I'm getting my Letter from my therapist next Friday, and I have some questions about this whole business..
- How long of a wait was it between the letter and actually starting T? I know it'll vary between doctors, but I need to slake my curiosity anyways @_@
- How much has everything cost you? Bloodtests, Endo visits, and the meds themselves. Insurance or no? I have Aetna, and I only know that they cover SRS.
- I have a severe needle phobia, but I really want to do injections. Did anyone else here have a similar problem? Did you get over it/get used to it?
- I'm going to be getting a part time job. I'm thinking it unwise to explain to my potential employer about being trans, because I live in a somewhat podunk town that is more than likely not LGBT friendly. Is this a wise decision? It's impossible for me to dress to my physical gender, because I have no clothes left anymore, so I dunno how to explain that...
I suppose that's all for my questions. Most of these I'm sure my therapist can answer, but.. 7 days is too long :P
Cheers everyone <3
Point blank, when I"ve been hired by employers, I generally didn't out myself. Pre name change I'd say "I go by this, not my legal name, I'm of a different nationality, that's why my legal name is that." In the past, I outted myself, and personally it went smoother to simply say I was foreign. When I did out myself, I made it clear that if they didn't want to hire me because of my trans status or let me use my preferred name, I'd find another job.
My T costs $50 for a 3 month supply, I get it online from the Apothecary shop. That includes needles.
I have a needle fetish..so I didn't need to get over the needle fear...
Bloodwork through my doc costs $40ish, but he works with people and his office visits are only $50. that varies, naturally. I have no insurance.
aND i'm on T through informed consent...so I don't know about the letter/T time.
I'm starting next Tuesday. Grand total cost for me (no insurance): $95 for each of two meetings with a counselor, $168 for first meeting with doctor and bloodwork yesterday, and it'll be another approx. $80 for second meeting with the doctor on Tuesday. Plus the cost of T. So that's around $200 total expenditure so far.
Time: I didn't technically got a letter per se. And I took some time to straighten some stuff out. It's been almost 3 months since I was referred to the doctor who'll be doing my prescription, but from the time I contacted her until the date I'll be getting my prescription was exactly a week. So I could have done this in July, I just didn't have my life in order.
On employment: Have you changed your legal name? If not, do it, and you won't have to worry about outing yourself.
Can't help you on the needle thing, they don't bother me. I guess the question is: are you more afraid of needles, or of being stuck in a female body?
Well, I'm only changing my middle name, Alexandra to Alexander, so I can't do what you two did.. Unisex first name ftw? :-\
And I'm willing to get over the needle willies, just, blarg. It sucks a bunch.
Thanks for the replies you two! And grats Kyril on starting Tuesday :D
I started on T with informed consent. My bloodwork was about $175 (no insurance for that). The cost of my T (this included a year's supply of syringes/needles and a sharps container) was about $50 (also not covered by insurance).
I am needle phobic and it was so hard for me to do my first shot. It took hours before I could calm down and just do it, and I was trembling. The thing is, I wanted it so badly that's what let me overcome the fear. I'm not sure I could have injected myself if it were anything else. It's getting easier for me to do it now but I still get nervous every single time. But being on T is worth it, it's just way more important to me than being afraid of the needle.
I've know a transman who got a letter with a date three months in the future. I hear that it is often three months without informed consent, although I have no experience myself. I'm not even in therapy yet, but plan to be soon.
* How long of a wait was it between the letter and actually starting T? I know it'll vary between doctors, but I need to slake my curiosity anyways @_@
2 days for me, dr. wrote the rx and i called it in
* How much has everything cost you? Bloodtests, Endo visits, and the meds themselves. Insurance or no? I have Aetna, and I only know that they cover SRS.
first endo visit was $154 and the follow up bloodwork every 3 or 6 months is $67. i don't have any insurance. my testosterone is $70 for a 6 month supply including needles. i get it from stroheckersrx.com they ship in about 2 business days
* I have a severe needle phobia, but I really want to do injections. Did anyone else here have a similar problem? Did you get over it/get used to it?
have someone else give you your shots, i recommend butt, you won't be able to feel it at all, its really not bad i promise
* I'm going to be getting a part time job. I'm thinking it unwise to explain to my potential employer about being trans, because I live in a somewhat podunk town that is more than likely not LGBT friendly. Is this a wise decision? It's impossible for me to dress to my physical gender, because I have no clothes left anymore, so I dunno how to explain that...
i transitioned while working and everyone is really cool, maybe give T a few months to kick in and apply for jobs as yourself and male, goodluck with everyone and congrats on T!
I'm very, very poor so what kind of insurance do you need? I live in WV to so there are no gender therapists or anything like that, I don't think.
I think I got my letter in november, I got an appointment with my endo the middle of december, get my bloodwork and then started T December 31st.
it cost $300 for the year for my endo to manage my hormones and bloodwork but she is a ->-bleeped-<-ty endo so i'll be switching. My bloodowork is covered by insurance so its just the co pay to the doctor which is $20. My hormones are about $90 for a 5 month supply if i get the non-generic brand. its about $60-$70 if i get generic, that includes syringes and needles.
I'm not necessarily needle-phobic but I can't do my shots myself. My ex-girlfriend used to do them back when she wasn't my ex. Now my mom does them because I still live at home. It really isn't bad.
I've been waiting for my name change to go through to get a job i don't want to have to tell anyone but that's just me being me, if I told people I'm sure they would have no problem. I am a normal well-adjusted young man, it has no affect on my working ability.
-I got my T letter and scheduled my doctors appt. the next day. it took me 3 days to get into the doctor, but I got my first shot at my first appt.
-My insurance covers my doctor appts, my blood work, & my T script, so I have a $10 co-pay for each of them, before i realized my insurance covered my T I got my first script filled for $35 at a place called the apothecary shop in columbus ohio, they ship orders out so anyone can get their t filled there no matter where you live.
-I had a HUGE needle phobia! even to talk about a shot would make me get light headed and almost pass out. I gradually started watching videos of people getting shots until i started to feel comfortable. I'm part of a collab channel on youtube called itsttime2010. there was a week toward the beginning of the channel when we discussed shots and phobia if you want to check them out.
Here is my video about needle phobia. There are quite a few videos on the channel if you want to check the other ones out too.
Aydon & Parker- Week 4: Needle Phobia (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64-YSBaANlc#)