Quote from: ZeldaHeart on November 21, 2011, 09:20:00 PM
I came out at 14 but had to wait until 17 for spiro and 18 for estradiol.

Also, no need to feel envy   We all have lived our own lives and all follow different paths.  Focus on what YOU have now and not on what you don't or what others do have.  Turn the envy into an aspiration to be the best you can be.  (I know, easier said than done.)

I'm almost like you, I came out to my family at 14, had to wait until 18 for spiro, 19 for estradiol... tho I'm on cyproterone acetate insted of spiro now

I wish I had "useful experiences" I could use as good points to not having transitioned younger... But the only thing I could've possibly missed is a lot of sadness, years of solitude, conflicts and loss of time on a computer.

I hope I can get rid of the bitterness when I can finally start HRT.

Whoa, there, depressing. Time for bed!

Quote from: AndromedaVox on November 21, 2011, 10:02:03 PM
I don't think that's a good thing to advocate for...there's nothing wrong with waiting until you are under the supervision and care of a doctor. In fact, suggesting DIY hormones is pretty dangerous.

   Yeah i agree, waiting to be under a doctor's care is safer but some mental health professionals act as "gate keepers"  when it comes to refferal letters for HRT and sadly most doctors won't prescribe you hormones without that letter so many ts boys & girls opt for DIY hormones especially the ones that are young and don't want to go through male or female puberty. 

   I was just saying that's what "I" would have done, not implying anyone had to follow in my footsteps.

Quote from: Rukia87xo on November 22, 2011, 12:45:35 AM

   Yeah i agree, waiting to be under a doctor's care is safer but some mental health professionals act as "gate keepers"  when it comes to refferal letters for HRT and sadly most doctors won't prescribe you hormones without that letter so many ts boys & girls opt for DIY hormones especially the ones that are young and don't want to go through male or female puberty. 

   I was just saying that's what "I" would have done, not implying anyone had to follow in my footsteps.

100% agree, I actually self-medicated a bit before I got prescribed them... But it was too expensive for me that I could only afford half the dosage... I couldn't really get them younger because my family didn't agree with it and I didn't have a credit card to order... it's sad that some T damages are irreversible

Quote from: lonely girl on November 21, 2011, 10:19:13 PM
I'm almost like you, I came out to my family at 14, had to wait until 18 for spiro, 19 for estradiol... tho I'm on cyproterone acetate insted of spiro now

Wow, that feels good that someone else had to go through the same thing that I did.  Wasn't it awful waiting?  My main puberty was between the years that I didn't get any help.  Everything is good now, though.  Did you go through much puberty between the years of waiting?  Also judging by your pictures, you are adorably beautiful.

Quote from: Rukia87xo on November 21, 2011, 09:22:38 PM

  Awe that sucks...i would have went DIY hormones instead of waiting. 

Rukia, you are so right!  I actually was DIY Spiro for a year between the ages of 14-15 and then DIY estrogen with the spiro for 3 or 4 months.  I started growing breasts at 15 but eventually my parents figured out and it was very hard to DIY at that point.  My mom took me to many therapists but they all were unfamiliar with trans issues.  Then, we saw a documentary on ABC about the mazzoni center in Philadelphia and they did everything!

QuoteI was just saying that's what "I" would have done, not implying anyone had to follow in my footsteps.

Maybe use a different wording next time?

It's been my experience that "I would have..." is almost always interpreted (and implied) as a suggestion in English (especially American English).

I only mention it because I do agree that advocating, or even being perceived as advocating, the use of unsupervised prescription drugs for a minor is a little...err

Quote from: Butterflyhugs on November 22, 2011, 01:24:54 AM
Maybe use a different wording next time?

It's been my experience that "I would have..." is almost always interpreted (and implied) as a suggestion in English (especially American English).

I only mention it because I do agree that advocating, or even being perceived as advocating, the use of unsupervised prescription drugs for a minor is a little...err

   Lol I see your point but people are going to find out how regardless of me saying anything, this is the internet.

   Back on topic - I came out at 18 and started HRT at 19. After about a year and a half into HRT decided to de-transition. Four years later at 24 started therapy and hormones again...blah.

Quote from: ZeldaHeart on November 22, 2011, 01:20:38 AM
Wow, that feels good that someone else had to go through the same thing that I did.  Wasn't it awful waiting?  My main puberty was between the years that I didn't get any help.  Everything is good now, though.  Did you go through much puberty between the years of waiting?  Also judging by your pictures, you are adorably beautiful.

It was super awful of course I did go thru some puberty... nasty stuff  T damaged my body, it is passable now but not feminine/pretty enough (maybe just my genes). grew facial hair and leg hair too (f*** yuck). My face definitely got a bit more masculine as well. I was grateful, however, that my voice stayed pretty much the same since 12, its kinda androgynous and passable without any practice. And thank you for your compliment  I can't make myself think that I'm pretty tho... But I think you are extremely femme and beautiful ^^

I told my parents when I was 14, but I didn't even know what options I had (didn't know the term "transsexual", didn't know you could take hormones, and stuff like that). So both my parents and I just pretended I never said anything. So the testosterone had another decade of wrecking my body. The only fortunate thing is that it turns out that I have a low level of it naturally, and I can pass without doing much, but I still wish transition had happened a lot earlier for me... Even though I probably shouldn't feel this way, I have to say I envy those of you who transitioned so many years earlier...

lonely girl: I feel necessary to tell you I think you are definitely wrong in your opinion about your looks. In my head, it's not even discutable. You're not just "really cute". You're at a level of cuteness I don't see every week,, in my college with 1000+ 17-20-year old girls.

