Trans Man › Comments

"Yes, the hysto did speed up changes for me. Not so much in the area of body shape, only b/c I never really had hips anyway, but more facial hair and greater ease building muscle. I'm pleased I had the surgery. Feel free to drop me a line privately; I'd be happy to answer you questions. (My email address is in the left column below.)" - Trans Man

"I don't know anyone who's done a birth certificate change in BC recently. My best advice would be to join the vanguys Yahoo! Group and ask there. Or, wade through the bureaucracy and blaze a trail! Yeah, the number listed for Birth Certificates in the BC blue pages is a long distance call, no 800#. That sux. 250-952-2681" - Trans Man

"No worries, didn't take it that way at all! Thx! ;)" - Trans Man

"Nicholas, I don't *think* it matters where you live to get birth certificate changes made---the important thing is where you were born. Have you been in touch with the powers that be in BC to inquire about this? Don't quote me on this but I think BC's requirements are 1 year HRT, top surg + hysto. (Same as Quebec.)" - Trans Man

"I know how you feel! I've jabbed myself badly before and limped around for a few days too! It doesn't always happen. I guess it comes down to technique, but I haven't figured out what I'm doing differently when I wind up with post-injection muscle pain. Thankfully, it's not too often. I have some bike accident related issues that cause me spasms if I try and twist to shoot my rump, so thigh it is. Perhaps one day I'll try the sub-cutaneous pellets... ps. I enjoyed looking at your website! Really beautiful, stunning work!!" - Trans Man

"Hey, thanks Dillon! I just compared the photo of my legs here to month #15 and it's actually quite a difference. I'm surprised. I've had the same routine for my legs from the beginning: 5km walk every day. I throw a little cycling in there too, 10-20km rides. I probably *should* be doing more weight resistance with my legs because my upper body will only get so big if my legs plateau. Thanks for the reminder!I'll post more about my workout routine very soon, but one thing I'll mention now is that I LOVE my Iron Gym! Chin-ups/pull-ups are the BOMB." - Trans Man

"Free T is really just a picture in time. It's a useful metric, but so is how you feel. 170 is high. Male range is 23-82. A spike here and there isn't much of a concern---it could just be your body adjusting---It's over the long term where high T causes problems (unwanted conversion to estrogen, liver damage, etc.) I'd keep an eye on that T level and note how you're feeling. Your body could level it out on its own, or you may need to adjust your T administration.Note: .6cc is meaningless without knowing the concentration of T. 100mg/ml?" - Trans Man

"It's actually pretty hard to get me to take things personally, so no worries there.Absolutely, a surgeon should be able to ascertain if atrophy is present. I also agree with what you say about how the surgeon should be able to evaluate the health of vaginal tissues. My point is that I question a gynecologist's expertise with trans health if they dismiss the possibility that trans men need specialized care (due to testosterone use and it's effect on vaginal tissues.) I'm not clear on what aspect of this you disagree with." - Trans Man

"I'm a little confused why you would ask me if your surgeon is legit, then feel the need to "defend" against my response.Clotting is one testosterone related concern. It's effects on healing are another (and widely debated.)Not all trans guys have "encounters" with their vaginas, nor do they suffer symptoms of things like vaginitis, yet many do find out through a hysto consult that they've had some testosterone related atrophy and are not candidates for lap-assisted hysto.It's as simple as a healthy looking vag or not. My whole point is that I think testosterone makes it more complex than that.You use "you" a lot in your comment. Is that a global "you" or are the comments directed at me specifically? I need to remember that I'm actually female? I don't understand the context of this advice and I'm inclined to disregard it." - Trans Man

"There's debate out there about whether or not testosterone hinders the healing process. Neither of my surgeons felt particularly strongly about this and simply recommended abstaining for 2 weeks pre-op, then resuming normally post-op. Seemed reasonable to me."Only difference"... that's not entirely true. Yes, ovaries are shrunken. There's also the chance of vaginal atrophy, making a vaginal procedure more difficult (or inadvisable) for some guys. (If your consult was about a total lap procedure that might explain why vaginal atrophy wasn't mentioned.)"No serious risk factors being trans"... I hope not, that's what I'm trying to find out. I do think that we're different from female patients seeking a hysto, and I question a surgeon's expertise with trans health if they assert that there's no difference. Menopausal women or women on androgen therapy aren't taking the kinds of T dosages that trans men are on, so this comparison can only go so far." - Trans Man

"It's neat comparing the photos, isn't it? I really think a flip book would be a great transition project. If I could start again, I'd plan to take a daily or weekly head shot in exactly the same position and framing, then create an animation with them showing the changes in my face. Since I can't do it from the start now... are you up for it? :)" - Trans Man

"I don't think my surgeon changed his methods in any way for my surgery. And this is exactly what I'm getting at: I don't think trans men are routine hysto patients. There are gynecologists out there who are taking special measures though, like Dr. O'Hanlan." - Trans Man

"I hope this means we'll have more of Dr. Oliver commenting here!!I haven't looked into Dr. Raphael's Centurion as an option for me. I think the main reason for my hesitancy is that he's the only one doing that specific procedure, so I can't compare his offering to anyone else's, and anecdotal information is not easy to come by.I wish I could remember exactly what Dr. Meltzer said during his presentation at Gender Odyssey, but I think he said something about how using the round ligaments for girth (as is done with the Centurion) can result in less length or less angle of erection.I'm up for learning more about Centurion though, particularly about the hows and whys behind the modifications Dr. Raphael has made to the methods." - Trans Man

