If all goes well at the doctor's office in the morning I'll be walking out with a Rx for hormones! I already know my blood test results are fine, so I can't think of a reason I won't get them.
Hopefully the Costco near me will have them in stock so I can start tomorrow night!
I guess tonight could be my last night with a brain suffocated by T. (Except I may stop hrt long enough to go to a sperm bank next month if everything goes smoothly. I don't want to waste the money now if hormones turn out to not be for me)
I also see my therapist the day after tomorrow so I can talk about any mental changes I feel after taking my first two doses!
Just 12 hours left!!! I'm getting really excited and don't want to sleep, but I need to sleep to look presentable at the doctor's.
Anyway, that's enough aimless ranting for one night! I'll update tomorrow unless I get wound up in emotions and stuff (:
Good luck tomorrow. One note about Costco (I use them for my Finasteride only as the health center costs about the same and is more convenient.) If you don't have insurance talk to the pharmacists about not having any and many times there are discount codes for uninsured patients. I found this out by talking to the pharmacists and she realized I was transgender (membership card has male name and so does prescription) and telling her how my HRT meds are so much cheaper. She told me about it and my 3 month supply of Finasteride went from $150 to about $28.
Good Luck tomorrow, I hope everything goes well for you!
I know for me, just getting started was a HUGE relief... It's not been quite a month yet but I feel so much better, I hope it's the same for you :)
Quote from: Sydney_NYC on April 29, 2014, 12:14:52 AM
Good luck tomorrow. One note about Costco (I use them for my Finasteride only as the health center costs about the same and is more convenient.) If you don't have insurance talk to the pharmacists about not having any and many times there are discount codes for uninsured patients. I found this out by talking to the pharmacists and she realized I was transgender (membership card has male name and so does prescription) and telling her how my HRT meds are so much cheaper. She told me about it and my 3 month supply of Finasteride went from $150 to about $28.
I get 90 finasteride tabs (Teva Pharmaceuticals) for $20 (retail $260) at Duane Reade with a discount RX prescription card. Pharmacist was kind of crushing on me she was so kind working to find me the biggest discount possible with some cards she had lying around so I know it can be done.
no dosages
Thanks for the support! I will definitely see if Costco has a cash price, although I think I am only going to take E, maybe Spiro but not sure yet. And 90 E pills (all the dosages are the same price oddly) are under $10 according to the website. If that's true I can afford that pretty easily.
Ok. I should sleep now. 10 hours left!
Without wanting to get banned, or spanked for talking abt dosages ;) 90 tabs, is that a 3mos supply (give or take)?
Has nothing to do with transitioning, but you get nearly a years worth. I double on the fin to 2X a day, so a half year.
Good luck and do keep us posted!
Jane
Quote from: Paula Christine on April 29, 2014, 01:43:53 AM
Without wanting to get banned, or spanked for talking abt dosages ;) 90 tabs, is that a 3mos supply (give or take)?
It depends. They come in like 5 different dosage levels so it depends on what your doctor prescribed. Some people like to take one a day, others prefer splitting their dose half in the morning half in the evening.
90 tabs lasts 90 tabs. Doesn't correlate directly with days until you know your prescribed dosages.
ok, thanks.. 'haven't started any script-based HRT yet.. I have a two week wait for next appt and blood panel results, will see what (if anything) I end up with..
Here's a website that might be helpful. http://www.goodrx.com/ You can find out the pricing in your area for various drugs and they have discount coupons. No affiliation but have found it to be helpful. My wife has definitely saved some money with their coupons.
- Cris
Thank you!
Spiro at Walmart, and CVS, $4.. :)
The estrogens.. :o anywhere from $42 to $114 for name brand.. $4 to $42 for generic..
Finasteride.. $9..
thank you for the link.. the coupons will def help!
Yay! I got there early and I made it back to Tue parking garage before my appointment was even scheduled.
I got an Rx for E and Spiro, although I am just going to take the E for now .
In about a week once I confirm this is the right path (mostly to ease my grandmother's worries), I will go off the E long enough to go to a sperm bank, then officially start hrt.
I wonder how long before Costco can fill my Rx...
Way at go, hon! Maybe snap a pic of your first dose? I think I will when I get mine. How often will you have to go for blood work/levels? Is it E or Tblockers, or both that makes the need to bank it now?
I took my first dose at 11am! 10 minutes ago...
