As you will know if you’ve read my blog for the past months, I’m due to have the big operation at the end of February and that means I have a lot to do between now and then (and the countdown at the top of my blog shows just how little time I have!) Between now and then, I have to do the following:
- Book my flights (done)
- Transfer the final payment
- Get a certificate of health from my GP
- Get a referral letter from my psychologist
- Return my cat to my ex for safe keeping whilst away and whilst recuperating
- Buy lots of bits and pieces for my stay in Thailand
- Prepare my work for my 6-8 week absence
- Prepare my home for my return (lots of frozen/canned food in case I don’t feel up to cooking)
- Panic a little that I have forgotten something!
Some of these things are smaller, some are larger. The one which concerns me most is getting my referral letter.
I mentioned some months ago how much trouble I was having finding a psychiatrist in Germany. I needed it for two things: Help with the crushing depressions which sometimes hit me and for the paperwork I need to have for my operation. I haven’t written about this, but I did find a psychiatrist in November and had a first discussion with her, coming out with a very positive feeling that she could really help me.
Now, however, with this lovely news of my op being brought forward, I have to get that referral letter from her urgently and that worries me. In general, the medical world takes its time to do things and most of the time, they have to be done to strict rules and added to that, this is Germany I’m living in where things are even more structured than in many other countries. I’m very concerned that the short time I’ve worked with this psychiatrist and the time it takes the wheels to move over here will make it difficult to get this referral letter in time. That’s very scary: No referral letter, no op and because of the short time scale, I will lose a lot of money if I have to do a last minute rescheduling (NOT really an option for all sorts of reasons).
I have my next meeting with my psychiatrist on Wednesday morning and will get that ball rolling then. We’ll see what happens and what level of panic I’ll be enjoying after that!
This is a fabulous time of my life and I’m so excited and happy about this operation, but cripes is there a lot to get done to make it happen! Heeeelp!!!! 
Possibly Related Posts:
Dr. Suporn reqieres a referal letter after the WPATH V6 Standards. Not the german standards of care which would require two “Gutachter” (also known as Gatekeeper). You fullfill any WPATH criteria and your therapist, if honest has to admit that you fullfill all the requierments.
Bad Hair Days´s last blog ..Transphobes Meisterstück
I shall try to explain that to her!!!
I hope that she will be flexible enough to not require that I go through the rigmarole of the German referral system… In the end, it is a question of whether she’ll accept to take the responsibility to give me the WPATH 6 referral or whether she’ll still require me to go through a gate keeper to do so. We’ll see! 
Oh Emily how awful it would be if this hurdle is going to be in the way. I do hope not! It is easy to say things in hindsight, ‘I should have’, ‘Maybe I ought to have’…blah, blah. You MUST explain everything to your psychologist if you haven’t already. Tell her what is at stake, work, finance, schedule et al but of course you know all this already. Just me being a bit paranoid on your behalf.
Although I had my letter of referral when I saw Dr. Suporn I could have used his psychiatrist had I wished and at that time only one letter was required. I do not know what is required these days. I wish to the best anyhow and hope it all comes good for you. I will be worrying about this now waiting for you to give me the good news! I’ll be thinking of you Wednesday. Love
Shirley Anne xxx
Shirley Anne´s last blog ..And the beat goes on.
Thank you so much, Shirley Anne. I’m really rather scared about what will happen about this since it would devastate me if this were to block things. Unfortunately, changes in Thai law have tightened things up somewhat so whilst I don’t need two letters, I don’t think that getting a Thai psychiatrist to sign things off is a real option. I’ll definitely do an update to this on Thursday and in the mean-time will keep fingers and toes crossed that this will work out!!!