Are you waiting to go on T because

[KarlMars]

You haven't decided if it's a good time to do it in your life or because you don't know if you'll be able to pay for it yet?

For example I'm in between living situations, on disability, needing to get a part time job after I move, don't know what my insurance will cover.

[FTMax]

When I initially realized I was trans (17), I held off on any kind of medical transitioning because I had absolutely no financial resources and wasn't sure if my family would be supportive.

When I first started to really consider transitioning (21), I was just in a weird situation - just finished college, living with my girlfriend, but moving to grad school in a few months, on my mom's health insurance that I didn't think would cover anything, and still very much in the closet. And I still wasn't convinced that T was the right thing for me. I knew I wanted top surgery, but at the time, I hadn't connected that a lot of my dysphoria was socially driven and that T would help masculinize me enough that that would no longer be an issue.

When I finally started T (25), I had run out of reasons not to. I had come out to my family and friends and everyone was supportive. I had a good job with benefits that would enable me to pay for it. I had also done more research in that time, so it no longer seemed as intimidating as it once did.

[Moneyless]

I waited until now to go on T because I didn't want to transition during high school and would rather avoid a whole lot of awkward situations, discomfort and possible bullying. I graduated last year in September and started T a few days ago.

Whilst going through the process I discovered you have to be 18 in Australia to go on T, even with parent consent, unless you want to do a court case or something like that which is extremely pricey. So I couldn't have anyways in the end ironically enough

[Elis]

I knew I was trans when I was 19 but didn't make any progress until I was 21. I was scared to come out to my dad who I lived with so I couldn't ask to be put on the waiting list for my nearest GIC which was a useless 13 month wait anyway. I also didn't have a job gain independence because I had social anxiety due to me being trans and was worried about what people would think of me (me being a weird awkward masculine looking person). Then at 21 I finally got a job and decided to stick with it because I really needed the money to go private. After being tired of being miserable and at my limit I came out to my dad; rang up the number to the private clinic, legally changed my name and came out at work. Now 22 I'm almost 6 months on T; so it's been one heck of a journey. It's made me more resilient and able to plan what to do; but it was a lot of wasted time.

[Dex]

I knew I was trans for a long time. I didn't have words for what I was feeling in high school but I realized in my very early 20s. My girlfriend at the time was very anti-trans so I kind of buried it. I told my (now) wife about a year or so into us dating (I was probably 25) but we have 3 children from her first marriage and I was afraid for many things. I was afraid her exhusband would make life miserable for us, I was afraid my secure job in a Catholic healthcare organization would be in jeopardy, I was afraid of how my family would react and how my wife's family would react... There never seemed to be a good time. Finally at age 30, I decided those reasons were no longer enough. So, yes, I think many of us delay for a variety of reasons and that's ok. This journey is not one size fits all and there are probably very few paths that are identical. Each of us has our own reasons for why we wait or why we don't wait any longer and that equation is different for everyone as well.

When you decide its your time (if you ever do), that will be the "right" time.

[Ayden]

I knew when I was about 12 that I was different but didn't have words for it until I was 15. It wouldn't have been safe to come out then and I had a lot to deal with. My parents had a very bad marriage (an ocean between them wouldn't be enough distance between them). I was raising my three brothers so I had little time to think about it.

When I was 19 I told my partner and he was very supportive. I took the first steps; binding,  packing, hair cut, but fear of my father won out and I stopped. 

At 23 I ran out of excuses and my partner gave me a push I really needed. I was in a bad place and I needed to do something. I was old enough and sure enough by then that starting T was a relief.

It takes everyone different amounts of time to come to the point when they are ready. I had some concerns, but after my first shot I knew I had made the right choice for me. 

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[haeden]

I haven't started t and I think it's kinda like what FTMax said. I'm not convinced I need T just yet. I'm more focused on trying to get top surgery and I'll worry about everything else later

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[AnxietyDisord3r]

When I was 13 I knew something was very, very wrong, but I didn't know how my body worked and I didn't know there was a medical way to stop it. (Not that my mom or my pediatrician at the time would have been in favor, I think.)

My parents were telling me I was turning into a moody teenager right on time and I thought they were putting that on me, but i probably was--I was miserable and getting worse every day!

I was so uninformed. I thought my dysphoric feelings were normal misgivings about puberty. My mother treated periods and bra shopping as a drag so I figured the girls who were excited about it were weirdos or brainwashed.

I'm 36 now. If I'd known what I now know about T I could have started over ten years ago. I have a steady employment record and could have afforded it. I grew up hearing all these horrible things about testosterone and decided after I came out (at 19) that I wanted top surgery only. In my city, at that time, it was very hard to get approval to go on hormones. The point is that I might have been able to do that a few years later but I was completely misinformed about what T would and would not do to my body and my mind.

[Midnightstar]

You haven't decided if it's a good time to do it in your life or because you don't know if you'll be able to pay for it yet?

For example I'm in between living situations, on disability, needing to get a part time job after I move, don't know what my insurance will cover.

I'm in a very similar situation
i'm needing to find a apartment and need to first make sure its covered
along with be out of my family house hold or it could create stress from family i don't want around me while transitioning, and it would be to much for my parents to handle seeing all at once and iv'e known this.
So in all due respect to them and out of my own needs i'm needing to 1: move out and 2: make sure its covered. and just like you i also need a part time job so that together i am waiting to start T i also need to do some processing before i jump into unknown waters.

[Kylo]

I was thinking I'd wait at first because I wasn't sure I wanted it, but I never actually deferred it - I've been waiting so long to get anywhere on the NHS I've had enough time to decide I want T without actually "waiting".

Initially I was offput by the idea mostly of the in-between period of having to take T first before surgery and being stuck in between male and female (that's the order they are pushing me to do it in, even though I'd prefer the surgery first), and also the idea that I was apparently sensitive to hormonal changes (cause me hypothyroidism briefly in the past), but now I just want T asap.

[KarlMars]

I was thinking I'd wait at first because I wasn't sure I wanted it, but I never actually deferred it - I've been waiting so long to get anywhere on the NHS I've had enough time to decide I want T without actually "waiting".

Initially I was offput by the idea mostly of the in-between period of having to take T first before surgery and being stuck in between male and female (that's the order they are pushing me to do it in, even though I'd prefer the surgery first), and also the idea that I was apparently sensitive to hormonal changes (cause me hypothyroidism briefly in the past), but now I just want T asap.

Are there consequences of going off T temporarily?

[Kylo]

Are there consequences of going off T temporarily?

I am told there can be, if done during a critical stage such as when the voice is lowering. But I am not certain, and haven't had chance to quiz my specialist on it yet.

[Ayden]

Are there consequences of going off T temporarily?

I don't know all the physicalogical consequences,  but I know that I saw a decrease in body hair, fat redistribution and the return of the scarlet raids. I was off for about 8 months or so. Mentally I felt pretty drained and emotional when I was going from testosterone to estrogen again. I slept a lot and had a loss of energy for a little less than a week. YMMV and all that, but making any chemical changes in the body does has side effects. Some people may not notice and some may be more affected by them.

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