Finally ready for first letter for SRS!

[Dawn D.]

At long last I've reached another milestone. My therapist is ready to write my first letter recommending SRS. Yay! It's taken just over two years to get to this point. To most this may initially seem absurd and controlling on the part of my therapist for taking such a long time. The fact is though, I was willing to allow for the time to be taken. There have been many issues that were necessary for my wife and I to work through together in order for us to remain as a team; a partnership, and a marriage. Thankfully, we've reached this goal and now it's time for another to be formed; my SRS.

What is kind of surprising is the idea that my therapist wishes for me to draft the letter and present it to her. At which time we will review it and massage it to her and my liking. Or just accept it the way I write it if the letter is sufficient in her estimation. Maybe it's just me, but, I am intrigued and eager at the chance to write this. Again, to me it seems that she is placing me more in the control position to decide my own destiny. I like that!

Questions: Has anyone else here had this opportunity? If so can you provide any particulars as to how the letter should be formatted and professional language to be included in it?

All opinions on this are appreciated!


Dawn

[Katesback]

Letter? Whats that?? LOL
I was a rebel. Never did go to a therapst till three days prior to SRS in Thailand where I had to talk to this guy and draw a picture of a boy and a girl and then I told him I thought it was crazy I had to sit with him for an hour to get past the red tape. Oh well.

Katie

[Eileen]

Congratulations Dawn! It is so nice to hear about a couple working together on a transition. Your therapist soundsl like a wise person.

Eileen

[luvSophia]

Here is what Dr. McGinn has on her web site as far as her letter requirements go:

http://www.drchristinemcginn.com/services/socrequirements.asp

[Hope]

Here is what Dr. McGinn has on her web site as far as her letter requirements go:

http://www.drchristinemcginn.com/services/socrequirements.asp

Wow is that ever a really pedantic list of requirements, not only belittling to the patients but to the therapists as well! I'm a BIG supporter of pre-op therapy and I have very few objections to what I have seen of the SOC... but that list of requirements for a letter is asinine. The entire tone in off-putting, and really makes me think that Dr. McGinn is interested in something other than patient care.

Dawn, I'm not sure why your therapist is having you write what is essentially a formal communication between two professionals, but if I were writing it, I would keep it brief, and to the facts. But I am betting that your therapist is asking you to write the letter as part of an exercise of some sort - so you will need to fulfill the requirements of that exercise in an appropriate manner. I think the person to ask about the expected format and content would be your therapist.

Were I writing the letter it would look something like (obviously I'm just making a lot of this up):

Dr. Anita Gender Ph.D
125 Locust blvd. Suit 27
Somewherevill PA. 02517
827.117.2175

Dear Dr. So-and-so,

I have been seeing Dawn for just over 2 years now. Initially she presented herself to me on July 22 2007, concerned with issues concerning her gender, and that has been the focus of our time together, though other therapeutically appropriate aspects of her person have been addressed as well. Initially Dawn presented with an Axis I diagnosis of XXX.XX with no clinically relevant Axis II diagnosis. During our time together I have used XYZ treatment methodology and have used XYZ diagnostic tools with her. Dawn has been engaged and compliant with treatment and diagnosis. Dawn has made great strides during our time together.

While Dawn initially presented in male attire and somewhat ambivalent gender role, she has since spent over a year and a half living in a much more traditional female gender role and attire, including at her place of employment. Dawn has been "out" to her friends, family, coworkers and other in her life for all of that time.

Currently Dawn presents with an Axis I diagnosis of XXX.XX with no clinically relevant Axis II diagnosis. Accordingly I believe that an appropriate next step in Dawn's treatment is sexual reassignment surgery, and I believe that she is an excellent candidate for such a surgery. We have discussed at length the nature of the surgery and the social, therapeutic, and economic ramifications of the surgery and Dawn has demonstrated that she fully understands and accepts the risks and consequences of such a surgery.

Dawn has, while under my care, met or exceeded all of the requirements for surgical treatment set forth by the WPATH Standards of Care, and I have no reservations recommending her for further surgical treatment.

Kind regards yada yada yada...


Dr. Anita Gender Ph.D
01.22.2010

[Teri Jean]

Dawn, I am so happy for you as you move closer to your SRS date. The letter writing exercise is fairly common as you know yourself better than most and you will know what you want to see in the letter. So write the letter and watch the process. She will probably comment on your own observations and feelings are closer to her's than you realize. She probably will not change much if anything. In doing so your letter of recommendation is really yours and reflects you more than her perception of you. I wish you the best.

Teri

[Kaitlyn Michele]

Congrats!!!!! I'm very happy for you !!

The letter is just a letter... dr mcginn is like that...she is ts and feels that this is such a life altering thing that jumping through those hoops is neccessary..she was my doctor for a while and I didnt have a good experience

she is a great person but not for me as a doc.

To me, as long as you say in the letter that you have lived as a woman, and that you have felt this way a long time, and surgery will improve your quality of life, abd that you've met all the requirements of the standards of care.

I agree its an interesting request from your therapist...especially give that different dr's may require different letters and your therapist is the pro

I don't see what else i would say.

[Dawn D.]

My thanks to all of you for your replies!

Kate,


Letter? Whats that?? LOL
I was a rebel. Never did go to a therapst till three days prior to SRS in Thailand where I had to talk to this guy and draw a picture of a boy and a girl and then I told him I thought it was crazy I had to sit with him for an hour to get past the red tape. Oh well.

In all fairness to my therapist, she told me that she does not necessarily agree with the whole gatekeeper concept. And, seeing her for trans issues as I mentioned was not the only reason for seeing her. I happen to share your rebel point of view myself. It was just the pragmatic side of my brain that kept me from acting my own more rebellious nature, lol.


Eileen,

Thank you! My wife is about the most precious person in my life. In fact I owe her my life. She is the one who searched out a therapist for me when I was at my most darkest point in all of this. She is very special, indeed! And, I think my therapist has done a marvelous job!


Sophia,

Thank you for your information!


Hope,

I sincerely appreciate you in depth rendition of a qualifying letter. With what you've provided, I know now that there is much more needed than I had at first believed, Thank you!



Teri Jean,

Thank you very much! I truly appreciate your encouragement and kind words! I will keep those thoughts in mind, for sure!


Kaitlyn,

Thanks! I appreciate your thoughts and will utilize the perspective that you have stated. As for Dr. McGinn, she is most likely not on the list at this point. As has been stated, she seems a bit too rigid in her requirements.


Dawn

[sherri52]

That' great Dawn. I'm glad your wife is with the program.

[Mariah]

Grads Dawn! two years does not seem long (to me at least). I'm happy for you!