Two weeks ago I tried to make an appointment with Dr Stephen Thornley. The first appointment available was at the end of July, so I told the receptionist that it was alright, I could make an appointment at Concord hospital instead. She asked what the appointment was for, and I told her it was for gender reassignment. She said that she could understand that it was quite urgent, and recommended another doctor from the same practice, one Mirdula Lewis.

The day before my appointment the office called me to confirm that I would be able to make my appointment. I asked a few questions regarding the location, and the billing scheme, and they asked me for my referral details. I gave them the name of my GP, and told them again that the appointment was for gender reassignment.

Yesterday, the day of the appointment, I got up at 4.30 in the morning. I spent three and a half hours on the bus to Sydney, then an hour on the train to the suburbs. It was then half an hours walk to the doctors office from the nearest public transport.

I found my way into the building, and found the doctors office. The receptionist welcomed me, and asked me to fill in my paperwork while I waited. When I gave them my medicare details (birth name and gender) she proceeded to change everything with ‘Ryan’ written on it to my birth name, refer to me as ’she’ to the other receptionist, and call me by my birth name.
I thought that this was very strange, since I assumed that this office would have a number of TS patients, since I got their name from the FTM Australia listing of trans friendly doctors. I explained my preference to be called Ryan and asked for the receptionist to use male pronouns, but in spite of this, she continued to misgender and misname me.

The doctor came and collected me from the waiting room after about 20 minutes. She read through my referral in front of me. She looked up and said ‘Gender reassignment? Really?” in a surprised tone of voice.
I nodded, and she put down the referral.
“I don’t treat that. You’ll have to go elsewhere.”

I was stunned, I simply couldn’t believe it.

“What?!”

“I understand you’ve come a long way, but I don’t treat transsexuals. There’s nothing I can do to help you. You will have to leave now.”

“I don’t understand. I told the receptionist when I made the appointment. I took a day off work, and spent $100 on travel. You’ve completely wasted my time.”

“How about I don’t charge you for this consultation?”

“WHAT?!!! There is NO WAY I am paying for this! What have you done but sit there and say that you wont treat me?”

“I don’t do fertility treatments either. Its nothing personal, its not discrimination, its just a decision I have made professionally.”

At this point I asked her to put me on the phone to Concord Hospital to see if I could get an appointment at the Andrology Unit there, and told her to go see if any of the other doctors in the clinic could see me since I had been misled about the services offered by that clinic.
None of the others at that clinic would see me, and the endocrinologist at Concord has just gone on holiday, so I have to wait another 3 weeks before I can have my appointment.

I am really disappointed with the way I was treated. I am especially angry because it is clear that Thornley has treated FTM’s in the past, but that the ‘direction of the clinic has changed’ and the receptionists were not informed, and so I had my time and money wasted.

I don’t care if you don’t want to treat transsexuality cos of some fucked up moralising on your part… just tell me over the phone, before I travel and take time off work.

Now I have to get another referral ($69), take more time off work (2 more days out of my sick leave), and travel to Sydney again ($82).

Fuck. So angry.

Monday I had horrible horrible period pain. I had more pain on Tuesday. My abject misery surrounding my period (which is only occasionally this painful), prompted me to make a call to the local Family Practice and make an appointment. I’d heard good things about the practice, and so hoped that I would see a doctor of decent quality.

I was not disappointed.

I now have a GP who is willing to support my decision, and help in whatever capacity he is able. He is also the head of the practice, and said that I will be treated with respect by all the Doctors at the practice, so if he is not available, and I need something urgent I can go with all confidence to any doctor there.

He also wrote a referral to a gynecologist who I will see in June. I think that this means I need to get private health insurance. All this is going to cost me a mint. Every doctors appointment is $70 for the GP, and hundreds for the specialists. A friend of mine is going to give me the name of his shrink in Sydney if he’s any good. That just leaves me finding a plastic surgeon, and an endocrinologist.

I am in fact in an absolute tizzy of excitement.

I should figure out how to tell my mother, and other Significant Persons from my past. I should also start figuring out what to do with work. I’ve hit that point of readiness. Things have fallen into place. I know that I am ready, deep inside.

I was born in the hospital mentioned in this post

This really doesn’t surprise me. There’s been a few doctors that weren’t fit to practice continuing in Bega and Pambula hospitals. But then, I am kinda down on my home town, so mebbe I am biased.

I think that the area gets so desperate for doctors, that they just kinda turn a blind eye to things. When I was 14 I cut my foot really bad in a fight with my brother.
The doctor we saw in emergency, called me a slut, and handled the heavily bleeding wound without gloves.