T Types

There isn't a lot of information out there about the different forms of testosterone and the pros and cons of each. So I decided to dig up some info and present it here for everyone who is considering starting T.

The most common form is injections. When using this type, you use a needle to inject the testosterone directly into a large muscle (usually a thigh).

Some people (including myself) choose to use patches instead. The testosterone is absorbed through the skin. These patches are placed on the thighs, arms, or back. I personally put them on my thigh.

AdroGel is another form of testosterone. It works similarly to the patches (that is the same stuff that is in the patches). It is absorbed through the skin.

Pills are the last form used in hormone therapy. They work like any other pill you have ever taken in your life. You swallow them with water or soda or whatever drink you prefer (non-alcoholic). I am also pretty sure you are not supposed to take them on an empty stomach.


There are pros and cons to each form. You have to pick which one is right for you. I just want to provide you with enough information to make an informed decision.

Injections

• Cheapest option
• Allows for an even distribution of hormones
• No spikes and crashes
• Having to poke yourself with a needle every day
• Have to be very careful and clean with everything

Patches

• Expensive
• Allows for an even distribution of hormones
• No spikes and crashes
• Residual adhesive left behind
• No needles involved

Gel

• Expensive
• Messy
• Fairly even distribution of hormones
• Doctors recommend against it because of how messy it is because if it gets on someone else, they absorb it into their skin
• No needles involved

Pills

• Cheaper than patches and gels
• More expensive than injections
• Spikes and crashes
• Not a very even distribution of hormones
• Negative effects on the liver
• No needles involved

They also make pellets that are implanted under the skin and buccal systems, but they are expensive and I haven't heard much about them other than that. My doctor didn't even mention those options when I went to get my prescription started.

I'm sure you can tell from the fact I put "no needles involved" under everything that wasn't injections, that I have issues with needles. That is the main reason I decided to go with the patches. You just have to weigh all the pros and cons of everything and make your decision. And if one form doesn't work well for you, talk to your doctor about switching.

If you feel I have left anything out, please feel free to shoot me an email so I can update this. My email is TheAidenApocalypse@gmail.com. Thanks for reading. 

Myths Of Testosterone

There are many misconceptions about trans people because unless you go through it, you don't really understand it. Even people who mean well can get a little mixed up about what is fact and what isn't too accurate. Testosterone causes a lot of these misunderstandings.

1. Taking T for transitioning will cause "roid rage."
2. Taking T will give you cancer.
3. Taking T will make you taller.
4. Taking T will make your breasts disappear completely.
5. If you stop taking T after chest surgery, your breasts will grow back.
6. Taking T will make you gay.
7. Taking large doses of T will make you transition faster.
8. Taking T will make you fat.

1. For the first, that is too broad of a statement. It's a generalization that is simply false. Yes, some experience being shorter tempered. In contrast, many say that they feel calmer on T. It all depends upon the individual.

2. This is a pretty big one. Many people have heard it causes cancer. Even on this blog, I have a warning about the possibility of the increased risk of cancer due to taking T. Trans people have not been studied enough to know if it increases the risk. Personally, I'd rather be prepared than thinking it's a total myth. As of right now, there is not enough evidence to prove or disprove this "myth."

3. If you're taking T after puberty, sorry. You pretty much don't have any hope of growing super tall. (Bummer, right?) If you start before puberty, you might grow to be tall.

4. The fat in your body will move from a female-like pattern to a more male-like pattern due to the use of T. So your breasts will shrink, but not be totally gone. You need surgery to get the rest of that breast tissue outta there.

5. Some fatty tissue might build back up, but nothing too significant.

6. Human sexuality is a complex subject. It isn't gonna make you just "turn" gay. Your attractions may shift a bit, but often times you stay attracted to the same sex you start with.

7. DO NOT DO THIS. It's not good for you. It won't make you transition any faster; it'll just kill you. Seriously, just don't do it.

8. No, it won't directly make you fat. There are many other factors that contribute to weight gain. Testosterone can affect your metabolic rate and things like that. Make sure you just keep yourself healthy when on T and you'll be just fine. 



Anything I missed? Anything you want more info on? Shoot me an email: TheAidenApocalypse@gmail.com

As always, I hope I helped and I hope all is well with you. Thanks for reading guys! :)

FTM Terminology

Binding: flattening one's breast tissue to make a male-appearing chest

Cypionate: Short for testosterone cypionate. One of the most common testosterone types for ftms.

Enanthate: Short for testosterone enanthate. Another one of the most common testosterone types for ftms.

