life span shortens after srs?

[rozenmaiden]

i have a friend that i recently came out
to. he was ok about the dressing up as
a girl part, but wasn't too comfortable
with srs. he kept saying i was born with
it and shouldn't do it and there would be
complications if i did. my friend is a bit
naive when it comes to this subject.

well, he is in in thailand at the moment,
so told me a story he heard when
he went to some convention. it bothered
me so i decided to post it up here and
get some feedback.

him (12:15:57 PM): also sadly
him (12:15:59 PM): i ask
him (12:16:00 PM): for u
him (12:16:02 PM): a question
him (12:16:04 PM): when i was at the
him (12:16:05 PM): HE SHE
him (12:16:10 PM): CONVENTION SHOW
him (12:16:21 PM): ALOT OF THE GIRLS
him (12:16:24 PM): WHO CHANGED THEIR SEX
him (12:16:28 PM): THEY DONT LIVE THAT LONG
him (12:16:31 PM): according to the
him (12:16:34 PM): tour guide
him (12:16:40 PM): they said most of these he shes
him (12:16:42 PM): they live
him(12:16:54 PM): 50 yeyears
him (12:16:55 PM): or so
me (12:16:59 PM): maybe cause they dont have proper doctor care over there, cant afford it
him (12:17:12 PM): because when a person changed their body
him (12:17:17 PM): automacically
him (12:17:22 PM): they dont live that long
him (12:17:25 PM): and the tour guide
him (12:17:26 PM): said
him (12:17:34 PM): when a girl that does that
him (12:17:36 PM): because and he she
him (12:17:46 PM): she wil love that man she is with
him (12:17:49 PM): foreverver
him (12:17:51 PM): because she knows
him (12:17:56 PM): that she doesnt have much time to live
him (12:18:04 PM): according to the tour giuide
him (12:18:09 PM): and
him (12:18:14 PM): tour guide said
him (12:18:15 PM): a person
him (12:18:22 PM): who usually does this kinda opearation
him (12:18:29 PM): usaually has a bad childhood
him (12:18:36 PM): or always think of herself as being a girl
him (12:18:39 PM): when she was young
him (12:19:10 PM): its a girl trap in a mans body
him (12:19:14 PM): so she wants to be a girl
him (12:19:23 PM): when i was there honestly i saw it

[pebbles]

It dose but if you look at the causes of death the discrepancy is largely due to things like prostate cancers and breast cancers which MTF don't like getting checked out for in later life... I mean you can see why they'd not do that.

Of course if you denied these people SRS then the risk of suicide would be much greater than it already is and I think it's already absurdly high amongst the pre-operative group. (some figures somewhere projected it as high as 40%)

[LynnER]

KK, I've heard stuff like this before...

There is no conclusive evidence either way... Very few if any comities, pannels, doctors, or orginazations have performed proper research on this and many other TS related topics.

Thailand is well known for its surgeons, but its also well known for poor jobs in surgery...  Do these girls continue on HRT after surgery?  are they on the right dosages?  do they go in for proper medical care?  how well was the surgery performed in the first place...  How old were they when they had it completed....

Also look on our side of the world....  How long would we live if GRS was not available?   Many of us smoke, drink, do drugs and all sorts of horrible life endangering things just because we don't have the guts to properly suicide... Transition in its self is hellish to many which ups the suicide rate... and among teens who don't see the light at the end of the tunnel just end it then and there...

So i cut 20 or 30 years off my life if this tour guide from Thailand is right by getting the op...  But really Ive beaten the odds and ADDED 30 years to my lifespan

[Mikaela]

That is very very depressing... I've already wasted 23 years of my life, living as a male. I'll have to waste 3-4 more until I'm done with my transition. So if that's true, I'll only get to live a bit over 20 years as my true self. Shame there aren't any alternatives to SRS for me.

I really hope it isn't true. =/

[LynnER]

That is very very depressing... I've already wasted 23 years of my life, living as a male. I'll have to waste 3-4 more until I'm done with my transition. So if that's true, I'll only get to live a bit over 20 years as my true self. Shame there aren't any alternatives to SRS for me.

I really hope it isn't true. =/

I'm positive it isn't... there is no proof, and this information was 3rd hand from a tour guide no less... I'm sure if a study is done, they could well find the reverse to be true LoL.  TS's at least in the western world tend to lead healthier lives than our Asian counterparts.

