What were you feeling when you began Hormone Replacement Therapy?

I was given estradiol patches and the size was so big I was disheartened that the things would constantly fall off.   Because of this I knew I needed to go home.  The 10 min drive felt like a lifetime and was extended by having to stop and get my celebratory cupcake.  After spending an eternity reading the instruction booklet, I showered so my skin would be as receptive as possible to the adhesive.  The moment had come and in front of the bathroom mirror, I placed the patch on the back of my shoulder.  I twisted and turned to admire it.  It was my lifeline and was just never going to look good with an off the shoulder or open back outfit, LOL.  I then looked at the bottle of spiro pills and said to myself "girl, you've started and the doc assured you this is the right path.

It was cupcake time!

P.S.  I had to beg for different patches because the big ones constantly would loosen and fall off long before the expected 7 days.  Now I'm on ones about 1/4 the size and getting great results.

Hello everyone,

Well, yesterday was my first counseling session for my gender dysphoria. It went well and I felt at ease with this counselor. We talked for awhile and I recounted my past from age 7 to present. I imagine over the next 4 or 5 sessions I will have recounted some things that I repressed and other things which I did not mention. She has a number of transgender and gender dysphoria patients and teaches a course to would be counselors on gender and transgender counseling. At the moment I feel positive and have been working out some bumps with my wife. I am hopeful for the outcome that I wish to have and my wife will be on the same page as I am by then. I am hoping to be able to do HRT but we will see what the future holds. I am hopeful, scared, apprehensive, anxious, and waiting for the other shoe to drop. Life seems slow to get where you want like walking in a swamp. You can’t see where you are stepping and where the dangers are it you keep moving forward all the while you see the alligators on the banks moving. Please just let me get to the first knoll and I will be so happy. I can’t see beyond the first knoll but I know there are more because the path on the map has been trod by so many hrs s souls before me. I just hope i never see the edge of the map because I know what it says. “Here there be monsters”! That would be the horrible thing those who have gone before know as the rejection. You will not progress to HRT you will love the drab life as the sex you were bore as. Could there be anything in this world worse than that? Maybe but it would be devastating. So I am hopeful, scared, apprehensive, anxious and waiting for the other shoe to drop. But I am also happy because I have taken the first step and it was a positive event. TTFN💋👠

Danielle

Hi Ladies , i have been taking a over the counter hormone purchased from Wal-Mart on line. The instructions said to take 2 three times a day , i did and it made me feel a little strange and my seaman turned dark. This scared me so i just take 2 a day . Everything seems better and i feel wonderful . I feel this has helped me in my breast development as i now am an A to nearly B cup size , as i was flat chested before. I also use a cream on my  breast twice a day .I do feel that the hormones are helping , my skin i noticed is much softer and my voice is a lot softer and my body hair has thinned , it to is softer on my legs and easier to shave . I have noticed my mental has changed , i cry easier at sad things , sometimes i have to make myself stop. I have become more fem in my actions and my thoughts , this was my only action in this direction so far. I would love to go all the way , but the cost is huge , so i do what i can.

When the doctor gave me my prescription for spironolactone, finasteride, and the estradiol patch, I was excited yet a little afraid. excited as I had waited for about 50 years for this dream to come true, and scared as I wasn't sure how my friends and family would react.

As it turned out all my friends and most of my family were really great, some even saying that it was about time. I guess I wasn't as good of actor as i thought I was.

Well I had a very bumpy emotional roller coaster ride but the doctor and I have found a pretty good level of hormones, but in that time I am sure there were many people that I must have nearly driven crazy. It has been almost 4 years and I have never felt better

Deb

we do not advocate over the counter solutions, particularly in th absence of oversight by a qualified MD.  Your experience with darkening of semen is very unusual and if it was still going on I would strongly advise you go see an MD.

Be carful with medications.  Many have paid the ultimate price for not having gone the clinical route

That's awesome! What a great story and start to the next step in your journey!

Hi Vanessa and ladies.  I am on many prescription drugs for heart issues and I was very afraid to add HRT to it. I could not face another doctor lecturing me on what to do and what was good and not good for me. I am stubborn as hell and have always done what I wanted to do. It is my life and I will do as I wish to accomplish my goals. I grew so tired of fighting and carrying a males load in this world....it was never enough or appreciated, so I thought about it and decided I wanted to be a girl....a complete change from what I have known for so long.

OK.....it might kill me but it is what I want to do and be. If it does kill me....well...I will go happy and that is what is important in life. Life is the persuit of happiness and well being....so I went for it, never looked back and full steam ahead. I don't regret my decision for 1 second.  "don't worry....be happy".  Besides, God and I do not see eye to eye on things and I really before....he/she doesn't want a s--t-disturber up there.

Dame Veronica