My Story Part 5

This week’s story is a short story because I have two papers to write for my classes next week.

As part of the medical “gatekeeper” requirements to begin hormones, you are required to have at least 3 months on therapy. Well I had never been in therapy before so I had no idea what to expect, only the image of the parody that we see in the comics or on TV.

So here I am walking into to her office and there low and behold is the classic over stuffed chair and a couch. I sit in the overstuffed chair. After she took my history and demographics she said the we were going to do word association, she said “big” and I said “small…(giggle)” She said, “father” and I said “mother…(giggle)” She said, “house” and I just started to giggle uncontrollably. She asked me what was so funny and I said this is so “classic, right out of the Bob Newhart show… this is so, so Freudian!”

I guess I did all right because three months later I was approved for hormones. There are a number trans-people who are opposed to the Standard of Care that is imposed upon us by the medical community. They see it as hoops that we have to jump through in order to receive hormones and surgery. However, I do not feel that way, there have been studies that have shown there are less regrets by following the SOC. For more information on the APA and Gender Identity Reform read “Diagnosis vs. Treatment: Barriers to Medical Care”