I live in more central New Mexico, and several month ago, when I was approved for hormones, I realized that finding a local doctor who could help me was more challenging than I had first assumed. Granted, there are several in my immediate area who work with Transgender people, but not one of them had availability for several months (1st appointment I could get in town wasn't until the end of July). So I branched out and called doctors in surrounding towns, and then finally in surrounding states. The CLOSEST doctor I could find with availability in the same month as when I called was in Denver, CO. I was so excited to find one that would work with me, that I agreed to meet her, not realizing that Denver is a full 7 hours away.

I thought I must have missed one or two closer to me, and so I called literally dozens doctors (perhaps 50?) in one week (even if they weren't listed as transgender friendly), but not one person could get me in sooner that four months from when I called. I don't really get it. Why in the world would it be so difficult to find an endocrinologist who works with transgender people who has availability within a few weeks? I even have great insurance, and I was willing to pay out of pocket even if they didn't take my insurance.
I did ultimately keep my appointment with the one in Colorado, and I couldn't be happier with her! She has been fantastic and I just had my increase in hormones recently, but since I had plenty of time on the drive home, I was just wondering this very same topic to myself, and I thought I would see if anyone else has had to drive or fly a very long distance to get hormones prescribed by someone who knows what their doing.

In case you were thinking that I should have asked my primary care physician for hormones, I did. But she wouldn't prescribe them to me until after I had reached the maximum dose from my endocrinologist.

On a side note, has anyone else had an insatiable appetite for oranges since being on hormones? I seem to crave them almost constantly, which certainly wasn't the case before hormones.

I had a bit of an issue as I didn't think I'd get my letter as quickly as I did.  When the subject came up (broached by my therapist) she asked if I had anyone in mind and at the time I didn't.  She gave me a couple of names of Doctor's that some of her other patients (or is clients a better word?) had used.  They were about 45 minutes away from me (about as far as the therapist is); so I thought I'd look around a bit.  I ran across a recommended Doctor's name that was about 90 minutes in the other direction near where I went to college for a year.  I called her first and felt very comfortable with her so I made an appointment, but it was a bit over 3 months out.  In the interim I did have a reason to see my regular GP and while she was more than willing to work with the other Doctor as far as blood work and such went she wasn't comfortable handling the hormones herself.  It would've been nice if she had been since she's 5 minutes from here; but just handling the blood work has been nice.  I don't mind the 90 minute (each way) drive so much as it's all highway and peaceful - and that Doctor is great - but it does waste a half day of PTO from work.  Thankfully she only wants to see me every three months; although this go around it's two as she's going to up my dosages - she just wanted some blood work first.

So while I don't have to travel nearly as far as you did/do; I did have a 3 month wait to see her.  Now, I'm glad I did choose her and frankly as much as I like my regular GP, if this Doctor was closer I'd switch in a heartbeat.