FTM's and Transitioning

[Greyson]

Good Evening Guys. Today I turned yet another page. Today my gender marker was legally changed to male. I am now legally a male. On the inside I do not feel very different.

In an instant I knew that somehow I had walked through the "Looking Glass." I know that now I cannot be denied with legal sanction the many human rights that were systematically denied to me before I "transitioned." For me, I am still a butch/transman. The only thing that has changed is now the law must give me full and equall access to human rights. The right to marry who I choose. The right to love the woman I choose to love and be treated with the dignity that should be afforded to all.

My Queer identity has not changed. For me, I know the person I was born, the form that my body took was not and is not a mistake. In fact, my life has served to make me a strong, insightful, compassionate human being.

Because I have crossed that "perceived" gender line, I believe I have a greater responsibility than before to expose and erradicate sexism, patriarchy, and homo/trans phobia. I am not some saint, I am a human that realizes my life, my experience can be part of something bigger then my own immediate needs and navel gazing. I wish all of you, the very best in your journey.

[Jet]

Congratulations Greyson. Great post—I wish you nothing but continued happiness.

J

[atomiczombie]

Originally Posted by T D

Where are you in your transition? Got my first injection today 100mg
How long have you been on T? 2 hours LOL
How much T do you take on a bi weekly or monthly basis? It's gonna be 100mg for a while
How does your body react to your shot intake? So far so good
Are you pre or post op top and or bottom? Pre-op. Was going to do top surgery first, but won't have funds until early next year.

Where and Who did your surgeries? Help others out. If you have questions, ask them here. I'm pretty sure I'll be using Brownstein in SF

I'm 58 years old and have been thinking about this day for over 20 years. My mom had a heart attack in March, and a quadruple bypass. My step dad of nearly 50 years died 25 days later of complications from a heart valve replacement... These two events left me wondering this.... "when is it MY time?" I decided then and there, IT'S NOW!

There ya have it.

added: I meant..... "when is it MY time to LIVE for ME". Just wanted to clarify that

Right on TD. Let us know how things are going for you. I recently started T as well, so now there's Jet, me and you starting about the same time. It kind of feels good to know I am not the only one.

[Sam]

TD thats great news. keep your spirits up

Greyson, i cant wait til my letter comes in from the state of MD so i can change my DL, good luck to you!

[theoddz]

I'm now awaiting my new, amended birth certificate from the State of Florida with my legal name and gender marker change.

It wasn't long ago that Florida was one of the states that absolutely would not change a gender marker and only a year ago it began amending a birth certificate for a legal name change with a court order from a NON Florida court.

Time changes all things, I guess, and this time it's for the better.

~Theo~

[Jet]

way to go Theo

Originally Posted by theoddz

I'm now awaiting my new, amended birth certificate from the State of Florida with my legal name and gender marker change.

It wasn't long ago that Florida was one of the states that absolutely would not change a gender marker and only a year ago it began amending a birth certificate for a legal name change with a court order from a NON Florida court.

Time changes all things, I guess, and this time it's for the better.

~Theo~

[Sam]

Originally Posted by theoddz

I'm now awaiting my new, amended birth certificate from the State of Florida with my legal name and gender marker change.

It wasn't long ago that Florida was one of the states that absolutely would not change a gender marker and only a year ago it began amending a birth certificate for a legal name change with a court order from a NON Florida court.

Time changes all things, I guess, and this time it's for the better.

~Theo~

Im not sure NY will ammend my BC, but i will just be happy with my DL changed

[theoddz]

Originally Posted by Sam

Im not sure NY will ammend my BC, but i will just be happy with my DL changed

Hey Sam, take a look at this link. New York is one of the more "enlightened" states and they will change your BC to reflect both name changes and gender marker. Usually you can get your gender marker changed on your DL with just your surgeon's letter. Your state's DMV web site should have instructions on how to do that.

http://www.drbecky.com/birthcert.html

The BC becomes important when it comes to getting a passport and having all documentation in order to get legally married. I am a Federal employee, as well as a medically retired/Disabled Veteran who has military benefits that would make my legal wife eligible for Federal and military benefits like health care, a military ID card, death benefits, stipends, etc. It is important for me to have all the changes legally made, but it may not be so for someone else who isn't in a similar situation to mine.

