um *puzzled* why would you be scared?

Thanks bro, I'm very excited about finally being able to begin My transition :)

Thanks Sam, I appreciate it :)

Thanks Liam :)

Thats fantastic news bud, I'm glad your finally on the right path in life :thumbsup:

I had at one point considered the gel. I would be curious, if you don't mind sharing of course, what made you decide to go with the gel as opposed to another method?

I would also be curious to hear your experiences with it, since most people that document it, that I can find, are on shots rather then gel.

That does help a lot. My partner is very much against me getting the cream because we did some research and what we did find out is that its possible for her to absorb it into her body as well. Unfortunately there is no convincing her that I can make it safe for her.

I am on the gel because my doctor and psychiatrist felt that with my history of mood and panic disorders, I should avoid getting the shots. They don't want to have me hit the highs and lows of the cycle with the shots, basically. As far as topical transference to others, I just wash my hands throughly after I apply it to my upper arms. I then wait 30 min or so for it to completely dry and absorb into my skin, then I shower. Voila! No chance to transfer it to others. :)

Okay....

Finally, I took my first shot of 100 cc yesterday in the thigh. My doctor explained a lot to me as far as what I can expect.

I won't do another shot until one week after next which will be 200. He prescribed my T and syringes etc for a 6 week supply administered every 2 weeks.

I'll be doing my own injections....although my straight friend, Mel said she would do them since she used to be a nurse. God lover her.
I have no idea what i'm going to tell my family.

The only other glitch that might arise is insurance. My doc carries my plan and he's submitting a claim that I hope the company will take. if they deny it, I'll be really pissed off.

You tell them the truth. Expect the worst and hope for the best. That way you won't be disappointed, but you may be pleasantly surprised.

You're an adult, and it's time for you to live for *you*......to find your own happiness in this world.

I pray their minds and hearts will be open and that you will experience the best possible scenario.

if your insurance doesn't cover the costs for you, there should be a clinic in atlanta that deals with trans patients. i've been without insurance for a number of years and have been out of pocket on my expenses. i found clinics in richmond, DC, and st louis that all deal with transfolk. while it is more expensive for the T, you still have access to medical professionals who are (hopefully) more interested in helping than turning a buck. a more price effective alternative to "name brand" T is to find a local pharmacy that does in-house compounding. that cuts the cost by almost 2/3.

good luck!

thanks wil
the doc says there shouldn't be a problem, but.....you never know.
he gave me prescriptions for the next six weeks, we'll see.

yanno, I felt so good yesterday..and then worrying kinds of shit started coming up...family...a job....etc...but between you and me and God...i'll tell ya...it feels...right.

it won't take long before you realize you've actually settled into yourself. i can't begin to tell you how that feels. what used to be a really good day for me is now my day to day existence. i never suspected that one could feel this good on a daily basis. T has been a wonder drug for me.

just keep putting one foot in front of the other...most everything else will sort itself out. i was worried about family and work and all that shit, too. while i can't say my family actually understands, they do accept. neither of my brothers (both fairly religious christian guys) even batted an eyelash. the pronouns have been difficult for my parents, but mom got adjusted before she passed and dad seems to be trying. can't ask for much more. i think family gets more accepting as they see how much more comfortable we are within ourselves.

How long was before you started seeing the effects of testosterone injected?

Pretty quick, actually. I think the beard started in a couple of weeks and voice in a month or so. How long it takes varies from one person to another. So patience is needed, unfortunately. ;)

he told me it would be longer than that. but like you said, it varies.

My mental outlook changed immediately...like within minutes, but I think that had to do with so much hullaballoo around actually getting the T in the first place.

I saw changes of different sorts within the first two weeks. It took about a month before my voice changed...although, other people noticed a change sooner than that.

Hair started sprouting pretty quickly. Maybe a couple weeks or a month.

Hair line changed within about 4ish months, and I thinned out up there a little.

It's both faster and slower than I thought it would be when it comes to physical changes. The things I want seem awfully slow, and the things I don't really care about or didn't want are coming much sooner than expected.

But, like you said...it feels right, and I guess I just won't have a flowing, Fabio-hair (but I've never had Flowing Fabio-hair anyways, but I also wasn't hoping to look like Friar Tuck either).

I'm still wondering how long it takes for the T to make me six foot 2 though


Dylan

heh...I wish it would height hehe

Good news
my insurance WILL cover my T

Congrats! That's a regular expensive cost covered. :)