is saying 'like' all the time stereotypically girly? whether it is or not i find it annoying and I'm trying to stop doing that.
i shouldn't be embarissed about being slightly emotional and sensitive right?

and can someone here tell me what the difference is between testosterone in shots or a gel? i heard of a gel before only once or twice. maybe it was in someone's topic on Susan's, they're wife uses it i think....is it used like a shower gel would i just wash with it mixed with soap or in a way is it soap too? or can  someone use it like a body lotion? are the effects slower with gel than with T injections?

I'm curious because I'm hoping to get to talk to my gp monday and I'm going to ask her about if she'll prescribe me T, would learn whatever is needed to be able to prescribe people transitioning hormones the person i talked to at the gender program told me they could. and i was wondering which they, whichever doctor it'll be will give me. going by how many guys talk about from their own experiences it's most likely I'll get it in injection form, that seems the most common. I'm of course willing to do whatever it takes to transition but I'll be nervous about how much the needle hurts even though i might not be for a few months yet, i don't know how long i could be waiting for an appointment with my gp or a gender therapist or if i have to wait after I'm approved by both so this post is out of curiosity.

Quote from: Noah the brave-ish on December 26, 2010, 02:33:16 AM
is saying 'like' all the time stereotypically girly?

Some guys do that, too.

If you use a fresh needle each time, it won't hurt.

Noah, if you're in the UK you may have to wait months to see a gender specialist. The gender clinic requires 3 months of appointments before prescribing T. I've read here that some UK GPs will prescribe T under informed consent, mine wouldn't.

Hi Noah, 'Like' reminds me of old 1970 campus movies when like all the girls were like worrying about guys and like well wondering what one guy meant when he said like   etc.
speak naturally but listen to how guys speak and you'll maybe find things that are better for you.

re the gel question it is a watery gel that is smeared on and left to dry. lets the hormones get straight to work instead of being processed through your system.

Your GP is working Monday ? If so you might find help and willingness to help with your medicatioons but may find an insistence on delays until input from therapists, funding etc.

I don't know if saying like is a girl thing or not, I haven't really noticed many guys who do it though unless they are really nervous.

Gel is like hand sanitizer that you rub on and wait to dry. You have to rub it on your shoulders ,chest, and upper arms. Thats at least what my doctor said. In order for it to completely soak in and get into your system you can't shower or get it wet to wash it off for at least a few hours. It can also transfer to other people, most dangerously women, children and pets. Thats why you are supposed to put it in an area that is covered by a short sleeve t-shirt. It is also a lot more expensive than injections.

I was on gel for a month to try it out. I had been on injections for almost 11 months. I just started my injections up again last week. I didn't mind the gel. Once you get into the habit of putting the gel on its not a big deal and my changes continued normally and I developed a decent amount of new facial hair in the month I was on gel.

Quote from: Noah the brave-ish on December 26, 2010, 02:33:16 AM
is saying 'like' all the time stereotypically girly?

It depends on how you say it.  Have you noticed that girls and guys speak differently?  Guys are more mono-tone, whereas girls have sort of a sing-song quality to their speech.  If you say "like" with that girlish type of inflection, yes, it will sound girly.  If you say it in that flat way that guys say it, no.

Quote from: Noah the brave-ish on December 26, 2010, 02:33:16 AMi shouldn't be embarissed about being slightly emotional and sensitive right?

You should never be embarrassed about being yourself.  But if you express your emotions and sensitivity in a feminine way, as opposed to a masculine way, some people will think less of you for it, and a lot of people will criticize you for it or make jokes about it even if they otherwise like you.  I'm not saying that I necessarily agree with this, but it's a reality you might have to deal with. 

A lot of guys are emotional and sensitive.  There is a masculine way to express it.  I don't know how to describe it in text.  I'm sure you know emotional, sensitive cis guys.  Watch how they handle their emotions, and how other guys react.  The reactions will tell you what's considered "girly" and what's not.  The best way to learn about social expectations is through observation.

"Like" is neither a girl nor a guy thing. My guy friend from California is one of the worst offenders of this. Also, when I was in the third grade, we got a new classmate whose every other word was "like" and we used to count how many times he said it when he answered a question. I distinctly recall 14 being the record-breaking number

Regardless, I used to say it a lot too and it made me self-conscious. The cure is to just take your time and get your thoughts out at your own pace, since it is kind of a nervous habit.

If you're speaking like a Valley girl, then yes

Valley Girls! that's the name of that terrible movie i was trying to think of where that started! the beginning of terrible lingo, the dumbing down of girls and the death of grammar haha. either that or Clueless which pains me to remember *shudders*. except for Britney Murphy, she was cool. well i haven't noticed myself saying it since that one day at work last week when it took me about 2 minutes to tell someone i was 24. I'm 25 now since it's almost 1 am 27th..whee.

thanks Carson for the T gel info, i didn't know it could spread *gulp* seeing that it's more expensive than i bet i won't get it. I'm in the U.S so as far as i know the wait for a doctor who will prescribe T is no more than a doctor visit for anything else. a week or two. but a gender therapist i don't know I'm pretty sure it's the same but I'm yet to talk to one. fingers crossed for tomorrow!

wow, 14 huh? at least I'm not that bad 
thanks all for the help

As per "like" and being emotional, that's not a gender feature in most place, but it might be in yours, so watch how the other dudes talk about guys who do that.

"Like" isn't perceived as feminine where I am now as much as a thing teenagers and young adults are prone to doing (especially teenagers).

Being emotional or sensitive really isn't feminine though, lots of men are sensitive. It's a matter of how and when you express it that earns you a pass or fail, and that's directly related to location. Where I am it's not perceived as feminine to be sensitive unless you go in depth about it and want to have a discussion about how it made you feel. "Saw that thing happen, cried a little" isn't feminine, but "When I saw that thing I remembered ___ and it made me so sad etc" is. Keep in mind that what audience you choose has a large effect as well, the second is feminine to an acquaintance but it isn't necessarily if it's something that's been bugging you and you're telling your best friend.

As per gel, I'd assume it probably doesn't work as well as shots, but I have no real life experience to base that assumption on.

I've heard that the gel works slower than the shots, but I have no personal experience with it.

Aegir aren't you in the same state as me? and yeah I'm sure it's just the teenagers to people not much older than me who say that. and I'd say I'm in the first example of sensitivity luckily. I've heard the gel is slower by some then others who have had it say it's the same just more expensive.