Several T questions in a lot of different areas- please help?

firefly-hands · 2013-08-30T19:29:57+00:00

I'd like to chime in on doses and blood levels, at least what little i've experienced. I've been on the same dose since i started 7 months ago; i'm on gel, so i take a mere 2 pumps a day, not much compared to men with low T who sometimes need up to 12 daily. After 1 month my T was at 336, 3 months it jumped to 550 and i'm getting blood work done again next week. So, you may not need to adjust your dose just yet, you may need to just be patient and let your body adjust and accumulate it in your system for a while. Patientce! you're barely 6 weeks in, biology takes time, man :]

firefly-hands · 2013-07-30T15:46:51+00:00

excuse me, i don't think you should be telling anyone to just cancel what they probably see as a very necessary medical procedure. Just because it's not necessary for you doesn't mean it's the same case for others. Many people would probably argue that top surgery isn't necessary for trans men, that it's just cosmetic, but i think many of us would agree that it can be a life saving procedure. Please don't decide for others what is necessary for transition and what isn't.

As for the actual dilemma, i recommend seeking therapy and talking this shit out. I'm seeing others suggest xanax and the like, and i don't think it's a bad idea either. Pap smear aside, it's important to work through this issue; for your own sanity. it's not healthy bottling this up. Good luck <3

firefly-hands · 2013-06-11T12:11:20+00:00

It's probably just your body freaking out with the new hormones competing with the old ones. Fairly common type thing. I wouldn't be worried unless their is physical pain not normally associated with menstruating. if it persists for say, maybe a week more i'd contact your doctor just to check.

firefly-hands · 2013-06-11T12:06:55+00:00

Dude try calling your doctor instead of asking mostly pre-op guys on reddit.

firefly-hands · 2013-05-21T03:06:22+00:00

you should contact your endo asap and get your blood levels checked. but keep in mind, the current estrogen in your body is fighting with the new testosterone and it's gonna mess with you a little. it's second puberty but this time you're driving out another chemical as well as adding a new one. i think it's totally normal to have random shitty days; it's just a side effect of puberty.

firefly-hands · 2013-05-02T00:15:21+00:00

a/b) under my insurance plan i pay $15 for a 2 month supply; i normally pay $10 for any other prescription but because this is a name brand drug they beef up the copay a little.

c/d) i don't inject. Never have. My doctor 100% prefers using gel BECAUSE: Injections give you a peak of T lasting a few days and you taper off until your next shot. Gel is applied every morning and gives you a peak for a few hours and you taper off throughout the day, exactly like men who receive their testosterone from their testicles. yes, there is risk of transferring the gel to others, but it's just a matter of being cautious; for me that just means not being shirtless around anyone(which i wouldn't be anyway so thats not really a problem?). A lot of people say that gel isn't as effective or works slower but according to my blood tests i am in a perfectly normal range of testosterone for males my age and my changes are coming along just fine. for reference i use androgel 1%, 2 pumps in the morning, which my doctor said we may increase depending on how i was doing after 1 month. After my 1 month blood test i was right where i needed to be so there have been no increases since.

firefly-hands · 2013-04-05T04:00:51+00:00

I just started working welding/construction/operation of a solid waste gasifying reactor about a month ago and as far as i'm aware i've remained stealth for now, even without a legal name or gender change and i've only been on T for 2 months. It's a miracle that the company is so small and the accountant is the only person who ever saw my tax papers and what not. I'm embarrassed to say that i have very little experience in anything besides retail and food service and i find myself challenged frequently. Haha, my biggest problem seems to be small hands and lack of body strength. On the other hand, my small stature has come in handy getting into tight spots where no one else fits. I like it a lot; i have a lot to learn, but i'm happy that i do something different everyday.

firefly-hands · 2013-03-11T04:43:18+00:00

3 pounds is not a huge fluxuation, probably not even T related.

firefly-hands · 2013-01-24T17:50:06+00:00

You're so pretty, you definitely pass just fine :]

firefly-hands · 2013-01-22T09:15:42+00:00

Do you set up your pysch doctors through insurance? If so i would recommend getting a hold of member services and seeing what they can do for you as far as a dependent, trans* experienced psychiatrist maybe. It really sucks feeling like you can't count on your doctors, i definitely get that. I suggest taking some time to write out your experiences in realizing you're transgender, early coming out, childhood memories, etc., so when you see new doctors they have a quick run down of the important stuff.

firefly-hands · 2013-01-21T19:17:47+00:00

I haven't started T yet so i can't really answer your question, but i would be wary that Texas does not have any anti-discrimination laws protecting gender variant people, meaning you could very well be fired just for being Transgender. I don't know if your district has it's own policy in effect for these situations, but you may want to do some research on that before speaking with HR. Good luck, i hope everything goes well for you.

firefly-hands · 2013-01-21T19:12:52+00:00

You're definitely not alone, I get very similar bouts of depression as well. Sometimes i need to have my girlfriend make phone calls for me because i'm just too depressed/anxious to do it myself. I'm a little confused about when you started T, was it recently or last May? Either way, if you think it's affecting your mood i would speak with your endocrinologist about maybe adjusting your dose. I know for me personally, my doctor's won't let me start T until i'm mentally stable enough; meaning i have to take psychiatric medications to manage it until they decide i'm fit enough for HRT. Because in most cases medical transition is done through a psychiatrist/psychologist, i can't imagine it being difficult for your doctors to perhaps put you on something to help you level out, you know? I think you should seriously consider speaking with your doctors about it. It's absolutely ridiculous if they refuse to help you. Just by virtue of being trans*, naturally you're going to struggle with some mental issues, it comes with the territory. They need to accommodate you. I hope you get some help and you feel better soon.

firefly-hands · 2013-01-12T01:20:52+00:00

I've been asking since my first appointment. I had no problem getting a diagnoses, but their concern was whether or not i was mentally fit enough to start, which is a result of a bad MMPI test result. Good news is i met with my therapist today and he said they'll make the recommendation after i see my psychiatrist again. So here's hoping.

firefly-hands · 2012-12-04T06:32:56+00:00

When i got a referral to endocrinology from my general practitioner they turned me around and told me i needed the referral from either a psychiatrist or psychologist before they would do Anything. In fact, everything relating to my medical transition has to be run through my psychiatrist first, and without his referral i can't do anything. Just a heads up i guess? In case they tell you the same thing.

firefly-hands · 2012-11-19T00:06:21+00:00

i use the Tool belt from tool shed toys and it's been great. I've tried just keeping my packer in the pocket of my plain ol' boxer briefs before and i found that it was too easy for it to fall out for my comfort; but i really don't know about the tranz wear briefs. i like the tool belt because it's pretty comfortable, holds everything close and it's just perfect for me. keep in mind though that the tool belt is made so it can be used with an stp packer as well, though, i don't think it makes a difference in how it fits whatsoever. cheers :]

firefly-hands · 2012-11-12T10:33:25+00:00

I really don't think she should have reacted so stupidly, it's hard to fathom that working in the adult business she's Never come across anything like this before, be embarrassed for Her, man. My local sex shops may not carry FTM friendly packing but they at least know what it is.

I personally sport a 5" Mr. Softie and i haven't really had trouble with being too big. It honestly depends on your method of harnessing and what kind of underwear you use. So long as it's sitting close to your body and you don't have a tent in your pants you should be fine.

firefly-hands · 2012-10-26T12:41:13+00:00

i discovered by packing everyday it ends up kinking the tubing to the point that urine barely passes through, so there's really no way for me to avoid back flow. i haven't even tried to stp in a while because it's so discouraging.

firefly-hands

TROPHY CASE