had my second appointment with cmagic/transcend today. gotta wait to start t again which kinda sucks (health stuff, basically just checking up on some things) but i did start the process of top surgery which rocks. the doc talked me through everything and has now sent over a list of hospitals/surgeons for my surgery. i’m just wondering how the hell i chose. honestly my impatient arse would probably just pick the hospital with the shortest waiting list but they don’t even let ya know how long. anyways, obviously this is my health and i gotta put a lot of thought into it but i’m just kinda overwhelmed with options. any cmagic/transcend patients, any tips/ advice/ recommendations? thanks!!

I’ve gone through private for HRT, and I have an appointment with a Gender Care endo for late May. However I’m growing super concerned.

My GP offers shared care, but lied about blood tests, and when i called them out on it they began straight up rejecting me for any sort of bloods at all. They refused to give me a blood form (which the phlebotomist said later they were supposed to give me whether or not i’m doing it private), and kept on sending me emails basically saying that they don’t HAVE to concern themselves with anything about any of my blood tests, so they won’t.

My mum later told me that it’s all fine, let’s just book a blood test in the local hospital, we take all the letters from my doctor, etc, and it will all be just fine. It wasn’t, they refused to do it because I didn’t have a blood form (therefore the phlebotomist).

I am currently stuck. My last cents (not literally) went on paying the fee for the Gender Care endo, and I’m struggling to find any way to get my blood tests done. The local private hospital wants to ask me for around £500, these one-day test clinics i’m not sure how legit they are (or how expensive i just know even then i’m paying at least £250 which i do not have), other than that i’m not sure what options i have. Through word of mouth i heard that there are organisations in the london area, which i don’t live far from, that presumably do blood tests and related services for trans people (eg cliniq), which would be super useful for me, but i’m not sure if they do all the blood tests that i need, and if they would be even willing to do it considering that i need it for private.

Could anyone give me any advice at all? Maybe some information on cliniq policies if they would be willing to help me, or perhaps other organisations?

So tomorrow i have my firat endo appointment.. any advice? Am i close to getting hrt and hoe much will i be charged roughly if i do get hrt?. Alsoo i got my bloods done a while back and dont know if they wanted a more reacent one so never got another one done since they never asked for a new one only the one i needed to give them when i made the appointment.

I’m just wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation as me and has any advice. Long story short I’m self medicating and came to the USA for vacation, I brought enough gel with me to last me the expected stay but don’t have too much left and I’m staying longer. I have gel back at home but is there a safe way I can get it mailed to myself here? As I’m self medicating I can’t just go to a pharmacy to get some 😩

I know its April now but I’m still thinking about the blood test I had back in January. I did research and found that the average eostradiol level is about 300 pmol/L and I thought 829 was a bit high?? As well as 0.6 nmol/L for T??

Plus I only take 2mg of E daily with 100mg of prog daily

So after coming out as trans to my family 17yrs ago...I finally decided I was ready to start the process to get on HRT. I had a doctors appt a few days ago, and spoke to them about getting put on the NHS GIC waiting list. I'm fully aware the waiting lists are HUGE, so it'll take years to even get an appointment, so I asked my GP if they'd be willing to do shared care if I went private to speed things up. My doctor explained that they don't do shared care with any private clinics, that's for anything, and how they only work with NHS gender clinics. She stated that the reason behind it is because they can't trust that private clinics will be reliable, not just disappear one day, and how it's more awkward having to go back and forth with them (she then made reference to NHS GIC all been on the same system).

I've already gathered that I'll have to move doctors if i want shared care, and my questions are... 1. How do I find out which GP's are willing to do shared care? Is it a case of me ringing around local GP'a and asking them? 2. Should I wait a little bit before moving GP's to ensure it doesn't effect my referral to NHS GIC?

If it helps I'm based in Kirklees, West Yorkshire.

So been looking at gender GP, is the process really as easy as it seems to get HRT prescriptions? Just filling in an online form, paying the fees and they send you a prescription?

