She said that I could start them when I became a legal adult. (In nine days!) but now she's changed her mind again, and says she wants me to graduate first. I really want to start hormones, or at least blockers, but she says that blocking puberty is bad for your body.

WTF? I know lots of people who blocked puberty for really long times, like months. I'm starting to wonder if she even knows what she's doing... but she's the best I have, you know?

I'd really like to be able to convince her to start hormone theraphy earlier, but I can't see a way to convince her to. Any help?

You should openly question her why she went back on her thoughts, and ask her for evidence that it is bad for you.

I think you could also point out that from your perspective this is THE WRONG puberty.

You want the freedom to be allowed to go through the right one when the time comes without her obstinacy having condemned you to irreversable changes which you can't escape.

Point out that it's your body not hers and if by refusal to prescribe blockers you are forced to watch unwanted and irreversable changes she will effectively have broken the hypocratic oath by harming you by inaction.

Uh... o.o;

I dunno, seems kind of rude to outright threaten her...

Inform her you want to do it the right way, under the care of a doctor.  She will know what you mean.  And that you need to stop the ravages of the wrong hormone now.

Otherwise find a different therapist who is not so dead set against.

I guess I'm just a little upset too because she made me get my blood drawn for this purpose, and then she said that I couldn't do it. I have a phobia of getting my blood drawn, so that was horrible for me. O3O

Quote from: Hazuki Heartwood on January 20, 2010, 04:23:13 PM
I have a phobia of getting my blood drawn, so that was horrible for me. O3O

You'll be getting your blood drawn regularly once you start HRT so you may as well start working on that phobia right now, lol.

...eeeeeehhh... scary.

I do what I must, though.

Quote from: Wendy1974 on January 20, 2010, 04:29:38 PM
You'll be getting your blood drawn regularly once you start HRT so you may as well start working on that phobia right now, lol.

Time will heal the phobia, I used to be a massive needle phobic, now I have to have a shot literally every 48 hours and blood tests all the time and it's honestly no big deal at all. Given how massively needle phobic I was for most of my life, over time it simply stopped being a big deal.

What I do for blood tests is I watch them right up until the moment they're about to insert the needle, and only then look away.

If you watch for the insertion, it hurts (I don't seem to have any problem watching them once it's in and they're putting the little tube things in to collect the blood), if you don't watch at all, you get anxious wondering when it will happen. So I've found the looking away right at the last second and staying calm approach works best for me.

As for your therapist, I say dump her and find a new one. She's already shown that she's just stringing you along, and who knows how long it will go on for. I dumped two therapists after only a couple sessions because I felt they were going to string me along indefinitely (I know some of you are going to interpret that as me perhaps being impatient with them, but really, you weren't there). And while they're sitting around doing nothing, your young life just keeps passing you by and the wrong hormones keep doing damage. And for what? For their comfort? This isn't their body or life that's being destroyed, if they can't appreciate that, then I don't think you should stay with them.

If you're about to turn 18, there's no point in puberty (GnRH) blocking drugs, what you definitely want is androgen blocking drugs.

People have blocked puberty (not unheard of in GID in minors) for literally YEARS without problem.

My advice, and this is what I would and have done in your situation, is get a new therapist, and keep trying doctors to get access to HRT. I went to see 3 different doctors before finding one that specialized in this field and was actually helpful and understanding and prescribed androgen blockers immediately until I can get a therapists letter. So, you really need determination and to look around sometimes.

I don't know if I want to drop her, I get free care with her.

Maybe somebody can send me a paper or article about the postive effects of hormone blocking and estrogen at a young age for a young MtF?

www.tsroadmap.com has a page dedicated to hormonal therapy for minors, with links and relevant information.

Quote from: Hazuki Heartwood on January 20, 2010, 04:09:24 PM
Uh... o.o;

I dunno, seems kind of rude to outright threaten her...

For clarity I was certainly not suggesting that you threaten her, merely politely but firmly point out a few facts.

To my mind there is a huge difference between aggression and assertiveness - the former being the issues of threats, the latter being the ability to stand your ground and politely point out the logic of a situation when someone is being unreasonable.

Quote from: Wendy1974 on January 20, 2010, 04:29:38 PM
You'll be getting your blood drawn regularly once you start HRT so you may as well start working on that phobia right now, lol.

