The EXACT same thing was true for me, Ebon.

I totally get that...and respect it.

You can do this your way; it's just a matter of finding the right doctor.

It's funny. I didn't know that there was a Standard of Care or that WPATH existed until after I started to medically transition. I always thought that the Hippocratic Oath was enough but learned, as part of this process, that there is far more than just what I believe and feel I need. I would say that the best resource I had for all this stuff was Hudson's FTM Guide.

I'm glad that the standard is there. I do believe it's for those who are doing it for "fad" or because someone told them to do this. I think the challenge is because not all physicians can distinguish between the someone who really is a transsexed individual versus someone who doesn't really know and is doing this for the wrong reasons.

Wow, Hudson's Guide has really expanded since I looked at it last! Yes, a great resource.

I am very glad this thread is around!

Now to get the ftm cock thread going!

Anybody just felt like dropping and doing pushups when they started T?

Yes, and climb mountains too!

This is why I tried to go the natural way but it was taking too long. I have to go through all of this crap to align my body with my soul. Apparently the new standards of care don't mean shit.

Actually since I've had my chest surgery if I walk past a mirror and don't have my shirt on I start doing sometype of resistance excercise ... can be push ups to pretend push ups to whatever.

Its really hard doing the natural transitioning. you need to put your body first and in that instance you feel the slower end of the transition.

i have a very good friend that does it naturally for the most part, although he's finally on T. i think after top surgery you just seem to want to push forward and not feel "stuck" in that same routine.

good luck to you.

Natural transitioning: Does that mean herbs and things that naturally increase testosterone rather than doing T shots? Apparently I have lot to learn. I'm gonna keep lurking this thread... Thanks for your openness all! (f)

Yes. There have been some blogs on how to do this and it's interesting but it's extremely slow and can only go so far. That said, there should be still caution as to the effect on the liver going this route and it should be done with medical guidance.

Matthew, I respect your choice and candor. Being a "guy" looks different for everyone.

To give much thought and reflection to your transitioning or not, is part of the process. Best wishes to you Matthew.

So the doctor decided to put me on niaspan for my cholesterol, but it turns out the prescription version of that is around $300 for someone with no health insurance. So instead I am taking over the counter Niacin in a slow release version, and let me tell you, the flushing, not fun. I looked like I had a gnarly sun burn on my face.

I am taking 500mg of it a day to start, and hoping that I can get myself off of it within 3 months. I've added a ton of natural cholesterol reducing items to my diet and am stepping up with the gym stuff so I don't have to keep taking niacin.

I guess i'm joining this group! I guess i'm also fortunate in that when girls in my high school were anticipating growing breasts, I was desperately wanting to grow facial hair. They got their wish and do did I,lol. I've been shaving since I was 16, with no supplemental hormones. In the 90's, in an attempt to "fit" into the butch mold better, I had three extensive electrolysis treatments, each months at a time, several times a week. The hair invariably came back and I much prefer having it than not.

What type of T dose are you taking. I'm down to .25 ml every other week. There are times for endurance and muscle strength I'd like more but it helps keep some of my other negative effects at bay.

I am taking 1ml every other week. The 26th of this month marks my 1 year for having been on T. I don't think its so much the T that is causing my cholesterol to be bad, in fact, I know its not. I really have no one to blame but myself. I've been struggling with this for a year, since I first started looking into taking T. I eat bad, I don't exercise like I should. I know that now that I am eating healthier and exercising that in 3 months I should be able to stop taking the niacin.

Please do not take my post as a personal attack. It is not meant to correct or shame you. I do want to point out that the "Butch Mold" is varied. There are butches who prefer and have facial hair. Actually, I am aware of some "femmes" that are okay with having facial hair.

I know as a result of being part of the B-F online communities, I have evolved in my thinking of what is butch and what is femme. I do identify as a Transmasculine Butch. Meaning I was butch identified for most of my life then decided on transition. For me, besides the change in legal status as male, not much of my world view and how I experience it has changed. What has changed, sometimes, is how I am perceived and treated by others. AKA "Male Privledge." It can be both blantant and subtle.

Hi All,

So...I'm a femme ladyface and won't be transitioning but I have a hormone related question and I thought you guys might have some insights.

I went back on birth control a few months ago to prevent ovarian cysts (I've had 2 in my life) and I think the hormones are aggravating my obsessive behaviors. When I was in high school and was put on birth control I am CERTAIN that it made my eating disorder worse. And eating disorders are a kind of OCD. So, do you think that's possible? And has anyone experienced anything similar? (obsessive behaviors getting better or worse as a side effect of taking hormones)

I'm not on anything aside from the Nuvaring, so it isn't a weird drug interaction. Thanks in advance for any thoughts you may have on this issue.

:eatinghersheybar:

It might just be the hormone release mechanism in the NuvaRing. I was on it for two months and the whole time I had MASSIVE mood swings, lots of crying and anger and early cramping and spotting. I got off it right away, since it clearly wasn't working well with my body chemistry and am back on the pill. So far my moods are much better, but it's still a bit early to tell.

Long story short, my ED and self-image have been HORRIBLE these last two months, on top of the emotional rollercoaster. I can't say if it's a result of the hormones trying to balance out, or something else, just figured I'd let you know that you aren't the only one who went through it on the ring. I'm not sure how much of this will apply to FTMs though, as individuals doing Testosterone HRT are masking/negating the effects of estrogen/progesterone, whereas contraceptive hormones mostly mess with the levels of those hormones in the body.



Guys: do you notice any of these things in yourselves?

