[GamerGurl]

My next doctor's visit is on the 11th, and I'm trying to work up the courage to ask my doctor about HRT. I fully researched my insurance plan and I know Spiro, Finasteride, and Estradiol are covered for HRT usage. I've been doing my homework on the medications themselves and their side-effects, risks, etc. Now all that's left is to figure out how to drop the proverbial bomb on my doctor as gently as possible. How does one go about telling their doctor about this? What can I expect in response?

[pom19]

My next doctor's visit is on the 11th, and I'm trying to work up the courage to ask my doctor about HRT. I fully researched my insurance plan and I know Spiro, Finasteride, and Estradiol are covered for HRT usage. I've been doing my homework on the medications themselves and their side-effects, risks, etc. Now all that's left is to figure out how to drop the proverbial bomb on my doctor as gently as possible. How does one go about telling their doctor about this? What can I expect in response?

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You just look in his/her eyes and tell him/her what you sincerely feel, that simple. POM

[Billie]

My next doctor's visit is on the 11th, and I'm trying to work up the courage to ask my doctor about HRT. I fully researched my insurance plan and I know Spiro, Finasteride, and Estradiol are covered for HRT usage. I've been doing my homework on the medications themselves and their side-effects, risks, etc. Now all that's left is to figure out how to drop the proverbial bomb on my doctor as gently as possible. How does one go about telling their doctor about this? What can I expect in response?

1. Ask for blood tests baseline. Ask for meds. Ask for breast exam. Ask for free samples or vendor drug coupons for free drugs.
2. Ask for endocrinologist if necessary. Ask for psycologist for 1 year transition time. Ask if other estetic or cosmetic treatments covered with insurance. For SRS or transition.
...Price meds at pharmacies. I would go to US Pharmacy, indian...Tijuana Pharmacy...or Canadian pharmacy.

[CalmlyAndrogynous]

It kind of depends on what relationship you have with you doctor. My Dr is my family Dr, so I see her regularly for lots of things.

I would start with the problem being gender dysphoria. I would then talk about what you have been doing about it. I think most Drs will be distrustful of herbs, particularly ones that come from Thailand. They will want to get you onto meds that they know the effects of.

My Dr put me in touch with an excellent counsellor and referred me to an endocrinologist. It was a bit of a process, but I am now on HRT with full support.

For me, telling her about taking PM was the hardest because I knew I was going to get the disapproval glare. Still, it was a signal for how committed I was. Also, it took me a number of appointments to completely spill the beans.

Good luck,
Calmly.

[GamerGurl]

Thank you for your replies! I guess I'll start by bringing up the subject of GD and such. You've all helped alleviate my nervousness of touching the subject with my doctor. I think I'm mostly worried of the possibility of my doctor completely shooting down the whole idea and denying me help.

I arrived at BN looking to simply grow breasts, and now I'm entering a whole different world. I've realized who I am, and I want to let her out!

[The First Aria]

I am not sure I should advise anyone of this matter... I still haven't worked up enough courage to wear even a sports bra to my female doctor yet.

[flamesabers]

My next doctor's visit is on the 11th, and I'm trying to work up the courage to ask my doctor about HRT. I fully researched my insurance plan and I know Spiro, Finasteride, and Estradiol are covered for HRT usage. I've been doing my homework on the medications themselves and their side-effects, risks, etc. Now all that's left is to figure out how to drop the proverbial bomb on my doctor as gently as possible. How does one go about telling their doctor about this? What can I expect in response?

Does your doctor know you're transgender? If not, I think it would be best you told your doctor first before talking about HRT. Strictly from a medical perspective, I would imagine your doctor would want to ensure that HRT is suitable for you, both in terms of mental changes and physical risks.

If you feel it's too hard to self-identity as transgender to your doctor, I suggest expressing concern about your symptoms of gender dysphoria instead. That's was my approach when I started seeking help for depression.

[The First Aria]

My next doctor's visit is on the 11th, and I'm trying to work up the courage to ask my doctor about HRT. I fully researched my insurance plan and I know Spiro, Finasteride, and Estradiol are covered for HRT usage. I've been doing my homework on the medications themselves and their side-effects, risks, etc. Now all that's left is to figure out how to drop the proverbial bomb on my doctor as gently as possible. How does one go about telling their doctor about this? What can I expect in response?

