It's like being given water in the desert.

Quote from: EmmaM on April 20, 2011, 02:32:51 AM
It's like being given water in the desert.

Sounds great  .

Quote from: Susan Kay on April 20, 2011, 01:11:54 AM
I didn't used to think so. I mean, we're all people, right, and do think differently as different people, but I didn't think brain sex thought patterns were much if any different in female vs. male brains. The differences that were there were from gender behavior patterning from birth. So simple. And like most simple things, so wrong. I was totally excluding the massive effect of hormones on the brain, thinking they only effected the body. And no cracks about which hormones created that thought pattern in me please!

We're still all people, much more similar then different. But we are different, not only individually, but by gender. And Hooray for that!

And what's the issue with -CRaSH- asking this anyway? If you're offended, read a different post for goodness sake! Perhaps it should have been started elsewhere or moved from the M-2-F forum, but it certainly is pertinent to me. Thanks for raising it, -CRaSH-.

Susan Kay

Hey Susan.

I try not to worry about them. Even when I do nothing wrong, they still see me as wrong, I can't win here with some users. If im doing something wrong/actually offensive, sure yell at me.

But not when I'm being nice/asking a neutral honest question.

Crash don't worry, you have been nothing but curious and respectful, you have done nothing wrong. Some trans people get bothered by personal questions. I view it as, if someone is interested in asking it means they want to understand it better and knowledge is never a bad thing. I'd rather they get the right info then to get wrong info.

One of the things I did in my transition is to try to be as open to questions as possible. It does get repetitive and some questions can be a bit out there, but I have been told by several people that my open attitude helped make them more comfortable with the whole process. So it cant be a bad thing

Keep asking my friend, knowledge is power

Many thanks to the original poster and for the excellent replies, as I look forward to starting it as soon as I can I find the information most useful....

I agree that there are risks i.e. breast cancer and such but I view them as worth the fact that it will help me become my true self...

One question I want to ask.. I am 44 from what I understand the hormones etc will have less effect as i am older than say had I transitioned when I was younger and that the older you get the less effects there will be? is this correct or not? i am aware that results vary with the individual. 

Quote from: Anaeta_Desiree on April 21, 2011, 02:41:18 AM
Many thanks to the original poster and for the excellent replies, as I look forward to starting it as soon as I can I find the information most useful....

I agree that there are risks i.e. breast cancer and such but I view them as worth the fact that it will help me become my true self...

One question I want to ask.. I am 44 from what I understand the hormones etc will have less effect as i am older than say had I transitioned when I was younger and that the older you get the less effects there will be? is this correct or not? i am aware that results vary with the individual.

Aneata:

It is true that the will have less effect as you get older.  The sex steroids have their most dramatic effect during the first years of puberty.  However that doesn't mean that they will have no effect.

Those hard tissues such as cartilage and bone will not be affected at all.  But all soft tissue will be affected to one extent or another.  Usually skin texture and breast tenderness are the most common.  Loss of libido, spontaneous erection and ejaculation are also quite common.  Body hair is often softened and reduced, though not the terminal hairs of the face.  Upper body strength loss and fat redistribution, I.E. hips, will be somewhat affected.  And breast development is usually least.  But going through a second puberty takes as long as going through it the first time.  It can take five years or more for all the effects to manifest them selves fully.

Additionally, the use of androgen blockers such as spironolactone and aldactone will cause permanent sterility after the first eight or nine months and cause testicular and prostate shrinkage.

-Sandy

Quote from: Anaeta_Desiree on April 21, 2011, 02:41:18 AM
Many thanks to the original poster and for the excellent replies, as I look forward to starting it as soon as I can I find the information most useful....

I agree that there are risks i.e. breast cancer and such but I view them as worth the fact that it will help me become my true self...

One question I want to ask.. I am 44 from what I understand the hormones etc will have less effect as i am older than say had I transitioned when I was younger and that the older you get the less effects there will be? is this correct or not? i am aware that results vary with the individual.

I started hrt at 40 so I figured I'd be in that boat. I ended up with a 38 ill b cup, I expected nothing. I had a very hairy chest and a hairy back, all the hair on my back is gone all my frontal hair is just like a natal female.

So you still have a chafe, it depends on your genetics. Each person is different

Karyn I'm very hairy right now lol, it's great to hear all yours disappeared:D  I was checking out my areloas earlier today and they are actually bigger than standard female issue at 1.4 inch woohoo another result

On the age thing, I'm far more fitter, stronger though I am ageing at near 37 than I was at 20.  I could get better results now than I would have at 20 though of course hips is not going to happen.

I'm told hips still have a chance after srs. In fact you should get more changes after srs.

I didn't expect much change and I got quite a bit. I'm happy with my results but yeah, I'd love more hip. I have very narrow hips already.

