SRS is a must-do?! Or isn't it?

To keep it short: I'm in contact with a trans woman, who's the contact person for trans people in my company. Last week I wrote her about my tiny baby trans steps and my plans for the upcoming months etc.

I mentioned that I plan to begin my HRT in summer 2025 (due to some private issues I have to solve first) and also said that I'm not sure if I really need SRS.... I'd like to experience HRT before I think about surgeries too much.

In her response she said, she cannot understand why I want to wait that long to begin my HRT. And that SRS can take time but are an essential part of the transition, to eventually complete it....

Please, I need your opinion bc I'm quite overwhelmed by her answer. Who does she think she is to evaluate MY transition timetable? Also, I simply hate her implication that surgeries are an essential part of everyone's transition.

Would you simply ignore it? Would you try to justify your opinion? Honestly, I don't think that I owe her any explication at all.

Definitely sth I'll have to work through with my therapist....

EDIT: Thanks a lot for your responses!! It really made my day to read that my own path and pace are valid 💕 Sth I knew deep inside... but reading her mail made me also insecure about it. Love you, girls!! ❤️