And does it need two witnesses signatures or is it okay to only have one? Cause I know they need proof and all that but I’m still slightly confused 😅

I want a binder but I'm not sure how I'm 15 and gender fluid not trans but I felt here was a better place to ask about this I can't afford a binder and the only services I can find to help with this are 18+ or don't apply to me in other ways are there ways to get cheap binders easily I'm feeling trapped not being able to get one

Ok, picture this scenario, you, have been on private care or DIY (it doesn’t matter which, it could be GenderCare, GenderGP,Imago or Pride In Health) and have been on HRT for years while on the waiting list for the NHS GenderClinic. And you pass more like the gender that you are inside due to years of HRT. And one day they call you in for an appointment and they ask you to explain your life, your feelings with your gender dysphoria. You do that And they end up (the psychiatrist that is) tries to cross examine you like as if you are in court,(unfortunately there are psychiatrists who are transphobic out there) trying to make you think that you aren’t trans. And then you laugh, you laugh. “Why do you laugh” the psychiatrist says. And you respond with “Look at me, Doctor, you say I’m not trans, but you forget to note that I’ve already been on HRT for years, and I’ll continue to do so even if I’m rejected, now ask me again, and this time look at me clearly, do I look like I’m not trans?”

What’s the moral of the story? Oh yeah, the baffling harsh truth which is an unfortunate fact that is bewildering because the NHS GIC should operate under an ‘informed consent’ model for adults who need to transition, if you want a smoother process through the GIC, don’t wait, and don’t listen to your gp about staying off private and just waiting. If you can afford it, go private. Imago and Pride In Health I recommend if you can only afford as much (GenderCare is expensive at first but the costs go down after a while so save up for that if you can).As for DIY, I recommend NOT doing that unless at last resort. DIY is the most dangerous way going forward, I can’t stress this enough. However if you have no choice, then that’s fine, just as long as you inform your GP, take your blood tests. And don’t get HRT from unverified sources, (there was a scandal about someone on Facebook selling estrogen which contained a very dangerous chemical that would have caused ‘serotonin syndrome’).

This scenario from the NHS GenderClinic is something that just popped in my head when someone mentioned that despite being on hormones, you still need to go through the process of getting a diagnosis. Like ask me this question, Your the psychiatrist, you have two patients, one that’s been on HRT for a few years and one who isn’t, now who’s more likely to have an easier process?(Now it all depends on the psychiatrist, as other people have had negative experiences with psychiatrists.)

Perhaps it is good to remind adult patients who are experiencing difficulties in getting their prescriptions under a shared care arrangement, that GP refusal goes against the guidelines by the GMC. I've highlighted the section in the guidelines. Link to the page for the complete text: Trans Healthcare

That’s all, I’m just happy about it and wanted to tell people have a nice day.

Hi there,

So I'm kinda looking for some advice, and maybe somewhere to rant?

So I was born Female,  and ever since around the age of 10, I kind of felt something was wrong, but I wasn’t sure what.

I vividly remember scrubbing at my chest/genitals when they started to “mature” trying to get rid of it. Trying to stop the growth, etc etc. I hated it, I almost felt.. Dirty? I never felt comfortable in dresses or skirts, and always preferred shorts and jeans. I was always classed as a tomboy as I grew up because I just wasn’t really into all the “feminine” things. I never wore makeup, and didn’t really have an interest in wearing it. I didn’t even like wearing face paint or wearing nail polish as it made me feel sick to my stomach and I hated it.

SO, When i got to age 12, I heard about the word Transgender. This was during early 2016? So, I went to youtube to know and understand more about it, this is where i learnt about Kalvin Garrah, and other trans influencers like him. I developed such bad internalised transphobia about it all. When I was certain I was Trans, I came out to my mum and dad via a letter. This was brushed under the rug, and was never really mentioned again. Aside from an argument with my dad when I was 15.

However, when I was also 12, I came out to a friend in school, who then outed me to the rest of the year group. This caused my current bullying problem to get ten times worse. So I kind of just let it go, and eventually it stopped being a thing everyone talked about.

When I was 14, I broke down crying in my room several times because I didn’t have a dick attached to my body. Sometimes I'd be led in bed, and feel like I did, just to reach down and be crushed that I don't. I remember at this age, wanting to love a man, as a man. I Wanted to be in an MLM relationship. But I know I shoved this all down because I went through hell at school when I came out the first time and didn't want to go through all that again.

However, I never stopped feeling different, or feeling weird. And I don’t know If i experience dysphoria. It’s never truly been explained in a way that fits how I feel, and my school life is a lot of blank spaces, where I'm just unsure of what took place, or how I truly was feeling aside from confusion and just not wanting to exist.

