Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I go in next week to talk to my doctor about finding a psychologist to help with the transition AND about starting T (yay!)

Anyway, i just had a couple of questions about people's experiences (they will be gone over with my doc as well, just looking for personal stories and ideas.)

1) Blood tests - i've seen them mentioned but wanted to know how often you had to have them. Just before you start, every so many months...? I go in regularly (every couple of months) right now because i have hypothyroidism so it wouldn't be a big thing if i needed them same time span....

2) They have such a hard time finding a vein when i have to have blood drawn - is it possible that starting T may make that easier by changing things around? Maybe make a vein easier to find, bigger, etc? Right now my record for needle pricks is four - two in one arm and two in the other, with the fourth finally hitting a vein to draw ONE measly vial of blood.

3) Injections - i'm not bad with general shots (don't feel them anymore - used to be deathly afraid of needles) but does self injecting hurt? Is it hard? I want it bad enough so even if it IS difficult i'll do it, but just looking for some suggestions.

Seeing as I am not on T I can't give a lot of answers - however, from my knowledge, self-injecting doesn't hurt any more than injections given by medical professionals.  It can be difficult, but only in the psychological sense; many people find it hard to convince themselves to stab themselves with a needle.  There is certainly a bit of a barrier to overleap, but it is very possible.

Also, generally speaking, the size and visibility of veins is effected by your body fat percentage.  Although testosterone can lower body fat percentage, a lot of it has to do with your lifestyle - eating habits and exercise habits.  So if you were to eat well and exercise on testosterone, then most likely, yes, your body fat percentage would lower and your veins would be more visible.  However, some people just have small veins and T might do nothing to help.

Had blood tests pre-T: CBC, Chemistry, Cholesterol (LDL, HDL), Testosterone level, estrogen, LH, FSH and some others I'm sure I'm forgetting.  Also have my blood checked every 3 months.  On T for 15 mos.


Jay

Edited to add I don't self-inject.  I'm on Androgel daily.  I had a hysto 15 months ago.

1. I had a blood panel done right before starting T and every 3 months after starting. I believe after the first year many guys get it done 1-2 times a year.

2. My blood is easy to draw so can't help you there.

3. Sometimes it hurts. Over time they seem to hurt less and less, but I'll still sometimes have a painful shot. At first I would have some pain at the injection site for several days but now, even if it was a painful shot, I have no injection site pain afterwards. I don't know if this is normal or not. Doing the shots themselves isn't difficult.

1) every 3 months or so the first year. then every six months.
2) I have easy to find veins so not sure there
3) I think it just feels the same as a shot at the docs office. Hurts a lot less for me now, used to it I guess.
Cheers
Andrew

Q -- 1) Blood tests - i've seen them mentioned but wanted to know how often you had to have them. Just before you start, every so many months...? I go in regularly (every couple of months) right now because i have hypothyroidism so it wouldn't be a big thing if i needed them same time span....

A -- I get a paper I take to one of the local clinics, I have a feeling the kind of place workers are sent to for drug tests, and a businesslike lady draws 3 tubes of blood, and that's it. This has been every 3 months it will go to every 6 or a year, as I've only been on T for 6 months so far.

Q -- 2) They have such a hard time finding a vein when i have to have blood drawn - is it possible that starting T may make that easier by changing things around? Maybe make a vein easier to find, bigger, etc? Right now my record for needle pricks is four - two in one arm and two in the other, with the fourth finally hitting a vein to draw ONE measly vial of blood.

A -- Ouch. I've been fatter than I am now but my veins were always easy to find, good old genetics. T will make your veins gradually more prominent.

Q -- 3) Injections - i'm not bad with general shots (don't feel them anymore - used to be deathly afraid of needles) but does self injecting hurt? Is it hard? I want it bad enough so even if it IS difficult i'll do it, but just looking for some suggestions.

A -- It's a learnable skill. Most of us here do it ourselves. There's a lot of info here and on YouTube and the internet in general. If you have the bucks you can always have 'em done by a nurse. Some here have their partners do their shot.

1) I had tests done before starting, 2 months after starting, and the next one 4 months after that.

2)  Ugh.  I feel your pain.  After 7 months on T, my veins are still hard to hit.  :-\

3)  Injecting usually doesn't hurt much.  It varies a bit from shot to shot.  My first shot was so painless that my brain refused to accept that the needle was actually in my thigh, so without thinking I gave it a wiggle.  Now that hurt.  :D  Every so often I'll have one that smarts, but usually there's just a very slight sting as the needle goes in, and some minor, intermittent aching for a couple days afterward. 

"Ugh.  I feel your pain.  After 7 months on T, my veins are still hard to hit. "

Yep - i'm always left with a quarter size bruise, even after a "lucky shot". Doesn't fade for days....

im deathly afraid of needles and my biggest fear is that they would miss...one thing though, my dr. suggests that i dont eat prior to giving my blood...initially they drew and then 2 months after i started T, my levels checked out ok so now im supposed to go every 3 months...

personally, i dont give myself my shot, im terrified of needles, i mean terrified, i wont touch the syringe outside of the packaging, im just not there yet...but i got my first injection on my hip/butt and i dont feel it....so if it's not broke dont fix it...i have no desire to get stuck in my arm or leg bc  everythings doing just fine in my hip...

It's funny, because I used to be terrified of needles, but now I am giving my pet goose intramuscular injections of antibiotic and I've lost my fear entirely.  I can feel, on the syringe, when the needle pops into the flesh and it feels completely fine to me.  I guess these sorts of experiences are preparing me.

I just went to my consultation:

1) Bloodwork: I have to get it now, at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and every year after that. The list of tests I have to get is CBC, CMP, Prolactin, TSH, and Fasting Lipid Panel.
2) I don't think that T makes your veins bigger necessarily but maybe easier to find because if you build muscle your veins sit on top of the muscle(why most guys have veiny arms)
3)I just got taught how to self inject by the doctor I saw yesterday and it doesn't really seem that hard and I don't think that it would hurt more than any other shot...

Wanted to add that since my T levels and liver  came back high I now get to do atleast one extra lab. So if at any point your doc is concerned they can add extra ones in there. Mine is aware that all of mine are out of pocket so she is good about that but also is looking out for my health. Only added one extra lab this year because of that so far she said if the next one comes back OK I can go back to the normal schedule.
Andrew