<Philosophizing>
So... Do we NEED hormones to be women? They may help some people, but based on the photos I have seen in these forums, there are plenty of people who could easily "pass" long before the first hormone touched them.
Or maybe... For how long do we NEED hormones? There are a TON of people in these forums who, it seems to me, totally "pass" and clearly do not need hormones any longer to live their lives as women.
I mention this because my endo (That Darn Endo...) over the past 18 months (since my turning 60), has made the point about how I have "the complete package" and look/sound/act like any other cis woman she talks to. Having been on some form of estrogen for 30 years, E has done whatever it will do to me. And, I think my Darn Endo would love it if I stopped taking it, because of the potential risks. I am hesitant because the 12 month trial of being off estradiol made me feel like Not Me. But perhaps I should work on that.
So, maybe, "we" can find ways to just be women, without hormones, or perhaps without hormones after a time.
Perhaps, Dietlind, you don't need estradiol to be the woman you are...
Perhaps this is true for you too, Battle Goddess...
</Philosophizing>
Kate