Questions

[JCov212]

It's been a while since I've come on here. And I'm sorry it's been that long. I work full time as well as go to school full time. Just listening to people on a regular basis yell at me for going into the women's bathroom is starting to take it's toll on me. I've been really thinking about all of this. Thankfully I'll be getting health insurance soon and I'll be able to start seeing someone who will hopefully help me.

Anyway, I've got a few questions...I hope you all don't mind

How hard is it when you first start referring to yourself as a man?

How do you tell your family? Especially when it took my mother 4 years to accept the fact that I was gay...

What would I be looking forward to by seeing a psychologist?

How much does testosterone cost?

How often does it have to be taken?

Does insurance cover it?

How hard is it to go through the name change? and the gender change legally?


That's all I've got for now...Thanks for helping...

[alexkidd]

hey dude,

I only just recently started taking T (like 6 weeks ago) but Ill give your questions a shot

I've always referred to myself as a boy, so it was no huge change for me. It is taking other ppl a while to get used to it though.

I only told my folks about two weeks ago. They didnt talk to me for over a year when I told them that I liked girls, so I was expecting the worse. But it really wasnt that bad, it wasnt great either though. They said I would always be there child and I was always welcome in there home but they would never call me by my male name (Alex). I think with time they will come around. They live 1200kms away, so it'll be another 3 or so months before I see them again, that should give them time to sink in the info and hopefully adjusted. My mother did cry all weekend when I told her, I felt bad, but I needed to tell them.

I like seeing a psychologist. Mine is nice and real friendly. I am a fairly shy guy but she makes me feel open and able to talk about anything with her. Its good just to express my feelings outloud sometimes.

Im Australian and currently on the gel stuff. 50 sautels cost bugger all - like $15 or some crap. I know part of that is covered by the Australia pharmacal scheme.

I take the gel every day, pain in the neck, but works really well. I am seeing good results already.

With the name change it was easy for me. I just filled out a form got a JP to witness my signature and sent it off with $160 and within a few weeks it came back. The hardest part was waiting for it to come back.

I dont know about insurance, I want to get top surgry done next year, so Ill be looking more into it once I come back to Australia. I hoping some sort of insurance plan will cover it!

BTW - it really wasnt that hard for me to start T. I had been wanting to for ages and couldnt work up the guts to go see someone about it. Once I did though things just flew, it took about 3 months from the first doctor I saw to when I started. Its nowhere near as scary as I thought it would be 

[J.T.]

How hard is it when you first start referring to yourself as a man? for me, it wasn't.  the hardest part is other people.  the only problem i have is when i come home from work and sometimes i still say "mommy's home" to my cats.  don't ask me why, it cracks me up.

How do you tell your family? Especially when it took my mother 4 years to accept the fact that I was gay...  i asked them to a lunch and sat them down.  i had the support of a therapist and friend before hand, they gave me the confidence to do it.  it was scary, i won't lie... but they have been supportive 100%.  I visited here and other sites to help me come up with exactly what i was gonna say.

What would I be looking forward to by seeing a psychologist?    they will help you, if they're good, along in the transition process.  someone to vent to and work out questions/concerns/anxieties.  also can get you in the door with hormones and surgery if that is what you want to do.

How much does testosterone cost? i pay $55 and it gets shipped to me.  i've been on T since April and i am still on my second vial.

How often does it have to be taken? this will depend on your doctor and how you feel.  I started out every 10 days, went to every other week, and now i'm once a week.

Does insurance cover it?  i haven't tried, this depends on your insurance.  my insurance doesn't cover anything Trans related.

How hard is it to go through the name change? and the gender change legally?  This depends on where you live.  Name change was really easy... gender change i had to get a letter from my doctor and send it in.  There is a link somewhere, i think maybe in the wiki here, that can give you more info depending on where you live.

[JonasCarminis]

How hard is it when you first start referring to yourself as a man? for me, it wasn't.  the hardest part is other people.  the only problem i have is when i come home from work and sometimes i still say "mommy's home" to my cats.  don't ask me why, it cracks me up.

i know a couple of genetic guys that are "mom's" to their pets.  it makes me laugh.  lol


(sorry i cant be helpful. >_<)

[Jay]

I live in the UK so some questions may not be relvant to you..

