Ah, what a curious co-incidence for this thread as I just so happened to commence "HRT" (or, "Vitamin E") this past March 7th...within the confines of the New Moon even (iii). Fortunately, for me, the pharmacy was not out-of-stock and while I still do not fully understand how it all happened, cosmically (for I had expected to wait at least a good 10-21 days or so more), I received my Estradot patches in the mail on that very Thursday, after only having mailed off a payment (by check, to another State for processing) on the previous Monday. Mercury Retrograde? Sure! Regardless, I could not help but to smile at the suggestion, contained in the Novartis Pharmaceutical instructions with my transdermal regimen, that alternating the patches on Thursdays & Mondays was recommended. So, there was no question of starting that very evening (Thursday, March 7th [St. Perpetua, in the West]). Baseline numbers discarded, clinical effects (results) being the main focus.
For myself, taking into account psychological relief and some attendant, natural euphoria, I do think that a good deal of calmness was apparent, even within a few hours. Over the course of a few days, I could even perceive, at times (more so in the evening) the E 'penetrating' (or suffusing) my body with its most welcome harmonizing, re-balancing hormones, suppressing the rebellious T, here and there. One thing that has particularly struck me is this: true, I can be isolated at times, but work obligations and other interactions are such that I have had dealings, since starting with the Estradot, with numerous biological, or cis-gender, females, and I can swear (without being delusional) that I certainly sense that, on some level, something has been acknowledged, something has been perceived, without any words actually exchanged, that something is definitely 'in the air', i.e., that something is happening -- perhaps even a commingling of essences. I do recall from some reading years ago that, e.g., menstruating females, living in close quarters (as in a college dorm) can in fact synchronize their cycles to a large degree. If this, indeed, can happen, who is to say that other hard to detect, or difficult to demonstrate, synchronicities (or sub-conscious perceptions, even sympathies) cannot take place?
Well, here we are on Day 10. I find it remarkable for me to be so relatively calm; and, in addition, not to be so easily short-tempered. The physical is already happening, more within the body than outwardly apparent, but the groundwork is clearly, structurally, being put in place...and will only increase day-by-day. Sure, I held off for much too long (on the Estrogen [Oestradriol]); but, not anymore. All my patches are in place. I am so happy to be alive. Pulsating.
p.s. I decided against any additional T-blocker. There seems to be no real need, especially for an older (age) Transition such as myself (but of course everyone must make their own decisions). Why stress the bodily system (or liver)? Vitamin E alone can, seemingly, quite effectively work as an anti-androgen...given time, putting us (TW) in the physiologic "normal range" (for Labs), if that is desired, with biological females in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle (Cunha FS, Domenice S, Sircili MH, Mendocina BB, Costa EM. Low estrogen doses normalize testosterone and estradiol levels to the female range in transgender women. Clinics. 2018; 73:e86).
And, while I must add that there is surely much T coursing through me just yet -and I did have a fairly strong spontaneous erection this morning (on the 10th day) it was a decidedly different erection- ; more concentrated (shorter) on the shaft, yet with arousal widely diffused along the scrotum, i.e., the entire Tunica Vaginalis. Already, there is little doubt that more of my body (the whole body...slowly) is becoming an erogoneous zone; and the mental component is ever so important in this, too. Not so narrow-minded one must be.
All the best,
androGynosticka
*No Dosages Please*