Scared After Shot

[Guest Leah1026]

Always, always, always, aspirate. It was only because I was sure I had that I didn't think the testosterone went into a vein. (<--of course I wasn't "sure" about that till after I flipped out but thats cuz I'm a worrier. Ask Ainsley, he'll give you the rundown) Still I was concerned I did some kind of bad thing cuz it was a whole teaspoon of blood in like 3 seconds. NEVER seen that. I always worry if I even see more than a drop. (it's the next day and I'm givin myself the shakes rememberin it...oh geez)

I've been injecting for 5 years and I've had a bad stick like that about 3 times. It's just something that's going to happen on occasion. I will admit this though:

Since that first time I always take my underwear and socks off and stand on a disposable pad just in case. I'm not going to spoil any clothes or drip on the carpet again! And I also use LARGE band-aids... just in case.

T increases your red blood cells and raises your blood count.

True! This is one of the reasons that transsexual women who are athletes are on equal footing with other female athletes 2 years after SRS. Any extra lung capacity we may have is countered by the fact we have almost zero T in our bodies, whereas other women do have T in their systems.

[Guest StrandedOutThere]

I did my shot this morning. There was no hitting of veins, but I am pretty sure I hit a nerve on the way in. It was like tearing through a fleshy wall of pure, lightning bolt pain. OUCH! I think I ended up not poking the needle all the way in. It was a 1.25 inch, so a little less than a fourth of an inch was out. Anyway, there was no blood and I went for it. As long as I kept the needle still it didn't hurt. Still, it wasn't much fun. Every time I inject on my right leg something odd happens. I'm a leftie, so it is tough doing it with my nondominant hand. It always feels awkward.

So... OUCH!!

There wasn't any blood. If I lost a teaspoon of blood in 3 seconds, my calm would be seriously disturbed.

[Guest Tofi]

My god I am dreading having to inject myself, is tehre no way a nurse can do it?

[Guest leo]

clever clever ladies man!

[Guest StrandedOutThere]

My god I am dreading having to inject myself, is tehre no way a nurse can do it?

Sure. Some people go get nurses to do it. I didn't want to do that because it was a pain. I like to be independent. Also, a lot of doctor's offices won't help you inject out of a vial that's been opened, so you can only get help with the first shot.

I tried and tried (along with another transguy I know) to get the school clinic here to assist with shots. They wanted all kinds of ridiculous stuff, and then they said it was against their rules to use an open vial. It all boiled down to discrimination (because they'd help with asthma medicine or insulin), but it wasn't worth my time to take up that fight. I ended up getting someone to show me how to do the shot and going for it. It's not such a big deal. Stab and go!

[Guest Elizabeth K]

Donno

I got accustomed to it. I inject insulin all the time (4 a day) - and like everyone says, you will get some bad sticks. What I hate is you have to back out and find another spot! I don't mind the bloody ones, its the ones that accidently hit a bundle of nerves - zizzzzzt.

And at the hospital last Tuesday, I had an IV stick - never needed it - and when it pulled out - about a tablespoon of blood came out with it and dripped all over my clothing!! Then a good bit stayed UNDER the skin - yuuuuck - and they had pulled blood on me twice that night - auggggh a pint low! It was vein not arterial. It was burgandy, not bright red... it was messy!

It happens - you get accustomed... I guess. Part of life.

Lizzy

[Guest Evan_J]

My god I am dreading having to inject myself, is tehre no way a nurse can do it?

There is I've heard of nurses in clinics that prescribe willing to do em. I know a doc who prescribes and will let ya just come by and get a shot (you bring your stuff) for 15 bucks. The thing is once you start the treatment "every week" becomes "very frequent" in terms of wantin to drive by an office and pay a fee. And what will you do if you ever want to go on vacation? or out of town? It would be a very "unfamiliar" and nervousness inducing thing to suddenly have to do it and you haven't become practiced. It's not like we're talking about taking something for "just a little while" in your life.

[Guest Tofi]

Ahh thats true I guess I'll have to man up and do it myself. Sure its not as hard as it sounds!

[Guest CharliTo]

*hugs* :3

[Sally]

Ahh thats true I guess I'll have to man up and do it myself. Sure its not as hard as it sounds!

If Evan can do it with such a high success rate so can you.

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest Neuro]

[[[HUGS YOU]]] D8 D8 I'm no cute girl or anything, but FFFFFFFFFF that sounds scary!! D8 I hope you're OK, man!! D8 needles make me faint, I'm a baby too >________> danggg.

[Guest Tofi]

Will I need to take T for the rest of my life? I only ask as I will be alowed to join the armed forces as a post op trans guy but can't be on long term medication.

[Guest StrandedOutThere]

Will I need to take T for the rest of my life? I only ask as I will be alowed to join the armed forces as a post op trans guy but can't be on long term medication.

I think there's not a clear answer on that one. Yes and no.

There isn't clear scientific data on a lot of this stuff. What I can tell you is this:

1. You have to stay on T to maintain a male physique and muscle mass. If you go on T, you get stronger. If you go off, your muscles will return to "baseline". I'm thinking that being in the military as male would be difficult without T (assuming you were allowed to join as a man). If I am not mistaken, there are different physical performance standards for men vs. women in the military.

2. If you go off T, your period will probably come back unless you've had a hysterectomy.

3. If you've had a hysterectomy, you definitely need to be on T or E. You need one or the other in your system to be healthy. Otherwise you will have problems maintaining healthy bone density, muscle mass, etc... You also might feel pretty bad. Normal brain functioning requires one hormone or the other. There are definite mental/cognitive costs to being without T or E.

I'm not sure what the rules are for the military are in your country. I see you are in the UK. In the US, I am pretty sure you couldn't join as a man. They're still sketchy about allowing gay people in. Trans people are probably out of the question. The UK might be different.

