I was sent a letter from my endo, with a sheet with all the different tests I needed to have done prior to our appointment.  My psychiatrist said that usually from the get-go, this endo will prescribe hormones because he trusts that everything has been dealt with her beforehand.  I needed to give a urine sample and a rather significant blood test, with hormone levels, cholesterol, glucose, and so on and so forth, so that required fasting.  But there was nothing marked in the "vaginal" section.  Will this be brought on me at the last moment, or would it have been brought up now?  My endocrinologist is in another nearby city; we don't know any doctors there.  So if he throws a pap at me on our first appointment, we'd have to have a second one after that dreaded test, in order to prescribe T, I imagine, and I was told he wanted tests done prior to our appointment.  So, what does that mean?

for what it's worth, i didn't have to endure the whole pap procedure on my first md appt. the doctor did ask me when i had one done (late last year.) i saw an internist who was recommended to me by another transguy. they just took blood for the tests above you described. however, everyone is different, but i suppose you could try to call and find out *exactly* what tests they want beforehand so you have an idea. good luck and glad to hear you're moving along in your transition process.

Do I need a pap smear? All I know is that I'm not even gonna go to an endo. I'm just going to go to my GP and ask them to check my blood tests reguarly etc and just go ahead and get the T prescription.

Quote from: accord03 on June 25, 2010, 02:45:59 AM
Do I need a pap smear? All I know is that I'm not even gonna go to an endo. I'm just going to go to my GP and ask them to check my blood tests reguarly etc and just go ahead and get the T prescription.

You still have the responsibility to take care of what you have inside you. So yes, you probably should get a pap smear to keep on top of things. Cancer is serious business and all that.

FWIW, I didn't have to have an internal examination.

I figured I was going to want them removed within 5 years anyway... no real point in going through that hell.

I have had the vaccine, and I'm not (currently) "active" (and that's unlikely to change). It's a calculated risk I'm willing to take.

Quote from: accord03 on June 25, 2010, 02:45:59 AM
All I know is that I'm not even gonna go to an endo. I'm just going to go to my GP and ask them to check my blood tests reguarly etc and just go ahead and get the T prescription.

Good luck with that.

Cancer is serious and I know. I should definetly check it but my mate didn't and if I die, I die then. ->-bleeped-<- life. But I don't know maybe I should go through with the endo. We will see.

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Post Merge: June 25, 2010, 03:47:51 AM

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And I really dont want anything going into my vagina. Gahhh.

I'm not saying "Thou must have that checked!" (As stated, I didn't).

I'm just saying that your chances of getting T through a willing GP are pretty poor. Generally, you need an endo to prescribe it (and an endo with trans experiance at that).

BUT - in saying that - Not all endo's require a pap-smear. Mine didn't, dispite the fact my pre-T T levels were CRAZY high. The OP's endo doesn't seem to require it either.

If you're anywhere near Sydney, NSW, I can give you the name of a good endo that doesn't require a pap smear. He does require a referral from a psychiatrist and is about $200 a visit though (he's privately funded, no bulk billing without a healthcare card).

Thanks brother but I have realised that I don't need to get a pap smear whatsoever so I'm really glad. I'll talk to my GP about it cause one of my mates got T prescription without the endo so it should be good. I'm in Perth so NSW would be difficult Thanks though.

It's all good .

Talk to your mate and find out what GP he went to. Usually GP's won't do it (they're more unwilling than anything else) - but hey - if your mate knows one then give it a shot!

</derail>

Regarding the urine sample - expect the possibility that you'll be filling up a LARGE container with ALL your urine for a 24hr period. This will need to be stored in the fridge.

I assure you, I'm completely serious. It's a cortisol test. I've only had to do one before starting T, my second lot of tests didn't require it.

Yeah, I will brother and I think it's a great opportunity if I could just go to a GP and get it done with. Can't afford endo and can't wait any longer. Lol.

That's heaps of piss. Lol. I take it home and do it for 24 hours right? Don't wanna be stuck there trying to piss.

It's less than you'd think.

But yes - you take home the bottle and do the test on a day off

Then you run it into a pathology collection center first thing the next morning (the same sort of place you get the blood taken at).

Not all endos make people do this test, it's only a possibility (usually done if your hormones are out of whack pre-T).

I mentioned it because it's hilarious, and they generally don't tell you the specifics until you're at the pathology lab and they hand you a 4L container.

Hahahahaha. I guess that's the only bad part of the tests huh? 4L. LOL Seriously damn. They take this ->-bleeped-<- seriously but yeahh all good. After the tests are done. Here comes T =D

How long have you been on T?

They don't expect 4L out of you, that's just the size of the container

3 and a half months (15 weeks today). Not long in the grand scheme of things.

Had to have second set of blood tests after 8 weeks to check levels. Then there should be another one at the 6 month mark. That's pretty much standard (some may check at different intervals).

Don't know the result of the 8 weeks one yet - the only day off I have that the endo is working is this Monday (yeah, 6 weeks after the tests were done).

Luckily my urine test is two little average cups, one filled only partway at first and then one filled... afterwards?  Honestly, I think I've done about one urine test in my life and the whole change cups "mid-voiding" thing is peculiar to me.  I suppose it has a purpose.

Hysterectomies are funded by the Canadian government, so I think in the next 5 years, I will definitely go for that.  I've also never had sex.  As far as I'm concerned, that is a no-go area.  We'll see what they say.  I imagine I'll have to have it all examined at some point, but in my city, there are very few trans-friendly doctors and I shudder to think what that experience would be like.  Hopefully, my psychiatrist could refer me to a gynecologist who would understand; if hysterectomies are covered for trans guys, you would think there'd be people knowledgeable about all of it.