Got it with my second phone call. The first wasn't taking new patients, although the receptionist seemed to try very hard to get me to set up an appointment with someone else at the same hospital.
"Are they experienced with transgender patients?"She starts rattling off doctor's names, which I don't recognize, and I'm trying to find someone who might take my insurance and I know all of the people on my list at least take it for non-transgender stuff. So I tell her I'll call back if I don't find someone else.
"Well, err.... uh... I don't know, I can ask."
"I have some other people I can call who I know are, I think I'll call them."
"Are you sure?! I can ask, it won't take that long!"
Next call, I asked if the endo was taking new patients, she said "yes." I say I want to start hormone replacement therapy. She asks if I have a letter (angelic noise). I say I will have one, but that's not the point, the point is that the receptionist actually knew something about the subject. She said I couldn't set up an appointment without bringing in a letter, but somehow she still set it up. I think I may have misheard that first bit, maybe she meant I couldn't have the appointment until then, but again, that's a moot point because my therapist and I already planned out when I should go in, so the letter will be done by that time.
Not my T-date, though. My T-date is probably going to be in early January if there are no problems found (fingers crossed).
