Quote from: Jessica Merriman on March 25, 2014, 10:26:11 PM
Have you talked with anyone about your concerns with taking it forever? Possibly a Therapist or Spiritual Provider?

This is something that should be discussed with an endocrinologist.

Quote from: Ethedon on March 25, 2014, 11:23:04 PM
This is something that should be discussed with an endocrinologist.

I agree, but I think he is looking at long term goals basically as to how far to go. He needs someone to address the mental aspects and how they relate to his beliefs as well and just how far he wants to transition. An unbiased opinion could probably calm and reassure him as to later in life aspects.

Quote from: Laura Squirrel on March 25, 2014, 11:09:55 PM
Yeah, but aren't those really expensive?

Yes and no, only at the start. Once the opposing hormone factories are removed, it is pretty comparable to other forms

Quote from: Jennygirl on March 25, 2014, 11:38:07 PM
Yes and no, only at the start. Once the opposing hormone factories are removed, it is pretty comparable to other forms

Well, like I said, I'm post orchie. Maybe I will bring this up with my endo later in the year.

You don't have to take the shots at all. You don't have to take them forever. You don't have to do anything. If you want what comes from HRT you will have to do some form of hormone treatment and the injections are the cheapest and most common route.  but it doesn't have to be for the rest of your life if you don't want it to be. That being said, if you have a total hysto take some to sort of hormonal medication since sexed hormones are really important to your body.  If you don't have a hysto and go off testosterone treatments there will be some changes that reverse, and you may start having a period again. It all depends on what you want and what you think is right for you. It sucks, but we need a little bit of help in the hormone department due to our biological realities.

But it would really suck to have all kinds of illnesses and injuries that go on your whole life. Juvenile diabetes you have to inject every day-- maybe some day somebody could get a pancreas transplant. I have a seizure disorder that is controlled, but I do have to take anti-seizure drugs. I have tried to go off them and can't. It seems like you are taking being trans as some personal kind of failure.

BTW, oral T is pretty bad news for liver damage. I know someone very well who took this for awhile and had to go off T while his liver healed. There is an under the tongue one, not sure it has such good reviews though.

--Jay

Brandon, it sucks that we were born with the wrong set of hormone-producing gonads, and that those hormones gave us the 'wrong' type of secondary sexual characteristics. If you want to change those secondary sexual characteristics and completely pass as a man, T can be extremely helpful. You don't have to take it, but you are incredibly privileged to live in a Western democracy where such a choice is available to you. There are people on this Board who aren't as lucky.

There's nothing unnatural about taking shots for the rest of your life. To me, the shots represent a tiny amount of pain for an enormous amount of benefit; they're totally worth it. Seriously, any discomfort I might feel at needing to be injected is much less severe than the sheer agony of lifelong gender dysphoria. I'll take that needle over GD any day.

Also, you're very young: with the medical improvements that are happening all the time, there will most likely be better ways of administering T by the time you're my age. So don't let it get you down: you probably wouldn't need to take shots for your whole life anyway.

Quote from: Ayden on March 26, 2014, 12:35:23 AM
You don't have to take the shots at all. You don't have to take them forever. You don't have to do anything. If you want what comes from HRT you will have to do some form of hormone treatment and the injections are the cheapest and most common route.  but it doesn't have to be for the rest of your life if you don't want it to be. That being said, if you have a total hysto take some to sort of hormonal medication since sexed hormones are really important to your body.  If you don't have a hysto and go off testosterone treatments there will be some changes that reverse, and you may start having a period again. It all depends on what you want and what you think is right for you. It sucks, but we need a little bit of help in the hormone department due to our biological realities.

I never said that I didn't want HRT. ..

Quote from: FTMDiaries on March 26, 2014, 05:54:47 AM
Brandon, it sucks that we were born with the wrong set of hormone-producing gonads, and that those hormones gave us the 'wrong' type of secondary sexual characteristics. If you want to change those secondary sexual characteristics and completely pass as a man, T can be extremely helpful. You don't have to take it, but you are incredibly privileged to live in a Western democracy where such a choice is available to you. There are people on this Board who aren't as lucky.

There's nothing unnatural about taking shots for the rest of your life. To me, the shots represent a tiny amount of pain for an enormous amount of benefit; they're totally worth it. Seriously, any discomfort I might feel at needing to be injected is much less severe than the sheer agony of lifelong gender dysphoria. I'll take that needle over GD any day.

Also, you're very young: with the medical improvements that are happening all the time, there will most likely be better ways of administering T by the time you're my age. So don't let it get you down: you probably wouldn't need to take shots for your whole life anyway.

Again I get that I don't have the right parts you do not have to keep repeating that I get it! And I will probaly always see it as unnatural that won't change even when I start.

Quote from: Brandon on March 26, 2014, 07:20:04 AM


I never said that I didn't want HRT. ..

Yeah, I know. I was responding the original post you made. I never said you didn't want HRT. You expressed a dislike of having to keep at it. I was saying you don't have to do anything. Do what is right for you, but have realistic expectations. I was just saying you have options friend.

Quote from: Brandon on March 26, 2014, 07:23:44 AM


Again I get that I don't have the right parts you do not have to keep repeating that I get it! And I will probaly always see it as unnatural that won't change even when I start.

You aren't the only one who has to deal with the fact that we won't be "right". Its always there, but a lot of us choose to focus on what we can have. If you only focus on what is wrong, its toxic. What Jay was saying is that there is no shame in taking medication to deal with medical problems.

Quote from: Brandon on March 26, 2014, 07:23:44 AM
Again I get that I don't have the right parts you do not have to keep repeating that I get it! And I will probaly always see it as unnatural that won't change even when I start.

