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AnimalBoy

663d

AMA! I am a 23 year old transmasc (ftm) who has been on testosterone for coming up on 4 years, post top surgery for coming on 3 years, one failed attempt at getting a hysterectomy, and i have plans for a future hysterectomy and bottom surgery eventually. My messages are open of you have any sensitive questions that you don't want to ask publicly as well!

Top reply
    • darkstarrynight

      640d

      @AnimalBoy ok thanks

    • darkstarrynight

      642d

      How do I save this post?

      • AnimalBoy

        642d

        @darkstarrynight I'm not actually sure, but now that you've commented you should get notifications anytime someone replies to it. You can also send me a quick message so we have a chat history and then you can get to the post through my profile or ask me questions directly if you have any questions later.

        • darkstarrynight

          640d

          @AnimalBoy ok thanks

    • AnimalBoy

      647d

      hah that's funny im the one type you can't donate to! I like the idea of donating blood especially considering my blood type but the blood donation services available just feel so immoral and a lot of them are really weird and shitty to Lgbt+ people plus on top of that they won't stop calling me at 9am, but I have that side effect and have to dontate or I feel even worse than normal. It ends up being kind of a neutral thing but it never stops being weird sitting there getting blood done knowing that if my partner and I were cis they'd deny me because I'm gay ya know?

      • Maclir

        647d

        @AnimalBoy ahh yeah I got you Luckily both the times I've donated they've been really nice, they come to high schools in the area and schedule donation days and I went twice my senior year (I could only do my senior year since covid lockdown junior year lol). I got woozy the first time around but they give snacks and tips on how to fix it (lay down and prop up your legs) so they've always been nice. I forgot how long its been since my last donation but I should probably think about that again especially if it'll help with going on hormones lol

        • AnimalBoy

          646d

          @Maclir our high school also did that which I probably wouldn't have minded as much, I definitely wouldn't have asked the tech the same questions that made me feel so weird about donation. But I spent all of high school on the verge of needing a blood transfusion from having iron deficient anemia which ironically I still have some of the iron deficiency, not as bad tho, but because of the red blood cell increase from T I do not have anemia and am allowed to donate.

    • AnimalBoy

      647d

      I did forget something actually! Another reason behind the increase risk in strokes is that a side effect is an increase in red blood cells. When you have too many red blood cells it can thicken your blood and cause complications, symptoms include tiredness, numbness, headache, joint pain, sleep issues, shortness of breath, and blurry vision. Luckily there is a very easy method to handle it which is simply donating blood, if you can't donate for whatever reason some hospitals and clinics are willing to remove and deal with a portion of your blood if you have medical reasoning behind it.

      • Maclir

        647d

        @AnimalBoy oh nice! I like to donate blood anyway because I'm an almost universal donor (one type I cant donate to but I can donate to everyone else!) so that'll actually be really good for me lmao

    • AnimalBoy

      647d

      mine was covered by my insurance entirely (my states Medicaid) but generally 40$ is the cheapest you can find it without insurance or services like GoodRX. It's all testosterone cypionate, I think ive had a few different brands and generics over the years as my insurance covers different things occasionally but none of them effect me any differently, but I inject mine subcutaneously in the fat on my stomach mostly because I have a fear of both injecting into a vein and aspirating to prevent it and that avoids both. Needles, syringes, alchohol pads, and even the sharps box are all usually fairly cheap typically a months worth of that stuff runs me under 20$ even including the box that lasts a lot longer than a month. There are a ton more effects, usually within the first three months you'll see voice changes, an increased sweating with some scent change, skin oiliness, energy, hunger, libido, likelihood for vaginal dryness, the beginning of bottom growth, and your existing body hair may begin growing in a bit darker. On top of that because of the libido change you may have some changes in the way your sexuality presents/how you view your sexuality and you may also lose the ability to cry, or at least produce tears, as much as you can currently. You have a high potential to stop menstruating starting during this period but some do not stop or still have spotting even a couple of years into testosterone, this may also increase your risk for ovarian cysts. I cannot stress enough how hungry you'll get, in my household we call it testosterone hunger and it usually causes us eat like twice our body weight in protein so really make sure you're stocked up on your favourite high protein foods during this stage. Other than that my only advice for this stage is to adjust your shower schedule to accommodate how much more sweat and oil you produce especially if you start during or right before the summer, I personally intentionally started in fall for this reason. Around 3-6 months you'll see body fat redistribution, muscle mass and strength increases especially if you exercise as much as you can, bone density increases, maybe some height growth at your age if your plates havent fused yet, body hair growth, and I personally noticed an increase in earwax production around this period. 6-12+ months you should see facial hair growth, potential male pattern balding, and eventual Adam's apple growth but that frequently takes a few years. Because AMAB and AFAB people frequently have different likelihoods and signs for a variety of conditions like heart attack, stroke, and some genetic conditions, testosterone in AFAB people slightly increases the risk of stroke and iirc I believe pulmonary embolism and it can change the signs/symptoms of things like heart attacks from the female signs to male signs. Genetics play a lot into how testosterone effects you, this list is largely a guideline based on what is typically seen, some people on testosterone see changes at different times than what is listed or don't see some of these changes. For example I guy I knew started growing facial hair 2 weeks in, another guy I know has been on it as long as I have and hasn't grown a single hair. Similar thing happened to my cisgender brothers too, the older one started patchy facial hair at 12 and the younger one is currently a 26 year old with only peach fuzz. Also keep in mind that this guide is when these changes BEGIN they will keep changing and when they end is up to your body and genetics, even I'm still getting bottom growth, body hair, facial hair, and I've barely started Adam's apple growth so don't freak out if you feel like it's not happening fast enough. (For anyone else if I've missed anything feel free to add it)

    • Maclir

      647d

      What kind of testosterone did you get, and how much did it cost? I'm an 18 year old transmasc desperately trying to save to afford it, and the cheapest I could find is $40 for injectable T. I don't know how much that'll cost in the long run tho with the cost of needles and whatnot, and I dont know where to go to find this info- even if you weren't on the injectable stuff, any guidance on the cost would be much appreciated. Also, what side effects come from T aside from the obvious vocal drop? I've heard about fat redistribution but that's about all I know about T

      • AnimalBoy

        647d

        @Maclir sorry I forgot to tag you in my reply

    • IndigoBro

      663d

      Do u need to get a hysterectomy to have bottom surgery

      • AnimalBoy

        662d

        @IndigoBro not necessarily, however it is required if you get a vaginectomy specifically. If you do without a hysterectomy any menstruation post OP would become dangerous so it's generally required. You can on the other hand still get bottom surgery without getting a vaginectomy if that's something you're comfortable with.

      • vespera

        662d

        @IndigoBro it depends on what kind you get, I think? I'd look into Metoidioplasty. It's definitely not talked about enough and you CAN get a phalloplasty off a metoidioplasty if you decide it's not enough.

    • Zacharyy

      663d

      hellooo, ftm age 18 here. i have desperately wanted to be on t since i was 13, but im scraping up money to move out right now. do you have any advice for starting t?

      • AnimalBoy

        663d

        @Zacharyy If you're in/moving to a place where you can go through planned parenthood you might be able to get a reduced cost. At the very least they work off the informed consent model so you shouldn't have to pay for a therapist if you can't afford it.

        • Zacharyy

          663d

          @AnimalBoy thank you :))

☝ This content is generated by our users and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision

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