Hi,

I have lurked on this site for a long time but never got round to saying hi.

I am 25yo from the UK and will soon be plucking up the courage to speak to my GP about my gender identity issues.

I am in a pretty tricky situation at the mo as I am at university as a mature student half way through my course and transitioning whilst completing the course would be near impossible for a variety of reasons. However, it is definitely something I want to get the ball rolling on though so I can continue my life as a male with a degree behind me and can do and go anywhere I wish.

Anyway just wanted to say hi and meet some other FTMs.

J x

Hi Radsi,

A big Aussie welcome to Susan's family. It's good of you to drop in and say "Hi". Hope you like it here, and you stay for a while.

There is a mountain of information, resources and friendship waiting for you here, you just need to jump in start talking and ask any question you like. You're quite safe here and we are very accepting.

Congratulations on finding the courage to say Hi. Where ever you found it, you'll find a whole heap more just waiting to conquer every doubt and fear you thought imaginable. Most times that first step is often the hardest. You've done well, man.

Hope Uni provides you with all your needs. 

Looking forward to hearing more of your story in time to come, but in the meantime, be safe, well and happy.

Lotsa huggs
Catherine

A big warm welcome to the family! I am so glad you decided to join us here and I admire your dedication to your schooling.

Quote from: Catherine Sarah on January 27, 2014, 08:46:57 PM
Hi Radsi,

Hi Catherine, Nice to meet you. Thanks for the warm welcome!

I hope to come live and travel in australia one day. I hope you are enjoying your summer its freezing over here in the UK lol.

J x

Quote from: Jessica Merriman on January 27, 2014, 08:47:22 PM

Hi Jessica,

Lovely to meet you and thanks for saying Hi!

How is your week going?

J x

You're most welcome, Radsi.

Well there's  plenty of room over here for you. Just let us know when you arrive at Mascot and I'll have the bus of Susan's girls and boys meet you.

Summer is absolutely gorgeous. A swim at the local beach before starting the days work is just soooo lovely. (Have I convinced you to move yet, or do I have to try harder  )

Are you caught up in this polar vortex too? Hope not as I'm allergenic to the cold. I simply cease to function below 70F. (Catherine's left the door open wide for a lot of Aussie bashing on that one  )

Enjoy your stay.

Huggs
Catherine

Quote from: radsi on January 27, 2014, 08:58:52 PM
Hi Jessica,

Lovely to meet you and thanks for saying Hi!

How is your week going?

J x

Thanks for asking, Radsi! It is going great. This is week number two of my being Full Time! It is so exciting and has been a lot of fun. How about you?

Quote from: Catherine Sarah on January 27, 2014, 09:10:03 PM
You're

Yep it is definitely freezing over here and I am like you I hate the cold.

Once I am done with school/uni whatever u call it I definitely want to look to move to OZ in a couple of years.

I am doing a healthcare related course and It would make it easier for me to get a visa and permanent work there as I wouldnt have to do any extra studying.

Whereabouts in Oz do u live? and what do u do?

J x

Quote from: Jessica Merriman on January 27, 2014, 09:40:41 PM
Thanks for asking,

No way is it only ure second week of being full time! I would have assumed by ure profile pic that you had been doin it years you look great btw.

Whereabouts you from? and how have you found the last 2 weeks?

I shud be studying and doing a school assignment but I am drugged up on medication for a long term pain thing related to a messed up shoulder (long story lol) but instead I am here reading forum posts and chilling out

Welcome from another guy in the UK. I'm not much further along than you, I'm trying to get my GP to refer me to a Gender Identity Clinic at the moment. You should have more luck than me in that department when you're ready for it, I think I was just very unlucky.

We'll help you out wherever we can. I joined here over 2 years ago and I've learned so much.

Welcome to Susan's! We have a great group of people here.

Welcome! I'm in a somewhat similar situation, but for me it's finishing high school this year before transitioning. I've been getting the ball rolling and it really feels awesome to know that even if you aren't about to start T or anything, at least SOMETHING transition-wise is happening

Quote from: radsi on January 27, 2014, 09:59:55 PM
No way is it only ure second week of being full time! I would have assumed by ure profile pic that you had been doin it years you look great btw.

Whereabouts you from? and how have you found the last 2 weeks?

I shud be studying and doing a school assignment but I am drugged up on medication for a long term pain thing related to a messed up shoulder (long story lol) but instead I am here reading forum posts and chilling out

You sure know how to make a woman's day! Thank you.
The last two weeks have been simply fantastic. A lot of the fears I had going into it appear to be unfounded and better than I possibly dreamed of. I kind of felt cheated though, I practiced comebacks for the criticism I thought I would receive and did not get any.
I am from across the pond smack dab in the middle of Oklahoma.
When you get 15 post's or more feel free to PM anytime.

