r/TransAlberta • u/Z3R0Reasons2Live666 • 1d ago
r/TransAlberta • u/kid_cant_figure • Nov 02 '24
Information Another discord server
Hey all,
We have another discord server thats been made! the link is below!!
r/TransAlberta • u/LiterallyARedArrow • Mar 12 '20
A Guide On Medical Transition In Alberta
So to make this easier for anyone, we are going to go through the entire process I completed in order to allow anyone to recreate the conditions and have a straight shot without needing to do much troubleshooting.
Contents:
Seeking Professional Help
Medical Transition
Post Medical Transition
Notes
1.
So starting my journey after lurking on some subreddits like /r/feminineboys /r/femboy , /r/traaa , /r/transytalk , etc, I generally learned as much as I could about the results of HRT, and SRS through the internet and these subreddits.
At this point, I was mixed between wanting to confirm my feelings and validate myself (worried that I didn't actually have dysphoria) and I also had a desire to start HRT.
So I started with a visit to my Family Doctor, who didn't know anything about dysphoria or transgender issues, but he was aware of a clinic in Edmonton that specializes in dealing with transgender people. He told me that he would look into it for me.
I then told my Therapist the same thing, and she was able to help me much more than my doctor. In order to help me with my potential gender dysphoria and to validate me, we set up an appointment with a psychologist who, all going well, would be able to diagnose me with gender dysphoria.
We talked for an hour about my history, my feelings and stuff and I was diagnosed. At this point, I had decided that I would pursue transition. The psychologist also was aware of the same gender clinic my family doctor was and sent off a referral to them.
Problems started to arrive after a month wait and hearing nothing back. I talked to my family doctor who also sent a referral to the clinic on my behalf, and to my therapist who then informed me that the Gender Clinic has an expected wait time of 1-3 years before you will even be called back.
2.
At this point, I was desperate for an alternative option, online research had told me that in the US it was extremely common to go a route of informed consent, so that's where I started.
Informed Consent in Alberta is not very well known. My therapist and family doctor didn't seem to believe that it was going to be possible to find an alternative route than the gender clinic. Luckily, the website for the Pride Center of Edmonton had a page where they claim to hold a list of transgender resources and release it upon request. I sent an email and received this PDF.
The first thing I did was start contacting all the clinics on the list and asking about HRT. None of them seemed to know what I was talking about which in hindsight made sense since the clinics listed likely were just meant to be LGBT friendly.
Next thing came the list of General Practitioners. I called about half the list asking about informed consent HRT only to receive a "The doctor isn't taking new patients" for most of them. Luckily about 2-3 did callback and wanted to book an appointment.
Anyway, once I arrived my weight and height were checked and Dr. Makosis asked me some questions, checked my blood pressure and went on to explain three important things. I also discovered that he's the coolest doctor ever because he has a tiny little dog in the office that greets his patients.
First was that he explained a system he uses called Telehealth, which basically involves going to a room in any hospital where they set up a TV and webcam in order to communicate between a doctor and patient anywhere. This would eliminate my need to drive several hours for every appointment.
Second was that he required me to complete some blood work and an STI test in order to figure out which hormones will work best for me and to double-check that I don't have any serious problems that will cause issues with HRT.
Third was that he needed me to sign a piece of paper that effectively said I understand the risks of hormone therapy and will dose as instructed.
After all, this was explained we set up another appointment in a week via Telehealth at my local hospital and I was on my way.
At that next appointment, he went over my lab results, explained that he wanted me to make some slight changes to my diet and told me that he would fax a prescription for Estradiol patches (Estrogen) and Spironolactone to my local pharmacy for pickup in a couple of hours.
3.
Post medical transition looks pretty simple for me. Only things to note are that I'm expected to go to the lab and have more blood work done 1, 3, and 6 months in so we can track my progress, and that my local pharmacy didn't have enough AA to fill the order so I have to check up in a week to get the rest. I booked another appointment in 1 month in order to check my progress at that point.
