So, I have shared on these boards that my son came out as trans a couple days before starting high school in the fall of 2019. It’s take a while to get my head around to it, and to get my estranged wife around to it, both of us parental units have signed the consent form to start testosterone therapy. This afternoon, my son and I went to the gender clinic and he got trained on how to inject testosterone. Or in his words: “the man juice.”
The preferred spots are sub-cutaneous injections to the outer thigh, or either side of the belly button. Of course, his anxiety kicks in with all sorts of worst case scenarios. Dad left the room. Eventually, the really kind RN put the needle with test saline solution into his thigh, and kidlet pushed down the plunger and removed the needle.
Ok, just a few minutes ago, my son came and asked for help with the injection. After having had blood clots about 8 years ago, I have learned to give self injections into the stomach area. I don’t have a six pack and instead sport a Dad bod beer belly. Pretty easy for me to pinch part of my gut and slam in the needle.
Kidlet also does not have a 6 pack belly. So, I just sat him down in a chair, pinched a bit of gut, and plunged in the really thin, tiny, short needle. He then injected the man juice and pulled out the needle.
Thus starts a big step in the next phase of becoming himself.
Good work! First time is always the hardest, he’s very lucky to have you there for him.
Re the needle: I have a friend who was doing the belly shots daily for awhile some years back. She was slightly needle phobic and when I asked her about it she showed me the needles and I was surprised how small they were. Almost like when you used to prick your finger in school to test for blood type. Are his needles as small as that?
After explaining why I was giggling at breakfast, the peanut gallery informed me that some trans women refer to estrogen pills as “titty skittles.” And I giggled more.
Thanks all! Still had to help on injecting the man juice the second time. He knows, I know, we all know, it’s no big deal but anxiety and nervousness kicks in. When he gives up and asks for help, I’m all business and get it done in the minimal amount of time.
@mordecaiB It is a tiny needle. My son is fine filling up the proper amount, and he’s fine actually pushing down the plunger and pulling out the needle. It’s just that pyschological thing of jabbing in the needle. We will get there next week or at least pretty soon.
I have to say that you seem to be handling this whole thing exceptionally. Considering that for many families this turns out to be a catastrophe, it is nice to hear about one where things are turning out great.
Having MS and diabetes, I have no problems injecting myself. But I don’t think I could inject other people. Watching people inject themselves when I watched training videos after first getting DXd with MS made me squeamish.
Lots of ways to ‘take’ testosterone, transdermal among them. Varies according to precision of dosing needed, cost, etc. Same goes for estrogen for that matter. Hormones are interesting, that’s why there are endocrinologists. Thank goodness.
