Wow! What a difference a year makes!
I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated this page, but things have been going so well for my son since we met our new Endocrinologist, (we call him Dr. Matt) He reminds us of the 10th Dr. Who, and he's AMAZING.
So Dr. Matt did a thorough exam of my son (and used all the proper pronouns when addressing him) and deemed him ready for Testosterone. He has been taking injections now since October of last year. Yes, he does the injections himself, which I find very brave, but the only hiccup we've had is in getting the pharmacy to give us the right gauge of needles. It's a tricky scenario...the needles for injection are too thin to draw the thick fluid from the vial, so he has to use a large gauge needle (18) to draw the fluid, and then switch to a smaller gauge (22) for the injection. And they should both be 1.5 inch, which they very seldom are, and if they're too short, the T just squirts back out...ew.
BUT, we found that switching pharmacies was just as helpful as switching physicians, and CVS is now in charge of our needle prescriptions. Thank you CVS! (note that the syringes are covered by our insurance, but the testosterone is not, that cost is about $100 for a six month supply) *Edit! Our Endo was kind enough to break up the prescriptions into smaller amounts, so we now get two 3ml vials every two months with a cost of $25. That is a BIG help, and since it seems, over time that the injections can be done every two weeks, its a huge savings.*
So that's the general gist of what's happened over the past year, as far as mundane things.
NOW, I want to share with you a parent's perspective on the effects of hormone therapy on your child. Be prepared, because everyone is different, but my son changed almost over night after beginning Testosterone therapy. He is keeping a video blog, and it's amazing how his voice even changed in just a few months. He now has a regular mustache, which he shaves (that was fun, picking out razors!) but somehow at least a third of the general public either mistake him for a female. This I don't understand because his legs are as hairy as a gorilla....*sigh*
So we ignore people who don't understand, and continue to love the people who do. Aside from the voice change, and body hair, he's really begun to change shape, as well. His shoulders are a bit bulkier, and his weight around the butt has moved up a bit (I like to joke he has a beer belly). At 19, he looks rather like a 15 yr. old boy, but he's always been very young looking, which I attribute to great genes.
The bottom line is, I have a MUCH happier child, who's still learning to deal with life as a 'different' gender, but all in all I think it was the best thing I could have ever done, to support him and help him be the person he truly wants to be. Isn't that really what our job is all about?
Love to all,
Lee
