Scottish e (imported) wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2023 1:47 pm I have been thinking a lot about how best to approach a doctor. I think a gp would not the right person. Did anyone start there or approach a shrink first. I am struggling to take the first step and I really want it to be the right one. There is no support system I know off. Once you get in front of someone you hope will understand. Only I am expecting to be a ridiculed and I have to be honest. This is the one thing holding my back. I suspect even if I make a appointment abroad I will need some sort of letter for them. So is like there is no escape from having to talk about it with someone.

As it happens, my entire GP surgery team have been the most supportive from Day 1, and have cried with me when Uro teams have said no and abused me... All of which is merely anecdotal, but stay open-minded about primary care physicians. They often don't have the biases, bigotries and withered risk appetites of the specialists.

Re abroad, I haven't needed a letter for Mexico. I have a stack of a hundred pre-signed referrals from my GP(!) but they don't need one --- I guess they figure that to travel eight timezones and pay a bundle proves sincerity (as well as believing in the right to autonomy, of course)

I'm sorry you're having to go that distance. Hopefully one day, this will be achievable in the UK without issues. I do wish you a good outcome.

Onto other things I think *might* be an issue in the UK...

Honestly, I think one of the main issues is likely how much blowback the Eunuch chapter got from a highly placed person within WPATH who lives in the UK, doesn't believe in the chapter or the work that went into it, and is likely going around telling everyone how horrible it is. I have no proof though... it just feels like that could be happening since they got overruled early on, and kept trying to get the chapter kicked until the last moment.

Scottish e (imported) wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2023 1:47 pm I have been thinking a lot about how best to approach a doctor. I think a gp would not the right person. Did anyone start there or approach a shrink first. I am struggling to take the first step and I really want it to be the right one. There is no support system I know off. Once you get in front of someone you hope will understand. Only I am expecting to be a ridiculed and I have to be honest. This is the one thing holding my back. I suspect even if I make a appointment abroad I will need some sort of letter for them. So is like there is no escape from having to talk about it with someone.

Somewhat different culture and different country, but FWIW, I have not had ANY of the medical folks (and I see a lot of them because of my injury) I've dealt with be anything but polite and reasonable, even if not particularly supportive (mostly because of an admitted lack of expertise) A part of this may be that the hospital where I get care has a VERY explicit policy of not discriminating for any of the usual reasons, and orientation / gender etc. are very much a part of that list.... I've not had reason to find out, but I suspect that if a staff person was not at least polite, they would be getting much grief from their bosses....

I had many of the same concern you mentioned about how the docs would react, and was pleasantly surprised at how supportive the reaction I got was...

If you have a choice, I'd try to find a facility that explicitly states that they don't discriminate on the basis of gender / orientation, and ideally has a reputation of being that way. I'd also suggest discussing the subject on a basis of 'if you can't help me, can you suggest someone that can...'

If nothing else, medical people hear all sorts of weird stuff, and good ones are supposed act professionally about it, almost no matter what...

WheelyFixed

I started by finding a therapist who specialized in transgendered and non-binary patients. He had helped other patients get orchiectomies so he already knew the doctors who perform the procedure, how to work with insurance, and what steps to take. When it was time to contact the plastic surgeon who would perform the procedure, everything I needed was in place already. The surgeon didn't question my decision and trusted the letter from my therapist. He had performed dozens of procedures and knew how to answer any question I might have.

I know is hard to get started. I want to get started but is really scary. You have no idea how much I admire you. Things are a lot more difficult here