A Transgender Woman's Transition Journey: How She Started
Alexis Blake is a transgender woman who shares her life and stories on her YouTube channel. In this article, we will be talking about A Transgender Woman's Transition Journey.
If you are interested in learning about the transition process or are considering transitioning yourself, hopefully, this provides some useful information on where to begin.
Realizing She Was Transgender
Alexis knew deep down for about 12 years that she was transgender and wanted to live life as a female. However, she continued to live as a male due to various reasons - career, societal expectations, finances, and more. She just wasn't strong enough to transition.
When Alexis turned 27, she was in a good place in life and had met someone she loved a great deal. She realized she had no more excuses and it was now or never. Holding the burden of being transgender inside had become difficult and overbearing.
Alexis knew she had to tell her partner and best friend. Having someone to confide in is so important when realizing you are transgender.
First Steps
The very first thing Alexis did was call her GP and explain her history of gender dysphoria and desire to seriously transition. Her GP referred her to a local gender clinic.
Alexis looked into the waiting times and it was around a 4 year wait on the NHS. That wasn't an option for her, so she decided to go private and found a clinic called GenderCare UK. Her first appointment took 6 months to book, which shows how backed up they were.
While waiting, Alexis legally changed her name and gender. Changing all your ID and records is a lengthy process but helps affirm your identity. She changed her name from her old one to Alexis and her gender from male to female. This cost around £30-40.
Getting a Diagnosis
After 4 months of experimenting with her appearance, Alexis had her first appointment with a GenderCare psychologist. This was to get an official diagnosis of gender dysphoria, which you need to medically transition.
You have to prove your transgender identity repeatedly. The psychologist reviewed Alexis's history and asked many questions before diagnosing her with gender dysphoria. This allowed her to get referred to a hormone specialist.
Starting Hormones
Alexis's first endocrinologist (hormone doctor) appointment was 3-4 months later. She had to get blood work done and answer medical history questions.
After proving she was ready, Alexis got her first hormone prescription in February, about 6 months after starting the process.
Final Thoughts
- Transitioning has a lot of waiting and patience is needed. Timeframes vary greatly.
- Don't rush into anything before you are completely ready. Make sure transitioning is truly right for you.
- Celebrate yourself and your journey. Take pride in who you are.