Both E and AA reduce fertility, but the AA are more immediate, so that is why my doctor recommended I not take the Spiro until after I bank. (I'll still have to go off E for a while, but I am hoping within a day or two I will make up my mind, and stop the HRT until I bank (maybe end of next week)
I'll take a photo after my body starts to process the E (in about an hour)
Congrats on starting! I'll never forget the feeling I had when I started hrt. It was an amazing and I had so much euphoria. I hope it all works out for you. :)
Quote from: xponentialshift on April 29, 2014, 01:16:15 PM
I took my first dose at 11am! 10 minutes ago...
I really am happy for you, and envious too! ok, so tell us, C cup yet? no? B? ;) (pouting) ok, I'll check back in an hour.. *giggles* .. really, I am hoping you genuinely feel better soon.. the bio-identicals I was on started to work on my mind after a day or so, ever so slightly, but still noticeable and after a week, I was turning into Annie singing "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow!! LOL
Hugs!!
Quote from: Paula Christine on April 29, 2014, 02:39:38 PM
I really am happy for you, and envious too! ok, so tell us, C cup yet? no? B? ;) (pouting) ok, I'll check back in an hour.. *giggles* .. really, I am hoping you genuinely feel better soon.. the bio-identicals I was on started to work on my mind after a day or so, ever so slightly, but still noticeable and after a week, I was turning into Annie singing "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow!! LOL
Hugs!!
Thank you! Reading your post made me smile, and I felt the smile all throughout my head! Not something I've felt before... It was like a warm tingly feeling from my jaw up towards the top center if my head. I think it's a good sign, then again I could just be imagining things (:
And I certainly hope I don't have a c cup yet lol. I think that is as large as I would ever want to get. I would much prefer a full A to maybe a B within a year or two.
My doctor wouldn't start me on HRT until I got my results back from the sperm bank. Her normal procedure is to start Spiro first, which I did for two months before adding Estrace. Reducing my T-level had a strong and immediate effect which calmed my crazy nerves, improved my mood and cleared my fatigue. When it came time for the Estrace I hardly felt anything except that my breasts responded right away. I also started to notice once my E dose got higher and twice a day that I would experience a mild downswing before each dose and it was worse if I had to get up really early in the morning for work. This may be because the evening dose is less than the morning dose combined with the longer span overnight so I'm further into a downswing by the time I get out of bed. The next time I see the doctor the two doses will probably be made equal as part of the next increase.
Do as your doctor advises but I'd recommend even if you're starting a low dose of E that you don't abruptly stop it before sperm banking. Try to taper it off slowly over a few days at least. If my dose gets delayed I tend to get a headache and I hate to think what would happen to my mood if I suddenly stopped or missed a day based on my experience so far just with the span of time between doses.
Well I took my second dose after dinner.
All day after my first dose, my "default" mood felt like what my "perfect day"/"happy" mood used to be. And the few times I really smiled at something felt amazing. Now my cheeks are sore from a pretty much constant grin all afternoon.
I would be very happy to stay in this mood forever (: And if it really is the E making these changes then I guess I will (other than a 1-2 week detour to the sperm bank)
I am assuming that over time on a consistent dose, my emotions will continue to change and evolve and I am excite to discover exactly how!
Well here is a picture of me on my first day of HRT! (Second dose)
Sadly allergy season struck 2 days ago so my eyes are all red and itchy.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F9CGKivP.jpg&hash=7ecd207e44a64cbd9e3c3480451954d5e218cff0)
Had therapy today, and my therapist noted that I was noticeably calmer and more relaxed than any of our previous sessions. We figure the E must be doing something right!
I also booked my first laser session, but it isn't for three weeks :( but at least I won't have to miss work because it is an evening appointment!
I'm about to take my second E dose of the day, then I have 4 more before I stop friday afternoon.
The following weekend I drive home to visit family and I'll check my blood on the way to see if I am back to male range by then (hopefully) then go to the sperm bank the following week and finally get onto my full hrt regiment.
As for my mood I have continued to go through the day in what I used to consider my very happy mode, but I haven't had any "happy" moments yet to re-experience that wonderful feeling.
My allergies started to really kick in today so during my sneezing fits my mood went all the way back down to what I used to call "normal"
Here's to hoping that I get a few more happy experiences before I stop E for the 2 weeks...
Wow... I took my last dose of E 25 hours ago, and I wish I could take another one right now.
