the waiting game

[pamela7]

I'm going slightly mad here. I find that a month after seeing him my dr has still not referred me to the local TS clinic, having spoken with them it's 10 months from being registered - via the dr - to even seeing someone to even begin the talking process, and then year/years before any real action. This is NOT going to work for me. Days let alone weeks or months, are going by; watching paint dry is a high-speed sport in comparison.

So, what do you do meanwhile?

[emma5410]

Why has he not referred you?
You could always consider going private while you are waiting for an appointment. That way you probably start hormones (unless you decide to self med).

[pamela7]

that i wont know until i get to speak to him on the 18th, cos he said he was doing it. he has the bloodwork, so really I can only assume he's been too busy.

[becky77]

Can you afford private?

[emma5410]

If it is any consolation ( which I am sure it isn't) it took my GP seven months to send mine. I just assumed it had been sent. Very stupid.
By the time I had my second assessment (18 months after he finally sent the referral) I had been full time for almost two years, on hormones for nearly four and with my surgery already booked. They discharged me as there was nothing more for them to do.
I would not rely on the NHS any more than you have to. As I learnt, although I did not mean to, you do not really need them to transition. I was lucky enough to have access to funds to go private.
I would get electrolysis, therapy, voice therapy, hormones and go full time. Obviously, all easier said than done. Just do not put your life on hold for them any more than you have to.

[Rianna Humble]

I'm going slightly mad here. I find that a month after seeing him my dr has still not referred me to the local TS clinic,

Unfortunately, Pamela, words don't have the same meaning in the NHS. In my experience "straight away" generally means 6 - 8 weeks and "immediately" means 4 - 6 if you are lucky.

watching paint dry is a high-speed sport in comparison.

I got fed up of the waiting game and went full-time before the GIC had had a reply from the Health Authority (now I believe that function comes under one or more Clinical Commissioning Groups), but then again my circumstances allowed it.

I don't agree with the suggestion that you should self-medicate. I am not stupid enough to suggest you do something that could possibly be harmful to you.

The wait to see the specialist for the first time is the problem. Once you have seen him/her, they will get you an appointment to see a second specialist but you can tell the receptionist that you will accept a cancellation and this will speed things up. The first major steps will be taken "straight away" after the second appointment. The only bit that takes years once you have been seen by the second specialist is your RLE. Your primary clinician will want to see evidence of you thriving as a woman before referring you for surgery.

[emma5410]

I don't agree with the suggestion that you should self-medicate. I am not stupid enough to suggest you do something that could possibly be harmful to you.

Just to clarify, and perhaps I phrased it badly, I was not suggesting she should self medicate. I added that in case she already was. I was told by a CHX psych that 50% of people who turn up are. Not to be recommended but probably a result of the waiting times.

The process does take years. You can easily wait longer than a year for your first appointment, six months for your second, two years RLE before a surgery referral, six months for your second, nine months or so for your pre-op and the same until your operation.

[pamela7]

I would get electrolysis, therapy, voice therapy, hormones and go full time.

Okay,
1. starting electro tomorrow
2,3. therapy not necessary, but thank you (self-medicated :-) )
4. i'm going to press the dr for the hormones, which he's already indicated he's amenable to start
5. I've been wearing exclusively women's clothes since quite early last year; i can't even remember the last time i put trousers+shirt on, but it was around this time last year.
thank you everyone for your replies and support. I'm sure that getting the hormones will take away the residual waiting ache, and a good project can't not help.