Today is the second day of my low dose HRT. I just want to let others here know that it is possible. Very possible. It took me a few months of 2-4 weeks apart sessions with the psychologist. It would have been shorter, if I had been more trusting. I went in with the idea that it wasn't going to happen. A blood draw, results faxed in to the Dr there, and I walked out with my script.
   Monthly check ups with both the Dr and Psych, for three months, then every three months, and then annually. I have room to move in the dosage, either lower or higher. We also discussed the possibility of using estrogen, should I want to.

Awesome 

Its very encouraging to know if I find I want to take that path.

Quote from: ativan on February 19, 2011, 11:04:43 AM
   Today is the second day of my low dose HRT. .... We also discussed the possibility of using estrogen, should I want to.

Congratulations. What hormone are you taking? I ask with more than idle curiosity; I am scheduled to discuss HRT on my next therapist appointment.

S

You made it past an incredible hurdle. It took me nine months but as few and far between as we are, there is hope for androgynes who need to start HRT.

Congrat!!!! I'm also curious what constitutes "low dose"' There's so much variance and ways to go about this path.

Congratulations, and thank-you for pointing out the possibility to those who may feel (after some necessary and good chit-chats with themselves) that HRT may be the right path for them.

I was going to update this in a few days at the 2 week mark.
But, today has made me a smiling happy person.
Things are good, a very slow feeling of wellness, and the raging anger has all but stopped. I ran into a situation that would have made me very angry, and like magic, only an annoyed feeling. I didn't even realize it happened until I was thinking about it later. I hesitate to say anything at this point as far as general emotions go, but I'm really thinking this is exactly what I should be doing.

http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=482#

This will bring you to the proposed changes (at this time) from the DSM IV to the DSM 5.

Of interest to myself, and probably you, is article 16 under rational. It states that there is a gender spectrum. Also note that the useage of GID is changed to GI.
And what I think is of great importance to all Transgender folk is the 'exit clause'.
Once you are where you want to be in the spectrum, you are considered normal.
This eliminates the psychological notion that once you have a GID, you always have a GID. Not so. You can have a GI, and once that is taken care of....Transgender folk are as normal as everyone else. It ends right there the hate group type of people, that you are abnormal. No ammunition. No reason for discrimination.

There is hope, there is a way. My Psychologist is mentioned a couple times as reference. If your Dr or therapist can't figure it out, refer them to the new changes.
Or PM me. I'll give you the name and who they should talk to. It's also something they do there. Give out information.

When is that DSM coming out?

B/c, seriously, I suspect that's going to change treatment protocol a lot, for the places that don't do androgyne transitions...meaning it's going to be a lot easier for androgynes to get hormonal access.

I would like to look into a low-dose hormones at some point-look into doesn't commit me to actually taking them, just go, have my base levels checked, discuss the pros and cons with a doc.

Quote from: hylie random on March 05, 2011, 02:23:28 AM
When is that DSM coming out?

Two years from now, 2013.

I'm a little past the one month mark. The Dr upped my dosage to twice what it was. There doesn't seem to be much change. It makes me think that the low dose I was taking was sufficient to help me be where I wanted. I'll try this dose for the next month, and make a decision about how I feel about it then. I do still feel this was the right decision for me.

Ativan-

Have you noticed any changes in moods or in general happiness? Has HRT evened out your highs and lows any?

I remember that this is what being happy used to feel like. I don't feel like that all the time, of course. But there is a level of good moods that seem to have gone up. The constant of having to push rage and other feelings of anger down have subsided to a large degree.

A friend once said to me,"I feel more like myself now than I did a little while ago.". Well, who did he feel like before? Someone else? That was back in those rather strange days of the late 60's. I always wondered about how a statement like that should be taken.

Well,...I feel more like myself than I did a while ago....  I live with someone who is paid to make sure I don't have any sudden onset of several disorders I have. She says there is a noticeable change. My general therapist, who knows everything I'm doing, laughingly teasing me that I'm cured! I laughed along with her. It was something that felt like it came out of deep inside me. Like it was hiding there.

It's so many little things that used to feel a little hopeless and sad have turned into little glimmers of hope and happiness for me. My face feels a little tight at times, but I'm sure it's just from the little smile I seem to have most of the time.

ativan, what you're experiencing is a beautiful thing- I'm so happy that we're beginning to totally embrace the spectrum. In fact, I think now that I've had a little time for the pills to work their magic, I've noticed that I identify well with androgynes (and even very early stage FTM's). It really is too bad that I stress androgynously, and I mean hard! Else I would have less work to do 

It's not the pills that are magic. They just allow you to use the magic that's always been in you.

Ativan-

What you have described is similar to what others have described that are on a low dose HRT regimen. I am curious about this because i suspect that i may also be in line for this in the future. Thanks 

I'm closing in on the 8 wks since I started on spiro. I get comments about how much happier I seem, about handling stressful situations in a calm way, and laughing more. I think I have gotten a lot closer to what it is I wanted to achieve. I have all but gotten totally rid of the underlying layer of rage and anger. And, a big and, I have found my feminine and male selves (so to speak), blending rather nicely. I only notice it in small ways, that sneak up on me, but they are genuine.
I had said somewhere else here at Susans about untangling my brain and blending it back together, and that it sounded like doing some hair thing. Well, it is like that. It's like a nice conditioner that leaves you with body and shine, and a brush just falls through it. (OK maybe that's a little to much). But it's nice, at the very least. I am still 100% me, just a little calmer and happier.

I think this is going to be easier and easier for Androgynes and all who fall under the non-binary spectrum to be able to do through more and more professionals. If it's something you have thought about, talk to someone, the dosages are there. I could be taking 1/4 what I'm taking now. I think I may want to try a little stronger dose for a while after I let this one run a couple more months. In short, I'm very pleased and have had nothing negative happen, far from it.
Ativan

  12 wks of Spiro! I haven't turned into a monster! (although I'm sure one person thinks so) No boobs. A few erections, nothing significant. Life is good, I finally have a decent computer (i7 quad), 24" wide printer, and I bought a Nikon D7000 to knock around with. I feel like some good things are going to come from it.

Although it may not seem to be, I feel more like a decent person now than I have in soooo long. I'm working out a plan with my therapist to maybe back off on some of the psyco meds I take, and see if I can get rid of those nasty side effects. Some are compounded by current combinations. It sucks big time. What a blessing some are for one thing, they are hell at times for other things. But, we are moving forward and that is all I ask of anybody or anything.

3 months ago to today? Life is good!

I'm happy for you.  The little I know you, I think you're a wonderful human being.