Hi from Australia...

[ShortStuff]

Hi,

I'm an intersexed 25 (nearly 26) year old male. A bit of back history...when I was born, I was dianogsed with Intersex, among other things. Basically my stomach down to my legs were deformed, and of course, gender was not able to be determined. I spent 17 years of my life brought up to be a "girl", even though I was 46XY chromosome (Male), as the Doctors at the time thought it would be easier to bring me up that way. And so I was given, on doctor's advice of the time, a non-in-between name. Parents were also told to never tell me what had happened.

When I turned 13, the doctors at the time put me on Estrogen assuming that I would end up being female with no questions asked from me. After 6 months of it I stopped taking it as it didn't feel right. I then put up with Doctors lecturing me to take it, but I stuck with my decision of the time, even though I didn't know why.

When I turned 17, a week after finishing High School, I was finally told the entire story. I was told that I had to determine which gender I wanted to be, as the HRT would strengthen my bones or to sit on the fence and risk weakening of the bones, and potentially ending up in a wheelchair.

I spent basically the first few weeks, grieving, pretty much, over what happened, and started to think about what I should do. It did explain why it didn't feel right when I was 13 and developing physically as a female, so after a few months (and trips to the therapist, even though I didn't think it was neccessary). I decided to take the testosterone, change my name, and live as a male. Even though I get a bit depressed on occassions, overall, it's been not too bad of an experience.

Cheers

[The Female Eunuch]

G'Day Shortstuff, and welcome to Bodies Like Ours

I'm wondering if your condition is part of the spectrum of cloacal anomalies, like what I've got. There don't seem to be many of us. Would you be able to tell us what some of your non-genital abnormalities were?

cheers,
Caroline

[ShortStuff]

Yeah, Dysplastic Kidneys (corrected with transplant), bladder malformed (corrected with man-made bladder), malformed rear end (nice way of putting it), corrected with colostomy.

I have been told that I am the only one in Australia with this condition.

[JOS]

:wavey:
welcome to BLO

WOW it sounds like they tried to make an awful lot of decisions on your behalf.

overall, it's been not too bad of an experience.

I'm impressed so much by how "together" you seem :)

nice to meet you
Jos

[galens47]

Hi Shortstuff,

Welcome to the board!

Cheers,

Galens47

[fraulein_Maria]

[QUOTE=ShortStuff;21965]Yeah, Dysplastic Kidneys (corrected with transplant), bladder malformed (corrected with man-made bladder), malformed rear end (nice way of putting it), corrected with colostomy.

>>> welcome :) and it does sound like cloacal estrophy.... which "the female eunuch" has. she's a great gal to talk to... and just in case you thought it.... NO, we would not dream of disputing the choice you made that was right for you. In fact, some of us might be a we bit envious that you were given one.... and can perhaps explain how you've dealt with it all so well. :)

I have been told that I am the only one in Australia with this condition.

>>> never automatically believe ANYTHING the doctors say. <<<

[confusedindian]

Hi Shortstuff,
Welcome to the board. Though I don't have much to offer in terms of knowledge, there are a good number of knowledgeable people who can help you here.

[Kailana]

Welcome to Bodies Like Ours Shortstuff.

I am happy as well to see that you were eventually listened too. Only you get to decide who you are. I am glad that you spoke up and challenged those who were choosing for you.

It is good to see anyone taking control of thier lives and choosing for themselves there own path.

koo-do's to you.

[Aseras]

Hi Shortstuff!

Welcome.

[The Female Eunuch]

Yeah, Dysplastic Kidneys (corrected with transplant), bladder malformed (corrected with man-made bladder), malformed rear end (nice way of putting it), corrected with colostomy.

What I was born with was broadly similar, but not as bad.

When you say 'man-made bladder', I'm guessing you mean a bladder made out of large intestine. I had a urostomy until I was 15, when I had surgery to make my bladder functional by extending it with large intestine, and fitting an artificial urinary sphincter to hold the urine in (I was born without a bladder neck, urinary sphincter and urethra). I had to have an anus constructed artificially, because I was born without one. I have never had a colostomy, but I've had enough problems with my bowels that I've often thought it would be less trouble if I did have one. My kidneys are working okay now, though there were problems with them when I was a kid.

I went the opposite way from you in terms of gender - I was raised as male and switched to female as an adult. As a child I was given counselling to make me think of myself as a boy.

I have been told that I am the only one in Australia with this condition.

In the 1980s and 1990s there were a number of genetically XY people with Cloacal Exstrophy who were assigned as female, based on the theory that convincing them to think of themselves as female would be easier than making their genitals look like normal male genitals. It may be that you are the only genetic male with cloacal exstrophy who was raised as female in Australia.

hugs,
Caroline

[The Female Eunuch]

Maria wrote>>> welcome and it does sound like cloacal estrophy.... which "the female eunuch" has.