Hello and welcome! I'm in the far far north of the UK

I understand what you mean about things getting in the way of transitioning. My partner is transitioning at the moment and is a full time student (he's 28 and had to take a year out because he had to deal with a lot) Good luck with speaking to your doc and let us know how you get on!

Kay Xx

Quote from: lxndr on January 28, 2014, 01:55:29 AM
Welcome from another guy in the UK. I'm not much further along than you, I'm trying to get my GP to refer me to a Gender Identity Clinic at the moment. You should have more luck than me in that department when you're ready for it, I think I was just very unlucky.

We'll help you out wherever we can. I joined here over 2 years ago and I've learned so much.

Thanks for stopping bye and saying hello... Not sure how much luck i will have with my GP its a group practice and u never see the same person twice.. must have seen bout 30 diff doctors there in the like 7yrs ive been there :/ might swap to a different practice just as i want some consistency dont think its the kinda thing u can blurt out to someone u dont know :/

Why were u having difficulty with them if u dont mind me asking?? What do u do are u a student or working?
Rads xx

Quote from: Mr Hockey on January 28, 2014, 11:30:23 AM
Welcome to Susan's! We have a great group of people here.

Thanks !!! everyones been so friendly so far

Hows ure week going?

Rads x

Quote from: Jessica Merriman on January 28, 2014, 01:15:34 PM
You sure know how to make a woman's day! Thank you.
The last two weeks have been simply fantastic. A lot of the fears I had going into it appear to be unfounded and better than I possibly dreamed of. I kind of felt cheated though, I practiced comebacks for the criticism I thought I would receive and did not get any.
I am from across the pond smack dab in the middle of Oklahoma.
When you get 15 post's or more feel free to PM anytime.

Hahaha, Glad you are having a good experience so far.. Heres to many more weeks like it!

As for the comebacks am glad u havent had to use them yet although i am intrigued as to what they are lol...

And as for the PMs I might take you up on that although people might talk! but we cud always keep it as our little secret hahahahahaha

Quote from: radsi on January 28, 2014, 02:50:54 PM
Thanks for stopping bye and saying hello... Not sure how much luck i will have with my GP its a group practice and u never see the same person twice.. must have seen bout 30 diff doctors there in the like 7yrs ive been there :/ might swap to a different practice just as i want some consistency dont think its the kinda thing u can blurt out to someone u dont know :/

Why were u having difficulty with them if u dont mind me asking?? What do u do are u a student or working?
Rads xx

I recently moved, so basically the first thing I said to my new GP other than greetings was "I'm trans and I was wondering what you can do for me." I knew I had to come straight out with it or I'd just sit there and panic over how to say it. For me at least I think it's easier with someone you don't know because it doesn't matter what they might be thinking. Is there no way to request a specific GP? I'm not too sure about group practices, but at mine I forgot his name and needed to follow things up, so they checked on the register for me and made sure I had him again.

There's been recent (around August last year) changes made to how the referral process works, and he was completely unaware, coupled with not having a clue what to do with minors. I showed him the documents but he seemed to fail to understand them, or the simple instruction to ring up the GIC and get them to clarify the process so he doesn't waste both our time again. I dont want to put you off, the NHS is slow everywhere, but most people have a much smoother ride than I'm having, and recommend that I just change GPs, which I'll do if he messes up once more.

I'm a bit of both, I'm an Engineering apprentice, so I basically get paid to go to college this year by a company (don't want to say which in public), and then work for them for another two years while still training, and then get a job with them at the end of it. My apprenticeship is different from most in that we live on a military base in our first year.

Quote from: radsi on January 28, 2014, 05:16:53 PM
I am actually at the doctors in the morning for something else so I guess I will see who I get. If they are nice to me I might look to see them in the future. I guess I could ask the reception who I have seen before there was a nice female doctor I saw a year or so ago but cant remember her name.

Your apprenticeship sounds interesting and is cool that it leads to a job.How are ure workmates? do u think u would be able to trainsition whilst completing ure course?

I am on an NHS funded uni degree and having a bit of a nightmare at the mo due to a pain issue flaring up but I am sure I will get through it. I dont really see a way I could transition whilst completing my course it would be an absolute nightmare due to the majority of ppl I would be around but guess its something I could aim for when I finish in a year and half.

How old are u btw? and thanks a lot for replying is nice to speak to someone who understands and is going thro the same thing.

rads xxx

You won't get anywhere if you dont ask, so I'd enquire about the GP, even if they read out the names of people you saw it might jog your memory.

I'm hoping to transition as soon as I finish my first year and leave the base, although possibly sooner depending on what happens, how I'm managing to cope. My main issue is that all the rooms are shared and organised by sex, so I'm stuck with females. It finishes in June, when I'll go and work at my depot, so that shouldn't be an issue then.

It's down to you when you feel comfortable transitioning, but often unis are pretty accepting places. Here its a little different because I'm stuck with the same people day in day out, so if someone takes the news badly they could easily make my life hell.