Testosterone side effects after 14 years - thoughtful heartbreaking videos by a transman coming off T

[frazzled1]

Came across this on Posie's facebook. Should be shared widely, thoughtful insights into effects of taking T long term.

Wheston Chancellor Grove is a 34 yo transman whose advice in a nutshell is to pause and face your own demons before embarking on cross sex hormones. Wheston is 6 weeks into stopping T after 14 years on it, having transitioned aged 20 ('I transitioned when I was very young', 'I was tired of stabbing myself in the ass' injecting T daily).

Wheston speaks of fatigue coming off T and malaise and hair loss on it ('Not if but when you will lose your hair', 'I had beautiful hair', 'You're about to see the crows nest'.) Wheston feels better 'down there' as the drying effect of T has stopped - they dread periods returning though.

In one of the other videos Wheston's sister has to scrub away the dead skin due to binding before 'top' surgery as Wheston cannot bear to look at their own body.

We hear so little of the long term effect of cross sex hormones. Don't suppose Mermaids will be including the issues Wheston raises in their training......

I think prior to transition many girls try to model themselves on the young, recently transitioned transmen on youtube, who even I agree are good looking in a boy band type way. I wish more would look further ahead at the anecdotal evidence that as they age they will become a short, bald, prematurely aged, awkward looking transman.

I dread watching this but will force myself to - better to know the reality.

Fuck

Very honest, and interesting. The harsh reality of T is not great....I hope this person finds happiness & comfort.

I watched this and wanted to give Wheaton a hug. It's heartbreaking

That's really sad.
I can't imagine what future for someone who has made these irreversible changes.
Also worrying to consider the risk to a female reproductive system of 14 years on testosterone. I hope they get a comprehensive health check for the sake of their uterus.

Every time we kindly go along with the idea that some people are truly trans, there will be vulnerable individuals who believe it and embark upon this.

This person comments that they are not detransitioning, just coming off T. But the signs suggest they are beginning to come to terms with their female body and appreciate it, and also profoundly regret some of the testosterone changes.
If they do detransition I sincerely hope there is real support for them.

That was very interesting. I hope Wheston is able to be at peace.

A mum posted in Facebook group I'm a member of about how excited she was because her "son" has finally been prescribed testosterone. Her words: "Now he can grow up into the man he was always meant to be." Where to start with that? I very much doubt they'd want to see a video like this one but without that how can any doctor prescribing these meds claim their patient (soon to be lifelong patient) is making an informed decision? I think there'd be more concerns raised if they had been prescribed a daily dose of Haribo for the rest of their lives!

If it's just the mum and not the child that's on Facebook, could you not just link to the YouTube video, NameChangeForTheNewYear? Because if you know the dangers and she doesn't it almost seems unkind not to warn her. So often it's clear that parents aren't being told the truth about child transition. The information put out by Mermaids is totally unreliable.

He looks like a relative of mine: the same premature ageing. Such a shame that T makes you look elderly when you're still so young. Heartbreaking.

Very calmly, unsensationally and articulately expressed, this is someone well worth watching. It was hard to hear that the worst part of dreading the return of periods is the memory of the pain and cramps suffered in the teens before transition - makes me wonder if as a teenager they had been properly treated and supported for that pain which the medical profession are so dismissive of, would they have been better able to tolerate their female body. Thank you for sharing these.

Yes I was struck by the comments about periods too - no one needs to suffer like that and I wonder if they were told it’s normal to have so much pain
I agree it’s an important watch for anyone considering taking cross sex hormones and kudos to them for making it.

Bloody hell. Very moving.