Does your doctor know you're transgender? If not, I think it would be best you told your doctor first before talking about HRT. Strictly from a medical perspective, I would imagine your doctor would want to ensure that HRT is suitable for you, both in terms of mental changes and physical risks.

If you feel it's too hard to self-identity as transgender to your doctor, I suggest expressing concern about your symptoms of gender dysphoria instead. That's was my approach when I started seeking help for depression.

I am thinking along the same lines. Although I do not wish, nor think I ever would even consider full transition. But hoping to get to a place where my new female doctor would understand why I am not too concerned about meds that help or encourage breast growth.

I think doctor's are binaural in how the treat mental and physical ailment. If I presented myself as wanting to keep, maintain or even to expand my feminizing... I fear that the would automatically think I am in line for SRS and the who Catlyn treatment, of which I am not.

So, if I downplay feminization, they wont be interested in any pliability. But if I do emphasize, they will immediately be thinking of SRS. Make sense?

[flamesabers]

I am thinking along the same lines. Although I do not wish, nor think I ever would even consider full transition. But hoping to get to a place where my new female doctor would understand why I am not too concerned about meds that help or encourage breast growth.

I think doctor's are binaural in how the treat mental and physical ailment. If I presented myself as wanting to keep, maintain or even to expand my feminizing... I fear that the would automatically think I am in line for SRS and the who Catlyn treatment, of which I am not.

So, if I downplay feminization, they wont be interested in any pliability. But if I do emphasize, they will immediately be thinking of SRS. Make sense?

Iaboy, perhaps you could tell your doctor that you're content with your body the way it is and you don't feel bothered by a condition that half the population already has? Or if you like using humor, maybe you could joke it's not like you're trying to compete to become a male swimsuit model, so who cares who if you develop some breast tissue? You could also tell her that sure some people may look strangely at your chest, but you got more important things to worry about.

I think doctors realize patients can have a wide range of reactions to having benign conditions. For instance, some patients may be distraught about going bald, while others may be indifferent or even embrace the positive aspects of their baldness. There's no right or wrong response I think. I think it all comes down to a person's character and experiences.

In regards to how doctors treat physical and mental ailments, I don't see it as an all or nothing situation. Barring extreme circumstances, my experience with doctors is they prefer to administer treatment that resolves the ailment while having the lowest level of invasiveness, risks, and side-effects. For example, SRS is an intense and practically irreversible treatment for gender dysphoria, while therapy could treat mild to moderate levels of gender dysphoria without entailing any medical risks.

If you choose to express your feelings regarding physical feminization to your doctor, I doubt she'll automatically make assumptions about whether SRS is right for you. Instead, I think she'll assess your feelings and thoughts on the matter. For instance, she may ask:

*How long have you had these feelings?
*How intense are these feelings? How frequently do you have them?
*Are you bothered by having a male body?
*Do you wish you were born female?

At some point while seeking help for depression I did admit to having some suicidal ideation. When I did this, there wasn't two burly orderlies bursting into the room and hauling me off to an inpatient unit. Rather, the doctor asked me questions to ascertain how serious of a risk I was. Doctors know suicidal ideation is common amongst people suffering from depression and that not everyone who has suicidal ideation will act on it. Inpatient care is a last resort for treating depression. Just because a patient doesn't need the last resort of treatment doesn't mean their ailment isn't serious or that nothing needs to be done.

When trying to help patients with complex ailments like depression or gender dysphoria, I think doctors want to find a treatment that works best for you as opposed to just utilizing one treatment for everyone.

[GamerGurl]

*How long have you had these feelings?
I've known something was wrong as early as 5 years of age. Mother burst in on me a few times in my early childhood playing dress-up with her clothes lol

*How intense are these feelings? How frequently do you have them?
High-moderate. Often.

*Are you bothered by having a male body?
Definitely. I can't stand to look at myself in the bathroom mirror for long. I hate the body hair, I hate my defined musculature, the broadness of my shoulders, the lack of hips.

*Do you wish you were born female?
Damn right I do.