Kas - referral date July 2017

TW: mention of self harm/suicidal ideation

I was referred to the GIC in 2017 under the impression that the wait for a first appointment would be 18-24 months. 2 years passed and so did 3 years having heard nothing and I contacted them about it to be told the updated wait time was 4-5 years. In this time I found waiting incredibly stressful, my dysphoria was at an all time high - I relapsed into self harm and was having suicidal thoughts about the unknown wait time to begin the rest of my life. I then ended up getting a bridging prescription for testosterone from my GP through an external clinic. To acquire this I had to fight with my GP for a shared care agreement and detail the detriment it was having on my mental health. This still pushed my wait back a further 6 months to a year and I didn't start testosterone until June 2021. Having started testosterone, I still wasn't seen by the GIC until April 2022 which was 5 years after my referral had initially been sent off. I am still waiting for top surgery and didn't get that referral until this summer. Dysphoria is so hard to deal with and having to wait so long to treat it (when the treatment is fairly straightforward) makes it so much worse. I feel very lucky to have gotten a bridging prescription and if I hadn't, I don't know how it would have turned out for me.