To my surprise, I was discharged.
This might sound like something of a disaster, but it isn't. You go there at my stage in transition for two reasons: psychological monitoring to ensure you're living in your assumed role and nothing's gone awry, and to see the endocrinologist. I get my endocrinology from a doctor at my local hospital whose experience in the field eclipses theirs so the second reason is redundant.
Unexpectedly then it seems my getting on with life has been such a success that I'm deemed not in need of their psychological monitoring. I must be sane, or something! As the psych said, there's no point my making the trip to London every six months just to tell them I'm OK.
I was concerned lest I lose my place and be expected to start from scratch with them on my eventual return. It turns out that this only applies to the psychs, at the point at which I may consider surgery I have only to ask my doctor to refer me back to them and off I'll go. Let's see whether that turns out to be the truth.
Behind the scenes I wonder whether health cuts are making them reduce their patient numbers by whatever means. It doesn't bother me as I don't feel I need their support at the moment, but I hope it'll still be there for me when I return.
So, life. It's an important thing to recognise in this sphere, that not all your problems have their root in being transgender.
...not all your problems have their root in being transgender.
ReplyDeleteOh so true. Four years of psychotherapy later, I know there is a good chance I will want to visit with my therapist again for those other reasons. It is so important to get yourself sorted out and understand what is and what is not to do with your sex.
Congratulations on being spared the trip to London.
Sounds like good news all round, especially if it frees up some space for me! I just hope that there will be sufficient funding for the clinic to continue to provide what is an essential service already under a lot of pressure.
ReplyDeleteI'm lucky that I've not really had issues to work through during transition. I do know that there are others that really should have been offered help finding people who can provide the support they need to work through the issues that they have which are not gender related. Something the GICs aren't necessarily the best at doing.
ReplyDeleteI do find it interesting when people get to the point of having surgery and they are still dealing with gender issues that should have been resolved long before that point. Now that is something the GICs should be dealing with.
Thanks all. I guess it means I'm doing something right.
ReplyDeleteI could write reams about the shortcomings of the GIC system but it's perhaps as well I don't. They are remote from their patients, they only see them every six months, and crucially they can only go on what the patient tells them. So if a patient turns up and feeds then The Narrative, they have no way of knowing whether or not it's a fabrication.
My personal view is that there are a lot of people who transition far too quickly without properly adjusting and only living with the consequences after it's too late. Yet again, I could write reams, but had probably better not :)