F2M: See "FTM"

Female-to-male transsexual: A person who was born in a female body, but whose gender identity is male.

FTM: Short for "female-to-male"

Gender dysphoria: A term coined by psychologists and medical doctors that refers to the state of discomfort felt by transsexuals and some transgender people caused by the incongruity between one's physical sex and one's gender identity. When you want to make an appointment with a therapist, this is the reason you give them for the need to meet with them.

Gender Identity: One's internal feeling of being male, female, or somewhere in between.

Genderqueer: Someone whose gender identity is neither male or female.

Hermaphrodite: An outdated term for intersexed

Packing: Creating a male-looking/male-feeling bulge in one's crotch

Passing: In FTM terms, being seen as male by others. (Many object to this term and I'll make a post about the controversy)

STP device: Short for "stand-to-pee" device. A device designed to pee into a urinal or toilet standing up.

Stealth: After a transman has transitioned, he may not disclose the fact that he is transsexual to those around him

Therapist Surgery Letter

   I found this while searching on the internet. It has taken me a really long to find an example of what has to be in the letter for surgery. I thought it might save you guys some time if I shared it with you.


[Name, address, and phone number]

Dear [ Dr. Preforming Surgery]:

   [Patient name] is a [Patients appropriate age] year old female to male transgender individual who has established a longstanding and strong identity as male. He has been living as male consistently and on hormones since [date patient start HRT or social transition]. He has had [if any previous surgeries put here with dates if no other procedures remove this line]. He is now seeking [name of surgery] to aid in his complete medical transition.
   [Patient name] reports a prior history of anxiety which appears to have been in response to the stressors during his early stages of transitioning. He was entered into therapy in [date patient began therapy]. At this time, he presents with no apparent residual psychiatric symptoms and is quite stable. He intends to continue his therapy regime which he believes has been helpful.
   [Patient name] seems to have significant progress in his transitioning and seems very happy in his decision to be male. He has a strong support system that includes a loving partner and family. He has steady employment that provides his benefits and is attending school for his professional aspirations. His judgment appears sound and good. He has good knowledge of, and had the ability to follow to Standards of Care for surgery.
   I met with [Patient name] for an evaluation on [date of evaluation] . I have no hesitation in recommending him for the procedure he has requested. He meets and exceeds the criteria as set forth by the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association. If you need any more information or have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at [therapist phone number].

Sincerely,

[Therapist name], [qualifications]

Therapists

So there are tons of great therapists out there. I have found huge lists all over the web. I'll give you links to some of those lists at the end of this post. I want to talk about some therapists that look really good, have good reviews, or just seem interesting that you might want to check out. I'll try to get at least one for every region of the U.S. Hope it helps.


Online:

John D Moore LCPC, CADC
E-mail: john@johndmoore.net
Website: http://www.johndmoore.net/
You must be a resident of Illinois


http://www.gendertherapist.com/


Caroline Gibbs
Transgender Institute
7140 Wornall Road, Suite 203
Kansas City, MO. 64114
Phone : (816) 305-0943Email : gibbsassist@yahoo.com
She does appointments using Skype. She will provide you with a Skype camera free of charge.


B.E. Budd
699 B Piedmont Ave, NE
Atlanta, Ga. 30324
Phone : (404) 873-5517
or
1216 Mars Hill Road, #C
Watkinsville, Ga. 30677bebudd@bebuddphd.com
http://www.bebuddphd.com/ 


South East:

Daniel McKeever, Ph.D.
Hill Crest Associates
6869 5th Avenue South
Birmingham, AL. 35212
Phone : (205) 838-2031

Margaret Morgan-Cohen, LCSW
210 Pulaski St.
Little Rock, AR. 72201
Phone : (501) 255-0561
Website : http://www.margaretmorgancohen.com

Jennifer McBlaine MA, RMHCI
Diplomate, American Board of Clinical Sexology
Professional Counseling Centers of Sarasota/Manatee
1808 Orchid Street
Sarasota, FL 34239
Phone : (941) 951-0548jennifer@sextherapysarasota.com
http://www.sextherapysarasota.com 

Joel Bagby
7193 Douglas Blvd, Suite 205
Douglasville, GA. 30135
Phone : (404) 920-0551

Northeast:

Gary E. Alger, M.Div., LADC, CEAP
Counseling Psychotherapy EAP
670 Prospect Avenue
Hartford, CT. 06105
Phone : (860) 233-4022
Cell : (860) 309-7655garyalger@sbcglobal.net

