Yikes. There's something to be said for being too busy living life to talk about it, but this is a bit excessive.

Over the weekend after losing my friend of six years, I decided that nothing was holding me back except my own concerns and I decided to proceed with hormones. After talking with a few friends, I decided that the way to go was through an endocrinologist that specialized in such things. It would seem to be the best choice, neh? Doing this required getting a referral from my primary-care physician, since I've got to deal with managed care.

Last Monday, I went and saw my new doctor about getting a referral to see an endocrinologist. She gave me the referral without any problems. Then I spent two days finding out that there are no endocrinologists around that will take my insurance who do hormone replacement therapy. In a fit of desparation, I called my doctor back and found out that she's had several other patients who have all done HRT through her directly, without an endocrinologist, one of whom who had even gone through the final surgery itself.

Now, the hitch is that she's tried to get insurance to cover her patients' lab work and such for this sort of treatment, and they just won't. I don't know why they won't; they claim it's unnecessary treatment. They obviously
don't have anyone who's been through the experience themselves. At any rate, she said that I'd have to pay for the expenses out of my own wallet. At that point, I asked her if this sort of thing would be covered if I'd been born a woman. She said it'd be considered a standard medical procedure so yes it would.

At that point, the plan crystalized. I'd been planning to move forward with hormones and then transition at work once I started to show. However, doing it that way would be several hundred dollars out of my pocket. Instead, I
planned to transition at work first, change my name legally and start my real-life test. After that, as a legal female, the insurance company would have to pay for my treatment. In theory.

I'd like to move to Theory; everything works there.

At any rate, my doctor put me on a "starter" prescription of estradiol 1mg once a day and spironolactone 50mg twice a day. She said in about three months or so, she'll do the baseline and prescribe something stronger.

It's a slow start, but it's a start, and it'll be much faster soon.