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@askatruscum / askatruscum.tumblr.com

Knowledge for trans people, informed by science. No bullshit.

It’s been good, but this is the end.

When I started this blog, I was a 17 year old hard-headed kid who thought he had all the answers. Now, I am almost 23, have a real career, and have grown into a man who has certainly been humbled since then. Looking back, I have learned so much since the beginning I don’t think my 17 year old self that started this blog would even recognize myself now. 

I simply do not have the time or energy to maintain the steady stream of questions this blog always gets. I have a life now, and 70+ hours of work every week. Most of the questions I have gotten in the past few years ask the same questions (and usually require an answer that only the asker himself can provide). And I believe I’ve squeezed out all the insights about transmedicalism I can muster. 

Thank you everyone who has followed this blog and have participated in asking questions, giving advice, or just read it. It has been of great benefit to me to have a place in which to bounce my ideas off of others and to share what I know.

I will close the ask box, but leave the blog up so others may benefit.  

Anonymous asked:

So ive read posts about how trans womens orgasms change b4 and after E. Ftm and i noticed that my current, pre T orgasms actually seem pretty similar to what is described as the male prgasm. Of course sometimes not, and i can sometimes get one more like whats described as a typical female orgasm, depending on a really specific stimulation, but still. Has anyone else had something similar?

Personally I think it’s more of an “in your head” thing. You can convince yourself in the heat of the moment that you have a penis and can feel like you have one. 

Anonymous asked:

Is it bad for me to feel legitimately disgusted when I see a pre-op trans man’s genitals? They remind me that men with vaginas exist and it makes me panic and feel really depressed since genital dysphoria is a major source of my trauma. I don’t think that it’ll change after bottom surgery either cause I’ll still remember that I used to be like that.

As long as you aren’t telling that person that you think their genitals are disgusting, it really doesn’t matter. Just don’t look at it. 

Anonymous asked:

*URGENT* I think my ribcage is starting to be warped from binding?! I have a gc2b, I don't usually bind for that long, I don't know what I'm doing wrong! Is there anything I can do to fix it??

Take it off. 

Your ribcage is probably not warped. You are probably just experiencing some pain. It takes a really long time with unsafe binding for your ribcage to become warped. 

-Henry

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Out of curiosity how does ribcage warping present itself? I have one or two ribs (on one side) that are pushed out further than the rest and my partner says it looks like my spine sways a little that direction. I’m obviously going to see a doctor about it but I always attributed it to binding

My ribcage is warped because unsafe binding broke a couple ribs, and they never got a chance to heal right. That’s usually the most common way it happens. 

Because a good binder will distribute pressure evenly, you shouldn’t be having warping. It could pronounce curvature that you already have though. 

-H

How do I know if a binder is good quality or not?

Really by testing it. Not all binders work for everyone’s body type. I’ve been using underworks long tritops for 7 years. I’ve tested the shorter tritops, I’ve worn ace bandages (back in the beginning), i’ve worn cheap chinese binders, etc. The only one that doesn’t start hurting within a few hours is the underworks long tritop. That’s what works for me. A lot of people rave about the GC2B binders, but that one actually hurt the most for me. 

You really just gotta try it out and see how long you can comfortably be in it. When it starts hurting or feels too tight, that’s when its time to take it off. 

Anonymous asked:

I want to come out to my parents as ftm, and I know they're supportive of the L,G, and B in LGBT but I dont know if they're supportive of trans people. Added on, I'm pretty young too.

worrying about the discussion doesn’t improve your situation much. you probably wont get an answer on how they feel about it unless you ask 

Anonymous asked:

Do you know when increased appetite from testosterone could start? I only started four days ago but I seem to want to eat everything in sight and I'd think that it'd take longer.

no that's usually the first thing you will notice. itll typically happen a day or two after your first shot

Anonymous asked:

Has anybody gotten their period back after 2+ years of being on T? I've had my T levels checked, and they came back in normal range. Anybody with experience or info willing to share?

Hmmm... that really shouldn’t be happening. I did have my period return after going off t for a while, but it stopped when i went back on. I would suggest talking to your doc. 

Anonymous asked:

Is it unusual or not that I’m more comfortable being feminine around people who know I’m ftm, even if we’re with other people as well? For example me and one of my friends always paint eachother’s nails when he visits, and idk I almost feel it might be like “oh well HE’S a dude and his nails are painted” so I feel better doing it, or maybe it’s just because I’m out to him. Is that normal, or at least not unheard of as far as you’re aware?

Sounds a lot like the negative effects of ‘passing culture’ as i like to call it. There’s a pretty large portion of ftms who are very afraid to do anything feminine in case they are ‘found out’. 

Anonymous asked:

some things like my chest, some parts of my body, etc can bother me/feel disconnected even when im alone, but i dont know if id ever consider getting bottom surgery bc i feel like having it wouldnt really help me feel better physically, just in social settings, so id probably consider using a packer instead if needed. do you think medical transition is an all in type of thing? maybe bc my chest feels like something i can get rid of, but i dont miss having a penis since ive never had one?

I believe you should do the least amount of change to your body that is necessary. If you don’t feel you need bottom surgery, then don’t get it. Not actually that many trans guys do. It’s something like 2/3rds don’t. That may change as the technology changes but for now it seems like most get by without it. 

I judge whether or not a medical change is necessary by how much the dysphoria disrupts your life. If you can’t stop thinking about it, if you are so uncomfortable you don’t go outside... things like that. 

Anonymous asked:

I think i might be ftm, but sometimes it feels a little good to be seen as a girl. I think its bc im not a huge fan of masculinity. Sometimes i want to be a girl but i notice that a lot of times this actually seems to because i saw a girl who i thinks is really cool looking and its less i wanna be female and more i wanna wear that dope ass hello kitty sweater. Idk tho. Its weird. Its confusing.

I can understand that. I think it’s a part of being trans that not many people will admit to. You will always have some part of your head that has been socialized to believe you are female (or male depending). There will be things you think that aren’t like other men or women. Things you relate to that other people can’t. 

Anonymous asked:

Could someone be a trans man while enjoying a more androgynous look? I dont mean androgynous as in a woman with masculine style type look either. That's someone who u can tell is still a woman. I mean like, the ambiguity, and the people not always being able to tell type androgynous.

I don’t believe that people’s fashion choices are why they are trans, but rather whether or not they have dysphoria. If this hypothetical person has dysphoria, then they are trans. 

Anonymous asked:

Although I experience intense dysphoria and have always felt disconnected from womanhood, I kind of feel sad when I think about how I‘m probably a guy. When I thought I was a girl, I used to be super into feminism and having a “men are trash” mentality. Now thinking about how I’m trans freaks me out, because I fear I am becoming the enemy if that makes sense. I know that men don’t have to all be abusers or toxic or bad people, and most aren’t, right? I think social media has fucked me up.

yeah this seems to be becoming a common thread among ftms sadly. men have become a scapegoat for anything wrong in the world of women. afraid to walk at night? men's fault. hate your body? men's fault. not getting paid enough? men's fault. shitty laws about women's health? men's fault.

what this does is ignore two crucial facts. 1. women are often some of the biggest sexists. 2. most men are good people trying to do the right thing.

I would really encourage you to spend time with only men. men behave differently when it's just men they trust and when women are around. we are more honest and will express vulnerability in ways you would not expect.

Anonymous asked:

Has anyone else ever felt like their body is a costume (like what comes to mind is a big silicone body suit?) that's over the real body?

yeah I've experienced that. like I could zip off my chest and have my real chest underneath

Thanks @shartpc for this video suggestion. Thought it would be helpful to others

Anonymous asked:

Hey what are the pros and cons to starting T on a lower dose? Also how to avoid the ‘t’ voice some dudes get (scratchy, whiny)

The only reason I can see why someone would want to go on a lower dose is if they are afraid that they will not be happy with the changes of testosterone because they will happen slower. Which I think is dumb because I think you need to be absolutely sure before you start at all. Personally I started on a full dose and it's never changed and I've been perfectly happy with it.

I know what kind of voice you're talking about but I think it's mostly just how people talk. You can't really change your vocal range, but you can change your tone. I think a lot of trans guys use the higher end of their range when talking because that's what they are used to.

Anonymous asked:

I'm almost 21 and a year on T now. And while I'm happy I'm closer to where I want to be, lately I've been so pissed at myself for not coming out to my parents sooner. I did once in middle school but they reacted horribly, so I thought it would be the same but was so much better actually. I keep beating myself up over the fact that maybe if I had started hormones a year or two earlier than I did I would be much happier right now and look more like a man and not a teen, I have no facial hair (1).

