Low Testosterone SF Wannabe
 

Good evening Gentlemen,

It's been a while since I've come around here. I've scoured the forums recently looking for some guidance on this, and if I've overlooked something, I apologize in advance.

Since my last post, I went to OSUT and am now a 20 year-old TXARNG 11B with big dreams of trying out for 19th SFG. A couple months ago, after dealing with symptoms for years that I thought were just "normal," I was diagnosed with low testosterone by a urologist. Which is, in and of itself, a blessing and a curse. A curse in the sense that these symptoms suck to deal with, and a blessing in the sense that it validates the myriad of issues I've been dealing with, and gives me a clear plan to fix them.

Since then, I've been feeling around and trying to find a doctor or clinic that's comfortable putting a 20 year-old on TRT injections. I understand their caution in regards to fertility and everything, but clomid and ashwagandha aren't cutting it.

So my question for you gentlemen is: Is going SF even a possibility if I'm put on these injections? It'll be medically prescribed and I have no shame in admitting it to those that need to know, but will I still be able to be considered/selected if I require a shot every 1-2 weeks for the rest of my life? I've dreamed of going SF since I was a kid, but the last thing I'd want to do is be a liability to the team.

Thank you all in advance.

First Place to Look
I suggest this might cover you, but maybe not.

"DoD instruction 6130.03, volume 2. Medical standards for military service: retention”
Listing 5.14a.

5.14. - MALE GENITAL SYSTEM.
When considering the conditions listed in this paragraph, the condition must persist despite appropriate treatment and impair function to preclude satisfactory performance of required military duties of the Service member’s office, grade, rank, or rating.

a. Absence of both testicles with medically required injectable hormone therapy.


Next Place to Look
Go talk to 19th group recruiter.

You're OK on "retention" standards. They merely require you be able to do your job if or while on hormone therapy. The issue you need to look at is the assessment/recruitment standards.

I worked an issue last week wherein a female Soldier is transitioning to a male so I am familiar with the retention standards. If I have some time today, I'll check recruitment/induction standards.

I just looked through the AR 40-501, Standards of Medical Fitness, and couldn't find any mention of Hormone Therapy, Hormone, or Testosterone.

What is the underlying issue? Fixing the symptom is just that. Please don’t say if you don’t want to but there has to be a reason.

After retirement….I now have metabolic syndrome and my T went low. Type 2 Diabetes. Weight gain. Joint pain. Muscle loss. Eye sight worsening.

Turns out it’s all ultimately caused by eating too many carbs causing visceral fat causing the metabolic syndrome.

I’ve been on Low Carb High Fat diet for 4 months and I’ve lost about 15 pounds, in the gym gaining muscle. My labs are heading back to normal (go back in 1 month to get checked again, a1C went from 7.2 to 6.0 in 3 months)

Unless there is a biological or genetic anomaly, try to fix the root cause. TRT should be an adjunct or a last resort not a long term “cure”

1stindoor: look at DODI 6130.03-V2 (Medical Standards for Military Service: Retention).

Got a guy checking the assessment /recruitment standards now.

Thanks. Just finished reading through the entire document and looking up definitions of some of those conditions (I was a Bravo, lol). I couldn't see anything that would prohibit him beyond this..."Any persistent condition that requires geographic limitations to the member for assignment, temporary duty, or deployment to protect the individual from infectious disease risk, due to limited monitoring capabilities or other reasons." Not being familiar with those injections I'm not sure if taking those injections would keep him from deploying to austere environments. I am also a Type II Diabetic, however I've been able to keep my A1C (mostly...much harder as a "lazy civilian") in check through exercise, diet, and metformin. But I've dealt with more than a few that were deemed medically unfit because they had to go on injectables or insulin.

Gentlemen, thank you all for your responses.

I didn't realize how long time has flown since I posted this. Since then, I have been put on injections. Under close supervision from a medical doctor, I've been put on a range of dosages, right now consisting of 3 injections a week.

To answer miclo18d's question, I personally do not know what caused my low levels. I'm not a eunuch, and I don't have a family history of any genetic issues. I was obese as a kid, up until age 16ish, yet the issues persisted after I dropped the weight, enlisted, and continued through 22 week infantry OSUT, as well as a year of drilling with my unit. When I go into my next lab I will definitely follow up on that and attempt to identify/address the root cause as I definitely wouldn't like to spend the rest of my life on these injections.

I don't presently see any reason this would interfere with me doing my job. It hasn't yet. I've attended various trainings through drill, been posted up in billets as a range safety on a State Active Duty mission, and I'm currently on 502(f) COVID orders, none of these have ever been interrupted by my injection schedule.

Thank you again for your answers. TRT changed my life in a lot of ways, including enabling me to finally build muscle at a regular rate. I've been living in the gym since then, and I just started my first cut where I'll be focused on improving cardio and dropping excess body weight. The goal is strong, fast and light. Then it's off to SFRE.

Take it easy, gentlemen.

Thank you for the update. Good luck! Check in occasionally and let us know how you're progressing.

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