To summarize, if you want to be in the military as a man, you probably have to stay on T.

In reality, hormones aren't really a drug in the same sense as antidepressants or blood pressure medication are. Hormones are like being on insulin for diabetes. It replaces something bodies normally make on their own. There are genetic men who have to take testosterone shots for the same reasons we do, because they don't make testosterone on their own. Maybe the military views hormone shots differently from other "long term medications".

[Guest Tofi]

I think there's not a clear answer on that one. Yes and no.

There isn't clear scientific data on a lot of this stuff. What I can tell you is this:

1. You have to stay on T to maintain a male physique and muscle mass. If you go on T, you get stronger. If you go off, your muscles will return to "baseline". I'm thinking that being in the military as male would be difficult without T (assuming you were allowed to join as a man). If I am not mistaken, there are different physical performance standards for men vs. women in the military.

2. If you go off T, your period will probably come back unless you've had a hysterectomy.

3. If you've had a hysterectomy, you definitely need to be on T or E. You need one or the other in your system to be healthy. Otherwise you will have problems maintaining healthy bone density, muscle mass, etc... You also might feel pretty bad. Normal brain functioning requires one hormone or the other. There are definite mental/cognitive costs to being without T or E.

I'm not sure what the rules are for the military are in your country. I see you are in the UK. In the US, I am pretty sure you couldn't join as a man. They're still sketchy about allowing gay people in. Trans people are probably out of the question. The UK might be different.

To summarize, if you want to be in the military as a man, you probably have to stay on T.

In reality, hormones aren't really a drug in the same sense as antidepressants or blood pressure medication are. Hormones are like being on insulin for diabetes. It replaces something bodies normally make on their own. There are genetic men who have to take testosterone shots for the same reasons we do, because they don't make testosterone on their own. Maybe the military views hormone shots differently from other "long term medications".

I hope so just had an online chat with the British Army careers guy and said I could join as a trans man but couldn't answer about T. Its not on the banned medical list but the I don't suspect they get many applications from trans guys. All I want to do is be part of the best armed force in the world and serve my country!

[Guest StrandedOutThere]

I hope so just had an online chat with the British Army careers guy and said I could join as a trans man but couldn't answer about T. Its not on the banned medical list but the I don't suspect they get many applications from trans guys. All I want to do is be part of the best armed force in the world and serve my country!

That's cool that you can join as a trans man. I think they'll let you have the T. You only have to take a shot every other week. There might even be options that last even longer. I've heard of a long acting kind that stays in your system for a month.

Man, the US has a long way to come. Seriously... We are lagging on the civil rights over here.

[Guest Tofi]

I hope so just had an online chat with the British Army careers guy and said I could join as a trans man but couldn't answer about T. Its not on the banned medical list but the I don't suspect they get many applications from trans guys. All I want to do is be part of the best armed force in the world and serve my country!

For a country that is counstanly going on about civil rightss you guys seem to have none! A bio man who is fit and healthly can't join the US forces if he only has one testi I mean what the hell has that got to do with anything?1 And since Clintons dont ask dont tell policy there has been active pursuing and dismising of lesbians, its a disgrace. You guys should worry less about if you can have guns or what not and think more about basic human rights. Makes me proud to be British.

[Guest StrandedOutThere]

For a country that is counstanly going on about civil rightss you guys seem to have none! A bio man who is fit and healthly can't join the US forces if he only has one testi I mean what the hell has that got to do with anything?1 And since Clintons dont ask dont tell policy there has been active pursuing and dismising of lesbians, its a disgrace. You guys should worry less about if you can have guns or what not and think more about basic human rights. Makes me proud to be British.

Yeah. I tend to agree with you.

Where'd you hear the thing about not being able to join if you have only one testicle? I wasn't aware. It seems like one can probably pick up the slack for the lost brother. I wonder if a person with 3 can join.

[Guest angie]

So do we sweety,

I am a research aholic and what I wrote is what I read.That's it.

Angie

[Guest Cody_T]

For a country that is counstanly going on about civil rightss you guys seem to have none! A bio man who is fit and healthly can't join the US forces if he only has one testi I mean what the hell has that got to do with anything?1 And since Clintons dont ask dont tell policy there has been active pursuing and dismising of lesbians, its a disgrace. You guys should worry less about if you can have guns or what not and think more about basic human rights. Makes me proud to be British.

well they're only not allowed based on unexplained absence of a testicle

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthem...a/genitalia.htm

and I'd hope anyone missing their testicle would happen know how this occurred.

p.s. we're a psychosexual condition! http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinf...yschosexual.htm

The problem with the US is that it's controlled by very puritanical (not the right word but you know what I mean) religious elite that is very obsessed with moral standards (as applied to certain groups, at least). Civil rights is the underdog in a christian society. Ironic, isn't it?

[Guest StrandedOutThere]

Yes, I'd hope they'd know where the testicle had gone. If the missing testicle was campaigning for gay rights, they wouldn't want the other testicle making trouble in the US military!!

OMG, that stuff is ridiculous. A dude that can't pee standing because his penis was amputated can't serve in the military? What ridiculousness! Puritans, indeed...

At least we transmen can't ever be drafted.

[Guest Tofi]

I read the testicule thing in a LGBT report that was writen by the Britsh armed forces to basicly show how much more 'advanced' we are in regards to equlity. I tend to think the chriatian moral guardians tend not to be very christian at all!

[Guest Zabrak]

Thats really weird; My doctor never taught me the draw back thing. Although I've never had any problem with lots of blood. The only issue I've had before is a little bit of T coming back out.

Note to self...another thing to talk to my endocrinologist about.