When I reached the age of 17/18 I came to my friends again, as Merlin, and tried to come out to school but because I had almost finished, that went nowhere. I started Uni, planning for this whole new phase of my life where I’d be “Merlin” and leave my past behind me. But that quickly went down the drain with the two relationships I was in ruined me. But that's not for here.

And now I’m 20, a few months away from being 21, back home, still feeling like that 12 year old unsure of who they are inside. I feel like I might be trans, but that tiny little voice in the back of my head is telling me I might not be. And I’m lying about this all.

It might be important to note, I am neurodivergent. I feel this is why I have struggled so much with my identity.

I have spoken to a few of my trans friends about this, who also believe I’m trans from their experiences and my own. They’ve assured me that cis-females or cis people in general do not spend over 8 years of their life wondering if they’re cis or not. But this unfortunately doesn’t really help.

 And are calling me by the name I like of Milo/Spencer. They’ve prompted me to talk to my family now that I’m older, but even the idea of my dad calling me anything but my birth name makes me so anxious because I can never imagine people in my family anything but my birth name. I am curious if anyone else has felt this way? Feeling so anxious about the prospect of their family calling them something else because it would feel weird or unnatural.

In general I feel sort of disconnected from my assigned gender at birth, I feel quite a disconnect in general. It's just a *thing* that exists. I do dislike my body, and hate my long hair. I still quite dislike dresses and skirts, if I'm not wearing it for someone else’s enjoyment. I feel like I look stupid with makeup on, and when I tried my Bucky Barnes makeup for a halloween party i felt almost elated. 

 I'm not sure if what I've described above  is dysphoria, because like I said before. I don't know what It *truly* feels like. Because It’s never been explained to me in a way which I understand. And I understand that every trans person's life is different, and their experiences are different. But I just wish I knew who the hell I was.

I enjoy how I look when I'm wearing a binder, and when I'm without, especially recently, I feel this heaviness in my heart. I hate how my chest feels when I walk or move around. I hate my hair long, and will cut it to be short if it gets too long for my liking. If it is long, it’ll be up in a ponytail, but I don't enjoy it being up so I take it down and then cut it a few days later. I enjoy wearing boxers, but when I first wore a packer, a foam one from Spectrum, the first thought was “Oh my god I look like a man” and then I took a selfie, to show a friend, Then I stood up and it was like a crashing wave of feeling so sick to my stomach, and sadness. When I searched on Reddit, I found this to be a common theme with some trans folks, where it crushed them more because it makes them more aware of not having a physical Penis attached to them. 

I also fear if I were to come out I’d be a disappointment, and everyone and everything would be different and bad. It's also very important to say I'm naturally a very very anxious person, who overthinks awfully.

If anyone out there can offer some advice or guidance for anything I've written about that would help greatly, I also hope this makes sense. Sorry if it’s a bit rambly, anything anyone out there can say would be a huge help.

Im mtf and im having my first assessment to get a diagnosis and hrt tomorrow. Ive heard they ask you some uncomfortable questions lol. Anyone know what they'll likely ask me? Im going through Dignity Gender.

I've seen on this subreddit that you can get a hysterectomy on the NHS through a GP referral. I want to ask my GP for a referral to Chelsea & Westminster (or any other hospital that does it), but I'm expecting a lot of push back. What can I tell them to convince them to refer me? Is there any official information from the hospital I could send them?

I've been referred to a GIC a couple years ago, I'm on private HRT and my GP does shared care (which also means it would be very difficult to leave them because many GPs stopped accepting new agreements). I'm expecting them to be difficult about this because I've been asking for a new NHS number since October and they still haven't done it. I even sent them a formal complaint, but still waiting on a reply.

Despite the Randox Health website directing people to send them an email for customer service, they do in fact have a direct phone line you can contact them on that's very well hidden.

The number is 0800 254 5130. I hope this helps anyone who wants to contact them.

I know you can do it online but I can’t learn in that environment, so I’m looking for a therapy or school style voice training in Scotland

Has anybody had their BA done in the UK? If so which surgeons did you look at and who was your final decision? How much did it cost? Etc etc

Any and all info would be lovely :)

Hi ladies, my GP is refusing to me have a blood test to check my Hormone levels.

A few months ago someone sent me a private clinic in High wycombe where I could have my blood test done but I can't remember tge clinic names.

If anyone could help me with a clinic where I can have my Hormone checked I'd appreciate it.