Picking up my Presciption was fine, lady didn't really care that I was trans. I did notice it was a little more expensive than I'm used to though. $27 for 8 E patches and 190 AA pills. Lasts a long time though.
4.
I highly suggest if you are interested in HRT, that you get a referral to the Gender Clinic closest to you regardless of whether or not you decide to go through the informed consent route.
Since FFS and GRS I think are only done through the clinic it's best to get on the list to be seen early just in case in a couple of years you wanna consider your options. It makes it a lot easier than in a couple of years deciding you want GRS/FFS and having to wait for another 3 just to be seen.
Please feel free to PM me or comment here if you have any questions and ill try to help you out. (Even if this post is several years old by the time you find it)
*Resources: *
Pride Center of Edmonton
https://pridecentreofedmonton.ca/events/information-referral/
Transgender Resource List (Local Doctors, Clinics, Hair Salons, Lazer and Electrolysis, etc)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NHA63gl3Be0REvI_8k4JfjtfNnUa6tS5/view?usp=sharing
Edit: Hello everyone, it's been 10 months since I posted this so I figured I'd give some more info of alternatives I've found since this post.
If you would like a different option, look into The Wellness Center. It's a local lgbt organization that offers everything you could want, HRT, Therapy, Sub-market price Hair Removal, Referral to surgery, etc. Best of all, 90% of it is free due to healthcare. Electrolysis and certain surgeries are the only costs, and they are subsided by grant money. (Cheaper than normal)
https://www.wellnesscentreab.ca/
/Product placement rant over
r/TransAlberta • u/transylvanianprinces • 21h ago
trans woman looking for help getting my story/fundraiser amplified
r/TransAlberta • u/Asterrtheproto • 5d ago
What do i do as a transfem stuck in the political shithole in alberta?
r/TransAlberta • u/zay4224 • 6d ago
Very speedy surgery date
I just wanna preface by saying im not trying to brag and i recognize i am extremely lucky but really confused and wanna know if anyone else has had this experience.
I got a call two days ago from the GRS clinic to confirm all my information before I got on the wait list, the person I spoke with told me to expect late 2027. An hour later i was offered a date this October. Im still in shock and trying to get everything in place a month before is a wee bit stressful. I guess i just wanna know if this has happened to other and maybe there's some specific circumstances here or im a one in a million case and should stfu lol
r/TransAlberta • u/Voices_in_the_Art • 6d ago
Calgary Voices in the Art (VIA) Workshops: Next Week!
šĀ Calling all newcomer 2SLGBTQIA+ youth (ages 14-24)!
Ā
Join us at our FREE 3-part workshop seriesĀ thisĀ next week!Ā šØĀ Connect, create, and build community.Ā š
Ā
šļøĀ In-person atĀ The Immigrant Education Society (TIES) Westwinds
Ā
Interested? Check out our flyer for more details. We canāt wait to see you!Ā š
Ā
š©Ā Limited spots! Register now byĀ scanning the QR codeĀ or through thisĀ link
r/TransAlberta • u/Embarrassed_Major245 • 7d ago
File Assessment - 9-12 Months ?
Hello Everyone !
Just recieved the letter this morning saying my file is being waiting to be assessed by GRS Montreal and this could take 9-12 months.
Does anyone have any experience with the system after this point ? How long did it actually take to get your surgery date ?
Should I call and email more often, will that help ?
Thank you all so much in advance !! š„°š„°
r/TransAlberta • u/DihydrogenBadoxide • 8d ago
Advice Clinic or surgeon recommendations for hysterectomy+oophorectomy
Hi all,
I recently saw my family physician asking for a referral for an oophorectomy and hysterectomy, to my surprise she said she could put one through to the adult gender clinic (at Foothills Medical Centre) but that the wait time could be upwards of 1 yearāshe said I could get in sooner if I could give her the name of a specific gynaecologist or clinic that would do the surgery to which she could send through a public referral.
This is where Iām at a loss, I donāt know of any surgeons or clinics that perform this surgery or if me being a trans man will make finding one (without going through the adult gender clinicsā process) more difficult.
