Quote from: Renate on January 18, 2009, 05:58:40 AM
You can't throw a rock around here without hitting somebody eligible for AARP (minimum age 50).
Ow! That hurt! I'm long past the eligibility for AARP, joined and quit shortly thereafter, long story about it's corporateness bilking older people for profit. Anyway, as said, you're never too old, only the effects are less past about 50, especially in the face and body.
But before you start, you definitely should have a complete physical with all the tests to get a baseline for future comparison. This is standard practice now for 50+ year olds so it's usually covered by health insurance (gender neutral). Go for it and get the complete works.
The key with anyone on hrt after 50 is your health and fitness should come first, and your transistion second. This is because it's difficult to predict the effects of hrt, especially moderate to higher dosages, and it easy to overdo the hrt with bad results down the road. Self-monitoring is key along with routine physician visits and blood tests.
And while many health insurance plans will not pay for hrt specific to a diagnosis for GID, they will pay if there is no mention of any mental health condition. So, while it's in the conversation with your physician, its shouldn't be with your health insurance provider unless they specifically cover it, which is rare (read the plan's coverage booklet).
Good luck.
Post Merge: January 18, 2009, 12:28:21 PM
Quote from: Kassandra on January 18, 2009, 07:17:49 AM
You are right, though. the effects of having a second puberty after decades of the debilitating effects of testosterone poisoning are less pronounced. It will only affect soft tissue. Bone and cartilage will not change. Breast development will probably be much less (welcome to implants, honey!). Though your nipples and areolae will become larger and *much* more sensitive! Other things such as skin, hair, and fatty tissue will change. Your skin will be come softer, your face will become more rounded, and you will probably lose body hair and have fat start moving to your hips and butt. That can feel just as profound as swinging your "girls" around.
Some of these will or can happen, but not all. You won't lose body hair as it will become finer and take longer to grow. You don't move fat cells (ok, picky), but the fat will add or subtract in some areas, but no guarrantees because it's still your genetics for your body type, fat distribution, physical activity, exercise program, etc. Some people will lose fat on their face.
What wasn't mentioned is muscle mass loss, and without exercise or physical activity, could easily convert to fat. Your energy level and metabolism will likely change along with some mental and emotion changes (your brain uses hormones and is effected by them too).
In short, it's like going through puberty, life and menopause in 2-3+ years. But then the experience and wisdom of being older can help balance things. That's up to you as it's why some older (trans)women don' transistion nicely because they don't monitor their life and reality during the period.
it's the old adage, "Your mileage may vary." It's your life and body, take care, it's easy to wreck which may be irreversible.
