Reagan's Update Thread

[Reyes]

1 month, 1 week and 1 day on hrt now.
I have pretty much settled on taking one dose split in two sublinguly and the other just by swallowing it. Mainly becaue I can never remember to do in sublinguly 4 times a day.
Anyway no real changes stIll.
Though my nipples are still sore at all times, and it's probably only my imagination but I Think the areola have gotten bigger.
Lastly I've been experiencing some slight breast tissue swelling under and just around my nipples which comes and goes at random the past week or so. Not sure if thats a sign of anything or what.
Oh yeah, and I just turned 29 last week on the 12th. :3

[Reyes]

So I was wondering, for the rest of you, about how many months into taking HRT did the fat cells that grow for men stop and the ones that grow for women start?

I probably worded that horribly, lol

[Michelle_P]

I started seeing shape changes from fat deposits adjusting at around 6 months into HRT.  I've dropped about an inch in the waist and gained an inch or so on the hips.  The bust has been filling out  .  I'm fairly lean (BMI 20.8 today), so this might not be as much as some gals would see on HRT.

Like much of HRT, the fat deposit changes take time.

[Reyes]

Today when I looked in the mirror, for the first time ever I wasn't completely repulsed by what I saw.

I can't exactly point out what is different, but I know something is, there's just something more feminine about my face now and I love that.

[Reyes]

Okay I need a bit of advice here. So I'm not doing to great shaving facial hair wise. It's just not getting a clean shave. And anyway, I heard how some razor's might be better, and that also getting shaving gel instead of cream helps so it doesn't grow back as fast, and I was hoping someone on here can tell me what they use on both counts. I'm going shopping in the next few days so would love to hear some suggestions as soon as possible. Thanks.

[Reyes]

Gods my nipples are hurting like hell today, I don't know if that means changes are going to be starting soon or what, but we'll see.

Also I'm kinda having a conflict with myself right now. I want to continue taking the hormones sublingualy, but I keep messing up as my mouth gets so dry and it becomes hard not to swallow. I get it perfect sometimes, but not every time.

But at the same time I don't want to stop as the hormones are supposedly more effective, but I don't know if they actually are, lol.

[Dani]

...my nipples are hurting like hell today...

...I don't want to stop as the hormones are supposedly more effective, but I don't know if they actually are, lol.

Tender breast tissue is the number one sign that the hormones are doing their magic. Do not expect immediate changes in your appearance. Give it a few more months. In six months you will be amazing.

As for shaving in the initial months of transition, we just put up with it. You need an electrologist to take care of facial hair. It is a long process and you might consider laser to speed things up a bit, if you have dark hair.

[KayXo]

I got the same results sublingually and orally, on the same dose so to make things simpler, I just swallowed.

[Reyes]

Officially two months~ Woo~

Nothing to report except the breast tissue under and just a bit around my nipples has taken to swelling out a bit at random times for a bit. Dunno if that's actually anything.

[Reyes]

Small update that isn't a happy one.
My family is making me so upset. Well, my dad and sister anyway.
It's been over three months since I asked my family to start calling me Reagan instead of Robert, and while my mother has done so, she sometimes makes a mistake, but corrects herself right away, my dad and sister though, it's like they're not even trying.
Constantly the past few months I would have to remind them to use Reagan nine times out of ten, but now I don't even bother anymore, I told them and asked them to try harder so many times and yet it never got through, I'm still Robert whenever they use my name and I can't stand it.
And then on top of that, when I actually did remind my sister the other day for the first time in several weeks, she just goes yeah yeah yeah, like it's not important.
And then when signing my grandmothers birthday card, I'm out to her, my dad tells me to sign it Robert, and when I say I thought I would of put Reagan the way he replies it's like he finds the idea of me signing it Reagan is ridiculous.
I can't stand it and I don't even know what to say anymore because reminding them constantly doesn't do ->-bleeped-<-...

[Dena]

When you reach the point of a more feminine appearance, you may need to start ignoring them in public when they miss name you. It took my mom years before she got it right but you have to cut the family a little slack. They have known you all your life under the old name and it feels a little strange for them to call you anything else. They will learn in time.

I do understand where you are coming from. One time we were in the tall woman's shop buying me clothes and I was post surgical. My mother called me by my old name and the only other person in the shop was the sales lady  . At least now, I haven't heard my old name in years.