(2)How do I come to terms with the fact that I started much later than I should have. The two years before I started hormones were the worst dysphoria wise for me. How do I accept the fact that I am basically going to spend college not stealth and looking like a child. I can't stop being mad that I even allowed myself to not stand up for myself to my parents and taking action earlier, I'm not even happy at my changes cause I feel like they should have happen 2 years ago already (sorry for ramble)

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I think it's easy but worthless to look back at your life and say how great it would have been if you had made different choices. It is harder and much more helpful to look to the future and take responsibility for your choices now. You cannot change the past, but you can change your future. If you feel like a child, then act like a man.

Anonymous asked:

Can it happen that just coming out and having people call me right makes Dysphoria better? Becaus since I've come out its not nearly as bad as it used to be.

well when you start to transition, even socially it will help

Anonymous asked:

"In NYC you can be fined up to $125,000 for refusing to use the proclaimed pronouns of anyone" This only applies to employers and business owners, you disingenuous hack, and the example used in law uses "her" for a trans woman -- I guarantee you that legislators do not know or care about children making up pronouns. Further, you linked to an op-ed by someone who actually whines about not misgendering trans people. Just admit you're a closet anti-SJer.

I don't know how you could look at this blog and think I'm a closet anti-SJer when I'm very vocal about the fact that I don't support the Marxist Left which you call "social justice". You tried to insult me by restating my position lol.

And no, NYC recognizes over thirty different gender identities and the law includes the use of ze/hir and others. It applies to landowners, employers, and business owners. Regardless of the parameters, whether it's binary individuals or bunselves, people you meet on the street, or your employers... no one should EVER be required to use only the words the government sanctions. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/transgender-pronouns-fine-nyc/

Anonymous asked:

I don't get your position that "Nonbinary isn't a legally recognized identity so you're going to have to pick one anyway, and in that case why bother". Since (A) Nonbinary HAS been legally recognized in Australia and in Oregon and there's no reason to just pessimistically assume it's going to be unrecognized forever, and (B) the same logic can be applied to binary trans people in many jurisdictions. "Sure, you SAY you're a man, but you'll always be female legally so why even bother?"

I'm the previous anon who just sent you an ask about the legality of nonbinary identification, and I want to apologize for some misinformation. Actually, it turns out that "non-binary", "other", and "undetermined" are valid classifications in not only Oregon and Australia, but also California, New York, Ontario, Northwest Territories, New Zealand, and maybe Germany but there have been challenges there apparently? Anyway, there isn't "no point" to IDing as non-binary so long as one has dysphoria.

My argument is not about the legality of whether or not you can ID as nonbinary. It’s more about the society in which we live. Are some states/countries/territories recognizing nonbinary as a gender? Yes. Does that matter to the majority of society? No. 

There has always been two genders in every society. There have been extremely few exceptions and they are not westernized. In the West everyone you personally meet on a day to day basis is going to assume you are one or the other. You can spend your days arguing with these people and telling them you aren’t either, or you can choose which one you are going to present as socially. I personally wouldn’t want to have to explain myself to every new person I meet. And THEN not only explain it, but likely have to convince them of it, have a full conversation about it, and then likely end up in an argument with a fair few. 

Now you could argue that this is something that can change and that eventually you won’t have to explain it. And that’s a fair point, but the direction in which we are heading is a ridiculous and horrifying one. 

Take the city of New York. In NYC you can be fined up to $125,000 for refusing to use the proclaimed pronouns of anyone. It is literally against the law to not call someone “zir” or “bunnyself” or whatever the hell else they want you to call them. This is in a country claiming freedom of speech for everyone. I personally find it abhorrent. Here is the link. 

That was a bit of a bunny trail, but I hope my point was made. Just because it is law does not make it right. Many of the most horrible atrocities of history were done in the name of the law. 

Anonymous asked:

Has anybody cut off a binder (gc2b) from the bottom because it's too long? Suggestions? I'm short haha

I cut the one gc2b binder up the sides a bit, but I really didn’t like them. I’ve been wearing underworks for years and they work a lot better for me.