally knowing it's not something serious. I can deal with pain, just not the depression of worrying is was from something BAD :(

~Kate~

I am glad that you are feeling better (emotionally speaking), Kate.  :icon_hug: