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Canberra – recommend doctors for Hormones
Hi Girls
Ive decided to take the leap and start hormones.Who is the best doctor i can see in Canberra that can get me started asap.I just want to do it now sol any advice on things i should do before seeing doc much appreciated.I should have done this when i was 18 but was to scared then life got in the way.
Thanks Girls
Emily -
7 Replies
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Emily you have really made me think about how best to answer your question? Your question can only really be answered by you & your medical advisors together. I do not think that such a life changing decision should be made with the mindset “quick what have I got to do”.
The fact that you have delayed making this decision for so long indicates that there must be some doubt in your mind. T-girls are not made, you cannot learn to be one. You are born one or you are not.
I suggest that you have a long talk with a Psychiatrist who has a lot of experience in dealing with transgender issues. If the Psychiatrist agrees with you that you should be on HRT; then he/she will refer you to an Endocrinologist. Once your treatment regime has been established; that is one that is designed specifically for you, taking into account all the risks & benefits that can occur with HRT. After awhile a GP maybe able to continue providing prescriptions for your drugs. Yes, drugs. They are powerful drugs that can have equally powerful effects upon you – both good & bad.
I ask you not to rush into the decision to take HRT & not be swayed by others. Seek professional advice. It is a life changing decision.
For me personally, it was the best decision I have ever made. But in hind sight I could not ever have denied my need for HRT – I was born to this.
I wish you well in your journey, wherever that journey may take you.
Kindest regards
Lisa
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Lisa,
I don’t know if I agree with you about those who delay taking HRT.
It is like marriage, those who delay it know what an important commitment it is and DON”T rush into it. 50% of those who do rush into it regret it and end up divorce. It is the same with hormones. I have read countless cases of those who have started HRT in their younger years and then regreted it and went looking for a mastectomies. Also there have been a number of cases where those who have ended up on HRT have tried to blame the doctor for their decision to seek hormones. I suggest people take as long as they want before deciding to take hormones. This does not include of course those who can’t afford to transition in their younger years and are forced to wait until they can afford it later in life. Also there are those who decide not to take hormones because of the risk of losing their family connections but later in life they simply can’t survive without hormones and move to hormones later in life. In my case I had to fight my way through a ton of depression and an ignorant regional mental health care system before I was in ideal situation to access care. There no specialists in far western Queensland who could help, and it was not economically viable to travel 1800 klm for a consult. -
Rikki
We are dangerously close to going off topic & as a consequence may bring Amanda’s blue pencil down upon us. LOL
I agree with you that there are many reasons as to when a person starts HRT. But I can assure you that “once your bell has gone off” nothing & I mean nothing will stop you fulfilling your destiny. (If you contact me privately I can give you a reference to that quote.)
You mentioned that you had to go through a “ton of depression”. I am very glad that you have been able to come through that – for many reasons. One of them is that 2 of the drugs in HRT can make depression worse. Therefore HRT would have been inappropriate for you while you were still severely depressed.
I also live in an isolated rural area & have to travel 5 hrs (one way) to seek appropriate medical care. So I know exactly where you are coming from.
I hope that you have now found your own inner peace & if you have commenced HRT then you will know what a wonderful journey it is.
Hugs
Lisa -
Hi Emily,
I am aware of one doctor in Canberra who is quite well known for prescribing hormones for MtF and FtM, but may I also suggest talking to your own GP?
You may be pleasantly surprised at how many transgender-friendly doctors there are. My previous GP (now retired) had 3 transgender patients. {NO, she didn’t tell me, it was the other two people who told me.}
My current GP in Queanbeyan is prescribing me with hormones. Due to some complex medical issues, she is working with an endocrinologist to determine the best dose for me.
I would like to suggest that we may be helping everyone by using our own GPs. Even if your GP has not previously prescribed hormones, many GPs have connections with endocrinologists with whom they can liaise. Once a GP has had some experience, they can then help others.
If your GP cannot help you, please email me directly and I will give you the name of the doctors I have mentioned, as I don’t think that it is appropriate to mention doctors by name in this forum without getting their consent first.
Cheers,
Julie
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Hi Emily,
Amanda, sorry about getting off track there a bit.
Emily, when I went searching for a Doctor I got in contact with the local Transgender support group who gave me the names of a number of private Doctors and a clinic who dealt with assessing people for GID and hormones. I suppose it really depends on whether you want to go private or public. I myself find the public system frustratingly slow but very thorough. I could probably have got onto hormones more quickly in the private sector, with a private psychiatrist, but it would have been just one person’s assessment of me. I prefer a team approach as I have worked as an RN, (clinical Nurse specialist), in Qld health. In the system I am in I have two Doctors, an RN, a psychiatrist and a psychologist, (who no longer needs to see me unless I have any concerns I wish to discuss).
My GP refused to prescribe anything for me without a complete assessment and report of same and so wrote a referal for me.But, either way, it can be a frustrating ‘hurry up and wait’ situation as far as hormones go depending on how you present to your chosen doctor. In my case the psychiatrist authorized hormones on the first day he saw me, (after a very, very, very thorough assessment by a psychologist), and sent me my letter in just a week identifying me as a female.
Currently my GP is learning heaps about GID from the female Doctor who prescribes my hormones, and the pyschologist who sent him a very thorough report on my assessment. My GP is learning a lot from my process of transitioning and is very supportive, as is my RN. -
hey Emily
I wonder if you’ve had any luck with this?
I see a GP in Canberra who has been nothing but supportive. Unfortunately I understand they are not taking any new clients.
I got onto my Dr via the grape vine – hopefully TgR has already been helpful for you. You could also try contacting one of the well known support services in Canberra, Sydney or Melbourne as a start? The advice to just try your local GP is also pretty good – what’s the worst they can say? (the worst I’ve heard of is a GP here telling a gay friend of mine it wasn’t a sin if he didn’t act on it and he had no experience in the area – so he simply changed GPs. The worst it gets!)
Hope you find what you need. Don’t give up!
Cheers
Sarah -
Hi Girls
Thanks for the info.I understand evereyones concerns this has been a long drawn out process for me,I have talked to to many people Gaye from the gender centre and more.I have decided this is the best choice for me albeit delayed i know want to get the ball rolling so to speak.I want to stop thinking of other peoples feelings for once and think of my own,I know that sounds selfish but well thats how it goes.I just want the best help so i thought id ask our community.Anyways looking forward to seeing the doc.
Emily
