My Transition Tube Map - Horizontal Revision

After establishing how the map would look displayed vertically, all in a line with a clear middle divide, it made me rethink how I wanted to create it physically with tape.

It would be displayed on a landscape TV, and so it would be filmed in landscape. I had originally considered setting up the camera at an angle in the window with the idea of the top of the map being created at the furthest away point, as in the rough sketch below.

However, this would mean losing the details of the top of the map from it being so far away, and as less of the car parking spaces owned by my dad's work would be being used it would open me up for potential disruptions to the film. After making note of what cars/vans were there outside of the standard 9-5pm Monday - Friday, it was clear there was a van and a car parked on that side of the car park near-permanently, and then the building 2 doors away got a skip outside with excess piled up near it and a lot of mess surrounding it that I definitely did not want to be capturing that confirmed that this was not the angle to film.

I decided to revise the map as landscape, meaning I could film it from the same angle as the previous map, and use the existing brick method to my advantage. Last time I drew out a chalk grid, which I felt looked messy in the shot even though it was necessary to help lay it out. As this time I will also be utilising areas that don't belong to my dad's company, I can't really leave any evidence of having used the area - especially as there are on-going disputes with new neighbours continuing to use car park spaces not belonging to them and blocking people from using our own charge point, despite being told on numerous occasions.

By using the same area previously, with an extension either side, I can keep to the same scale as last time that means the NHS standard map fits perfectly into 2 car park spaces and all on the black bricks, where the pattern remains the same (bricks going portrait and landscape) but changes to diagonal pattern outside of the car park spaces.

Rotating my section of the map 90 degrees anti-clockwise would not work as it would leave the TIME axis reading left to right as 2025 to 2017, looking backwards. Additionally, although PROGRESS would remain above the middle and RETROGRESS below, they would be increasing in a backwards-looking way so as to coordinate with the TIME axis as shown below.

I revised the map with these facts in mind, rotating the standard NHS transition tube map, and mirrored my section of the map so the progress inclines to the left with time, very clearly showing the progress (or lack thereof in my NHS section) over time.

I think this version makes it clear just how negative my experience has been with the NHS. Wherein the private section there are points where there is no progress, where dosages are considered stable so intervention is not necessary, there have not been setbacks under their care. Even when being told I needed to be prescribed Vitamin D tablets before starting on Testosterone this was not a setback as this was still for my health, and I would not have continued my hormone treatment journey past where I got to at that time as I was then eligible to have my eggs frozen.

Whereas under the NHS it was immediately negative with a nearly 9 month wait from re-referral to being added to a 'priority' waitlist - on which I assumed to be first, considering I was told my referral would be backdated to November 2016 and I would be placed on lists accordingly. Then after a 6 month wait, they could not manage the simple task of posting or emailing a letter, leading to another 6 month wait. I think this version of the map thoroughly captures the impact of their lack of actions over time.

I also think it highlights that there was still approximately the same amount of positive progress as there was retrogress in my top surgery journey - again all of which being down to the admin team and an incompetent medical secretary, where the surgical team was faultless.