I'm just wondering, having chosen to make your body function in a 'reverse way' assigned by nature, will it bring some backlash by the end? Cos it's like you're going against nature.

Undergoing MAJOR ALTERATIONS as SRS, other stuffs as HRT which are generally irreversible after months and even makes you sterile and your body doesn't generate hormones normally as it should once you suddenly decided to detransition after a long time, will this threaten your lifespan?

Breast or FFS I don't think it might affect, however I'm curious what about HRT & SRS, will this in any ways diminish your lifespan generally? Do trans generally do not live long? I never saw a trans woman of 80-90 years old.

Quote from: Happy Girl on January 14, 2012, 07:45:25 AM
Do trans generally do not live long? I never saw a trans woman of 80-90 years old.

I don't think that's very strange.
The first operations ( when surgeons knew what they are doing ) took place in the sixties (Cassablanca Morroco, dr Burou)
You are talking about people from the twenties and thirties.
Well, I'm 58 and usings hormones for about 33 years, srs 28 years ago, still healthy and functionally and hoping to have the same fun in life for the next 58 years.

Annette

QuoteI never saw a trans woman of 80-90 years old.

There aren't that many trans people around to begin with even today, and back then, there were even fewer who went that route. But, no one would know, because "stealth" was the rule, not the exception.

Without having any evidence, I'd say that yes, we probably do have a shorter lifespan...but remember, the "average" (in the US, for white people) is in the mid-70's, not 80-90 years old.

Also anecdotal, but I belong to a trans-friendly church in which there are MANY trans people in their 70s (probably more who are stealth, but I'm referring to people who are open with me about their past) who are healthy and happy.

Being connected to social networks - doing stuff in the community (political, religious, social, sports) - helps people live longer and more healthy lives, as does having a pet. Let's try to use that stuff in our favour ...

My trans woman partner finds church unbearably creepy (translation: if God is all-powerful why do so many of us get the wrong bodies for our brains/souls? - she has a point there) but she does have a pet and she plays a sport. And regardless of what data comes in she says she'd rather live a shorter life as her authentic self.

(Not to mention that she had come to the point where if she couldn't be authentic the only other option was suicide, which is SUPER life shortening. I'm grateful to the awesome list of suicide hotline resources here, and Susan's own thoughts: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,306.msg1380.html#msg1380 )

Maddie (SO)

If anything, Post-ops rather live longer, if approaching the topic strictly from a biological point of view and ruling out any Psychological state, as the Metabolism in a Post-op is lowered, which is also the reason that females statistically speaking lives for a few years longer than males.

It is also a fact, that castrated bio-males lives longer than both females and males, probably because they have lower Metabolism than both of them, and also avoids some age-deseases as a result of the Castraton.

However, Castrated males also run a greater risk to develop some other conditions, such as Osteoporosis, for example.

Quote from: annette on January 14, 2012, 08:13:22 AM
I don't think that's very strange.
The first operations ( when surgeons knew what they are doing ) took place in the sixties (Cassablanca Morroco, dr Burou)
You are talking about people from the twenties and thirties.
Well, I'm 58 and usings hormones for about 33 years, srs 28 years ago, still healthy and functionally and hoping to have the same fun in life for the next 58 years.

Annette

Oh thanks God, you give me hope! 

I am 24 and post op..it terrifies me that i won't be able to live my life completely and fully before i die. The worst thought is that i can never go back even if i want to, that i will be living off of Premarin for the rest of my life, the thought is just sad and depressing. So yes if it has to end early, i hope i have lived a complete life.

Quote from: KillBelle on January 14, 2012, 12:54:06 PM
I am 24 and post op..it terrifies me that i won't be able to live my life completely and fully before i die. The worst thought is that i can never go back even if i want to, that i will be living off of Premarin for the rest of my life, the thought is just sad and depressing. So yes if it has to end early, i hope i have lived a complete life.

Ofcourse you are able to go back if you would really want to, even as a Post-op, however, from what I have learned about you from your posts, being a woman is what is right for you, so don't despair.

Everyone, or atleast most, probably have some type of shortcomming in their life or some tragedy in their backpack, and yet life goes on and can yet be fullfilling and full of wonder.

