The beginning....

[Casaluna]

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[JustMe]

So so so so sorry for the late reply Drew, I've been a busy girl.

Hope your visit to your GP went well today Drew. I took a lot of stuff with me to my GP because he had no experience at all of Dysphoria - so not a bad approach to take information along with you (sorry if this advice is late).

Drew, please read my blog - it will help give you a lot of really useful information and especially as you are hoping to go to Leeds GIC. After all, it's why I've taken all of this trouble keeping a record there .

You saying that you wanted to take things nice and slowly - moving into the gender rather than suddenly 'crashing' into it was like I was reading something I had written. For me it worked very very well and so it's what I would suggest to anyone in the same situation BUT that decision is a personal one. Only you can make that decision.

I seem to remember that I approached my GP in the January (2012) and then I had the local area mental health psych assessment in April (2012), I was referred back to my GP and saw him in May (2012). Then he referred me to Leeds GIC and then the wait began - I think I had my first assessment at the GIC in the November (but this waiting time can vary so be prepared for that). I think it was the following February (2013) when I was diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria by the psych at Leeds. Then I was moved into the Care Pathway (that means that I finally started treatment). I started RLE in Mar 13.

Hope this helps.
Kerry x.

[Christine]

I seem to remember that I approached my GP in the January (2012) and then I had the local area mental health psych assessment in April (2012), I was referred back to my GP and saw him in May (2012). Then he referred me to Leeds GIC and then the wait began - I think I had my first assessment at the GIC in the November (but this waiting time can vary so be prepared for that). I think it was the following February (2013) when I was diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria by the psych at Leeds. Then I was moved into the Care Pathway (that means that I finally started treatment). I started RLE in Mar 13.

I guess it's interesting to compare our milestones for the benefit of any non-CX patients so they can be grateful they're not at CX.

May 2011, saw my GP after agonising about it for a few years. She wasn't entirely sure what to do with me, but late 2011 I went via the local psychiatric team (admittedly some favours were pulled) and referred to the local gatekeeper, who gave the curious advice not to transition at that point, and referred me to CX in Dec 2011. Fortunately I ignored his advice and told everyone I was now Christine and sped up my gradual transition a little which marked the official start of my RLE.

July 2012 I had my first appointment, Dec 2012 the second where hormones were prescribed, of course they lost the paperwork so about 10 weeks later after a series of frantic phone calls my GP was given instruction to start treatment in Feb 2013. June 2013 should've been my first SA but I guess because I had an attitude (not caving to a wrongful accusation) it didn't happen, so November 2013 should have been my first SA, but that also didn't happen as the appointment was cancelled. So January 2014 should have been my first SA, but that didn't happen because my waist was 1cm too large. So June 2014 should have been my SA, but that didn't happen because the clinician was out of the country and the admin team couldn't be bothered to tell anyone. So in August 2014 my SA finally did happen because it was with a different clinician who got both signatures. Yay.

And CX GIC will only refer to CX hospital with its insane waiting list, unlike the other GICs which will use others, apparently, or let patients make their own choice.

So congratulations on not going to CX. Your continued sanity thanks you.

[JustMe]

I will back up what Christine has said. Leeds is a very good GIC in my experience and I have nothing bad to say about them. All of their Staff have been marvelous with me and of course I am most grateful to them. Okay, the waiting has been really frustrating at times but nothing compared to CX and although I have felt that the wait has been long, the waiting has given me the opportunity to prepare and get on with lots of other stuff (hair removal is a big one). That being said, I have heard of some others at Leeds having to wait quite a bit longer than me (I don't know the circumstances and if it was perhaps because I started at just the right time ).