Everything I saw on the web about Florida was kinda dated, so I called the FL Bureau of Vital Statistics' amendment section. They told me that, for $20, they would change both my legal name and my gender marker. I needed to have a copy of my driver's license/legal identification, my surgeon's letter and the original (with the court seal stamp imprint) court order for legal name change. There was an application to fill out, too. I wrote a cover letter telling them specifically what I wanted done and requesting that they send my original documentation (court order and surgeon's letter) back to me. For the $20, I get the changes specified and 2 certified BC's. I ordered 2 more certified BC's (one each for my parents) for $4 each. THEN, for $10 more, they would put a "Rush" on the order. The whole thing......$38.

I think most every state will require, along with an application, the original court stamped legal order for name change. You should get this when you file for a legal name change, after the judge approves it. If not, you need to ASK for it, especially if you're doing your filing and paperwork yourself. I had an attorney process my legal name change. I wanted to make sure that everything went right the first time and that I wouldn't get hassled. Really, it didn't cost that much...$600 for my attorney. As Mother has always said, "There are things you spend money on and things you do yourself." This was one thing I would decide to spend money on.

Speaking of Mother.....She used to have (probably still has) a collection of "shady" books from G-dknowswhere and one of them said "if you have no family or attachments to your name, and you need to get out of your bills really quick, go to Nevada, change your name and disappear." When I went through this and changed my name, the Nevada paperwork was FULL of places where you had to sign, over and over again, that you weren't doing this for the purpose of evading your bills!!! I still think that's funny.

Good luck to you, Sam, and good luck to you other fellows who are doing this or anticipating doing it. Really, it is easier than you think.

~Theo~

[CamBAMF]

How long have you been on T? I started October 2009

How much T do you take on a bi weekly or monthly basis? 5ml weekly inject of T (testosterone 200mg/ml & sesame seed oil 10ml)

How does your body react to your shot intake? First month I was horny as hell and had (and still have) an issue with pimples on my back and face. in Two months my period stopped and lost some weight. from the third month my voiced started to change (or so Im told- I couldn't exactly hear it my self) forth and fifth month I noticed a change in my muscles without changing my diet or working out at all. My shouldars had become broader, and somehow I was able to do a pull up (which Ive never been able to do in my life). about the fifth month the hair on my chest became darker and more noticable. About the sixth I started getting facial hair... As of right now I'm in my eighth month and have a semi beard it takes about a week to really grow in after I shave. My voice doesnt crack anymore (Thank god). and I'm starting to gain the weight I lost back- not cool!

Are you pre or post op top and or bottom? I'm pre op. I'm definatly planning to have my top done. I'm not so sure about the bottom.

Where and Who did your surgeries? no one

If you have questions, ask them here. I have some questions about surgery. Like about how much is it on average for either bottom or top? Is bottom surgery even worth it? I mean I heard the best results are about 3 inches with limited feeling. I'm not down for that. any thoughts?

[Jet]

Walmart has fucked up the Rx sending me home with the wrong .gauge. This makes me..................

[theoddz]

Originally Posted by Jet

Walmart has fucked up the Rx sending me home with the wrong .gauge. This makes me..................

What did they send you home with, Jet??

I use two syringes when I inject....an 18 x 1.5 to draw the T up and an 22 x 1.0 to actually inject it intramuscularly. The reason for the 2 different needles is because when you puncture the rubber stopper on the vial of T, it dulls the needle, so you want to use another needle for the actual injection into your muscle. Also, using the larger 18 gauge needle to draw up the T is easier because of the viscosity/thickness of the T. The 18 gauge is too large of a needle to inject with.

Ask your doctor about this. You may need 2 different needles.

Good luck!!!

~Theo~

[atomiczombie]

Originally Posted by CamBAMF

How long have you been on T? I started October 2009

How much T do you take on a bi weekly or monthly basis? 5ml weekly inject of T (testosterone 200mg/ml & sesame seed oil 10ml)

How does your body react to your shot intake? First month I was horny as hell and had (and still have) an issue with pimples on my back and face. in Two months my period stopped and lost some weight. from the third month my voiced started to change (or so Im told- I couldn't exactly hear it my self) forth and fifth month I noticed a change in my muscles without changing my diet or working out at all. My shouldars had become broader, and somehow I was able to do a pull up (which Ive never been able to do in my life). about the fifth month the hair on my chest became darker and more noticable. About the sixth I started getting facial hair... As of right now I'm in my eighth month and have a semi beard it takes about a week to really grow in after I shave. My voice doesnt crack anymore (Thank god). and I'm starting to gain the weight I lost back- not cool!

Are you pre or post op top and or bottom? I'm pre op. I'm definatly planning to have my top done. I'm not so sure about the bottom.