Really? Thank goodness nobody has ever told my medical team that. I only ever had one blood test and that was when I was diagnosed as IS.

Quote from: Hazuki Heartwood on January 21, 2010, 12:14:06 AM
I don't know if I want to drop her, I get free care with her.

Maybe somebody can send me a paper or article about the postive effects of hormone blocking and estrogen at a young age for a young MtF?

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119879140/abstract
The Treatment of Adolescent Transsexuals: Changing Insights by Peggy T. Cohen-Kettenis, Henriette A. Delemarre-van de Waal, Louis J. G. Gooren (Journal of Sexual Medicine, Volume 5 Issue 8, Jun 2008)

http://www.springerlink.com/content/n9k6yjp8x0f3bn8e/
Pubertal delay as an aid in diagnosis and treatment of a transsexual adolescent by Peggy T. Cohen-Kettenis and S. H. M. van Goozen (European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Volume 7 Number 4, December 1998)

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/44453/abstract
Psychological functioning of adolescent transsexuals: Personality and psychopathology by Leo Cohen, Corine de Ruiter, Heleen Ringelberg, Peggy T. Cohen-Kettenis (Journal of Clinical Psychology, Volume 53 Issue 2, Dec 1998)

Thanks for looking that up Flankitty.

That's incredibly helpful and just what I needed.

If you want another one that should help make your case, I just remembered this one
http://www.secondtype.com/young.htm

If the wrong puberty was prevented, I doubt it would be a problem.

Hormonally, you would be a child. Honestly, do you see children having all sorts of problems because of "no puberty?"

That said, it's nine days. Hang in there. If it doesn't work out, then try to find another therapist.

my old old old old therapist was dumb like that too.

I eventually had to drop her. . . but I mean just try your best to convince her and tell her that you appreciate the help she has given you thus far but if she can't help you achieve your goal then she can really only do so much and you might be at that point right now.  Maybe if you help her realize your point things might go better.  I mean you're 18 almost. . . that's certainly mature enough to realize what you're doing with your life to some extent.  If you can join the army and die you should be able to take estrogen if you want!  (okay that was a bad joke lol)

Anyways, I hope it works out and dump her if you have to if you're not getting anywhere.  I'm sure you can find other providers that would help you out that are still free.

sounds a little inappropriate to me, especially the changing her mind part.  I wonder if you might have more traction if you're able to get your parents on board (though I'm not sure what your situation is)? 

Why do you get to see her for free?  Insurance?  Can you switch and see someone else instead?  Maybe see how she takes to the papers you're presenting her with, and if she's still obstinate, then give a little more consideration to dropping her. 

Also, what other people are saying about the wrong puberty: I completely agree.  Waiting until T has virilized your appearance and you're going to have to spend even more to get hair removed, etc isn't helping you at all. 

Really, her job is only to ascertain your eligibility and readiness from an emotional standpoint.  It's up to the endocrinologist to determine whether you're healthy enough, etc, or whether HRT would be bad for you being so young.  Your therapist is no more qualified to make that decision than any of us are-- an endocrinologist should really be helping you out on those choices. 

N+1 for the needle phobias-- I hate the damn things, but doing my own injections, getting my blood drawn quarterly, etc. has helped me a lot.  I still look away when they're drawing my blood, but it doesn't bother me nearly as much as it used to. 

Quote from: Hazuki Heartwood on January 20, 2010, 03:46:45 PM
She said that I could start them when I became a legal adult. (In nine days!) but now she's changed her mind again, and says she wants me to graduate first. I really want to start hormones, or at least blockers, but she says that blocking puberty is bad for your body.

WTF? I know lots of people who blocked puberty for really long times, like months. I'm starting to wonder if she even knows what she's doing... but she's the best I have, you know?

I'd really like to be able to convince her to start hormone theraphy earlier, but I can't see a way to convince her to. Any help?

By prologing your treatment you could end up like the rest of us! past puberty and a lot harder to rectify.

Hazuki,

Have your therapist talk to (or at least try to), Dr. Spack in Boston Mass. He is a proponent of puberty blocking hormones in pre-pubertal adolescents.

And, as some others here have suggested; get a new therapist!


Dawn