[Laurie]

Hi Reagan,

  I am over 7 months into HRT and happy with my progress on the chest. It takes time so be patient a bit more. You are showing all the signs that HRT is beginning to work for you
  As for your most recent issue of names, that too can take some time and some will never get it and it could be intentional. Those you will either have to ignore the offense or ignore them as difficult a reality that may be. For myself, I am still working on accepting myself as a woman. 64 years as a man is a long time to just discard because I finally began HRT to change myself to align my body with who I have always wanted to be. I am not one of those who always knew they were female or felt they were a woman trapped in a man's body. No, for me it was always something I wished I was. A desire to be female. A life long dream to be something I could not be. I was a boy and a mans that wished I could be something else. But I was born a male, raised as a male, and grew into a man for all of 64 years though I was never happy to be one. Then I found out I could become  what I had dreamed of for so long and I started HRT. My body is changing, and I have begun living full time as a woman, but accepting it and believing that I really am a woman inside is work for me. I struggle with it. I love what I am doing and know it is right for me , but it isn't easy.
   As for names, at his point in light of my inner struggles I do not care how I am addressed by close friends and family. I have other things to work on. I do like reading my new name in things, and being called Laurie when it happens, or hearing she, her, hers. those do happen. And I have begun requesting Laurie be used by my doctors and my electrologist, so I have begun that changeover process. My sister asked me tonight if I wanted her to call me Laurie, a nephew said he doesn't know which to call me, and my niece told me I will always be "uncle" to her though she has tried to use proper pronouns for me. I tell them all the for now it doesn't matter but that there probably come a time when it will. How can I expect others to give up pronouns they have used forever to address me when I do not yet understand or fully who or what I am? 
   Yes, I know I am a transgender woman but just what does that mean? I still need to discover that answer and fully accept it myself before I have the right to expect it of others?

  Sorry, Reagan, I went way off topic to explain how I feel about names and pronouns, It may or may not help you. But it may help someone else who is dealing with what I am.  I hope you find a equitable solution to your name concerns.

  Hugs,
   Laurie

[Reyes]

Something I forgot to mention in my earlier post, after waking up today, my nipples seem a lot more sore then they have felt thus far. Dunno if that means anything or what.

[Dena]

Yes it means something. DON'T BUMP THEM!!! It takes around a month for them to become sensitive and they will remain so for a long time. They will hurt if you bump them on something.

[Reyes]

I don't dump them. Sometimes I just have no choice but to touch them with something, like when drying myself off after a shower.
And my nipples have been sensitive over a month now, it didn't just start, and I know they'll feel sore for a long time, I wasn't asking about any of that.
What I was asking about is, since I woke up the other day my nipples have been even more sensitive, even just my shirt sometimes makes them sore for a second.

[Reyes]

I have an appointment for my first blood test a week from now, before going back to see the endo for my second appointment, and just felt like checking. When making the appointment online I choose blood test as what the appointment was for and just want to make sure that was correct. Like is it a special named kind of blood test, and if not, do I tell them what it's for or does it not matter or what?

[Dena]

If you are going to the office for the draw, they should know what type of tests to run. If you go to a separate lab, most likely three of the test would be Estradiol, Total estrogen and testosterone. In addition there would be several other tests added in depending on what the doctor wants to monitor. Often they don't run every test every time as it's not necessary but it is costly.

[Reyes]

The deadnaming continues. They don't even use Reagan at all anymore, I'm just always Robert.

Even the few times I correct them now it's like they don't even care.

Tonight I really told them exactly how it's making me feel, how upset it's making me, and it's like they didn't even care. They didn't say anything, they didn't even look up from their stupid ->-bleeped-<-ing baseball game. I'm not even sure they heard me, it was honestly like I wasn't in the room to them.

And when I asked them to please try, that I don't mind them slipping up sometimes, that I know it hasn't been that long and I can't expect them to get it right away, but to at least try and remember to use Reagan..

And what does my dad say in response? That it's because they don't like the name Reagan, and my sister says yeah, it's a weird name..

I said how do they think it makes me feel that they don't even bother to try, they didn't respond again, and I just gave up and left the room....

[Reyes]

So I had my second ever appointment with the Endo this week.

Apparently my Estrogen levels are up at 83, which is apparently very good, especially for only three months in.

My T levels are still pretty high though so she doubled my Spiro dosage.

[Laurie]

Hi Regan,

  I've been reading your thread a bit and I wish your sister and your Dad would at least try but I doubt that they are going to. Their excuse that Reagan is a weird name  is just that an excuse. Your Dad's response of him not liking it is more truthful, he does now want his son, and that is who you are to him, to use any other name than the one he gave you. Neither of these two are going to do anything to change until they finally see you as a girl, if they ever do. I know this must hurt, but hun, you need to stop beating your head against the wall, your damage the wall eventually.
  I see no resolution to your problem as long as you have to live under your dad's roof. So please try to  not let it bother you so much and look towards the time when things can be better. ((Hug)) Sometimes life's circumstances just stink.

  As far as your estradiol (I think that was the one you mentioned) goes, 83  is not bad for 3 months in. Your estrogen levels can vary quite a bit based on when you last took a dose and how long afterwards they draw the blood. For example my last estradiol test 3 months ago was 158 and I think I had taken my dose a couple hours before and this time when my dose was taken the night before was 73. And I and over 8 months in with a doubling of my dosage the the previous doctor visit. So atm you are 10 points higher than I am girl. Maybe that will brighten your day.

Hugs,
   Laurie