29-05-2018, 06:09 PM
Hi Julie,
I don't if I posted about the loss of strength issue, but that has been a reason why I stopped HRT in the past especially when going on extended white water rafting trips so I can relate to your experience.
One of my newer hobbies is white water rafting I have taken up in the last 5-6 years as my body aged, and parts wore out hiking became more difficult for me for a while. Well I live in Arizona and the flexible nature of the work that I do I often get invited to row a raft on 2-3 week long rafting trips in the Grand Canyon, or Idaho or whatever river I can get on now. But as a boatman or is that boatwoman, hmmm, I often row a 16'-18' raft that weighs around 2000lbs through big white water on the Colorado river, etc. A white water raft is a bit like a floating RV and we carry big coolers and kitchen gear, etc that has to be loaded and loaded at each camp usually daily. So yes, I have thought I needed all of my strength both to safely maneuver my boat through rapids and endure the stress of being a boatman and loading/unloading so then I have stopped HRT a few weeks before my rafting trip to get my T and muscles recovered. After 10 days on the river rowing 4-5 hours a day and the boat loading and rigging my strength returns.
I have definitely noticed at times when I could no longer lift heavy or bulky items on HRT, I found unscrewing lids particularly disturbing that I couldn't twist off the tops of jars as easily as before HRT.
Also I was hiking a 10000' tall mountain by Flagstaff a few weeks ago and definitely felt my legs were weaker and wondered if HRT was affecting my lung capacity and/or cardio/vascular system of course some of that may be my own physical condition and lack of exercise.
I ride my bicycle whenever I can try and keep in shape as well as making time for the gym, but I have been working lots of OT lately. I guess I haven't yet given up on being the man for doing the heavy lifting, but maybe it is about learning to use my muscles in different ways without the extra muscle mass from T being available. Maybe for me it is more about re-educating and re-training myself what having a more feminine muscular structure means and learning how to work with my body as it changes. Thinking about it I have always been one of the biggest, strongest in a group, or sometimes we have 2-3 of us in a group that are the muscle power and that has been part of my identity.
Darlene
I don't if I posted about the loss of strength issue, but that has been a reason why I stopped HRT in the past especially when going on extended white water rafting trips so I can relate to your experience.
One of my newer hobbies is white water rafting I have taken up in the last 5-6 years as my body aged, and parts wore out hiking became more difficult for me for a while. Well I live in Arizona and the flexible nature of the work that I do I often get invited to row a raft on 2-3 week long rafting trips in the Grand Canyon, or Idaho or whatever river I can get on now. But as a boatman or is that boatwoman, hmmm, I often row a 16'-18' raft that weighs around 2000lbs through big white water on the Colorado river, etc. A white water raft is a bit like a floating RV and we carry big coolers and kitchen gear, etc that has to be loaded and loaded at each camp usually daily. So yes, I have thought I needed all of my strength both to safely maneuver my boat through rapids and endure the stress of being a boatman and loading/unloading so then I have stopped HRT a few weeks before my rafting trip to get my T and muscles recovered. After 10 days on the river rowing 4-5 hours a day and the boat loading and rigging my strength returns.
I have definitely noticed at times when I could no longer lift heavy or bulky items on HRT, I found unscrewing lids particularly disturbing that I couldn't twist off the tops of jars as easily as before HRT.
Also I was hiking a 10000' tall mountain by Flagstaff a few weeks ago and definitely felt my legs were weaker and wondered if HRT was affecting my lung capacity and/or cardio/vascular system of course some of that may be my own physical condition and lack of exercise.
I ride my bicycle whenever I can try and keep in shape as well as making time for the gym, but I have been working lots of OT lately. I guess I haven't yet given up on being the man for doing the heavy lifting, but maybe it is about learning to use my muscles in different ways without the extra muscle mass from T being available. Maybe for me it is more about re-educating and re-training myself what having a more feminine muscular structure means and learning how to work with my body as it changes. Thinking about it I have always been one of the biggest, strongest in a group, or sometimes we have 2-3 of us in a group that are the muscle power and that has been part of my identity.
Darlene