21 January, 2019

I Was a 4-Year-Old Trapped in a Teenager’s Body

I have the records of my first visit to NIH. I was 3, but my height and weight were those of a 7-year-old. My testosterone level was between 300 and 500 nanograms per deciliter, within the normal range for a 13-year-old boy. (The testosterone level of a typical 3-year-old is around 15 nanograms per deciliter.) I had a slight mustache and would soon have minor acne. The doctors also noted I was prone to aggressive outbursts; that same year, after an argument with my mother, I punched my hand through a glass door and severed the ulnar artery in my wrist, nearly losing the use of my right hand.