For those of you that don’t know the process, you cannot just start taking hormones when you decide to transition. First you need to find a doctor that will prescribe you hormones. Then current standard medical guidelines state that you need a “Letter of Readiness” before a doctor will write the prescription for hormone replacement therapy (HRT). You need to see a therapist or psychologist for around 3 months for them to write you a “Letter of Readiness” to give to your doctor. Next you can start your hormones, which the effects of can take 3 to 5 years to finish. Then you need to be on hormones, and living as your new gender for at least year before you are eligible for any surgeries. I just got my letter! I am super excited that I can finally start the hormones! At the same time I am extremely irritated that I had to jump through that hoop in the first place.
Personally I find the requirement of a “Letter of Readiness” insulting. I see it as a sign of ignorance on the part of our extremely heteronormative society, not to mention a disregard of my competency to make a sound decision as an adult. There are still a lot of people that see being gay as a choice, and transgender and gender non-binary people as just ‘confused’. So they put up legal and medical barriers to keep the status quo and try to maintain this illusion of control. Without going into homophobia and transphobia in great length, I am upset that I needed to pay several hundred dollars, all out-of-pocket no less, for a therapist. Just in order for them to write my doctor a letter that says I am serious about transitioning. Why was that necessary?! Aren’t I in charge of my own life? How does me transitioning affect others? People can have children without any input from doctors or therapists, but I need a green light to take hormones? Women can get breast augmentation without so much as a how-do-you-do, but I need to see a therapist before I can grow my own breasts? Minors can get their bodies permanently altered with tattoo’s and that only requires parental consent, but I need to pay for an outsider’s consent to take hormones?! REALLY?!
Regardless, I met with my therapist. I spent over an hour filling out paperwork before even meeting with her. The first meeting was just 25 minutes of more paper work and a brief introduction to each other. The second meeting went well, not particularly profound or anything. My therapist gave me the sound advice to continue to have patience with some of the people in family that were still working through processing my transition. Nothing I didn’t already know. Don’t get me wrong, she was a great therapist. I just was having a hard time with the reasons for needing to spend my limited resources in the first place. So then it was my third meeting with my therapist. We had a really good conversation. She told me that she could see that I was making a sound and informed decision, and had no self-doubts about what I was doing. She said she would write my “Letter of Readiness” and send it over to my doctor’s office.
I was so excited leaving that office. I had not felt that elated in a while. I can finally start the final chapters of my journey. I can begin to change my body into what my mind and soul feel it should be. I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. I already feel more at peace with myself. The internal conflict that has been a part of me for as long as I can remember is starting to subside. It was a frustrating, and if you ask me unnecessary, step, but it is over now. My letter has been written and sent to my doctor. The next step is hormones!!