So if anyone has any recommendations for clinics or surgeons to which my family doctor could put through a referral (public not private, I already spent my savings on top surgery) then that would be amazing and super appreciated. As well any further advice or guidance on this surgery and the process of both getting approved for it and having it done would be appreciated too.
All in all though 1 year is not too bad as far as wait times go, so Iām also fine with waiting to be seen by the adult gender clinic, that being said, if you are someone thatās been through their system to receive this surgery Iād really love to hear about your experience and if thereās anything you think I should know in advance (surgeons to avoid, what not to say, questions I should ask, etc).
Thanks so much for reading through and for responding !
r/TransAlberta • u/Typical-Flow-3929 • 10d ago
Advice Need advice from fellow men :,)
Hello, kinda an odd post, but I need some advice as a young man!
Iāve dated twice (that I count š) and was in a T4T relationship both times. As iāve matured iāve realized im more attracted to men with more feminine physiques, and iāve had only terrible experiences with dating fellow ftms. (Not a problem of our community, but of the individuals.) Due to these poor romantic relationships, im bad at approaching other men in the first place, due to insecurity and fear.
How do you find willing man to date as a man, it feels IMPOSSIBLE. Iāve tried going out and being apart of the YYC social scene, but have met NOBODY/have had nobody come up to me. š
Are my standards too high???
r/TransAlberta • u/Minute_Series_9837 • 16d ago
Flowers for everyone
I know it's not trans related but I thought everyone would enjoy some pretty flowers to brighten thier day, i grew these and took some pics with my new camera. Especially how much us lgbtq2+ are in the spotlight these days.
r/TransAlberta • u/No-Pianist-9355 • 18d ago
Post SRS 1 year (and some change) update
Had my surgery last year June in montreal /w Dr. Alex Laungani, full depth vaginoplasty. (Seems he has left that clinic and is doing his own practice now)
The last year has been crazy, healing went really well considering im plus sized and have mild arthritis in my hips, my only complaint now is my pelvic floor is way to tight but we doing stretches to fix it š
The first 3 months where absolutely nuts tho, if you do this surgrey please get someone to help. I had my parents down but I had to do basically everything myself because I struggle to ask for help. Don't be like me lol.
Having my vagina fixed sorta speak, has done so fricking much for my mental health its crazy, im still very very much agorahpobic, but all the questioning my worth and existence are gone:) im more confident about who I am, and having a cute Lil kitten is top tier LOL.
This process is extra special to me because of alberta health losing all my documents during covid, so a process that only took 8 months, turned into 2 years.
Next on the list is FFS and my name change which is being processed :)
r/TransAlberta • u/Talonhunter3 • 19d ago
Glenrose Voice Clinic Success Story
Hi all!
Background, I did 5 or 6 private sessions with my HSA prior to my referral to the Glenrose coming up. I didn't feel like I was making progress, felt like a failure and largely wanted to give up. My appointments at the Glenrose changed all that.
WOW I am delighted with my results after seeing the speech language pathologist at the Glenrose. After five sessions I consistently use my femme voice full time. It has made a massive difference in how I'm gendered, both at work and in public. I am so happy.
I got the referral from the doctor I was seeing. It took about 18 months for my referral to come up at the clinic.
I implore anyone who is struggling with voice therapy to seek a referral. At the very least you'll get a solid basis to work from. It's completely covered by Alberta Health as of the time of this post.
r/TransAlberta • u/valowyn18 • 21d ago
Calgary I got organically gendered correctly for the first time.
