So I just turned 23 last week and I have been in therapy for a while and have finally decided to begin my hormones...so over the course of the past month I did all of my blood work and I finally got my prescription a few days ago...I was SOOOO excited and so ready to begin my hormones and to begin my transition into the woman I am meant to be....except one thing....

My therapists suggest I mention to my doctor that I have expressed in our sessions together that I may possibly want children in the future...so I did and my doctor recommended I freeze my sperm...I decided to look into it but there's a big problem...I can not beging my hormones until after I freeze my sperm...and that means it could be 3 to 6 weeks until all of the tests and paper work is completed for me to freeze my sperm - thus delaying me beginning HRT and I am already very nervous because I turned 23 last week and I feel I am so late starting hormones in my life...I would like to get as many benefits from them as possible so that I can live my life as a female and as a passable one.

I know someday I would like children, I wanna be a mommy, but at this point because of all of the delays I question whether its worth it to freeze the sperm (not to mention the $$$ involved in storing) or I should just start my HRT and if and when I want children in the future, I choose to adopt - which I am not totally against.....


SOOOO needless to say my mind is cluttered and I would REALLY appreciate some SUPPORT, IDEAS, and STORIES from any of you ladies out there who have gone thru this or may be going thru this

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

If you really want children with your DNA, then waiting 3-6 weeks is a small price.  Your still young enough for HRT.  I did not start HRT till I was 50 and now 8 months later, well for me life is good.  But your mileage may vary.

Good luck

Beni 

I am already very nervous because I turned 23 last week and I feel I am so late starting hormones in my life...I would like to get as many benefits from them as possible so that I can live my life as a female and as a passable one.

Quit worrying about this you are starting young in trans terms.  I have a strong belief you will be completely passable. 

You have stated these worries numerous times, get them out of your pretty little head.  You will be fine.  I just started at 28, and things are moving along quite fine. I have met tons of people in their thirties where hormones worked great.

I know its natural to be afraid, but even the things that can keep you from passing can be fixed.  You can retrain your voice, if your face is overwhelming male (which I doubt it is at 23) you can get FFS, etc.

Don't worry.  You are going to be fine.  You may think you are starting at an older age, but your not.  There is no such thing as too late.  You are still at an optimal age for hormones, there is still alot of HGH in your system, and you will develop faster than you realize.

Also you can always adopt.  There is  nothing stopping you from that. 

Quote from: Amy T. on July 13, 2007, 01:04:06 AM


if your face is overwhelming male (which I doubt it is at 23)

Can you explain this. How exactly does the face become more male after 23? 6


BTW some are luckier than others, HRT worked for me in my 50s, in fact, my surgeon cut me back to 500 cc, he said 600 would have made me way too big combined with my current development. (And he likes big, I think!)

Quote from: melissa90299 on July 13, 2007, 05:37:41 AM

Quote from: Amy T. on July 13, 2007, 01:04:06 AM
if your face is overwhelming male (which I doubt it is at 23)

Can you explain this. How exactly does the face become more male after 23? 6

Testosterone continues to masculinize the male well after puberty.  Compare a 50 year old male to a 25 year old one.  they typically have broader chins, more prominent brow ridges, etc.  That's why young transitioners typically don't need FFS and many transitioning past about 40-45 need it to pass.  That's also why older transitioners are usually easier to spot.

I was lucky for some reason in that my body seemed to delay masculinizing, so I always looked really young for my age.

There's also skin texture of a 23 year old and beard density. Those continue to change well after puberty.

Dennis

Quote from: Melissa on July 13, 2007, 10:50:38 AM

Quote from: melissa90299 on July 13, 2007, 05:37:41 AM

Quote from: Amy T. on July 13, 2007, 01:04:06 AM
if your face is overwhelming male (which I doubt it is at 23)

Can you explain this. How exactly does the face become more male after 23? 6

Testosterone continues to masculinize the male well after puberty.  Compare a 50 year old male to a 25 year old one.  they typically have broader chins, more prominent brow ridges, etc.  That's why young transitioners typically don't need FFS and many transitioning past about 40-45 need it to pass.  That's also why older transitioners are usually easier to spot.

I was lucky for some reason in that my body seemed to delay masculinizing, so I always looked really young for my age.

