i might need some advice

[Guest Lusankya]

so heres the deal a transgender clinic in boston told me they were going to call with an appointment in late september or early october for a physcological test to prove that i have G.I.D and then i will be able to have hormonal replacement therapy...But whats wrong is that they havent called,and im worried because my doctor told me that theres a chance they totally threw my case out the window and just skipped over me but i dont think they would do that because i did all the requirements that was needed for them

she told me it would be a good idea to advocate for my self by calling boston and leave a message asking whats going on,and why havent the called back with a date,she also said that if i called it would show that im serious about going through with it.Ithink its a good idea and all but im the kind of person that would feel funny about calling someone and saying HEY WHATS TAKING SO LONG and i would feel pushy by doing that and i feel like they would just get annoyed and drop me if i keep calling and asking but at the same time i dont want boston to think im uninterested! this is the most important thing to me right now and i dont want to lose my chances so im stuck!

so what should i do? should i wait for boston to give me a call or should i call them and ask whats going on? and if so what should i say? it would be great if i could get at least one suggestion thank you

[Guest Mia J]

Personally I have never heard of a test that proves you have GID. This process usually takes many sessions with a gender therapist in which they will evaluate you and guide you into where you fit on the gender scale. Is this a transgender clinic a medical clinic, a therapist clinic, a support group or a combination of all?

There is also going to be an issue with your age. I assume your parents know and are supportive. I don't think you will be able to get gender therapy without their permission and I know that you will not be able to HRT with out it.

There is a lot of controversy at this time about giving HRT to minors. It is still an area being explored and some doctors will give antiandrogens to block or delay male development but it is not common for them to start someone on feminization hormones until they are 18. There are some exceptions and I know that this has been done in California but I do not know about your area.

I would call them to at least clarify what is going on or what the process is and in your case I would maybe have a parent help you out so the burden of discovery does not fall totally on you.

Mia

[Carolyn Marie]

Lusankya, I would call the clinic. There is no reason they should be upset with you for inquiring. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

I share Mia's concern about your age, hon. I hope you parents are on board with this.

HUGS

Carolyn Marie

[VickySGV]

I know of one clinic in Boston that does that, and the answer is to make VERY sure you call during business hours, which you can check on line, and be sure to get a real person and not a message line. The one I know about will have you come in for a Screening Appointment, and will decide at that appointment which part of the clinic you should be part of, the T, G, or L. When you go again, then you will BEGIN a counseling program that may take several sessions brfore they classify you. Again, if its the one I know about, until you are 18, they will be hesitant to give you adult strength hormones until after you are 18. They do consider puberty blockers for indicated patients, but by no means all. I met their head pharmacist at a meeting a month ago, and he was making the point that there are no definitive crossgender safety studies on hormones and while they know darn well that teenagers and adults are different in the hormone department, they still haven't come up with good science for Cis teens, and are years away from stuff for Trans teens.

[Guest Juniper Blue]

Hello Lusankya,

I agree with all of the above. As far as calling ... I would prepare what I planned to say by writing it out so that I presented as professionally and as maturely as possible during the call. You may be nervous when you call and this will help to ease the jitters and help you to remain focused. Before you cal, take a deep breath and smile, thi swill help you to sound relaxed and pleasant and polite. I might say something like "Hello, this is (your full name) and I am calling because on (whatever date) I applied for an appointment for the intake and GID evaluation . I was interested to know if my application has been processed and I would like to know my status for scheduling the appointment."

If you are a minor, it is true that you will need a parent/legal guardian to advocate for you. They will be able to help with the call or possibly call on your behalf.

Best to You,

- J

[Guest Lusankya]

thank you all for your suggestions they were very helpful and fortunatly my mother is very on board with this,i'll try writing what i have to say down and practice it then i'll call and see what goes on from there <3