The "Dialing-In" Blues

[HouKN98]

That's actually one of the reasons that I started the site and the forum, i.e. in the hopes of jumpstarting guys so they wouldn't have to go through what I went through (or at least for not as long)...

After 2 months on being on this forum, consider me jumpstarted!  I've wasted almost 3 years with ineffective TRT gels and creams and at the same time trying to stay within my insurance network.  Kicking myself for that.

[PeakT]

That's actually one of the reasons that I started the site and the forum, i.e. in the hopes of jumpstarting guys so they wouldn't have to go through what I went through (or at least for not as long)...

After 2 months on being on this forum, consider me jumpstarted!  I've wasted almost 3 years with ineffective TRT gels and creams and at the same time trying to stay within my insurance network.  Kicking myself for that.

In general, it's good to get into the system.  Sometimes you can stay with one thing too long tho...

[Sam Duxbury]

QUOTE: [HouKN98: After 2 months on being on this forum, consider me jumpstarted!  I've wasted almost 3 years with ineffective TRT gels and creams and at the same time trying to stay within
my insurance network.  Kicking myself for that.]

Good Morning, HouKN98,

Yes, it is a total 'lottery event' trying to find doctors who will treat "The You" and not some "least common denominator", Bell Curve patient population with which they are
comfortable doing 'recipe treatment of symptoms'.

Took me over 5 years of different doctors before I found my current A-Team. My TRT doctor is a trained specialist in SottoPelle HRT, and has me on self-injection hCG
and oral Letrozole. For the last three and 1/2 years my T has been steady at 1,050 to 1,150 pg/nL, and we finally got my E2 controlled to 20 - 25 pg/mL.

My urologist is an A-class guy, understands and supports what I want, keeps track of my urological health, and he was the first doctor to recognize my original problems and got that
treated by a specialist, and then keeps me on-track with my ED med vardenafil. My last check-up mid-November was trouble free, he was amazed at my physical condition (lean
muscle mass) and my sex life with my lover. He wishes the rest of his male mid-60's patients were as driven and healthy as I am.
 
My morning erections are daily, hard and reliable. On the weekends my lover and I have our private time together, and we try to have at least one booty call per week.

Now, I am not pissing and moaning here, but I have to tell you to be prepared to pay a LOT of $$$ for stuff that your medical insurance will not cover. My insurance
will pay for the LabCorp tests, and the aromatase inhibitor. BUT, the office visits, office pellet insert procedure, the compounded pellets, and inj hCG and needles are all
my out-of-pocket expenses.

Right now that comes to about $3,200 per year, no help from my insurance. They are basically droning the Greek Chorus of the AMA and FDA regarding the futility and unproven
value, and potential outright hazards to health that HRT is.

OK, so I'll get off my soap box. All I can advise is to stick with the doctors you have a gut feeling to trust, and then live The T Program to get "Your Man On". It'll be a long journey
but the results are awesomely worth it.

Hope Y'All have a good day out there! Plan something FUN this weekend ! LIVE !!!

Cheers, and lovin' it down hee-ah in Flah-ridder. - Sam D.

[PeakT]

For the last three and 1/2 years my T has been steady at 1,050 to 1,150 pg/nL, and we finally got my E2 controlled to 20 - 25 pg/mL.

You're talking peak here with the pellets, right?

[Osprey]

 For the last three and 1/2 years my T has been steady at 1,050 to 1,150 pg/nL, and we finally got my E2 controlled to 20 - 25 pg/mL.

       

Just curious, how is your hematocrit at that level?

Anytime I get close to 700 my hematocrit goes over range.

[Sam Duxbury]

Hi Folks!

Just checking the post, after lunch break. Thank you for the questions, guys!

Qu: PeakT:...You're talking peak here with the pellets, right?

Sam: Well, not quite, this last value is from the (25 June 2014) blood work done at 10 weeks post insert. By the 24 week point or thereabouts, blood work shows the Free T value has sloped
down to about, oh, 750 pg/mL. Yeah, I really have to update the numbers in my Signature Block.

I'm working from memory here on earlier years blood numbers, but the couple of times in the beginning, I had blood drawn within 2 to 3 weeks after the pellet insert, Free T was
already sitting nicely around 1,050 to 1,150 pg/mL. The 'spike' you would expect wasn't there. So, my TRT doctor said we can go to 12 week and 24 week blood work.

I cannot explain it, but I suspect that the very slow leaching and entrant effect of the pellet chemicals from the adipose tissue into the blood capillary system mitigates against a significant spike.

Qu: OSPREY: Just curious, how is your hematocrit at that level?

Sam: Again, I am working from memory, I don't remember the HC number, but all my blood tests have come back mid-range or a little higher, and my Doctor and I weren't concerned
with "the Number". I'll post it here when I get to my labs paperwork.

And, I shall repeat again, as Mr. PeakT has said, everybody is going to have a different matrix of numbers in the beginning, while you are fighting to regain Inner Balance, and when
you finally have it 'dialed-in' and are enjoying your masculinity and health again. (Yes, happened to me, even at my doddering, decrepit, falling-apart old age...)

Y'All have a good day! Do something FUN this weekend.

Cheers! - Sam D.

[PeakT]

Sam:  Didn't mean that it would spike really.  But it will ramp up and down with pellets, so just wondering about your doc's targets.

[Sam Duxbury]

 For the last three and 1/2 years my T has been steady at 1,050 to 1,150 pg/nL, and we finally got my E2 controlled to 20 - 25 pg/mL.

       
Just curious, how is your hematocrit at that level?

Anytime I get close to 700 my hematocrit goes over range.

Hi Mr. Osprey,
 
I found the blood lab results I needed, and here are the numbers:

For the one year period ending October 2013 (I received new pellets then),
October 2013 blood work:
Red Blood Cell count = 4.81 million/microLiter     of range 4.20 to 5.80 Million/microLiter
Hemoglobin  = 15.3 grams/deciLiter                    of range 13.2 to 17.1 gtrams/deciLiter
Hematocrit   =  44.7%                                         of range 38.5 to 50.0 %

Then April 2014 I received new pellets,

Then , to the next one year period ending October 2014 (I received new pellets then),
October 2014 blood work:
Red Blood Cell count = 5.03 million/microLiter     of range 4.14 to 5.80 Million/microLiter
Hemoglobin  = 15.4 grams/deciLiter                    of range 12.6 to 17.7 gtrams/deciLiter
Hematocrit   =  46.1%                                         of range 37.5 to 51.0 %

and, noting that the 2013 labs were done at Quest Diagnostics (see their ranges), and the 2014 labs were done at LabCorp,
(see their ranges).

I hope that answers your question.

OK, heading home! Cheers! Y'All have a good upcoming weekend. Guess what I'm going to have ??
Yes! I'm going to have FUN with my lover !!!

Lovin' it down hee-ah in Flah-ridder! - Sam D.