Haven't gotten a referral after months of doctors visits
Hiya guys, gals and gadabouts!
First of all, I may have to clarify that I live in Sweden.
So, I've moved away from home last summer, gone through a bit of a rough patch and been in contact with a mental health specialist for a while since. Partially because it was a good idea in general, and to quite a large extent because I'd been pondering my gender for a long, long time. I had never had any opportunity to explore it and was suffering from it, which I have been upfront about to the professional that I've been seeing ever since the start. This person has been very supportive of me so far and I have felt safe seeing them.
However, because of the systems surrounding Swedish trans healthcare, I've had to see a doctor in order to get a referral to a proper gender clinic. For some context, I am outgoing, but can be rather reserved, especially when it comes to various personal pains. Now, when I began to see this doctor, which I did for months, I had quite an eerie feeling about them. Sure, few doctors have gender training in Sweden, but still this person, to me, felt off to some degree. Awkward, perhaps. However, they made it very clear to me that they believed that I had clear signs of gender dysphoria and that they would be referring me to a national gender clinic.
Now, half a month or so later, I've checked my referrals in the Swedish online healthcare service, 1177, and there are none submitted. All of the notes surrounding my visits have been reported in.
Have I been completely hung out to dry by this doctor?
Did I perhaps not make it clear enough that I feel uncomfortable in my body?
I have read through my medical history, and I don't believe that any of the notes that the doctor has left have indicated that I wouldn't gain from getting professional help surrounding my gender. I have been considering going the private route, although I certainly can't afford to, whilst meeting them, because of the long waiting lists, so, hell, I'm certainly serious about it.
Has anyone else dealt with this in Sweden or experienced something similar elsewhere? There seems to be this weird gap between what the doctor tells you they're going to do and what actually makes it into the system. Is this just how referrals work, or have others run into doctors who don't follow through? It feels less like bad luck and more like a systemic issue, but I'm not sure.
Cheers everyone!