the lad and i are discussing the issue of hormones

what can you tell me about using testosterone?
( if the info he has been giving me re: the
pricing of estrogen blockers, then that is
definitely off the table as unattainable)

i appreciate the concept of stopping the
development of secondary sex characteristics
and want to facilitate this for him
he HATES the monthly "monster" for the
best reason of all.... he shouldnt be having one!!

at any rate.... what about T?

Well, first he needs to start therapy if he hasn't and have a therapist approve his usage of testosterone. That's the big step, I think. It's the step I've been trying to take for 6 months. Hopefully it will be a lot easier for your son... You'll also want to work with a medical doctor to make sure he is in good health to start HRT. Because of his age, he may or may not need some sort of hormone blockers. The younger transitions are something I have not yet come to understand.

I'm not on T yet but I know there's a lot of info out there. The internet is brimming with the stuff

In Elwood's thread, the conversation sorta steered toward T, so maybe you can check it out. There's also videos of people on T on youtube, from first day on T to 5 months on T (etc) so you can see and hear the actual physical changes.

From what I've heard it's better to have the hysterectomy before beginning T but your son doesn't have to, it's all trial by trial and everyone's case is different. Basically the process of taking T is going to pretty much work toward eliminating all the estrogen in his body and having a sort of menopausal phase for a couple of weeks before his monthly visitor stops altogether. Without the hysterectomy, he's going to have to take T the rest of his life or the estrogen will start to produce again a while after stopping T and yeah, the physical changes will come too. Um, I think you were looking for general info on it as far as I can tell so I hope that helped. It's all speculation on what I think I remember from things I've read though so make sure you check it out yourself too.

My thread got linked! I feel so powerful.  Heheh.

Question: If a person has a hysto after starting T, will they be able to stop taking T or whatever? Haha. I guess once the ovaries are gone they're gone, huh?

BTW: When getting hysto be sure to make it clear you want a FULL hysto, or they'll leave the ovaries in! They generally do 'cos girls still want their estrogen.

It is too late tonight to explain all of it but in the mean time, I appreciate you being open to learn and I will post more tomorrow. Needless to say estrogen blocker are expensive but you can use something like norplant to stop the monthly visitor and often you can get it for free or cheap at your local planned parenthood.

You have to take HRT after ovary removal, not an option anymore like before hysto. Taking the ovaries out is right but not a total hysto. Please don't do a total hysto unless medical problems are present because that tissue might be useful in making a penis and can be removed later with bottom surgery.

->-bleeped-<-boy

Hudson's FTM resource guide  - http://www.ftmguide.org/ - is an excellent source for all kinds of transition information.

Also, here are the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care - http://www.tc.umn.edu/~colem001/hbigda/hstndrd.htm - which are the guidelines used here in the U.S.  The key word here is guidelines.  Individual therapists and doctors have a great deal of leeway in how they treat their patients, and under what timeline.