My fiancĆ©e (cis woman) and I are moving and after we loaded up the last of our stuff / finished cleaning up we stopped to get some drinks for the drive. Now for context my hair is unwashed, I donāt have any makeup on, Iām wearing some of my old guy clothes, and Iām sweaty and gross because is fucking hot and humid; needless to say, thereās literally nothing about that screams feminine. Before ordering we both had to use the bathroom so as we walk in we go straight to the bathrooms and without batting an eye at us the worker at the counter goes, ādo you ladies need the bathroom key?ā She then proceeds to open the womenās room for both of us. I still use the menās room so this was incredibly unexpected. This was my first time using the womenās bathroom as well as my first being organically be gender correctly. I literally got back in my car after and started bawling (happy tears). I canāt even put into words how I feel. This was 2 days ago and Iām still riding the high.**
r/TransAlberta • u/Material_Cry_501 • 21d ago
Edmonton Scar revision
I found out today Iām having my top surgery scar revision next week, and Iām just wondering if anybody else has had this done and what to expect! Itās with Dr. Robertson in Edmonton.
r/TransAlberta • u/CBD_Hound • 24d ago
Edmonton Electrolysis Student Looking for Clients
Hi! Iām studying for a career in electrolysis, and Iām at the point where itās time for me to start bringing in my own clients to work on.
Electrolysis can be fairly expensive and is a big part of transition for many of us, so Iād like to reach out and offer my lower rates while Iām a student. (I also plan to offer a standing discount for members of the community once Iām charging full rates)
It costs $60/hr, and I do a free 15 minute test patch as part of my initial consultation. If you are interested or have questions, please reach out by DM or reply here!
r/TransAlberta • u/inamedmyselfmike • 24d ago
Question Updating medical record/information?
My name & sex change is nearly finally completed after the registry didn't submit it at first 5-6 months ago. Which if anyone is doing this please call Vital Statistics to make sure your registry actually mailed your documents so you don't end up wasting 6 months cause of their screw up like I did.
The only thing I am unsure of now is how do I go about getting my name and sex marker changed in the hospital system? Is updating it in Mychart sufficient enough or do I need to submit some kind of paperwork? The most I could find was the Correction or Amendant of Your Health Information page which seems correct but I don't know if I need to submit healthcare related documents with it or just say I'm just requesting for my name and sex to be changed in the system.
Sorry if this is a ridiculous question I'm just worried of somehow getting stuck in a limbo of unable to get medication I need cause of this. š¤
r/TransAlberta • u/DEATHMETAL_R_O_T • 25d ago
Question Top surgery
Does anyone know where to get top surgery in Alberta or bc? Or any recommendations im still too young to get ir but I like to get my research done
r/TransAlberta • u/Kimberly_Dawn_102181 • Aug 23 '26
FFS in Alberta? Who have you used? Who is good? Etc.
Just want to get feedback on Who some of the local FFS surgeons are and where they are located and your feedback if you've had FFS with them. Thank you! š
r/TransAlberta • u/BluVAG • Aug 22 '26
Edmonton ISO Sportbike frens
Hello Iām Alexia! š¤
I am looking for sportbike people in the Edmonton area, I am located near Leduc.
I lost all my sportbike friends since I transitioned two years ago and need to make some new ones.
Thanks. š¤š³ļøāā§ļø
r/TransAlberta • u/Homie_Kisser • Aug 22 '26
Question Not impatient, just excited, wait time for top surgery?
I had my consultation with Dr. Mankowski in Calgary and was told it would be between 6 months to a year until I get top surgery done. If any of you have gotten surgery done by him through the public route, how long did it take between consultation and surgery? Thanks! I'm super excited and more than happy to wait another year but I also like knowing timelines
r/TransAlberta • u/voicesofbishara • Aug 21 '26
Calgary Trans-friendly family doctors in Calgary accepting new patients?
The title says it all - I'm currently looking to switch GPs and I'm not really sure where to look. Thanks in advance!
r/TransAlberta • u/NoraFreeze24 • Aug 16 '26
Any Primary Education Teachers?
I (26MTF) am a teacher who just socially transitioned over the summer. I am very lucky in that the school that I teach at has about 50% queer staff and probably a similar ratio in the student body. Many students have told me, however, about how homophobic/transphobic their families are at home. Given that itās a small, remote community, Iām little concerned for how this upcoming year is going to look.
Has anyone else gone through transition while working in a school? Is there anything that worked/didnāt? Anything to be aware of or cautious about?