As of 4:05 est today I have begun hormone replacement therapy!! 

I am SO lucky that I was able to pull it off from my very first visit from the Endo.  (although it was nearly a year trying to get all the paperwork and forms and sitting in the queue trying to get appointment)  She seemed impressed that I had done a lot of research already into the side effects and risks and had made a very informed decision.  She's starting me out pretty low, Estradiol and Spironolact. But she said she'll gradually up the dosage over time. 

I'm so happy!





Edited for Dosages - DO NOT POST DOSAGES

They don't want you to post dosages here. Though I will say that is a pretty standard starting dose for many people, most endos want to wait for blood results on that lower dosage to see how well you tolerate it and how effective it is for your body.

Congrats, it is a long journey to womanhood but HRT is really one of the bigger steps.

Congratulations!



We all forget at exciting times like this, but dosage advice is not allowed.

You may want to edit that, or someone else will.

Now I sound like a broken record.

Hi Katrina 

Welcome to Susan's    Glad to have you here

Congrats on starting HRT    But dosages are not permitted per site rules

Quote8. The discussion of hormone replacement therapy(HRT) and it's medications are permitted, with the following limitations:
A. You may not advocate for or against a specific medication or combinations of medication for personal gain. This is strictly prohibited.
B. You may not discuss the means to acquire HRT medications without a prescription. The discussion of self medication without a doctors supervision is prohibited.
C. The discussion of recommended or actual dosages is strongly discouraged to prevent information obtained on this site from being used to self medicate.
We can not in good conscience condone the self administering of these medications. Not only may self medication be illegal, but HRT medications can cause serious health problems, and many have the potential for life-threatening side effects that can only be detected and prevented with proper medical supervision.

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Hugs

V M

oh my gosh. I wish I knew that or hadn't forgotten it as now the thread is about dosages and the wrongness in posting them instead of being jubilation at my turning a big hurdle.     mod lock please I guess.

Oh Katrina don't worry, I did the same thing when I first came on the forum so long ago. 

I'm so happy for you, and you deserve a good hug.  And now you need to get ready for a fun ride.

Lol don't worry about a lock the mods have already edited the dosages out. It happens all of the time I am sure the mods realize your intent had nothing to do with helping DIY hormones.

Congrats Katrina.

Yes the process is a long one sometimes to get to where we need to be. But it is not ever a good idea to try to rush to the end. There are so many things you will learn on you path and take the time to enjoy each little step.

I wish you safe passage in going forward. Remember HRT is not always the true answer to everything. Relax and remember to breathe once in awhile.

Hugs
Isabell

Kudos! You have quite the ride ahead of you

Jane

good luck

it is hard to focus on the small details like rukles and such when we cross such a wonderful hurdle, congrats sister. for me this was when things really got better in my head and with my body just slowly on the body part

enjoy the ride
Jerri

Yes congratulations very much! After starting my hrt I've felt better and am much more emotionally stable, and have more energy than I've had in years.

Don't worry about the mistake, we get so excited after crossing this hurdle sometimes it slips our minds. I made the same mistake a little over a month ago when I started mine. Good luck and be happy!

Thanks for the kind words all. How long did it take all of you to notice things like emotional changes? Breast growth? I'm sure a lot of it has to do with genetics and dosage size, but I'm still curious what other peoples results were like when they got their start.

Noticeable emotional changes in 2 hours (!!!)

Cleavage in 3 months.

B cup in one year (was flat pre-HRT with no moobs to speak of)

Katrina - congratulations

The estradiol will hit your brain in a matter of minutes, even seconds if you are on injections.

Many of us felt an immediate euphoria.  Some of that came, certainly, just from the relief of starting to become our authentic selves.  But estradiol works wonders on our brains!

Quote from: Katrina on February 04, 2014, 08:33:30 AM
oh my gosh. I wish I knew that or hadn't forgotten it as now the thread is about dosages and the wrongness in posting them instead of being jubilation at my turning a big hurdle.     mod lock please I guess.

Nope, not gonna happen, rather we will move forward and continue celebrating your progress 

Hugs

Thank you.

that all leaves me a tad disappointed that most of you felt an almost immediate emotional change while I have not. (other than being very happy to have gotten started, that is!) I've been on the estra pills for about 36 hours yet and I feel no different.  Either I'm a late bloomer, or the dose was just smaller than what most of you had is all. 

I think that happiness along with anxiety relief is the "calmness" most people feel

Really, it is a slow ride.

Differences are best gauged week to week or month to month, not day to day or your to hour.

The first things you notice will likely be related to T being blocked. Physical effects of E will take a bit longer... they usually start with the nipples though, so there's that. Most MTFs are happy to see and feel their nipples activate.

Congrats on the big step! What's really crazy is that you and i started on the same day,except i started at 7:30 MTN time!

Yay! Congrats and good luck =) I hope I can start my transition soon