I Like This Doctor

[Guest Melisa]

I was seeing this doctot when I intially started to enquire about a gender terapists and so fourth. Anyway, this doctor told me that I would have to quit smoking before she would start perscribing me hormones or giving me injections of them which is how she put it as I remember. However, I switched doctors because I just didn't feel comfortable with that doctor; it was'nt cause she told me I had to quite smoking before she would do anything, it's just that I really didn't care for her. This doctor that I'm seeing now agreed to write me scrips, and work with me as long as the endrocinologist told her exactly what to perscribe and so fourth because she had never worked with with a trasitioning person before, She said she has tansgender patients, but they had gone through transitioning before they came to her. Anyway with this other doctor there's no mention of quitting smoking, I was wondering should I quite smoking before I see the endrocinologist so there's no delay, in that he would tell me to quit smoking anyway, and refuse to see me until I do. I'm just asking because it's a big deal to me, I mean I've been smoking for 28-years and it won't be easy.

Melisa

[Guest Charlene_Leona]

Well the thing is with estrogen and smoking your taking a real big chance of deep vein thrombosis, which could travel to your heart or lungs that could stroke you out and kill you. It's really a great idea to quit anyway and if you look at it this way, your stating a new life as the girl you always knew you were why not start that new life out without cigarettes. I never did smoke but my endo still checks me every time to see if I have started smoking. Another thing to think about is most SRS surgeons will not operate on a smoke and if you are they ask you to stop several months before and while you are healing to speed up the healing process.

Why not take care of yourself?

Charlene Leona

[Paula ult]

In addition to what Charlene said about DVT, smoking reduces the effects of the estrogen so you may not get as good of development if you are smoking, that alone should be enough to make you want to stop.

Paula

[Guest yvonne]

Dear Melisa,

I've smoked 2 packs a day for over 40 years and my wife smokes more. My former Dr. was on me to quit and I've tried about every method there is, to no avail. I've never been able to make it until noon the first day without a cigarette. I'm a hopeless addict. Never once have I ever gone 5 waking hours without a smoke.

When our area passed a smoking ban in restaurants, we quit going out to eat. When we needed to host an event, we found a place an hour's drive away so we could smoke during it.

The biggest problem I've had was that when I was trying to quit, I'd come home to a house full of smoke and I just couldn't do it.

In the last few months, I bought patches to have another go at it. It wasn't working too well. I went on a long business trip and told myself that I'd use that opportunity to quit. That didn't work, either.

I finally found a therapist while on the trip and did the phone interview on my cell phone and set an appointment with her to start therapy. My purpose in going to the therapist was to go through the steps to get my letter for HRT and my transition. I already knew I was GID. I also knew that smoking is a huge risk increase during HRT and that most Doctors won't prescribe hormones for smokers, due to the risk of blood clots and DVTs.

That evening, I knew I had to decide on smoking or transitioning. I told myself that if I kept smoking, I'd have to stay a man and couldn't let the girl out--there'd be no hormones. I decided that the next morning, I'd be a non-smoker for the first time in my life. I decided that the pain of being a man was greater than the pain of quitting.

I'm in the process of therapy with my GT and now have my letter and an appt. with a new Doctor for HRT. I'm a girl.

My wife still smokes and I haven't told anyone about my decision, except my GT. I hate reformed smokers....

I guess you'll have to decide for yourself, how bad do you want to be a girl?

Yvonne

[Guest Melisa]

In addition to what Charlene said about DVT, smoking reduces the effects of the estrogen so you may not get as good of development if you are smoking, that alone should be enough to make you want to stop.

Paula

I didn't know that. Yes that fact would definitely make me want to stop.

Melisa

[Guest SusanKG]

Melisa, and others,

I am not usually much of a preacher, if you do something, whether it's alcohol, stupid sex, or smoking, the only way I get involved is if it gets in my face. I have made a major pest of myself when it's my air being polluted. And that includes public spaces. That said, I also understand the problems quiting smoking; I stopped in the 70s, and quit alcohol in the 80s. The sex life never got real stupid, so I didn't have that to throw overboard. My choices. In the USA, it is your choice. BUT, if you feel you are a girl, if you feel you must do something about that, if anything like smoking gets in the way, it is your choice! And one thing more; all statistics not cooked up by the tobacco industry show that average life spans increase five or more years after just a few years since stopping smoking. If you are going to be Melisa, how important is that five years?

Love always,

SusanKG

[Guest viv]

Hi Melisa,

In my opinion there are two component parts to cigarettes. First, the part where you

are literally blowing your hard earned bucks up into the air.

Second, well, this is the really bad news hun, they dont just kill you , they kill you bad!!!, I love

all my sisters AND brothers here in Laura"s , but,, I aint going to apologise for this. I have seen

family members die from this addiction, they died of lung cancer . An aunt of mine LITERALLY

died screaming . Cigarettes make you stink to high Heaven/your cloths/breath/hair, nothing

escapes . Amputations, yes!!!, lower limb amputations are very common in smokers, nicotine

*lodges* in the arteries of say your legs which deprives same of oxygen and they start to ROT,

yes, ROT. I was always a bit of a rebel,,,,do you know there are hundreds of chemicals in

cigarettes which turn you into a nicotine addict, the parasites who make these killer sticks actually

add CHEMICALS , well the rebel in this dame says NO,NEVER.

Now,,,,I have to admit,,I am an ex smoker . Some of you may say who the heck are you to vent

re smoking. Well, this gives me the right,,,I know all about the horrible coughs (gone now) , I know

about the expense and the addiction and the stink and the worry, (worry makes us light up more)

I have probably upset some of the people here I would give my kidneys to , I can NOT say sorry.

If you smoke please stop , it really is never too late as you start to heal immediately !!!!

My younger sisters, I am an ex smoker. The difference in how I feel now is amazing, but you know

what???theres nothing amazing about normality. What I am saying is,,,I had to poison myself for

years to make myself feel like death warmed up ,,,not smoking is NORMAL,,get it folks????.

So please , I beg you , DONT SMOKE!!!EVER!!!. When it comes to hrt not working as well with

smokers,,,I did not know that, more reason to quit or not start. viv.