The 4 days I was taking E, I felt happier than normal but I thought it might just be placebo or something. But about an hour ago I got into the car to grab dinner and all of a sudden everything in my mind just kind of slumped and it felt like I was just going through the motions and not wanting to do anything.
I guess I'm feeling really depressed. (Nothing near suicidal or anything like that) just really down and not wanting to do anything.
I'm guessing the half life for Estradiol is a little under a day. Or maybe a half day, then another half day for my body flood itself with T again...
Maybe I should go lock my meds up in my car so I'm not tempted until after I bank...
Yuck, depression feels terrible. Maybe if I sleep till work on Monday the withdrawals will ease up. (Obviously I'll wake up to eat and stuff)
Ok, four days later... How are you doing? The depression is likely from stopping the E.. 'should get better when you restart your E. Have you begun the Spiro yet? The hormone balancing act.. Depending what your T level was before, you gave to lower the T, then bring your "total" hormone level back up to "full" with the E.
You've heard the full water glass analogy? Your body is a glass, your normal hormone levels (T, before you began anything), filled the glass to the very top with clear water, with no room for anything else.. Add E (like a green dye), and it just runs off the side, onto the table.. But... reduce the T first (pour some water out) and you start making room for the E, slowly at first, the water becomes a very slight shade of green.. Pour out some more water (reduce the T even more (more Spiro) and you can add some more E (more green dye).. Soon, you'll have a nice, deep green color, reduce the T, add the E.. That's the way it was explained to me.. Unless your T is already pretty low, I think adding the E, won't do much, except start the calming feelings.. which you started feeling for those few days. But for the days you stopped the E, your T began to rebound and try to cover over your E.
Once you begin both your Spiro, and E, things should start to feel better.
Paula
After about a day of depression I started to get better. By Monday afternoon I was back to where I was before I started taking any E. Hopefully I can get back on a full dose of HRT by the end of next week. I got all my paperwork in so I call tomorrow to schedule an appointment with the spermbank. I am thinking a Monday appointment and Friday deposit.
I never took any Spiro. My doctor recommended against taking it pre-deposit because it hits the reproductive system harder than E alone.
I am still surprised I reacted so strongly to stopping the E. I was only on it for 4 days before stopping and not taking any spiro... Perhaps my base T levels are on the low side of the spectrum?
I did learn from my therapist that I am on a "medium dose" of E, not a low dose like I thought.
Luckily I have plenty to keep my mind occupied at work for now. And I started a Borderlands 2 campaign with a coworker and old classmate on Sunday. (Hurray for video game distraction... A regular occurrence in my life, to which my closet full of games can attest)
So yeah. All back to the old normal. The pills on my shelf are still taunting me, but I know they will still be there in 2 weeks.
I am going to officially start my HRT on Tuesday! My 4 day at the beginning of the month doesn't count.
I have my final deposit at the sperm bank that morning, and as soon as that is over I am taking my pills! This month long detour was only supposed to be 2 weeks max.. But in the end I should have about 10 vials stored for the future which I feel is enough.
In other news, I had my first laser treatment this morning. They said to get a really close shave before so I decided to use a regular razor... Which I've never used on my face before... That was a mistake... I didn't get a clean shave and should have stuck with my usual electric.
The extra hair made the laser a little more painful, but overall it was just mild discomfort... But I am glad they gave me the Novocaine cream. They estimate 7 more sessions and maybe a few touchups. At $125 per it seems pretty reasonable.
Also, I heard that my boss is supportive of my transition. My uncle told my grandmother who told me the story, but I guess my uncle and my boss were talking, and my boss asked if my "therapy" was working (he knew I was going to therapy but not why) because I seem happier and more social and actually making jokes and relaxing with coworkers. At that point my uncle told him my plans to transition and he said that he doesn't care if I want to be a girl or a boy as long as I do my work and am happy. And he said that if any coworkers had a problem with it he would set them straight.
Basically it was the best response I could hope for especially because he was the one person I was expecting to not accept this and I was worried I might need to find a new job.
Granted I haven't spoken with him in person about this yet, but it is still great news!
Oh and I managed to get an appointment with the head of the glaucoma division at UCSF! (I may have had my surgeon in Boston throw his name around to get him to accept me as a patient...) But that isn't until November.
That's all my updates for now. I am so excited for next week!
That's really good news.. glad you got things going again, and boss has two thumbs up for you!
I'm certain you'll be back on track and feeling like your new self again in no time!
Hope you have a terrific weekend!