Kia Ora

It's not so much about the quantity[how long one will live]-it's about the quality[how one chooses to live it]! One can spend time 'worrying' about the future or one can enjoy where they are right 'NOW'=Enjoy the present moment !

Metta Zenda    

Quote from: KillBelle on January 14, 2012, 12:54:06 PM
I am 24 and post op..it terrifies me that i won't be able to live my life completely and fully before i die. The worst thought is that i can never go back even if i want to, that i will be living off of Premarin for the rest of my life, the thought is just sad and depressing. So yes if it has to end early, i hope i have lived a complete life.

Sweetie you can't continue using Premarin crossing your 30's. It's TOO dangerous for the LIVER and POWERFUL for post-ops. It's good only for PRE-OPS, that too for young ones. After your 30's you need to shift to Injections or Patches. Even now you can shift to Estradiol Valerate which is SAFER and MILDER over the liver. Talk to your endo about this.

There's one in my local support group who is well into her 80's.

I am not aware of extensive studies which focus on post-op/long-term HRT patients and their respective life expectancies.  Many of the clinical essays I've read concerning HRT (testosterone supplementation) state that the effects of long-term usage are mostly unknown - I would assume that the same is true for oestrogen supplementation HRT.  I have read that, for FTMs, there is a suggested life-span reduction of around 6 years, but that is more likely due to lifestyle, diet and other medical conditions which can be linked to the effects of androgens such as cardiovascular disease.

 A decreased life-span doesn't matter. I doubt that this is true; we probably live as long as anyone else, that is, but even if we didn't, living a shorter life and transitioning is better than a longer one without. No contest, really...

Being reliant on manufactured goods is a bit of a problem, though - or it would be when the zombie apocalypse comes.

Hello Kelly J.P. - Just wanted to say that I too worry about the zombie apocalypse.

That's one reason I am supporting moving my partner's surgery up to THIS year. Before the lights get turned out in all the hospitals, let's get this DONE.

Hugs from

Maddie (well my name IS "madwoman")

If anything, HRT might slightly reduce life span... Theoretically, there's slightly more strain on the liver, so it should have more chances of failing before other people's.

Apart from that, since HRT has some rare but life-threatening side effects in some cases, like any potentially risky treatment, it probably reduces life span out of probability.

However, unless you factor in the extremely low risk of dying of anesthesia reaction/bleeding/infection because of a failed SRS, there is absolutely no way that a post-op can be at more of a risk than a pre-op.

And in any case, I really doubt the life span is ever reduced by any truly significant amount.

I had FFS so for me i gave up HRT after 2 yrs post op that was 12 yrs ago.. my Dr she says i am healthy

Without either male or female hormones in your body, health problems are likely to show up with time.

Quote from: Amazon D on January 15, 2012, 10:43:42 AM
I had FFS so for me i gave up HRT after 2 yrs post op that was 12 yrs ago.. my Dr she says i am healthy

You are not alone in going that route of transition. Many transitioners, especially in Thailand, just stuff Silicone in the breasts and have SRS and then are happy without any HRT whatsoever.

However, just as A said, this comes with overhanging risks for developing some bad health conditions, such as Osteoporosis, being perhaps the foremost of those risks.

On the other hand, studies of Eunuchs in Modern times that did not take any HRT of either kind, was noted to statistically live longer than both Cis-males and Cis-females with a naural Hormone production.
So ironically, being a castrated Bio-male and not taking any Hormonal replacement at all, comes with as big risks as benefits.


In either case, it would be good if you do a regular check-up on your Skeletal status, now and then.

If you stop HRT post-op...won't it bring back male features? If I am correct...your body still produces testosterone through the adrenal glands...

Quote from: KillBelle on January 17, 2012, 12:08:18 PM
If you stop HRT post-op...won't it bring back male features? If I am correct...your body still produces testosterone through the adrenal glands...

Not if you have removed you Testes, no. The Production from the Adrenal Glands are very small and not enough to masculinize the body.
In fact, it even feminize the body further in a biological male, despite the production from the Adrenal Glands and even if no Estrogen is even taken.

Features such as breasts and some curves, may, however, loose some fat, but the body itself will never masculinize again.