My Lady Marsea
09-29-2012, 07:35 PM
I was like responding to another persons post dealing with the VA but quickly realized I was kinda hijacking it or wutever so decided to do it this way.
When I like requested a Endo doctor after bringing the VA directive 2011-024, my primary doctor requested it. Guess they didn't want anything to do w/me 'cuz all I got was their recommendation to cut down on the Spiro and substitute some Finasteride to make up. This was just passed along to my primary care general doctor from IDK where. At the beginning I fought tooth and nail waving the directive around, but living in Podunk AZ they just don't get it. My doctor finally managed to get a T & E test done by pulling some strings I guess but said it was very expensive and like not something they usually do. Nothing changed on my meds since there was no endo involved I guess. I wasn't really even called in to discuss the numbers, just mailed the results. It still didn't get me a true Endo. I finally got some therapy by raising he** w/the patient advocate in Tucson, the big regional mother VA and a 3 hr drive and had to go there each time. We don't have a patient advocate or wutever in Podunk it seems. The best I could do was the person in charge of the local clinic. She just tended to make her own interpretations or used SOP from Tucson I guess. I heard there was an actual TG/TS unit in Phoenix but when I called nobody knew nothing. I'm gonna try like an in person stop next time when I'm in the area, maybe someone in the main directors office knows something?
Once I found out I qualified for mileage and a motel for each Tucson trip because of the distance/time/my finances, which my local VA didn't bring to my attention- I looked up the requirements on the net (Google Beneficiary Travel-Who May Qualify?-answer ID 1030), at least I wasn't like going into the hole each time. The one therapist in Tucson was like a intern or wutever and I dealt with her mostly by closed circuit TV in the Podunk clinic. I got my final evaluation from a full time VA therapist in Tucson in person, passed just fine lol, then cut loose. As far as changing my records locally per the directive to reflect my TG status like concerning gender tag and preferred name, I just give up since again dealing with the local boss. At one point (over a yr ago) I was told in Tucson that an effort would be made to have all my records and care transferred to Tucson which has some of the directive in place. After a couple of inquires, I never heard anything and am still in Podunk, but at least I get mileage for any and all scheduled Podunk trips. I managed to get a mammogram but it was outsourced because the VA in Podunk has no means to do it in their own clinic. I really don't like the fact my results were addressed and sent as MR Marsea P---- as well as all my meds through the mail have my unwanted middle boi name (my bad...was too cautious in my legal name change) on the label. Just the other day I saw here on the site that voice lessons are supposed to be part of the overall directive. OK, so that will be my next fight...I don't want to like sound ingrate or wutever here, but it seems different VA clinics just kinda interpret wutever they want. I know of some here who got things done by having a doctor so totally skilled in VA speak concerning the medical dangers of HRT (mine don't so far), reading the directive pretty much as presented (mine don't so far), and being in a large city (I honestly can not afford to walk away from home ownership where I am and move to Tucson or Phoenix). I can only seem to get so far on out of house (Podunk) scheduling to be scheduled to Tucson just to try to get wut I think is pretty well defined in the directive. (She sighs)
Some are evidently going to or have like obtained an Orchi, voice lessons, get regular therapy, actually attend TG/TS meetings/groups and a whole wealth of TG/TS related benefits.
So like wut's your take in general on the directive and your success rates? Anything you can pass on that might help myself and any others to overcome all the confusion? At some point maybe I'd be smart to like write to mama VA in Washington DC with my grievances and see wut that accomplishes. I so totally hate going out of the chain of command, esp anything concerning the govt/military/benefits. Wut's a girl to do?
When I like requested a Endo doctor after bringing the VA directive 2011-024, my primary doctor requested it. Guess they didn't want anything to do w/me 'cuz all I got was their recommendation to cut down on the Spiro and substitute some Finasteride to make up. This was just passed along to my primary care general doctor from IDK where. At the beginning I fought tooth and nail waving the directive around, but living in Podunk AZ they just don't get it. My doctor finally managed to get a T & E test done by pulling some strings I guess but said it was very expensive and like not something they usually do. Nothing changed on my meds since there was no endo involved I guess. I wasn't really even called in to discuss the numbers, just mailed the results. It still didn't get me a true Endo. I finally got some therapy by raising he** w/the patient advocate in Tucson, the big regional mother VA and a 3 hr drive and had to go there each time. We don't have a patient advocate or wutever in Podunk it seems. The best I could do was the person in charge of the local clinic. She just tended to make her own interpretations or used SOP from Tucson I guess. I heard there was an actual TG/TS unit in Phoenix but when I called nobody knew nothing. I'm gonna try like an in person stop next time when I'm in the area, maybe someone in the main directors office knows something?
Once I found out I qualified for mileage and a motel for each Tucson trip because of the distance/time/my finances, which my local VA didn't bring to my attention- I looked up the requirements on the net (Google Beneficiary Travel-Who May Qualify?-answer ID 1030), at least I wasn't like going into the hole each time. The one therapist in Tucson was like a intern or wutever and I dealt with her mostly by closed circuit TV in the Podunk clinic. I got my final evaluation from a full time VA therapist in Tucson in person, passed just fine lol, then cut loose. As far as changing my records locally per the directive to reflect my TG status like concerning gender tag and preferred name, I just give up since again dealing with the local boss. At one point (over a yr ago) I was told in Tucson that an effort would be made to have all my records and care transferred to Tucson which has some of the directive in place. After a couple of inquires, I never heard anything and am still in Podunk, but at least I get mileage for any and all scheduled Podunk trips. I managed to get a mammogram but it was outsourced because the VA in Podunk has no means to do it in their own clinic. I really don't like the fact my results were addressed and sent as MR Marsea P---- as well as all my meds through the mail have my unwanted middle boi name (my bad...was too cautious in my legal name change) on the label. Just the other day I saw here on the site that voice lessons are supposed to be part of the overall directive. OK, so that will be my next fight...I don't want to like sound ingrate or wutever here, but it seems different VA clinics just kinda interpret wutever they want. I know of some here who got things done by having a doctor so totally skilled in VA speak concerning the medical dangers of HRT (mine don't so far), reading the directive pretty much as presented (mine don't so far), and being in a large city (I honestly can not afford to walk away from home ownership where I am and move to Tucson or Phoenix). I can only seem to get so far on out of house (Podunk) scheduling to be scheduled to Tucson just to try to get wut I think is pretty well defined in the directive. (She sighs)
Some are evidently going to or have like obtained an Orchi, voice lessons, get regular therapy, actually attend TG/TS meetings/groups and a whole wealth of TG/TS related benefits.
So like wut's your take in general on the directive and your success rates? Anything you can pass on that might help myself and any others to overcome all the confusion? At some point maybe I'd be smart to like write to mama VA in Washington DC with my grievances and see wut that accomplishes. I so totally hate going out of the chain of command, esp anything concerning the govt/military/benefits. Wut's a girl to do?