Just been doing a bit of story research and came upon this REALLY comprehensive reference for medical practitioners and patients. I'm posting it here because I thought it might be useful for authors writing about these things. Not that 100% scientific accuracy is expected in fiction, nor is overly technical or verbose description typically welcome, either. But just in case you want some up-to-date background info on Standard of Care being promoted for TG patients, this is a pretty good guide.
http://transhealth.ucsf.edu/trans?page=guidelines-home
Also, maybe something in one of the pages might inspire a story!
Treatment protocols have really changed in recent years, so if your idea of how things are done is only gleaned from old stories, you might be using some pretty stale and/or discredited info. (Also, if you ARE trans, and seeking treatment, you can make sure your doctor isn't running on stale and/or discredited info!)
Comments
People can hate me if they wish.
I was identified as GID back around the late 70s,early 80's in my early 30's. The purpose of my wife's and I visiting a counselor was to help us get along better. She'd blow up at the slightest provocation, and I'd wimp out. At that time no one seemed to know about the effects of childhood abuse, and PTSD. Over the years, I hope that has improved. That counselor wanted me to go home and begin living as a woman. To us, that was a nutty idea, and we decided to pray it away. It sort of worked for 20 years. None of this is news to lots of you, because your stories are similar.
Many years later, I think it would have been better to treat those things than to say I was GID. Yes, I can remember wishing I was a girl in the early 50s, but now I think I could have just as well settled to be a very mild male. Years later I was found to be XXY, and have Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome AIS.
So it all fell in because of untreated PTSD, multiple very stressful humanitarian aid trips overseas, counselors who continued to misdiagnose, and very heavy doses of experimental medications for anxiety, and depression. By 2004, I was living as a woman and the Doctors didn't know what the hell to do.
Kaiser Permanente sort of led the way in treatment, but in my opinion, I think that the LGBT Political Action Pac was overzealous and far too many folk that were not actually strongly enough GID were shunted into Gender change. By 2007, I'd had surgery. Thankfully, I pass very well, but like many of us have found out the hard way, the losses and discrimination we encountered really took the shine off things. There is a movement in the Mental Health community to be much more conservative about transition.
I go to the VA, and they have so far been very nice, but perhaps because I am now 72, the treatment is largely palliative. There are just lots of drugs they try to put you on which have awful side effects. The Estradiol, in whatever form, tends to cause weight gain, and that will just decrease the quality of your life. Drink a lot more water than you think you need if you are post surgical. It keeps your kidneys and bladder flushed out. I get lots of UTIs if I don't.
I've been blessed with breasts in the -+C range, so implants were not necessary.
I really do think the best approach is to avoid surgery or hormones, and have fun Friday night,.....
I have to finish this later..... People for dinner are here. Shrimp Fetuchine