medical care issues

[CharleneT]

Hey all, here is a link to a local story about some of the issues that TS/TG folks face. The people mentioned are friends of mine, and one of the docs has been involved in my treatment. This story is all too common . . .

http://www.dailyiowan.com/2012/04/04/Metro/27743.html

I've had my own issues at the same hospital, although I'm staying out the media coverage, if at all possible.

[Julia_in_Pa]

Charlene,


Yes sadly it is all too common place in smaller towns and larger cities alike.
I have been on the " wrong " side of a doctor's prejudice in south central PA.
The doctor was very standoffish and used terms like " your kind " .
Example; He said we don't see your kind here too often are you sure you wish to continue with this medical practice?
He even went as far as to ask why I didn't present as male when he perceived it as being more acceptable to most of the country.
Due to no other doctor being open for patients I felt my next appointment should be honored.
Approx. a week later the doctor's office called stating that they needed to move my appointment due to a scheduling conflict and the next available appointment was three months later.
I took the hint and drove the 25 miles to a larger city to see another doctor.

On the other side of the coin my general practitioner in Helena Montana allowed me to tailor my medication needs to my transition.
He said to gather all information and present it to him and he would write the scripts.
He was a God send.


Julia

[Kristy_K]

Charlene,

My DR. sent my to the ER to have my breast pump because he wouldn't listen to me about the swelling. Then the ER DR. just laugh and he understood about the fluid build up after surgery.

This in a large city also.

I am also looking for a new DR.

Kristy

[Stephanie-L]

I guess I have been lucky in my experiences from both sides. All of the medical professionals except one that I have dealt with since begining transition have been great. The one who wasn't was an endo that my primary sent me too who has treated other trans patients of hers. He was polite to me, but kept trying to get me to take testosterone, even before he got my labs back, which showed my T level still too high. I think he was trying to "cure" me, so I quit seeing him.

On the other side, as a medical professional I have had a few trans patients and everyone involved in the care has treated the patients professionally and with kindness. Of course since this is something we do not see often we do comment amongst ourselves about it, but not in a mean way, and of course not in any way that violates confidentiality. One thing I will mention is that you should not hide your trans status or any meds you are taking from a medical professional, I will give you good care either way, but I can give you better care if I know the whole story, and you are less likely to cause comments. I have never had any specific training regarding care of trans folks, in fact a lot of what I know I picked up here, then did more research. Most of my co-workers know nothing about trans stuff, so I do try to subtly educate them, I am not yet out at work. Thank you for this interesting article.............Stephanie

[CharleneT]

Like Stephanie, I've been treated well by most of the docs and nurses who've cared for me since I started transiting. Especially my primary care doc and his staff, they've been wonderful. The insurance side is where I hit a snag. A little over a year ago I was hired by the University Hospital. As an employee I have what is thought of as "great" insurance. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa decided however, that since my primary diagnosis is GID, they would deny any care - for any cause. I know that sounds nuts, but it is true. Last year almost $5000 worth of denied claims... my primary care doc's nurse has been busy recoding all of my records to reflect other issues for each visit, lab etc. Then re-submitting them to BCBS. So far so good, those that have been resub'd have been covered mostly ( they are still charging me more than normally would be the case, I don't know why yet - but it is not a lot).

The only place where the coverage worked fine was with my therapist. I asked her why ? She said due to past experiences with BCBS, she never uses coding for GID for her trans patients. I have no idea what the coding says, will check sometime.

[Jorja]

As many of you know, I transitioned in 1980. Most doctors back then would not even acknowledge that it was possible to transition from one gender to the other. That being said, I have always had excellent medical care. I have Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance. They have never denied any care which was infact covered by insurance. Since 1980 I have lived in four different states and have never had a problem. Maybe it is all in how up front you are with the doctor in the first place. I have never hid the fact I am transsexual from them. I feel it is important for them to know from the start.

[Beth-Lock]

I have had a couple of incidents at local hospitals.

At a psychiatric hospital, the staff at the lab refused to use my femme name, and instead used my male name, in front of everybody, despite the fact that I was wearing a skirt, etc., and generally presenting as a woman. That incident destroyed my confidence in being treated well there, if I needed psychiatric hospitalization, due to being suicidal, for example.

A year or so later, once I had my legal name change and M changed to F on my driver's licence, but not my health card, someone wrote at a general hospital ER in big block letters at the top of the medical report, Male. Since I was seeking treatment for an infected thumb, I could not see how this could possibly be relevant. Other than that, I was treated well there.

My old family practitioner, when I asked about hormones, said she did not know anything about them -- end of conversation. She obviously was not interested in researching the topic. Later she failed to refer me to an endocrinologist after I requested it.

Even in the sizeable city I live in, understanding and sensitivity is not 100% yet.