The Road to the GIC (Gender Identity Clinic) Part 3: Acquiring Hormones
Welcome back to part 3 of the road to the GIC. In the last post, I spoke about the Screening with Leeds and being put on to the waiting list, and working through a set of goals. Which I have been doing, I've had a few bumps along the way and boy they were massive bumps.
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| Picture from Wikipedia |
Anyway, this next post is part of those goals I have set which is to obtain hormones through the NHS which when I said that is what I aim to do, I got quite a lot of responses which quite a few were negative, by people saying that I'm wasting my time and I won't get the actual doses unless I go private through the likes of Dr Webberley to be on the safe side or using the internet to obtain them. My goals were clear on what I wanted to do and I’m stubborn so I won’t change my mind till I know I’ve been defeated and truly know I can’t come back...
So for those that are starting out, I knew nothing either, and it wasn't easy. The first thing I did was I went to my GP (General Practitioner) which my Nurse saw me (Check if they can do referrals) and she was very helpful but we thought I could go anywhere. So I was set up, about a week or two later I got a letter through my door and I was to choose a service (there was 4 to choose from, I decided to choose Bolton)
Within two weeks I had a letter through my door and I was rejected, with no explanation even to my GP/clinic either. After about two weeks I rang the referral line to which there was a reply and basically said they don't treat trans people and told me to be referred to an NHS Tertiary Care (NHS Choices) which is a Third Tier Service. So, in other words, the Gender Identity Clinics. I was already on a waiting list for this so I felt like I hit a brick wall. I then decided to ring my Leeds GIC I’m going to go to and they said I need to find someone that deals in "Cross Sex Hormones." then said about the one in Harrogate., but wasn’t sure and it was confirmed that Harrogate does offer this service.
Big tip make sure you have all the information with you, so I had all of Dr Hammond’s contact details for Harrogate as you can then present this to your GP, they got in contact with his secretaries and they told them how to refer me. Yet again my GP was unsure that he could refer me out of the area where I am and I would like to point out if you want to go down the route you have to make sure you challenge them. My GP does support me but they only have limited knowledge, so sometimes you have to help them so they can help you.
Within a few days, I was updated and my referral was sent and accepted… Can’t say I was happy with the referral letter but to be honest I didn’t care as I was moving closer to my goal. It took about a month for my appointment to come through and it was dated for 9th November 2018 which did screw my plans up for my trip to London. This did pose an issue which was waiting for 5 months to be seen.
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| Picture from Jason's Movie Blog |
I would like to point out this trip to see an endocrinologist has nothing to do with Leeds GIC.
Five Months Later
Okay, five months have passed and in that time I was cocky and arrogant was like yes I will go as female, show them I really want it… Yeah, it came and I was nervous as hell, the issue was that I didn’t feel I was authentic going as female which people on my Facebook was saying go as female it’s what they want to see… But do they?
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| This was taken at Harrogate District Hospital |
I felt differently, I didn’t feel right. Presenting as female just to get hormones just didn’t go right for me at all, I felt like I was being a fraud in a way like I was going as female to just get hormones is not what I’m about. It kept me up all night and made me vomit also because it meant so much me and to travel a good distance also and come away with nothing really. I set a deadline for me to get ready and about 10 minutes after that deadline a random thought came to my head and that it’s a day out for me so why would I not want to go out. A new place I’ve never been to and will probably not go again or a long time at least, it was an opportunity to harden my skin and see how my dad would be like with me fully when it was just me and him on a day out. My attire was a white top, denim skirt, leggings, knee-high boots from River Island and a coat from Miss Selfridges.
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| I'm crap with hair |
After getting ready and about 20 minutes late out, we set off and the journey was funny and no different… We mainly were having a laugh and doing Sean Bean’s “bastards!” impressions pretty much the whole way there. (It was going around Facebook and how the girls liked it… Some got turned on somehow)
We turned up at the hospital two and a half hours early, as my dad thought there would be loads of traffic on the motorway (freeway for the U.S. etc) so we walked around and had a coffee. I don’t think I was fazed at all, I know I don’t have a girly figure, a girly posture and I know I’ve not got a great body… Just my legs and ass ha ha. I’m pretty much hardening myself mentally into just going out more but not staying out for too long.
There was a BMW/Audi/pretty much every car brand 'Bastard'
The two and half hours flew by like really and my appointment with Phillip Hammond was now happening, my weight was taken and was 88kg this was with all my clothes on and wearing my C cup silicone breast foams, so maybe a few KG was knocked off, but it came to 13 stone 8ibs (or 190ibs) and my blood pressure was good also. I was asked the same questions like my screening with Leeds G.I.C, like how long have I felt like this? Where do I want to go with my transition? Then when the hormones came out it was what type of treatment with the hormones did I want. So for, me it would be the injection for the testosterone blockers and tablets for the estrogen tablets to start with. I will be monitored regularly to make sure nothing is causing any damages to my body also. Once agreed I signed a waver and I was off to get my bloods done… Big tip get these done and given to you as this will save time.
Options I was given for Estrogen;
- Tablets
- Patches
- Gel
Tablets
Tablets are what most go for to start out with from people I spoke with over the years really then move over to the patches at some point as it’s safer.
Patches
Patches are where most people end up on where these can be worn for about 5 days I believe and you can wear these while exercising like swimming was brought up.
Gel
I completely forgot about these, this is what some people go for but not anyone I’ve spoken to has mentioned to me and has to be used around 3 times a day. The gel is absorbed into the skin and something similar was used in The Big Bang Theory with Howard where he had to rub the cream on his mother to where he didn’t use gloves and became very emotional, not saying it is related fully but it was a gel with estrogen in.
Options I was given for Testosterone Blockers;
- Tablets
- Injection
Tablets
The tablets seem pretty popular especially for people that are self-medding and buy their tablets online, but these also can be prescribed.
Injection
The injection I was told that this is the most effective way. This is injected under your abdominal skin under the navel line and I believe into your muscle. I believe this comes with the highest risk and bigger side effects also.
These can be:
Hot flashes,
Sweating,
Dizziness,
Mood changes,
Increased or decreased interest in sex,
Fewer erections than normal,
Breast swelling or tenderness,
Bone pain,
Nausea,
Vomiting,
Diarrhoea,
Constipation,
Loss of appetite,
Sleep problems (insomnia)
Depression
Weight gain
From what I have been told/read the injection is what they use to treat for Prostate Cancer, Breast Cancer and depending on what you’re given used for other treatment too. From what I’ve read these side effects affect depend on what sex biologically you are, but don’t go off what I’m saying. This is something that I am trying to find out currently, and if so, is there a diet I can follow, exercise route I need to follow just in case.
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| I saw them with stickers and because I thought I was brave and asked if they have a sticker for me... SO they drew one on for me |
I will have an update for you all soon thanks for reading this long ass post and see you guys soon.
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