You are going to have to  come up with some scientific data to convince me, I am of the understanding that bone growth ceases by the age of 23. Sometimes, older transitioners have an easir time passing because GGs lose their femininity. As well as letting themselves go in general.  I was talking to DR Sanguan yesterday and he said the only thing I could considering do now is a neck lift, I said that would be nice if I could afford it but as it is, I look better than 90% of the women my age, he smiled and said, yes, I would certainly have to agree.

There are a lot of reasons older women have trouble passing but, unless I am wrong about the science, it has nothing to do with bone structure.


Posted on: July 13, 2007, 08:37:16 PM

---

Here is a picture of Andy Etchebarren at 21, I believe. Ya think he moight need some work?

Well thank you ladies for all of the discussions but if anymore of you could share your stories or opinions regarding sperm banks than I'd appreciate it!!!

Hormones are not the 'holy grail' and in a lot of cases don't produce the effects you think they will no matter what age you are. Many people end up having various surgeries to enhance a female shape (lipo) , face or bone structure (ffs) and when it come to hormones we should be more realistic about them and what effects or non -effects they may or may not produce..

Quote from: melissa90299 on July 13, 2007, 08:58:50 PM
Here is a picture of Andy Etchebarren at 21, I believe. Ya think he moight need some work?

Ummm....yeah...LOL but I think he is beyond hopeless  > ..... FFS enhances but doesn't do miracles IMO  >

tink

LOL he was the catcher for the Orioles during the glory years, (i grew up in Baltimore) my sister had a crush on him, believe it or not.

I did some research, human bone growth ends in the early twenties, so the contour of the face is pretty much set by age 23, some seem to be able to overcome male features or at least claim they do, certainly there are GGs with male features, older transitioners are faced with having lived many, many years as a guy, and unless they were very effeminate, they have to unlearn all those traits that kept their transsexuality a secret. There is also hair loss to be dealt with, and a lesser response to hormones. Luckily, my hair loss was minimal and responded superbly to HRT.

I pass flawlessly now but it took a lot of work.

I started at 20, and I personally know others who have started at 21 and 23 respectively. We've all seen fairly fast and effective results from hormones. I've passed even in guy shorts and t-shirts, and I actually have relatively little body or facial hair development, since it was interrupted before it could really fill out (I was a late bloomer). My face has feminized a lot, and while there are things I could improve, it's quite passable. The rest of my trans friends have similar results, even if their overall body structure isn't ideal, they give off very feminine impressions. At this age, there's still a fair bit of malleability in the body, and quite a bit of soft tissue will shift around with a bit of time. It does seem like in the early 20s, some of the masculine features haven't completely 'hardened' out yet, so I do think even at that age, you'll see benefits that those starting years later would not.

Starting HRT at 16 is better than 18, better at 18 than 20 than at 23 and so on and so on, but one's bone structure is pretty much set at age 23.

Instead of worrying so much about it, just be grateful that it is an option. It wasn't for us.

I pass flawlessly naked.

Quote from: melissa90299 on July 15, 2007, 02:41:20 AM
Starting HRT at 16 is better than 18, better at 18 than 20 than at 23 and so on and so on, but one's bone structure is pretty much set at age 23.

Instead of worrying so much about it, just be grateful that it is an option. It wasn't for us.

I pass flawlessly naked.

It's really rather dependent on when you hit puberty if at all, aka how long T's been floating around your system. I don't reckon I'd be any prettier if I started HRT at 16 tbh, in those two years I just got a little taller.

One funny thing is that I'm still growing. Girls get growth spurts too and I've sprouted a couple of inches over the last few months so now I'm 6'3.

QuoteUmmm....yeah...LOL but I think he is beyond hopeless    ..... FFS enhances but doesn't do miracles IMO 

tink

Now you're making me imagine Darold Knowles as a chick...spicy!

I agree that's its better to start at 23 than 40, but not because the results are worse, they're just slower to come in because of lower human growth hormones in some at 40. Who wants to finish their puberty at 45+.

Before 23, it depends on how much masculinisation occurs. In my case, my face didn't change at all after 20, so I'd had the same FFS regardless, I would have saved on electrolysis though.

Before 20, I'd save on the brow bossing, but my nose has had problems since forever (it was long because the tip had collapsed and pinched, didn't look as bad as it sounds for a male...).

My face has not really changed much, it was very delicate from childhood through adolescence.