FTM's and Transitioning

[Ebon]

Originally Posted by Thinker

I never bought into the "standards" for my personal path. I always saw them as ways for doctors to tell you why they could NOT do something.....sorry, you'll need two letters and one year with a therapist.......nope, can't do that without a letter that says x, y, and z.

I am NOT saying the standards of care are a bad thing; I think they're a nice little framework. But I do feel as though they've been used to gatekeep by many physicians and therapists.

I consulted with a plastic surgeon for my top surgery long before I started testosterone. Truthfully, when I had that procedure done, I had no intention at all of starting T. This surgeon had done a number of chest reconstructions and felt comfortable talking with me and making that decision for himself. I appreciated that; my body, my decision.

The therapist I had seen off and on was there for me for life and relationship stuff.....not gender identity.....even though that obviously came up from time to time. When I did make the move to consult with a physician about hormones, I had my therapist there as a back up in case a letter was required. Again, the doctor made the assessment on his own.

I just never liked the idea of jumping through hoops for something that is so damn personal and life-changing and critically important. It's not that I don't value the input of professionals. I just believe that I know me, my body, my wants, and my needs better than any itemized list that tells me what I need to do first and for how long.

This is obviously just my 2 cents. I'm certainly not trying to talk anyone into or out of anything.......just offering up how it all came together for me with hopes that maybe one or two things I say might clear up someone else's fog.

This is heavy, important stuff. One might argue that rejecting the "standards" is indicative of taking it all too lightly. It was quite the opposite for me. It was so scary and so *permanent* that I just *had* to do it my own way.....a way that felt safe and right *for me*.

Absolutely agree 100%! I have researched this other stuff and I do appreciate everyone's input, but I was looking for more of other people's experiences rather than information that I already had. Thinker (and now I know why you have that name) I am exactly the same way. I am in my body no one else is. This is my life I have to deal with any consequences of any decisions that I make. I have to walk my own path. I don't need someone else telling me when I am ready to do something and when I'm not. The only reason it's taken me this long is because of the whole going to a therapist that probably isn't even transgendered that is going to tell me if they think that I'm ready. I only recently found out that quite a few guys didn't even need to go to a therapist. The medical aspect I understand but when it comes to my emotions and my body it's up to me.

Thanks again everyone for your input.

Ebon

[Thinker]

Originally Posted by Ebon

The only reason it's taken me this long is because of the whole going to a therapist that probably isn't even transgendered that is going to tell me if they think that I'm ready.

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.

[Ebon]

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.

[GPS]

Originally Posted by Ebon

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.

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.

[1ladyface]

Originally Posted by GPS

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!

[Linus]

Originally Posted by 1ladyface

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!

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.

[Leigh]

Hey everyone,

I figured I would come in and talk to you guys about some stuff thats been on my mind for about 2-3 months now. I've been making some very serious life decisions and I've gotten to the point where I really have to do whats right for me and one of the biggest decisions I've made is to stop my transition from female to male and go back to being the female that I was before. I realize that taking hormones and transitioning is a HUGE deal and I just want everyone here to know that I never took that lightly when making my decision to even begin the process. I had *no* doubt in my mind that I even wanted to transition when I began and I'm not sorry that I did - I've learned alot about myself and have gotten in touch with my body in ways I never knew existed.

This hasn't been an easy decision and I have talked with My family and friends about it ....... they all say that as long as I am happy they still support me and I am sure I will receive support here too. I have a doctor's appointment next month in which I plan on talking to him about permanently stopping male hormones and seeing what I need to do about going back to my old female safe. I know that just as its a big decision to come out as FTM, its also a big deal when someone decides that they want to go back to who they were before but I'm just glad that I did not have any major surgeries before I made this decision. About three months ago I noticed that I was starting to not feel like a guy anymore - I didnt think much about it until I realized that this was an everyday thing.

I did hours upon hours of soul searching, talked to family and friends about it and came to the decision that I was never truly a guy in the first place - perhaps it was just my way of trying to find my place in the world. I've never taken any of this lightly as I said before and I have such a true appreciation for everything that a trans person goes through because its certainly not easy. I am always going to be a big supporter of the trans community and want all of you guys to know that I think of you like brothers - I thank you all for letting me be such a close part of this community, I will still be around as a trans supporter and friend no matter what

Each and everyone of you rawk big time!!!!