[Gracie Faise]

It is not uncommon for people who are ignorant of transsexuality, or of anything, to use stereotypes and blanket statements because that is all they know.

[gina]

I would not get very worried over this as they are probably using data thats maybe 10+ years or older for their stats, alot has changed in health in 10 + years. Also like all of these warnings they give probably will change in another 5 years when some Einstein links transgenders with longevity only to be shot down by another...blah...blah...blah...

I say try your best to stay healthy proper diet and exercise....stay away from any bad habits, smoking, drinking and drug use and the rest is up to nature and destiny...

gina

[Blanche]

life span shortens after srs?

Rats! I've got to call Dr. Bowers straight away & have my GRS cancelled

[Laura Eva B]

Yup ....

Prolonged HRT meds are not good for us ....

Breast cancer risk is way overstated (always way less than natal female), & prostrate cancer risk much reduced .....

But thromboembolic / stroke risks way way elevate ....

So does the incidence of hypertension (another killer) and hyperprolactinaemia ....

Cholestertol-wise its beneficial (HDL up / LDL down / total down) ....

But Triglycerides are elevated (arthosclerosis more likely even if arteriosclerosis is not !) ....

Blood glucose and insulin are reduced (less risk of type 2 diabetes) ....

Liver & kidney function could be seriously impaired by the meds ....

Propensity towards HRT related weight gain and fluid retention are not good news for general health ....

So its more minuses than pluses ?

As older "transgendered" women we retain the risks inherited thru our "male history" and take on some more because of the HRT.

Younger transitioners look at decades more HRT and its risk !

And then there is that whole "rat bag" of drug / alcohol / substance abuse and suicide risk which remains elevated despite transition and SRS ....

I'm personally seeing many of the known medical pros & cons, and retain my addictive dependencies, so on balance I'm unlikely to have a higher life expectancy than if I'd not transitioned, statistically less than a woman at my age.

But then statistics are just that .... I could live to be a 100 ?

Laura x

[Keira]

Why on earth would SRS shorten lifespan?

There are plenty of way more traumatic operations which do not shorten life span!

If its done correctly, the only diff is in the how much T you get in your body.

With less T, less prostate cancer.

With higher E, in theory, higher breast cancer chances, but since
most of us have a lower lifetime exposure, the risk is minimal.

With higher E, there is less risk of heart disease .

Trying to see what kind of other disease could be linked to this, don't see it!

[Natasha]

so does smoking, pollution, obesity! 

[LynnER]

As I said, its a myth with no studies or proof in its favor...

[Laura Eva B]

Why on earth would SRS shorten lifespan?

With higher E, there is less risk of heart disease .

Trying to see what kind of other disease could be linked to this, don't see it!

Keira, risk of heart disease, DVT, pulmonary embolism, stroke, are all increased with HRT ....

My "list" comes from the leading UK TS endo who sees / treats 70% of all UK NHS patients (2500+ TS patients in his career).

His approach is to do his best to limit morbitity in his patient group ....

My cholesterol, triglyceride, blood sugar trends all fit with his theory ...

ALT & T4 look good right now, but I retain water (without low Spiro) which makes me wonder about my heart / kidney function ?

Bottom line SRS / HRT messes most of your endocrine function up, and either meds or a no meds approach could lead to an early grave .....

Laura x

[LynnER]

Well, for some of those, you can avoid by taking diffrent forms of HRT rather than orals...

[Keira]

Bio identical E used for HRT doesn't increase DVT or pulmunary embolism.

Studies have demonstrated firmly.

Using the same hormones (not derivative synthetics) as in GG's
gives us the same risks as them.

There's nothing special about our bodies (except the absence of female sexual organs,
so our body will react like any of them).

[deviousxen]

I hope you're right!

Regardless, I think that if I'm able to leap the wall of when technology improves drastically (this wall is one I imagine quite a bit), and stay as youthful and healthy as possible until then, then aging can take less of a toll on me. People have told me that doubling a human lifespan is well within my lifetime, and I'm still relatively young, so who knows?

Even with SRS, it will eventually drastically improve! So... Maybe then the risk (if it can be proven there is one. Probably not GOOD for you, but neither is anything else we do) will go down even further.


Its kind of why I'd rather wait a bit until SRS, cause pretty soon it will be much better I predict.