Where and Who did your surgeries? no one

If you have questions, ask them here. I have some questions about surgery. Like about how much is it on average for either bottom or top? Is bottom surgery even worth it? I mean I heard the best results are about 3 inches with limited feeling. I'm not down for that. any thoughts?

As to your question about top surgery, I can tell you that I had a surgical consultation with Dr. Michael Brownstein in San Francisco recently, and got a written estimate of $8,310.00 total. That includes all associated fees. I don't know what other doctors charge, but I have heard that there are other docs who charge less.

A couple years ago I attended an FTM support group in San Francisco where Jamison Green gave a presentation about Metoidioplasty. What I learned is that yes, you are really small, but it is the best chance of having the most sensation intact. What it involves is the release of internal tissues that keep your clit pulled into your body. Cutting these tissues allows your clit to protrude further out of your body. That, combined with T, creates a tiny penis-like organ. It does become stiff when you are stimulated, but you don't get the length or girth of a standard male penis. You can't pee out of it with just this operation. It is a further operation to extend the urethra. However, the nerves associated with sexual feeling aren't cut or interfered with, so your sexual feeling is not supposed to be lessened. That is what I learned. If I am wrong about any of that, then guys please correct me. Hope this helps.

[Jet]

They sent me home with 25 guage instead of 22 that was called in by the doc

[theoddz]

Originally Posted by Jet

They sent me home with 25 guage instead of 22 that was called in by the doc

Holy moly!!!!

You can't use that......for either drawing up or injecting. Give 'em a call and get an exchange.

~Theo~

[Jet]

Originally Posted by theoddz

Holy moly!!!!

You can't use that......for either drawing up or injecting. Give 'em a call and get an exchange.

~Theo~

Told ya they fucked up bad! I've already called them and the doc. They don't carry them in stock. The order won't be ready until after 6.

I'm pissed with this delay...trust me, a rolling boil...its about wanting this for a long time and then having to wait yet again. I didn't notice they were the wrong thing until i got home and read the box

[The Oopster]

Originally Posted by Jet

They sent me home with 25 guage instead of 22 that was called in by the doc

Originally Posted by theoddz

Holy moly!!!!

You can't use that......for either drawing up or injecting. Give 'em a call and get an exchange.

~Theo~

It has been done! Not easy but I actually have accomplished using it to draw and give ..... I think it took like 10 minutes to get .3 ml in the syringe ......lots and lots and lots of patience .... but i'd take them back ... I just did it cause I had them on hand from b-12 shots and ran out of my others

[The Oopster]

Originally Posted by CamBAMF

[FONT="Arial Black"]

If you have questions, ask them here. I have some questions about surgery. Like about how much is it on average for either bottom or top? Is bottom surgery even worth it? I mean I heard the best results are about 3 inches with limited feeling. I'm not down for that. any thoughts?

My surgery was an even 9000 and i'm still working on insurance to pay the $400 tissue fee. Otherwise the 9k was inclusive of everything. I went to voloshin in Newport beach, had no tubes and shouldn't need any revisions. The cost did include lyposuction on the sides to help limit dog ears. If you have lypo that will drive the cost up. Some quotes may or may not include it. I think it was worth it because everything turned out great, have no clue what things would have been like if I hadn't.

[Jet]

I'm seeing the doc for my injection tomorrow while we wait until the syringes
come in. Things are is getting straightened out.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Jet

I'm seeing the doc for my injection tomorrow while we wait until the syringes
come in. Things are is getting straightened out.

glad to hear it, keep the faith brother, things always work out in the end.



on another note i gave myself a shot in my thigh on monday, it bled LOL, and was tough getting into the skin, but i just pushed it in. worked well. try the right thigh next week.

i got myself a private nurse that will help if need be lol, life is good

[theoddz]

Originally Posted by Sam

glad to hear it, keep the faith brother, things always work out in the end.



on another note i gave myself a shot in my thigh on monday, it bled LOL, and was tough getting into the skin, but i just pushed it in. worked well. try the right thigh next week.

i got myself a private nurse that will help if need be lol, life is good

When I inject, I plunge the needle in in a similar manner as when one throws a dart. It's like a quick stab, so it goes in easily. I aspirate (draw the plunger back) just a little to make sure I'm not in a vein (you shouldn't draw back blood) before I proceed to inject the T.

Get a nurse or your physician's office to show you how to do this. While you're at it, ask them to show you the "zig zag" method of injecting. It's much better and less painful, IMO.

~Theo~