VA Transgender Update
During my time away from all of you, much has happened in my push to get the Veterans Adminstration to help my transgender status with hormones.
Here is a short recap for those of you who maybe are little newer here. (Forgive me if my knowledge of the positions and titles of some of the VA peeps I deal with are a little vague).
To begin with, the person who monitors the meds I receive from the VA said she was qualified to prescribe BUT...she preferred a consultation first.
I went through that process with four meetings with a psychologist and she approved me for hormone therapy BUT...no one in the Dayton, Ohio VA Medical Center would would or could actually prescribe BUT...there may be some other options.
One of the options was to go to an outside medical doctor and petition the VA for a co-pay of sorts. The first appointment with this highly recommended doctor was supposed to have happened today but didn't BECAUSE...I had a flat tire on the way to the appointment and couldn't get there. Really.
I was devastated and was able to reschedule in a couple of weeks.
I then backtracked and tried a recommended source within the VA for copay information AND..hit a brick wall.
BUT...we all know brick walls can be climbed or ran around and here is the latest idea from yet another VA person. The one person who had been left out of this loop for whatever reason was my primary care physician.
I was told if he approved the hormones, I may be able to get them from the in house pharmacy.
SO...I asked him and he responded he didn't really know if he would because I was absolutely the first transgendered person he had ever treated. SO...if I did follow through with the private phyiscian on the whys, when and hows of the proposed hormone therapy, he would consider it.
NOW...I'm very much in the game with a couple very realistic opportunities to make this happen plus some of you have added a few great ideas.
MY...final point is and has been, if a transgendered vet in California can be prescribed hormones; why can't I in Ohio.
I know where "where there is will, there is a way". Not a single step of my transgendered journey has been easy and I didn't expect this one to be any different. I only need the one person who is more concerned with helping me than covering their own rear.
If I can't find that person I will consider a few of the recommendations I have received on petitioning the higher ups.
If the VA is serious about their recent directives on helping trans vets then I'm serious about taking them up on it.
I will keep you posted!
Here is a short recap for those of you who maybe are little newer here. (Forgive me if my knowledge of the positions and titles of some of the VA peeps I deal with are a little vague).
To begin with, the person who monitors the meds I receive from the VA said she was qualified to prescribe BUT...she preferred a consultation first.
I went through that process with four meetings with a psychologist and she approved me for hormone therapy BUT...no one in the Dayton, Ohio VA Medical Center would would or could actually prescribe BUT...there may be some other options.
One of the options was to go to an outside medical doctor and petition the VA for a co-pay of sorts. The first appointment with this highly recommended doctor was supposed to have happened today but didn't BECAUSE...I had a flat tire on the way to the appointment and couldn't get there. Really.
I was devastated and was able to reschedule in a couple of weeks.
I then backtracked and tried a recommended source within the VA for copay information AND..hit a brick wall.
BUT...we all know brick walls can be climbed or ran around and here is the latest idea from yet another VA person. The one person who had been left out of this loop for whatever reason was my primary care physician.
I was told if he approved the hormones, I may be able to get them from the in house pharmacy.
SO...I asked him and he responded he didn't really know if he would because I was absolutely the first transgendered person he had ever treated. SO...if I did follow through with the private phyiscian on the whys, when and hows of the proposed hormone therapy, he would consider it.
NOW...I'm very much in the game with a couple very realistic opportunities to make this happen plus some of you have added a few great ideas.
MY...final point is and has been, if a transgendered vet in California can be prescribed hormones; why can't I in Ohio.
I know where "where there is will, there is a way". Not a single step of my transgendered journey has been easy and I didn't expect this one to be any different. I only need the one person who is more concerned with helping me than covering their own rear.
If I can't find that person I will consider a few of the recommendations I have received on petitioning the higher ups.
If the VA is serious about their recent directives on helping trans vets then I'm serious about taking them up on it.
I will keep you posted!
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