Regardless... I don't measure life in years, I measure it in what I have done that is either a burden or accomplishment. Most of my aging has been due to me overusing my body. I can tell when I'm going over the line... Unfortunately, I need to accelerate my life a bit (LOL NAVY DERERRRRRR DERRR) in order to get anything tangible accomplished, and that is that sad reality.

Of course... We could get another completely retarded president again, so I don't know the odds...

[cindybc]

I don't really know enough about the medical details to add or take from what has been posted here. I spent 25 years drinking alcoholically, smoking, I and lived on the streets for a time.  I believe that if this is not putting one's body through the wringer, I don't know what would qualify as such.

Anyway, I was a very healthy kid from what I remember. I took some beatings at school but I survived. Now for the past 20 years I have been as healthy as anyone aged 30 compared to my 62 years.

I have been on estradiol valerate injectables for the past 8 year and still feel like I am from ten years old to 20 years old, nowhere near 50, much less 63. Never been seriously sick one day in my life.

Now I better stop bragging and go hide under my rock with my pet critter before Zeus takes a notion to use me for thunderbolt target practice.

Cindy

[Anonymouse]

Keira, risk of heart disease, DVT, pulmonary embolism, stroke, are all increased with HRT ....

And subsequently reduces as many of us quit smoking prior to surgery and most of us reduce HRT levels after surgery.

My "list" comes from the leading UK TS endo who sees / treats 70% of all UK NHS patients (2500+ TS patients in his career).

His approach is to do his best to limit morbitity in his patient group ....

I only know a limited number of Transexual people in the UK but only one of them has ever had any dealings with an endo and she payed privately for the consultation. The Largest NHS gender clinic precribed me and many others with high doses of EE. How does this equate to an approach of limiting morbidity?

My blood tests both before and after surgery are decribed as exceptionally healthy by my GP and private specialist. My risk factors for heart disease, DVT, pulmonary embolism and stroke are all low. I accept that I may have an increased risk of breast cancer but also have reduced risk of prostate cancer and no chance of testicular cancer.

My risk of death through suicide or reckless endangerment is significantly reduced.

Ann

[NicholeW.]

Keira, risk of heart disease, DVT, pulmonary embolism, stroke, are all increased with HRT ....

And subsequently reduces as many of us quit smoking prior to surgery and most of us reduce HRT levels after surgery.

My "list" comes from the leading UK TS endo who sees / treats 70% of all UK NHS patients (2500+ TS patients in his career).

His approach is to do his best to limit morbitity in his patient group ....

I only know a limited number of Transexual people in the UK but only one of them has ever had any dealings with an endo and she payed privately for the consultation. The Largest NHS gender clinic precribed me and many others with high doses of EE. How does this equate to an approach of limiting morbidity?

My blood tests both before and after surgery are decribed as exceptionally healthy by my GP and private specialist. My risk factors for heart disease, DVT, pulmonary embolism and stroke are all low. I accept that I may have an increased risk of breast cancer but also have reduced risk of prostate cancer and no chance of testicular cancer.

My risk of death through suicide or reckless endangerment is significantly reduced.

Ann

Ethinyl estradiol DOES increase the risks that Laura Eva mentioned. But, that could be reduced by using estradiol valerate or estradiol cyprionate.

If NHS doesn't allow those then I would think all of the risks with EE become very much a factor for Brit TSes.

EV and EC lower those risks considerably.

There are no longitudinal studies for life-span that have ever been done that I could find through Medline, ACCESSMedicine, Biomedical Reference Collection, & PUBMed search engines and reference sections.

I suspect no studies have ever been done in that regard.

The knowledge of a Bangkok tour guide seems less-than authoritative to me.

Nichole 

Ann's post seems absolutely spot-on to me.

[Anonymouse]

Ethinyl estradiol DOES increase the risks that Laura Eva mentioned. But, that could be reduced by using estradiol valerate or estradiol cyprionate.

If NHS doesn't allow those then I would think all of the risks with EE become very much a factor for Brit TSes.

EV and EC lower those risks considerably.

High dose EE without antiandrogen was the regime of choice even though the risks were known. I understand (and hope) that this has now changed and that EV or EH with antiandrogen is now used although I don't know anyone currently going through the NHS system.

I only discovered the risks assotiated with EE by doing my own research and got it changed to EV with the help of a private consultant.

Ann