You're being awfully hard on yourself. If we were discussing if you could be on the great magazine covers, then I'd say it's quite possible that it's a no. But the question whether or not you are pretty is like asking if it's cold today in Antarctica. Maybe not the coldest ever, but still very cold. Please acknowledge that you are most probably in the top 5% pretty girls.

I agree lonely girl. You are gorgeous.

Quote from: A on November 22, 2011, 04:43:11 PM
lonely girl: I feel necessary to tell you I think you are definitely wrong in your opinion about your looks. In my head, it's not even discutable. You're not just "really cute". You're at a level of cuteness I don't see every week,, in my college with 1000+ 17-20-year old girls.

You're being awfully hard on yourself. If we were discussing if you could be on the great magazine covers, then I'd say it's quite possible that it's a no. But the question whether or not you are pretty is like asking if it's cold today in Antarctica. Maybe not the coldest ever, but still very cold. Please acknowledge that you are most probably in the top 5% pretty girls.

Quote from: Felix on November 22, 2011, 08:45:59 PM
I agree lonely girl. You are gorgeous.

thank you あさん　＆　Felix  you people give me more confidence... But I tell you tho, I try not to show my flaws in pics, when you see me IRL maybe you will think otherwise 

Let's see...

Breakdown at 22, followed by self med 1 (3 months) at 22.  Stopped because I ran out of money that my parents couldn't trace.  Self med 2 (3-4 months) at 24.  Stopped for a couple reasons, one of which was meeting my ex-gf and deciding to give that a shot.  Started seeing my therapist at 26.  Started hormones under doctor supervision at 26.  Full time in my last 2 months of being 27.  GRS will hopefully be around my 29th birthday, depending on insurance etc.

27 wish I would of had the guts at 13

Started a month and some ago, a month after my 22nd birthday, still self-medicating. Wish I would've started doing it sooner, but I didn't even know what all the confusing feelings meant, and what was wrong with me. So, still better than doing it many years later, I suppose.

I am SO glad no-one let me self medicate at the age of 14 or so, there might have been advantages but although i knew i was trans at 14 and am transitioning in my early 20s there were other things that i was sure about when i was 14 that i know i was mistaken about now.

The whole idea of self medication makes me feel uncomfortable especially in children, hormones are more than just magical things that will make you into a pretty princess (although with a bit of luck they can help you get there) they are dangerous chemicals that affect your genes and can cause major problems if dosages are not properly monitored or if the person taking them has pre-existing medical conditions. People have died from self medicating these drugs so please do not think that it is anyway safe to take them without proper medical guidance. I understand that the procurement of hormones via a doctor is hard in a lot of places but trusting your life to internet "facts" suspect companies and chance does not seem like a good idea.

Im not trying to have a go at anyone who self medicate or who have done so in the past. I just want to help warn people that hormones are very very dangerous.

Some things that estrogen can affect: blood clotting, liver function, muscle density, bone density, links to strokes and dementia, heart attacks and various forms of cancer

Some things Spiro can affect: Possible risk of internal bleeding, can cause rashes, loss of muscle control, drowsiness and raised pottasium levels in the blood (thats caled hyperkalemia and it also happens when people get the lethal injection in the USA, the third injection is potassium chloride and that is what kills the person)

I dont want to be all doom and gloom but people HAVE to understand the risks they are taking when self medicating hormones.

Well, I started dressing and going out finally in public at 45. I guess a year later , I had the discussion with a doctor . I had to stop H R T a year later due to some medical issues . Now I'm being cleared to go back on again Hoo reyyyyyyyy ! ellen

If I could, I would definitely be under supervised regime. However, we only have one sex therapist (who is also supposed to be a gender therapist) and even that one's awful. After 8 months of waiting, I had the appointment a few days ago and she told me outright that she didn't think I would qualify as a transgender just as I entered her office. I discussed the issue with her for a few more minutes before I had enough and walked out.
We don't have trained psychiatrists specialised in the gender field, insurance covered or otherwise. And I don't have the means to visit any of the neighbouring countries where they're supposedly more developed in the field. So all I was left with was self-medication, which I decided for after months of research; or increasing depression. If I end up dying because of the medications, I won't mind. It's what I wanted to happen in the first place before it.

I'm sure many others like me (or in a worse position) are out there.

Regarding selfmedication in transgendered children, it is not as simple as commentating the issue with "oh but that's dangerous, big no-no!".
For a transgendered child, puberty can be extremely traumatic, and, as some here probably already knows, over 40% of transgenders have tried or done suicide before or during transition.
This number would be drastically lower if medication had been more avaible- and not any least pre-pubertaly avaible- for those that took to suicide.

A transgender would gladly much rather take the risks with selfmedicating in time to avoid the pubertal changes, than to live them through only to "have to" top themselves later.


As an example, sad threads like the linked one would not exist if the problems had been dealt with in time: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,110787.0/topicseen.html

I consider my transition start date as when I started HRT. That was:

Thirty Six