Date: 2011-05-22 02:20 Security: Public Mood: okay xpost http://soph.livejournal.com/219895.html Tags: charing cross, dr andrew davies, gender identity, gender identity clinic, transgender issues Subject: GIC report

Okay, now I feel up to describing how my GIC appointment went!

So, as you all know, I had an appointment at the Charing Cross GIC (which is not, in fact, in Charing Cross, but in Hammersmith). I went along with Fated (snowfields), a friend of mine who has been with other people to various GICs.

The first appointment was scheduled to last 75 minutes. I don't remember how long it took in reality, but it was probably closer to 60 minutes. I didn't want to be on my own so I asked if Fated could also be in the room. (I knew full well that there would be some frank discussion, but I'm fairly open about these things. I did make sure Fated was okay with it before asking if he could come in, though.)

It was basically an interview; I was asked about what I wanted from the GIC, how things were for me in my life, and such. Most of what I told Dr. Davies is in locked posts on my LiveJournal, under the gender identity tag; I keep meaning to import my posts over here to Dreamwidth at some point but I haven't yet done so. (LJ users, never fear - I'll keep them on LJ too.) In the meantime, if anybody on my DW access list would like access to my LJ and has an account over there, let me know and I can add you there. (There's also some filter polls you'll want to fill out; take a look at the notice on the journal main page on my LJ and you'll see a link to them.) As a bonus, you'll get to see the comments people leave on my LJ - I still get a lot of comments on my LJ and on DW you only get to see half of the story, because of the access differences on my journals.

So, yeah, that took a bit of time, and there wasn't much more to the appointment than that. My next appointment is in exactly half a year from my first, November 10th, and will be much the same thing except with a different person; kind of a 'second opinion' as it were. After this they'll then decide what to do with me, and I'm really hoping that they'll prescribe hormones and anti-androgens at that point. I'm also looking for voice therapy, but I guess that might take longer.

(At some point, I'm sure some people have calculated that there are 184 days between May 10th and November 10th, and will therefore correctly say that it is not, in fact, a difference of exactly half a year - after all, 184 * 2 = 368, which is a full 3 days away from the real number of days in a year, at least in non-leap years. And yes, you are correct, but you know...)

(...or was it only me that did that? Oh well, never mind.)

Anyway, I asked (with trepidation) about the moving thing. I think they'll accept it for now, but they'd want me to move back when I can, if I'm remembering correctly. I do remember that I didn't need to worry about anything for now, though. I hope they're right.

So yeah, next appointment is in November. I wish it wasn't that far away.

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In other news, I'm preparing to return my laptop for a bit of repair (it's under warranty), so I may have limited Internet access for a while; most of my activities are done using this laptop. On the plus side, it may encourage me to actually get out a little!

...meh, who am I kidding?

I've been meaning to make this post for a few days now.

I have finally - *finally* - managed to get an appointment at the Charing Cross Gender Identity Clinic. It's on the 10th of May with Dr Andrew Davies.

Before I go there I'd like to get as much information on what to expect as I possibly can. Does anybody reading this have experience with Dr Andrew Davies at all? I've been searching and from what I've read, my initial impressions are not favourable. :/

I'm also getting concerned again about the NHS and the Charing Cross GIC. People alternately tell me good and bad things about it and I'm not sure who to believe. I'm sure they're all telling the truth about their own personal experiences - why would they not? - but it doesn't really help me much. If anything, it makes me nervous about going into a place where basically anything can happen, from what it sounds like.

Does anyone have any knowledge of any of this?