I'm confused: if you get it, why do you see it as unnatural that you may need a little medical help to compensate for not having the 'right' parts? Like Ayden said, there's no shame in getting the shots.

some cis guys have low t, so they need T supplements to help them out. If you don't want to be on it the rest of your life, that's cool then just stop when you think your ready and accept the changes that come or don't. It sucks that we don't have the right body part, but we do have the bravery and determination to be who we are. You can always just not get hrt and just do you. Its all up to you and how you want to approach it, I get that you have the mindset, I'm a full blooded male. We all feel like that, but I think sometimes you have to face reality and accept what god did give you, mistake or not, our bodies just do not make testosterone like cis guys, there is nothing wrong with that, just have to accept it. Have to accept what you have and what you can change before you can really be the real you. Guess you have to grieve over not having a penis first before you can accept it. I know that you get that you don't have the right parts, but I think you still need to accept that you don't have the right parts before you will feel completely comfortable in your body and with hormones.

Quote from: Brandon on March 25, 2014, 10:19:10 PM

Well no I'm still planning to get T I was telling frank that I don't see it as a med and I believe hat God can heal things like diabetes, cancer ect ect even headaces Ive done it before I wasn't talking about my transition I was talking about meds in general.

How can God? Don't you think that if he existed we all would have been born cis in our desired bodies?
Sorry to take it off-topic

You basically have several options.

1. You go on T, have a hysto, and you stay on T for the rest of your life.

2. You go on T, don't have a hysto, run the risk of atrophying, cancer, and all manner of things, but you continue to say on T.

3. You go on T then you come off it, taking the risk of some changes reversing.

4. You go on T, have a hysto, and then come off T and go on estrogen.

5. You go on T, have a hysto, you come off T and run the risk of osteoporosis.

6. You don't go on T.

Reason for edit: Removed unhelpful 7th option that was potentially inflammatory.

Quote from: lxndr on March 26, 2014, 09:03:24 AM
Nice that you have faith, but you also need to understand science.

Its just another thing that sucks about being trans.  Sure we all want to be more natural, but thats not so much an option for many people - even non trans people.  What we all wish is that we were born with the right parts and don't have to go through unnatural surgeries and hormone control, but thats just not how it is.  Not saying its not upsetting, but thats why we're all here, isn't it?

We just don't have the parts to produce the hormone, so if we want it in us to allow us to outwardly reflect our consciousness we need to consume it.  Diabetics can't control/deal with insulin depending on the type ect. so they have to keep insulin handy to support what they're body cannot do.  We can't produce the T we need to be ourselves, so we take T.  Obviously not exactly the same (and I'm really not trying to be a douche) but I've also never heard of either being solved by prayer.  I think that positive thoughts or prayer can have a positive influence on health (just as negative thoughts can have a negative influence).  It can help slow the growth of tumors ect. when compared to when the same person becomes stressed or negative and they can begin to grow faster.  Its not going to necessarily help you regulate your hormones, however.

If you don't see being trans as a medical condition (I'd argue that it is due to the fact its currently "treated" or dealt with by medical professionals)I guess that T wouldn't be a medicine? 

Maybe its best to think of it as a hormonal supplement.  Many cis people need to take hormones for one reason or another during their lives.  Some people probably have to for their whole lives.  Bodybuilders take all sorts of supplements daily.  Maybe just try to think of it as something like that?

Sure we kind of get the short end of the stick here, but there are other people with other life-long erm... supplemental.. needs that have it much worse than just having to stick a needle in themselves once a week (or two weeks, or longer as other people have mentioned).  Though maybe it doesn't so much effect their identity? 

Let's all keep this a friendly discussion.  We can get annoyed, and respond as such, but that's just going to spark the same reaction from the other half of the discussion.  They will respond in kind, furthering your annoyance, until things build to a full argument.  We can discuss and disagree without getting annoyed at each other, or at least not letting it show.

This is directed at no one in particular, and at both sides of the discussion.  I'm noticing sharper tongues emerging on both sides.  Let's pull that back so things can be discussed and stay civil. 

If someone says something that provokes you, choose to ignore it rather than take the bait.  Instead focus on the points that further the discussion and topic.

If people keep repeating something, let them.  They're trying to help, not dwelling, or trying to harp on you.  Maybe they aren't the best at giving advice, or maybe they are looking at it from a different perspective that could be a benefit to you, but are lacking the words to share this perspective with you, and repeating it is their way of working out the right words to share it.  Either way, even if they don't find the words, letting them repeat it is harmless.

It's a prescription.  Can't really argue that it's not medication.

And I'm sure everyone else is ecstatic about taking it forever.

It's interesting that something made by humans is often considered "unnatural" - as if we're outside of nature somehow. We're doing what animals tend to do, our species just happens to be particularly good at it. Living beings commonly build things and alter their surroundings to better suit their needs. Bees build hives. Birds build nests. Ants build colonies, which can be extremely complex, even including ventilation systems and areas to keep other insects as livestock. We build homes with plumbing, waste disposal systems, and invent methods to somewhat control the various things our bodies try to do. Blood pressure pills, insulin, HRT, artificial heart valves... just trying to change our bodies to suit our needs, just like we change our surroundings.

Quote from: CR on March 26, 2014, 11:54:53 AM
It's a prescription.  Can't really argue that it's not medication.

True.

I've met a lot of people that have this goofy idea in their heads that: "Just because I tell myself that what I am taking/doing isn't a drug, then that makes it so." I've seen people say this in reference to both street drugs and prescription drugs.

People are strange.