Amy L. Herb, L.C.S.W.
4735 Ogletown-Stanton Road
Medical Arts Pavilion 2, Suite 1201
Newark, DE. 19718
Phone : (302) 623-4335aherb@christianacare.org

Maine Gender Resource and Support Service
c/o Jean Churchill
P.O. Box 1894
Bangor, ME. 04402-1894

Midwest: (My area)

Michele O'Mara, LCSW
2680 E. Main Street, Suite 121
Plainfield, IN. 46167
Phone : (317) 517-0065
TG Counseling : http://www.transgenderindiana.com
michele@micheleomara.com
Main Website : http://www.transgenderindiana.com
Net Counseling : http://omaram.hypermart.net/thelesbiantherapist/online-counseling/
orhttp://www.onlinegendercounseling.com
Her online scheduler : http://www.appointmentquest.com/provider/2000319224
Social Networking Website : http://www.genderconnection.com

Milwaukee Transgender Program
Gretchen Finke, MSSW
Roger Northway, MS
Pathways Counseling Center
2645 N. Mayfair Road, Suite 230, First Financial Building
Milwaukee, WI. 53226-1304
Phone : (414) 774-4111
This is what I'm looking into for myself.

Willow Counseling Services, LLC
Veronica L. Senkyr, MA, LMFT
1821 University Ave. W., S329
St. Paul, MN. 55104
Phone : (651) 647-1022vsenkyr@willowcounselingservices.com
http://www.willowcounselingservices.com

Southwest:

Lewis Nemes, Ph.D.
8005 Pennsylvania Circle, NE
Albuquerque, NM. 87110
Phone : (505) 248-0698

Gender Center Of The Southwest
Transitions Medical and Counseling Associates
3626 Nort Hall Street, Suite 623
Dallas, TX. 75205
Phone : (214) 528-8901

West:

Roberta Vande Voort, MS MFT
AAMFT Approved Supervisor
9402 W. Lake Mead Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV. 8914
Phone : (702) 878-0554roberta@kayentabhc.com
http://www.kayentabhc.com/index.html

Joshua M. Simmons, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychologist (PSY 23334)
3821 23rd Street
San Francisco, CA. 94114
Phone : (415) 820-1554drsimmons@sftherapy.info
http://www.sftherapy.info

There are tons and tons more. I just wanted to list some of them for you. Find one in your state/near you.

Here's the link to the list that I used for this post: http://www.lauras-playground.com/gender_therapists.htm

Some states don't have any listed. You should always check other lists and google search. Make sure you find the right therapist for you.

The 3 Magic Steps

There are three general steps to transitioning: thearapy, hormone treatment, and surgery. I will outline the steps and how to go about them. I haven't gone through them yet, but I have a job and am saving every dollar for it.

1. Therapy:
   - You may be thinking to yourself "I don't need therapy, I already know everything I need to." WRONG! You can learn a lot through therapy, if you have a good therapist.
   - Now is the time to make sure this is what you really want. Some of the changes from Testosterone are permanent, so be 100% sure this is what you want before you move on to step 2.
   - This part won't be fun: calling to set up your appointment. You have to be brave and make the call. When they ask what you need to be seen for, you must tell them "Gender Dysphoria" or "Gender Issues."
   - Depending on the person, this step could take months or longer. It's life changing and shouldn't be taken lightly.
   - You may lose family. You may lose some gay friends if you are active in the gay community. You could lose your job. You could get harassed at school. The list never ends, but if you want to transition, just do it. Be strong.
   - You will face challenges. Be brave and face them head-on!
   - I will be posting more about therapy and therapists soon.


2. Testosterone Hormone Therapy:
   - I have posted a bit about testosterone on this blog. Please make sure to look at those posts.
   - Get the letter of recommendation for hormone therapy from your therapist. That letter will halp you get your prescription for testosterone.
   - Testosterone is a steroid; it's not to be played around with.
   - T is a safe drug when it is used under supervision and is controlled. So use the correct dosage and see your doctor as regularly as you are told to.
   - The changes take years, taking more will not make changes happen faster. You could end up really ill or dead.


3. Surgery:
   - Quite a few surgeons require you to have had hormone therapy before they will operate on you, but just as many don't require it.
   - If you were planning chest surgery first, you don't need to be on testosterone (in most cases) before surgery.
   - You need to have a letter from your therapist recommending you for surgery before a surgeon will operate on you.
   - You can read about the types of surgeries in my "Types Of Surgeries" post.


If I missed anything, send me an email. TheAidenApocalypse@gmail.com