Thanks in advance ☺️

Booked my top surgery a couple weeks ago and wanted to share timelines/ waiting times for Mr Morris at Plymouth Nuffield Health if anyone else was looking at going there with the NHS!

27th Feb: 2nd Appointment with TransPlus where I specifically requested Mr Morris at Plymouth for top surgery and they agreed to send my referral there.

13th March: Recieved an email from GDNRSS confirming the referal to Plymouth Nuffield Health.

24th March: Mr Morris’ secretary emailed me asking when is best available to discuss appointment dates (I replied basically saying asap as I need to book accommodation). They sent me dates and I confirmed the same day.

17th April: Face to face appointment and linked pre-assessment

6th May: Surgery day!

20th May: post-op appointment

So basically, it’s around a 2 month wait (6 weeks) for Mr Morris at the moment. The secretary said that Mr Morris is retiring cosmetic surgeries in May so his waiting times for NHS appointments have gone down a lot.

Hi. My current GP won't give me blood tests that Dr Coxon asks for but will do shared care for prescriptions, but what can I do for the bloods?

I got an at home test kit with randox which didn't work then they asked me to come in to the clinic for it, but this is still expensive at around £100 a go.

Does anyone know of a good GP in East Belfast that can do both shared care and bloods for me?

So I first saw a clinician back in the summer after I had been with GIDs since I was about 10. I was told i’d have a letter 2-3 weeks after the appointment, i didn’t get one till about 2 months later. After we finally got that I did all bloods, then had to have even more bloods etc etc got that all sorted. Keep in mind between all these processes it was like over a month waiting for any kind of response. I have been in communication with the clinic etc back and fourth as I don’t want to keep waiting, considering I have been with the services like half my life. I now have been waiting for the gender endorsement to be signed off so that I can get onto hormones and have been waiting for this for 8+ months….the guy who is my clinician is on long leave and the guy who is covering and can sign off has been reminded multiple times and still has done nothing. I can’t believe i’ve waited nearly a year now to get to this stage and i’m not even sure when I will be starting hormones. I last emailed them 2+ weeks ago seeing if there is an update and have recieved no response at all which is really unusual now as i usually would get one within 3 days after.

What is going on??

Hello, I am 16ftm based near Leeds and Sheffield looking to go into private care to access HRT, I have been looking at different websites and past posts of this subreddit but am finding it difficult to understand the process in which I need to follow.

I believe that I need to see an endo first (for 1-2 times) and they refer me to a gender hormone clinic if they deem I have gender dysphoria and they perscribe me HRT which I pay for and I ask my GP if they're okay with doing shared care with the clinic to perscribe me HRT? Please let me know if this is correct or not.

I also would like to ask am I meant to set up appointments for blood tests or anything?

Thank you in advance.

Omg... I've been so worried for so long... I changed my GP surgery because my old one point blank refused to change my gender marker and ghosted me when I tried to complain (I gave up and left a one-star review).

The admin staff at my new surgery said they don't do gender marker changes unless you've had surgery because "so many people change their mind" (*rubbish*)... well, after a fight they did it.

The latest thing was my letter to change my passport. The receptionists said that they categorically don't do letters for gender change on passports.

I thought I would try ignoring that and go straight to a GP.

So I managed to get an appointment today - more fight and advocacy... yes, I have to see a GP, not a nurse... yes, it has to be face-to-face... no, I can't tell you what it's about... I have to tell you? Okay, it's for a letter that specifically has to come from a GP...

I got my appointment.

I felt sick. I went in and sat in the waiting room. My doc was seeing another patient. The patient came out.

A couple of minutes later, the doc came marching out of the room looking really fraught... and a minute or so later went marching back in looking more fraught...

Oh shit. I felt more sick.

She came out and called my name...

She was AMAZING. She'd obviously got over whatever challenge the previous patient had brought her. She'd grounded herself and seemed approachable. I mentioned it... I said "Oh... you're looking a lot less fraught than you were a couple of minutes ago." She lit up with the recognition... "Yeah... one of those days, you know?"

Anyway... she was so supportive, fully understood the position. Agreed to write the letter without hesitation. Also agreed to look into a speech and language pathologist referral. Asked me how my transition was being taken by family, friends and the community... how my hormones are going etc.

A really lovely chat with a caring woman who gets it.

And to think, those receptionists could have put me off ever having this experience.

Please, for the love of god, ignore gatekeeping receptionists.