I don't think I actually have Cloacal Exstrophy - I've been saying 'cloacal abnormalities', because my condition seems to be related to cloacal exstrophy and cloacal agenesis, but I have to many of the miscellaneous symptoms that don't go with cloacal agenesis, but I'm missing some of the standard symptoms of cloacal exstrophy.

she's a great gal to talk to...

awww, thanks Maria

love,
Caroline

[Shed]

Hi my Friend, be sure you'll find answers to your questions in these forums .Find out Tony Briffa in Net , he is from Australia and is really Human person and Big Friend.
Cheers

[ShortStuff]

Thanks all for the welcome :).

Hi my Friend, be sure you'll find answers to your questions in these forums .Find out Tony Briffa in Net , he is from Australia and is really Human person and Big Friend.
Cheers

Ah Tony Briffa, I know him already, in fact me and him have been mates for years! Wonderful guy with a big personality, with plenty of knowledge.

[ShortStuff]

What I was born with was broadly similar, but not as bad.

When you say 'man-made bladder', I'm guessing you mean a bladder made out of large intestine. I had a urostomy until I was 15, when I had surgery to make my bladder functional by extending it with large intestine, and fitting an artificial urinary sphincter to hold the urine in (I was born without a bladder neck, urinary sphincter and urethra). I had to have an anus constructed artificially, because I was born without one. I have never had a colostomy, but I've had enough problems with my bowels that I've often thought it would be less trouble if I did have one. My kidneys are working okay now, though there were problems with them when I was a kid.

I went the opposite way from you in terms of gender - I was raised as male and switched to female as an adult. As a child I was given counselling to make me think of myself as a boy.



In the 1980s and 1990s there were a number of genetically XY people with Cloacal Exstrophy who were assigned as female, based on the theory that convincing them to think of themselves as female would be easier than making their genitals look like normal male genitals. It may be that you are the only genetic male with cloacal exstrophy who was raised as female in Australia.

hugs,
Caroline



Hi Caroline,

Quite possible on your theory of why I've been told that I am the only one in Australia. It's a rather difficult thing to research I've found as obviously they can't and don't say much.

The 'Man Made Bladder' that I mentioned was done using my bowel, with appendix brought to the surface to act as an entrance point for catheterisation, before that it was simply a sack and nappies had to be worn as it would simply drip out. It has a very long name and I can't remember exactly what it's called, all that I know that it was done back in 1991, when I was 7 years old, and that it was experimental when they first did it on me.

Cheers

[The Female Eunuch]

before that it was simply a sack and nappies had to be worn as it would simply drip out. It has a very long name and I can't remember exactly what it's called, all that I know that it was done back in 1991, when I was 7 years old, and that it was experimental when they first did it on me.

I wonder why they didn't construct a urostomy for you for those first 7 years - it would have been much better.

Is it alright if I email you privately? I'm keen to compare our experiences of bladder problems, to see if we have the same issues or can learn from each other, but it's really got nothing to do with being intersex.

[ShortStuff]

No problems. I have PMed you my primary email address.

[Merc]

Hello Short Stuff

Am and Oz bloke here also, live on the west coast of Oz, if you want to chat some time.

John

[fraulein_Maria]

[QUOTE=The Female Eunuch;21988]Maria wrote

I don't think I actually have Cloacal Exstrophy - I've been saying 'cloacal abnormalities', because my condition seems to be related to cloacal exstrophy and cloacal agenesis, but I have to many of the miscellaneous symptoms that don't go with cloacal agenesis, but I'm missing some of the standard symptoms of cloacal exstrophy.

>>>> perhaps so, but all things considered it would not be wrong to claim either as they appear to simply be part of a continuum, spectrum, or class of problems.

All CAH's have CAH...... no matter which one of the enzymes along the pathway to cortisol is broken.... the result is generally the same to greater or lesser degrees depending on the rest of an individuals genome.....

for instance..... i will NEVER have a beard...... because the rest of my genome says that native americans don't have many androgen receptors in the "beard" region. You could pump me with more T than arnold swartzenager, and i will still be beardless...... but my hairy ass would become a nightmare i do not wish to contemplate.

So i am "missing" what most who know anything about CAH would call its "primary symptom".

the trouble is, a little knowlege is a dangerous thing. so many people "knew" that "no beard=no CAH" i had trouble getting the care i needed. it took people with greater knowlege.... a CAH specialist.... a geneticist, to prove to lesser mortals (my primary, CARES, etc) that i was telling the truth.

darn! gotta get off-line. BB soon <<<

awww, thanks Maria

>>> just telling the truth. :) <<<