I never bought into the "standards" for my personal path. I always saw them as ways for doctors to tell you why they could NOT do something.....sorry, you'll need two letters and one year with a therapist.......nope, can't do that without a letter that says x, y, and z.
I am NOT saying the standards of care are a bad thing; I think they're a nice little framework. But I do feel as though they've been used to gatekeep by many physicians and therapists.
I consulted with a plastic surgeon for my top surgery long before I started testosterone. Truthfully, when I had that procedure done, I had no intention at all of starting T. This surgeon had done a number of chest reconstructions and felt comfortable talking with me and making that decision for himself. I appreciated that; my body, my decision.
The therapist I had seen off and on was there for me for life and relationship stuff.....not gender identity.....even though that obviously came up from time to time. When I did make the move to consult with a physician about hormones, I had my therapist there as a back up in case a letter was required. Again, the doctor made the assessment on his own.
I just never liked the idea of jumping through hoops for something that is so damn personal and life-changing and critically important. It's not that I don't value the input of professionals. I just believe that I know me, my body, my wants, and my needs better than any itemized list that tells me what I need to do first and for how long.
This is obviously just my 2 cents. I'm certainly not trying to talk anyone into or out of anything.......just offering up how it all came together for me with hopes that maybe one or two things I say might clear up someone else's fog.
This is heavy, important stuff. One might argue that rejecting the "standards" is indicative of taking it all too lightly. It was quite the opposite for me. It was so scary and so *permanent* that I just *had* to do it my own way.....a way that felt safe and right *for me*.