"Be sure to read my last comment to Jack. VVFs aren't that common. It's a risk to be aware of, and if trans men are at higher risk, then simply having this knowledge in the hands of the surgeon and patient will reduce the risk considerably.As for your social worker... yeah, time to move on! Sharing information is not the same thing as gossip. It's about education and making informed decisions, not getting "worked up." Ridiculous." - Trans Man

"Cheap is subjective. There are several links above under “Where to buy pumps.” I recommend the kit from extremerestraints.com. Also, getting a larger (bio-male sized) cylinder is a good idea for pumping the neoscrotum tissue (labia majora.)" - Trans Man

"Hey stefan, no idea about the most length achieved through pumping, but pumping does provide some permanent growth IF you’re dedicated to it. I’ve also been told—by a bio-man with a 13″ erection—that jelqing and hanging also work, and are more effective than pumping. I was at Dr. Meltzer’s presentation at Gender Odyssey and he showed off the now-famous photos of one of his patients who’s really into pumping. He’s got about 4 – 4.5″, and nice girth to boot." - Trans Man

"As far as I know, the supply of DHT is completely dry in Canada. I’ve heard of many people ordering the 2% Andractim gel from All Saints (based in Cyprus) and receiving it without a problem. I don’t know about the US, but I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to import Andractim into Canada." - Trans Man

"I’m intrigued by the idea of topically applied HGH for dick growth, but I don’t think there are any conclusive studies about its effectiveness for genital growth (and certainly no research into HGH for trans men.) I’ve seen some comments online claiming an increase in girth, but it’s all anecdotal. Another route could be natural HGH stimulators, but it’s still unclear if HGH even influences genital growth. There’s some discussion of HGH for FTM dick growth over at Susans, and apparently: “It can give you a realistic size… It may only work with some guys but it has shown pretty damn good results. But it is expensive without insurance.” On another note, HGH may also have an application with trans men wanting to increase stature. (But on the flip side, a known side effect of HGH is gynomastia.) Other ideas… Would it help to increase blood flow to the FTM dick with penis pills (like MagnaRX) before pumping or hanging? What about a vasodilator, plus IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor)? A..." - Trans Man

"Thankfully Jack, VVF is still quite uncommon. But it is scary. And as my urologist put it, 1% is the same as 100% if it happens to you. I think the solution is simply information. If I had talked to my surgeon about the risks of VVF, and that I might be a higher risk patient, I don’t think I would have suffered from an iatrogenic VVF." - Trans Man

"Hey Nico, rest up my friend! I found I was a little too drugged out post-hysto to sit at the computer for more than a few minutes. I would LOVE for you to ask your doctor about T and it’s effects on vaginal tissues! Please let me know what you find out. And I’ll say it again: rest up!!" - Trans Man

"The marker on my ID has nothing to do with my internal state. I have only two choices with the marker, and M is the best fit for me. M is how I want to be socially perceived. Crossing the border with a M passport felt *wonderful*. But internally, I’m more than M. It’s not that I’m genderqueer, but I’m a different kind of man, and I think that’s OK. (Ask me on a hard day and I might have a different answer.) What I personally struggle with is accepting that “different” does not detract from my “authenticity.” Working on that one… Thanks for this post, Jacky, I always appreciate your perspectives!!" - Trans Man

"Wonderful post! I totally get what you’re saying. For me, “transgender” comes down to “transcending gender.” We grow up being told that nothing is black and white, but somehow that’s all forgotten when it comes to gender." - Trans Man

"Ha ha, yes it’s an older photo! Really though, he looks the same, just a little more grey. The FTM procedures are getting better and better, it’s good to see progress." - Trans Man

"Pick your province carefully! Bottom surgery is covered in Ontario and…? Anywhere else? Not here in BC. Not in AB. I’m not holding out on getting this covered. How I’ll raise the money, I’m not yet quite sure…" - Trans Man

"There’s some top surgery coverage in BC: about $1500 and a long waiting list. There’s no bottom surgery coverage for trans men (but hysto is covered.)" - Trans Man

"Looking forward to seeing you there, Tarald! Safe travels." - Trans Man

"Thanks Daniel! I wish I could have been more exact with photo taking, like the exact same time intervals and positions, and I wish I’d taken more frequent photos. Then, I could have made a flipbook!! Seriously, I think that would be such a cool transition project. Anyway, please do stick around!" - Trans Man

"Thanks Daniel! I wish I could have been more exact with photo taking, like the exact same time intervals and positions, and I wish I’d taken more frequent photos. Then, I could have made a flipbook!! Seriously, I think that would be such a cool transition project. Anyway, please do stick around!" - Trans Man

"I have some scarring, Brian, but it’s no too bad. Ever since my first surgery in April ‘08, I have used cocoa butter, shea butter, castor oil, vitamin E and aloe vera gel on them to keep them hydrated and eventually reduce their appearance. A few years from now, my scars should be fairly invisible without close inspection. And yes, it is a dream come true! I hope yours all come true too." - Trans Man

"@Jaime: I’m assuming you’re not inquiring about hormone blockers or cross-hormone therapy that are sometimes administered to trans teens, right? Sorry, I don’t know much about Estrogen blockers. I had a friend on YouTube who was taking one and had some videos up about it, but he just removed his account. I see you got some interesting responses on one of the mailing lists though. Hope that helps!" - Trans Man

"Thanks folks! I’m still in a bit of shock that it all came together so well. I know that for many trans folks, having a birth certificate with the correct gender marker is only a dream. I feel very lucky." - Trans Man