Another major step accomplished!

[GQPAT]

Hey all in the Susan's community,

Just wanted to share a piece of my personal life with ya'll....yesterday I went for my blood tests to figure out what my hormone levels are like!!  They said the results would take 10 (business) days to come in!  I probably won't be able to see my doc again until sometime in mid-february....but alas, if all goes well (knock on wood, cross fingers, all that jazz), I will be starting on Anti-As in three weeks (YAY)!  My plan is to start on the Anti-As ASAP but I'm going to hold off on estrogen until I'm done with the rest of this semester at school.  Simply because when I start on the estrogen I know it's going to be an EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL time....so it's better to not be stressed out with all my schoolwork!  But I really cannot wait to get started on the Anti-As (Gawd I hate this body hair)! 

Yeah so it was funny 'cause normally I'm not too cool with getting blood drawn...it's not something I absolutely DREAD but it's also not the most fun time....however yesterday I almost RAN to the clinic 'cause I was so excited...it was definitely another milestone in the process!  So yeah like I said let's cross fingers that the results come back with no contraindications (sp?) and that I'm able to start ASAP!

Cheers: Patty

P.S. Another milestone is that I also quit smoking (both cigarettes and weed) this week...it's been 6 days and I don't crave either anymore (first 3 days are the hardest)!  I pretty much came to the realization that I should quit the bad drugs (nicotine, marijuana) that I've been using on and off for 10 years and replace them with stronger/better drugs (anti-As, estrogen)! Hahaha!!!

[Maud]

Personally going on estrogen had a massive benefit on my school work, I'm glad I did it it cleared my mind up a treat, having your brain flowing with the incorrect hormones is not good, I have to go off HRT for a month to get proper baselines done during term time and it's causing allot of issues issue being without the estrogen, also being deprived of sex hormones is BAD without them you'll feel like crap probably worse than without anti-a's, being on estrogen is nothing but good for you in my experience. Personally I went on estrogen before I started on spiro which was a bit of an odd way of doing things but someone I know on this board did the same thing you're planning on and it made her feel like crap.

estrogen does do funny things to your head sometimes but it's much much better with it than without it.

[GQPAT]

Hmmm....interesting point....either way, my doc/endo told me that he (normally) starts MTFs off on Anti-As for at least a month before starting on estrogen....so we'll see what happens!

Cheers: Pat

[Steph]

Hello Pat.

I like your positive attitude towards all of this and it seems like you have a sound plan in place.  I know that it's hard especially when things are within reach but patience, patience, patience it's going to happen.  I like that you are getting school issues out of the way first.  You are in the best position to judge your emotional state so it's good put stress-ors behind you before starting the next part of your journey.

I had to come off HRT a month prior to my SRS and I didn't experience and bad effects either mentally or physically, so the important issue to understand is that we all react differently to HRT and I would advise you follow your Dr's method/plan and then if need be you and the Dr can discuss changes as the needs arise.

Congratulations on quitting smoking Pat, a very smart thing to do.  You are not going to regret it, and apart from the obvious medical benefits, just think of the money you're going to save - money towards SRS! maybe.

[Maud]

I had to come off HRT a month prior to my SRS and I didn't experience and bad effects either mentally or physically, so the important issue to understand is that we all react differently to HRT and I would advise you follow your Dr's method/plan and then if need be you and the Dr can discuss changes as the needs arise.

I think it's mostly to do with attitude, the first time I tried to come off for baselines was hell, but this time i didn't but much thought into it I just stopped taking the pills gradually and i try not to think about it, also knowing that I'll be switching to a much stronger anti androgen and that I'll probably be put on a higher dose of estrogen is something I'm quite looking forward to which makes it worth it, in the same way which I suspect you were just thrilled to be having SRS.

[LynnER]

Tradeing estrogen for niccotine is a great way to go about it and look at it.....  Its SO totaly worth it LoL