I did some hunting, there is a "healthy, body, etc. " area of the forums that I think might have better information. The menopause thread is especially helpful and addresses some hormone therapy and associated side effects. :)

Click here to jump to that section of BFP

Like Corkey said, FTM's don't typically take female hormones. From a standpoint of a mental health counselor however, any fluctuation in hormones does indeed affect mood, so it's entirely possible.

Where are you in your transition? Post transition feel like I am finished with all of it just on HRT now
How long have you been on T? 14 years
How much T do you take on a bi weekly or monthly basis? I am currently on NIBIDO I think its 4ML every 12 weeks but will change to something else when I go to the USA
How does your body react to your shot intake? no bad side effects
Are you pre or post op top and or bottom?I am post op top surgery hysto & Forearm phalloplasty
]Where and Who did your surgeries? Hysto was done for medical reasons in 97, top surgery was done in 2002 by Dr Perry Johnson in Omaha NE, I had a centurion done by DR Peter Raphael in Plano texas in 2004, then forearm phalloplasty done by Mister Nim Christopher from the London team took 18 months due to my work schedule and was finished in june2010
I am willing to post pictures of my surgery's if that is appropriate for this forum or answer any questions
Mike

Just as an FYI, various nekkid body posting is not allowed due to our web server provider. If people want to see them they should PM you directly for access outside of the site. :)

:canoworms:Ahhh I thought perhaps that was it! glad I asked first before offending the serve with pictures of my cock!
Thanks for the heads up!! :|:canoworms:

Went down to the courthouse today and filled all my paperwork for my name change. Was nervous as all get out for some reason, worried that I would have made a mistake on my paperwork or something, but as usual, the worry was for nothing! Papers are filed and my court date is set for the 24th of April.

I actually talked to my father about my name, before I changed it. I wanted to know what he thought, even though I know what my name is and what name feels right. I found out though, that my middle name, which is currently Jean, was only because my mother pitched a fit because my father wanted it to be Eugene which was my grandfathers name. So I am very happy about that because I wanted to make my grandfathers name my middle name anyways, and finding out that is what it should have been all along just confirms for me how right this all is.

I'm about to start the process myself ... you got me thinking .. I have a name picked out but there is a tradition that the males on my dad's side that their middle name is edward. I really want Koop as my main name cause everyone already knows it and lyndon as my middle name because it's close to my given name and my parents now call me lyn. I'm thinking maybe i'll hyphen my middle name and make it lyndon-edward. Does that sound too weird?

On another note I hope I represented us well yesterday. Someone doing a project for school on the transcommunity interviewed me. I think she asked 1 question and then i just started talking and covered all her questions and stuff she hadn't thought of.

i cannot thank you enough for sharing this! just sent the link to my partner :)

My name change is officially complete and legal, now I just have to send paperwork off to all the appropriate places and get all things changed over. I am so glad to have that behind me and now I can begin working on the next step.

Congrats ... mine probably won't get started til fall now!

It's interesting how different people react to it!

My mom was funny ... she was like "you just can't change it and not let us know we have your name on paper work." That's my mom.

Another person tried to tell me it's such a hassle it's not worth it. In my opinion it's a hassle not having it done. Maybe that's because I travel a lot and i have jobs where my drivers license is always shown so my given name is always out there!

I finally got my name changed, and have most of the paperwork changes accomplished, as well. Turning in the paperwork didn't worry me overmuch, but I was terrified when I went up in front of the judge. I was worried that he would turn down my request, just like the judge in Michigan did. Happily, it went off without a hitch, and I finally have my proper name. :)

hormones
 

I hope this is the right place to explain my situation. I am not as far along in my transition as I would like, but I wanted to post because I had a hysto three months ago and my ovaries were removed. I do not do hormone replacement therapy and am not on T (as of right now). I was told that taking my ovaries out would put me immediately into menopause. I do not have any of the symptoms of menopause and wondered if anyone else experience that? I see no need to do HRT because I feel fine the way I am. I don't know when I will be able to do the T because there are so many hurdles to overcome in my neck of the woods. I just wondered if anyone else had similar stories dealing with hystos and hormones. Thank you for any comments.

I'm not an FtM nor am I transitioning, but I did want to speak to the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) issue. First be thankful you are not having hot flashes, and/or night sweats..laughin.....they are awful. Many female bodied folks go through menopause without all those symptoms, so it is not unheard of.

If you are planning on transitioning it would not make sense for you to do HRT. The point of HRT is to replace estrogen lost because of either menopause or removing ovaries. The reason folks do HRT is to stop those symptoms from above and to help prevent bone loss. It's a part of normal ageing for female bodied folks so it's not a requirement for female-bodied folks to do HRT. I didn't and know plenty of women who have not.

I have not heard of FtMs taking estrogen. I believe the Benjamin Standards actually recommend hysterectomy (guys correct me if I am wrong....haven't read them in a few years) before starting T. My understanding is FtMs want to minimize the effects of estrogen and maximize the effects of testosterone. That is why you go on T.

There are a couple of threads here that talk about ways to increase T levels by using non-pharmaceutical products such as herbs. Some of the guys here should be able to steer you in the right direction. Please make sure you get yourself educated before you take any kind of herbs or hormones including estrogen and/or testosterone. The guys here are an incredible resource.

Actually, the new standards are put out by WPATH ( formerly known as the Harry Benjamin Society). You can find a copy of the new Standards of Care at the WPATH website. However, I can tell you that specific operations are NOT required, these days, for someone to transition. It is more a matter of what works for the individual, and what makes them feel more comfortable in their bodies.