41 Comments
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Susan Siens's avatar

You are absolutely right that there is no going back when children are given toxic drugs. That said, nothing can replace getting superb nutrition when you are growing. You will be forever marked by the deficiencies you experienced when a child even if you eat really well as an adult.

However, plants are another story! My plants were upstairs during one construction phase and I couldn't get to them. They looked horrible when they came back downstairs, and you should see them now! Over-exuberant might be the word. I worked on each one individually, washing every leaf and cutting them back (growth hormone in plants is in the tips, so if you prune them they will grow more lush); I water them each week if they need it with diluted fertilizer (except for the aspidistras which only get fertilizer once a month). I would cut back the pale growth and any leaves on the philodendron which look sickly, and you'd be amazed at the recovery.

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Louise R's avatar

For woody plants, i.e. Trees, the relevant growth regulator is auxin. Is this not a parallel phenomenon to the elongated leg bones of the Castrati?

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Exulansic's avatar

Presumably the elongation were due to a lack of estrogen to seal the growth plates at the appropriate times.

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Louise R's avatar

I know you have explained this before, but how does castrating males reduce estrogen? Or do both sets of our gonads produce all the sex hormones but in different ratios?

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Exulansic's avatar

Testosterone aromatizes to estrogen naturally in the testicles (where estrogen plays a role in sperm production) and in peripheral tissues of males unless the testosterone binds to a cellular receptor before it encounters aromatase. Estrogen is the most important hormone for bone mineralization in both sexes. Both gonads produce both hormones and both are disrupted by abnormally high and low levels of either hormone.

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Louise R's avatar

OK, thanks. I'm less confused than I was before... So does that mean that girls on T are more likely to have bone issues than boys on E? Just as old ladies are more prone to osteoporosis than old men, right?

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paper clip's avatar

women are more prone to osteoporosis for that reason, yes, but also because on average women are smaller people and have built less total bone, so they have less reserve. large and thick-boned and fatter women are less prone to osteoporosis than smaller or thin ones. but men also are prone to it as they age, as usually their testosterone levels fall. that drop is associated with other illnesses for men as well. but none of this is publicized, doctors mostly don't know it, and men don't know it. as far as your first question though, Louise, i don't think we could answer that because there are so few decent studies of people given cross-sex hormones. there are few studies, fewer longer-term studies, and no comparisons.

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North Country's avatar

What? 😯

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North Country's avatar

Well, since seeing this question, I’ve been reading up on the effects of castration as can be seen in the unearthed skeleton of a castrato. 😯

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North Country's avatar

Farinelli

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LeishaCamden's avatar

*Farinelli

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katansi's avatar

There's more than one dug up now.

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Susan Siens's avatar

And I don't think trees can be brought back from, let's say, serious drought, like herbaceous plants can. Very interesting comment.

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Louise R's avatar

It depends on length and severity of drought and vascular structure--ring porous or ring diffuse annual rings for deciduous Trees determines water-holding capacity. Oaks, for instance, can store a lot of water for dry times. Conifers are another story.

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Louise R's avatar

P. S. Yes, Ex, cut back the spindly growth. No sunlight = chlorosis, lack of chlorophyll, necessary for photosynthesis.

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Exulansic's avatar

I would but it's an object lesson now.

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Louise R's avatar

Tru dat, as some would say.

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Exulansic's avatar

Plants are amazing in how they can rebound and children harmed by puberty blocker stunting are also resilient and should not lose hope for recovery. But when they develop neurodegenerative disorders and neuropsychiatric disorders far before their time and out of proportion to peers, the deserve to understand why.

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Maeve of Sonders's avatar

amputate the tendrils

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Mary's avatar

I do not have a green thumb- every plant I have had has died a slow death. Luckily, the same can not be said for my 4 children. They are all thriving ( I like to think that I have had something to do with that).

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GenderRealistMom's avatar

OK, I am done. I am putting a pause on my menopause and life and freezing my earthly body via cryotherapy. Can someone please unfreeze me when the trans cult collapses? I should be as good as new, right?

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Dina's avatar

Great great great cautionary tale. Exulansic your are the definition of brilliant.

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Matt Osborne's avatar

UP NEXT: Why Exulansic is an evil plantphobic hate speechmonger

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Theceilinghasmefloored's avatar

Poor plant, desperately searching for the light in a dark room. What a metaphor

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Just another voice's avatar

That's the thing about living in the time/space dimension. The river only flows one way and it doesn't stop for anyone.

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Louise R's avatar

Wasn't it Holly Near who had a song about that at Mich Fest?

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Just another voice's avatar

I don't know who Holly Near is.

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Louise R's avatar

Lesbian singer who performed a number of times at Mich Fest. Long red hair, as I recall.

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Just another voice's avatar

You're giving me credit I don't deserve. I barely know what Mich Fest was, not versed in lesbian singers at all.

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Louise R's avatar

The Michigan Womyn's Misuc Festival in Hart, Mi started in 1976 and ran for about 30 years. I attended the first, and the third through the 20th (1977 I spent in Europe with my first girlfriend). I was the Garbage Coordinator. Worked all day, went to concerts every night. Quite a time in my life.

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Just another voice's avatar

I'm sure the memories are great. Must have been something to behold.

(but really, I was just trying to assure you, it's a pretty common metaphor, I didn't steal it from your friend.)

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Mary's avatar

Louise, you are a walking music encyclopedia!❤️

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Catherine☦️'s avatar

Brilliant analogy 👏

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Agent Impossible's avatar

Due to a genetic disorder as a child I needed treatment with puberty blockers to delay puberty hormones. The way it’s being portrayed as fully reversible is infuriating to me. It’s simply not true. It can only be administered during time windows of your development or adverse affects will be more profound. Even for temporary there will be damage. Many of the issues I face today might have a relationship to the puberty blockers used. However, we’ll never know for sure as NO long term studies have been done. Even a pediatrician I spoke to the other day kept insisting there are no side effects. It’s simply not true.

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LeishaCamden's avatar

If there was no potential for side effects, there would be no effects. And if there were no effects, why would they have given you the drug in the first place?

Wherever there is an intended effect on the body, there will also be potential unintended effects.

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Ashley's avatar

Etiolation

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trudie63's avatar

What don't they get? You cannot reverse pbs, our bodies need puberty to develop normally and yes sometimes puberty is hard going but there is light at the end of the tunnel. You are child abusers if you harm children, what makes prescribers of this any different to any other groomer? Nothing, they are abusers

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