General update

I have been meaning to write a general update lately as people continue to ask how I am feeling physically. Being as it is the end of July (almost, HOLY CRAP!) that means I have been on testosterone for almost all of 7 months. The time is flying by so fast. My voice has dropped dramatically since January, and whether it continues to or not I am not sure since I didn't do voice recordings. After six months on what is generally considered a "full dose" or 1.0 ML every two weeks, my doctor lowered my dose to .75 ML every two weeks. After a certain point it builds up in a person's system and then offers no more effects and the liver filters it out. Since I was above that number a little he dropped it down. I have had two shots since then and everything feels the same. My acne has gotten a little worse again but who knows what that is attributed to. I had it under control and then switched face washes so I might just have to go back to what I was using before. As I have been working on keeping my acne under control I have noticed more blackheads on my jaw line where one would normally have facial hair and or sideburns. Then I realized that no it was actually hair growing! This is a huge, exciting thing because up until now I have had an abundance of hair that grows on my chin, neck and under my jaw but very little actually on my face. It also seems to be growing in faster than before. Before I was shaving every 2 days and that was okay but kind of annoying by the 2nd day. Now every morning it is annoying enough to shave, not a beard by any means but defiantly scruffy. I am excited to have more even facial hair growth, then I might let it go longer. Shaving one's face every day can get annoying.

It has been almost 5 months since I have had my top surgery, if I wasn't feeling so tired and lazy I would stand up and take a picture but that will have to wait. The scars are healing really well, and I am even getting some chest hair now. Thankfully not a lot as I was not particularly excited to get any but I can live with it. I still have limited feeling in some places, and not much feeling in my nipples still. I am hopeful though that since I have a small amount I may get some back. I feel uncomfortable having my chest touched by anyone, and in the middle of my chest where the incision's met can still be rather tender at times. I think that is still small amounts of swelling but I could be wrong. Over all I am very happy and look forward to continued healing and the return of more feeling. Also next summer I can go outside without a shirt one and be in the sun. This summer (on the very few sunny, warm days so far) I have laid outside and studied in just my shorts and it has felt amazing. I just make sure to take my shirt off when I get out there and lay on my stomach. I am also sleeping just in my boxers and it is an awesome feeling.

My hairline has noticeably changed just in the last two months. It is much more of a male hairline than before. I am also getting a lot of gray hairs, but I suspect that is just normal life bringing that on as it was already happening before "T". I am fortunate that I am not balding, thinning or anything of that nature. I happen to like my hair.

My sex drive has finally started to even itself out. For a while there I felt like a 15 year old boy, which is really all that needs to be said for you to get the picture. Now I feel much more in balance most of the time. I am learning how to better cope and manage those new feelings or thoughts that just weren't there as much or as invasive as before. Also how to not just think about sex 99% of the day (okay maybe a bit of an overstatement but it felt like A LOT no matter what I did).

I have legally changed my name and my gender marker now in the state of Washington which means my license now has my new name and gender on it. I have changed my name with the Social Security Department but not my gender although I have the letter and just need to get down there to do it. I have not gotten around to getting other documents changed in terms of my gender but my name is changed on everything at this point (or hopefully is).

So that is the general overview of how things are going. Check back in the next few days for another post about fun things happening on the home front.

P.S On one VERY HAPPY NOTE....September 20th 2011 and Don't Ask Don't Tell will forever be gone! Today is a happy day, a day to celebrate and one step closer to full equality for all.