Quote from: Anaeta_Desiree on April 21, 2011, 02:41:18 AM

One question I want to ask.. I am 44 from what I understand the hormones etc will have less effect as i am older than say had I transitioned when I was younger and that the older you get the less effects there will be? is this correct or not? i am aware that results vary with the individual.

This may just be an urban legend.

Quote from: Karynm8621 on April 21, 2011, 09:14:11 AM
I'm told hips still have a chance after srs. In fact you should get more changes after srs.

I didn't expect much change and I got quite a bit. I'm happy with my results but yeah, I'd love more hip. I have very narrow hips already.

Karyn you got fantastic results like everyone else has said you look like someone who is a natal female
To hear that hips have a chance after srs, like wow you've really made me smile

Quote from: Forum Admin on April 21, 2011, 10:16:31 AM
This may just be an urban legend.

I love you Forum admin haha

Karyn, you remind me of the lady who does my laser 

Quote from: EmilyElizabeth on April 21, 2011, 07:02:52 PM
Karyn, you remind me of the lady who does my laser 

Is that a good or bad thing? 

Quote from: Sophie on April 21, 2011, 10:21:04 AM
Karyn you got fantastic results like everyone else has said you look like someone who is a natal female
To hear that hips have a chance after srs, like wow you've really made me smile

It's funny but the very features that got me picked on in school were what helped me look more female. I got teased constantly for my nose as a kid ...go figure

Thanks for making this thread -CRaSH- (love the upper/lowercase mixture, I wanna make a band called HyPEr TAnGL>.>) The responsis have been really good on informing me on what's going to be happening in the next few months+.

Hey Crash, ok, first, good questions. You can be curious for whatever reason you want to be, it's cool. Sometimes coming to a place like this, you'll get responses from people and you'll be like "um, what the heck" but try not to let that derail you from finding out what you are trying to find out. As long as you are respectful and are genuine, most people will be cool to you.

So, questions...I thought about this and I have to tell you, even though it's only been three and half years for me, I don't really remember what it was like NOT to be taking hormones. I know I'm happier now, but I really don't think that has much to do with hormones at all. I think it's because never in my whole life could I ever have dreamed I'd be living the life I am living now...and I had a great one before transition. I'm finally genuinely happy with where I am Oh, back to your questions!

I never felt my muscles weaken or anything. If you get a chance, check out my blog on Susan's in the blog section and look for the posts labeled stuff like "3 weeks on HRT" and "6 months of HRT" because I describe what I was going through pretty clearly. I did notice my neck and upper body muscles going away pretty fast, but I was losing weight RAPIDLY before and during the beginning part of my transition.

I don't know that the physical changes were as much as emotional. I made a blog post recently about crying at work and during stressful situations. That's the kind of thing I probably notice more than physical. I will tell you that I started HRT and electro at the same time. I knew where I was going with my transition and I wasn't going to be derailed no matter what. In the beginning I tracked EVERYTHING!!! My labs, body dimensions, etc. It's all in my blog. I don't do that anymore but I will tell you it was an exciting time because I was hopeful that I'd end up in a good place, better than where I was at the time, which wasn't a terrible place.

Look forward to hearing more from you on the forums. Be well meghan

i agree with meghan as far as physical strength goes it kind of deteriated slowly i never really felt my muscles getting weaker. too much estrogen dosnt speed up the process but it can be fatal by increasing your risk of blood clots and posibly liver damage. as for the emotional effects ive become moodier i think but my depression has left me which in itself is a god send i spent so much time repressing emotions over the years that i litterly had a difficult time feeling anything. (males dont have emotions) lol thats what my father drilled into us. its interesting he wasnt that good at at parenting but he sure knows how to turn a girl into a man bleh
jessie

Hi Crash, I have not taken any estrogen yet but my doctor says that because I have a female brain and a male body that my female brain is being starved of estrogen, it needs estrogen, it is femail but my male body does not produce enough, then he says because the brain needs estrogen and it is  not getting it that is what can creat the dysphoria, it is the brains way of saying hey there something wrong here.  He says that when I start taking the estrogen the the brain is happy and the dysphoria will begin to go away.  I hope this help a bit, aloha from Hawaii.

Jennie

Forgive me for re-opening up a topic that's rather old, but while searching on the internet, I found This, and I'm rather new to Susan's place.

I'm wondering about the short term effects of estrogen, specifically, Estraven?

I have a lady that is willing to help me with my questions an training, as it were, but she is many states away. Also, the wife is not so supportive of being married to a tgirl....

This lady friend has suggested that I take the OTC Estraven, Maximum Strength and double up on the dosage. I am hesitant about doing so, not knowing the effects. and I'm wanting the more subtle changes, rather than beginning breast growth, for right now, anyway...

Any thoughts on this?

Thank you everyone