How hard is it when you first start referring to yourself as a man?
Ive always thought of myself as a man so it hasn't been hard for me in that way. It was the name change that I sometimes slip up on.

How do you tell your family? Especially when it took my mother 4 years to accept the fact that I was gay...
I told my family after my first appointment. They dont agree and say that I am to young to make that kind of dission. However they generally just treat me as normal, like nothing has changed..

What would I be looking forward to by seeing a psychologist?
The start of your transition..

How much does testosterone cost?
It cost me £7.45 a month NHS normal prescription.

How often does it have to be taken?
Im on Gel so daily

Does insurance cover it?
N/A

How hard is it to go through the name change? and the gender change legally?
I had to fill out a form on the internet, wait for it to come through the post then sign and get a witness and then send it back. Had the paperwork back after a week, takes longer writing the letters to banks, insurances, etc.

Hope that helps!

[Snowdoggy]

How hard is it when you first start referring to yourself as a man?
Depends who you are talking to at the time. Also no-one calls me John, not even my GF, everyone calls me Mitch. Still feel the thrill when I'm referred to as he/him. My work colleagues are good mostly. Suppose I am lucky that they all called me by a male name pre transition.

How do you tell your family? Especially when it took my mother 4 years to accept the fact that I was gay...[/b]
I told them outright. Didn't go down well. My dad told my partner at the time that I was a frustrated lesbian. Bit of a "man's man" my dad, if you know what I mean. Hates gays, foreigners, basically anyone who doesn't live in Yorkshire and isn't a cisgendered male.

What would I be looking forward to by seeing a psychologist?
The start of your transition..
Varies depending on your PCT (in England), rather not talk about this as may put people off on the "care pathway".

How much does testosterone cost?
If you are on the NHS it costs the same whatever T you are prescribed. Mine costs the NHS around £70-£80 every ? weeks (injected) and it's not the one that's currently causing problems in this country through lack of availability (ie Sustanon). Sustanon costs around £7.00 every ?to?weeks. (Question marks are put in to stop me getting in trouble for dosage info on this website).

How often does it have to be taken?
I have my injections every ? weeks. (same reason for questions mark).

Does insurance cover it?
What insurance? BUPA?

How hard is it to go through the name change? and the gender change legally?
had my name changed by deed poll (solicitor), then applied for a GRC (gender recognition certificate). Took a lot of backward and forwarding (this is wrong, that is wrong, blah blah blah) but got there and got a new birth certificate too in the end

[Camden]

I always knew I was a guy and honestly it was always hard referring to myself as she. So that was pretty easy. It's much harder for other people. Parents, friends, etc. I'm still sorting out the friends and stuff. With some of them I think it maybe easier to just start over w/ new ones that see you as a guy from day one. IMO if you introduce yourself as a guy that's how they will treat you. If you start off female and then change it's much harder, I'm finding...
I wasn't thrilled about a therapist at all; I only went once and it was kind of nice having somebody who gets it. I just don't agree with needing to get "approved" to just be myself. She was like "so, you don't want a letter from me? I was like nope, and started talking again. I went the clinic route for hormones and I'm happy with how it's going. If you need a therapist to help work through things there is nothing wrong w/ that. I found a few friends to be just as good w/o the hourly fee.

Cost of "T" so far has been about $20.00 a month including the needles. I inject once a week.

I didn't turn any of it in to insurance. The clinic covers blood work and that for free...

Don't know about the gender change yet on documents, name was easy...
Hope that helps...Camden


I

[Mister]

How hard is it when you first start referring to yourself as a man?
Not hard.  Easier than referring to myself as a woman.

How do you tell your family?
Depends on you.  Depends on your family.  Straightforward and honest is usually the best way.

What would I be looking forward to by seeing a psychologist?
In most areas of the country, it's difficult to start hormones or obtain surgery without one.

How much does testosterone cost?
Anywhere from $0-$300 USD, depending on what kind you're talking about (injection, cream, gel, etc), your insured status and geographic location.

How often does it have to be taken?
Daily, weekly, biweekly or even monthly depending on your body, your delivery type and your preference.

Does insurance cover it?
Depends on your insurance.

How hard is it to go through the name change? and the gender change legally?
Name changes are simple.  Gender can be harder depending on where you live as there is typically a surgical component required with changing your name.  If you have the means to obtain surgery, the court process is as simple as a name change.