Hey all,
I'm just starting oral HRT, but I've been seriously considering doing the implanted pellet method. Since I'm in Southern California, I was considering going to John O'Dea.
http://www.odeamedical.com/ I hear good things about the results (fast, low side effects) and it seems like it would be safer and healthier than taking orals. It sounds so good but it does seem to be the road less traveled, as most girls go for orals and then shots. Does anyone have any experience with this method? What costs can I expect? I'm not hurting for money, but at the same time it doesn't grow in trees either
Thanks!
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EDIT- 4 Months In
Dosage: 8 Estrogen Pellets every 3 months (I've only taken 2 trips). Also progesterone injections every month and a half.
In my first meeting with Dr. O'Dea he told me 'It'll get to a point where u have to change your name because you won't be able to get by under your old one." Turns out he wasn't kidding around O.o
I thought I'd update this as I realized it's been 4 months since I started this method with Dr. O'Dea! :X Yes, it's very expensive but it has worked like crazy O_o I'll just go through the categories.
Height: In 4 months I've lost almost a full inch of height. People say this doesn't / can't happen but I know why it does... my legs have angled out more, and my spine is getting more S curved.
Weight / Body : My body is definitely feminizing, muscle is going away and my frame is much more scrawny boney. It always kind of was, but a lot more so now. I'm eating like a pig and losing weight because muscle is being replaced by fat XD My 'guy' clothes won't fit me anymore the same way... i.e. the shirts are very loose and baggy and the sleeves hang down over my hands, and the pants well- it's hard getting hips into them.
Shoe Size: Not much change, went down a 1/2 size.
Hair: Has thickened a LOT. Gotten a lot more light and fluffy too. The defined M shape in my hairline is going away as lots of little strands are now poking up at the corners. It's also nice that my scalp sweats less. I can do 4 days w/o washing it and it's still nice. I should mention it was long (past shoulders) before HRT and I had no signs of thinning.
Body Hair: This is the craziest. I was never too hairy, but I'd naturally grow some on my lower stomach, and a tiny patch at top of chest. That's all turned white now, and slowly softening into that 'baby fuss'. All of the hair on my forearms has done the same. I used to shave chest & lower stomach, now just legs (and even then, it's much less frequent). Haven't done facial electro yet, but my facial hair has lightened and I would have to go 3 days w/o shaving or using crams or something for it to be noticeable by touch, 4-5 by sight. Facial hair is much, much more sparse too (it was sparse before, never could grow beard, goatee, moustache, anything). I figure this is where I'm saving the most money using this method, I hear of people spending thousands and thousands for electro :X So even tho it's expensive, I'm making up for it. Luckily, my hair color is naturally so light & facial hair so sparse I don't get a 'shadow' at all... just random pokies if I don't touch it.
Breast: Comfortably fill out a 34 A cup. I hit the biggest growth at month 3.
Facial: Okay, so a lot of ppl told me HRT wouldn't change much in the face and I freaked out about doing FFS... well, that hasn't held true for me. Yes, I still have the same bone shapes, which could be better, but fat & muscle has re-arranged on my face a lot so that I look very different.... to the point where family members haven't recognized me. Also helps that lashes have thickened and gotten longer. My nose has literally changed its shape (but only in the cartiledge). It's very pointy and narrow now at the end.
Smell: Much lighter & sweeter, I don't really have much a body odor anymore.
Voice: I've heard everyone voice doesn't change. Mine did. It's VERY uncomfortable for me to go lower now, even when trying to say, mimick a guy's voice or something as a joke. Maybe part of that is being gendered female by others I've started to raise it up, but I kind of forgot what my old voice sounded like :x Idk I haven't really done formal voice training, I just naturally started talking higher / into female range. Best I can do when trying to pass off as a guy when legality requires it is to add sum rasp to my voice.
Overall Physical: I already looked sorta femme before (was gendered as female while wearing male clothes about once a month), but even when trying to go 'guy mode' in guy clothes and my hair pulled back, etc... I'm still addressed as female almost always (or just gender neutral). It's taken a little bit adjusting to such sudden change, especially the different way guys treat me O_o (I'm a lesbian in a relationship with a woman, so the attention makes me feel uncomfortable most the time).
Moods / Personality: The best part. The only negatives is that I can't drink caffeine and I get VERY cranky if I don't get 8 hours of sleep a night and 3 meals a day. Other than that though, much more easier to understand others & empathize with them, especially other women. Another thing- I was led to believe by some my sexuality would change and I'd go straight, start finding guys attractive... this has not happened at all. In fact, the reverse has happened XD I'm much more uncomfortable around men (kind of scared of them just a bit). Get scared more easily especially at night... and yes, it is true it is much, much, much easier to cry (but then again it's easier to be happy too!)
TL;DR This stuff has hit me like crazy fast! O.o not everyone will get same results i dun know how much is genetic, psychological w/e, but I do know that I'm gendered as female (or neutral) 99% of the time now and a great portion of that when I'm trying my damndest to still come across as a guy for legal reasons cuz I haven't had the name change go thru yet. Should also mention I'm at the tail end of my 20's, so youngish still but definately not a teenager or anything.
