I am an FTM breast cancer survivor. I’m pretty sure that I’m not counted among the aforementioned three TG breast cancer survivors. I’ve never met or even heard of another FTM bc survivor. I have been on and off testosterone since 2000. I have a family history of breast cancer. I was diagnosed in May, 2006, and had a total bilateral mastectomy July 6th, five years ago today! I have yet to have revision surgery and I really need it as there is still breast tissue under my arms. At any rate, the surgery had the silver lining for me of removing my (enormous) breasts, though of course, I wished it would have come about a different way.

I am an Ashkenazi Jew and thus I am at high risk not only for breast cancer, but for ovarian cancer as well. Likewise, not having ovaries halves the chances for breast cancer reocurence. Also, I was bleeding through a full T dose. Consequently, I was offered a medically-necessary total hysto and went through with it in September, 2009.

I had tremendous complications, including two pulmonary embouli and pneumonia, and was in intensive care for 9 days. Nonetheless, I was able to find the silver lining in this situation as well, since getting rid of my ovaries and their estrogen not only stopped the bleeding, but improved my mood and emotional stability to a great degree. Incidentally, restarting T is what greatly ameliorated my severe intransigent depression.

So, T keeps me from being suicidally depressed, the removal of my ovaries further brightens and stabilizes my mood, and cancer facilitated the removal of my breasts.

I’d say that someone with a great deal of power wants very much for me to be, or at least, look, like a man.