I'm at 8 months on HRT as of a couple of days ago.
As for why, the short answer is to find that piece of myself that's been missing since puberty.
A hormonal transition always felt like something reserved for trans folks. I knew I wasn't a cis man or a trans woman, but those were my only options in pre-Internet Texas. I told myself I could put up with it because I didn't really have a choice, and for far too long, I didn't.
Learning that amab enbies given the choice to tailor their protocol actually do report benefits from HRT was part of a series of significant coincidences and happy accidents that finally got me out of Texas for good.
Once I knew it was an option, it was as if the reality itself conspired to lead me here. Seriously. It'd take me half an hour to type out just the chain of events that culminated in my partners' accidental adoption of a heat-stressed street husky which got them on board with moving north before I could even broach the subject. I find it's best to listen when the universe is giving such a clear signal. XD
When I realized I was probably trans, medical transition seemed like an obvious choice. I think if I didn't need to medically transition, I wouldn't have socially transitioned. I live in a scary transphobic place, so there is immense pressure to stay in the closet.
I am about eight months into medically transitioning, mtf. Over these last few years, I have been on a journey of taking better care of myself and becoming healthier, happier. I was working out really consistently, and I started to see myself developing a muscular dude body, and I kept looking in the mirror like "I should be happy about this, but I am actually getting further away from how I feel inside." That's when it ocurred to me that I have been trying to fit into a box all my life that I don't fit into, and I started thinking about transition.
This last year has easily been the happiest of my life, and the changes I see in myself bring me joy instead of dysphoria. Not a regret in my mind
That reminds me of those memes where it's a real buff dude working out on the racks and it says goal physique: picture of a tiny anime girl.
Glad you figured out that a muscular dude body is not for you and are living authentically now. Trans joy is the best.
LMAO, yeah it felt a lot like that. I also felt very silly, like, whoops I guess I was coming at this aallll wrong.
Thank you! Trans joy does kick ass.
Already about 10 months in, and I chose to because I've never been happy with my male body and even if I don't completely pass, I'd still be happy with a more feminine body shape. Plus I have a very strong suspicion that I'm intersex and had some estrogen sensitivity at some point during my puberty (or still do), but that's not really a reason why I chose to start.
I've already been medically transitioned for about three months.
I've had crippling dysphoria pretty much since puberty. I would never go out and never wanted to socialize and meet new people because of it. It's gonna take a while for me not to have significant dysphoria, but now I know that that day will come and I'm not fated to live that way forever.
Dysphoria aside, the hormone itself did wonders on my brain. Around two weeks after taking it, my chronic major depression was greatly reduced. It still has that effect to this day. Almost like my brain's wired for it.
I plan to get top surgery as soon as possible. Still deciding on bottom surgery. Maybe if there are better options in the future.
I'm concerned about the health issues and long term effects that come with testosterone. There's not enough research on it. I would prefer not to get heart disease and all that shit but my quality of life has gone up significantly since starting. I was hardly living life since I was such a mess of anxiety and depression, so I figure the tradeoff's worth it. I really hope I don't get heart disease...
Also cost... probably gonna get into some debt with top surgery, medication prices, and the costs of changing legal documents. Then student loan debts on top of that. A box of testosterone gel costs $70 with goodrx. I hate the idea of debt, but there's not much I can do.
That's really awesome to hear that your depression dialed down so soon after starting T! It's funny how that works. I have never been happier than when I started E. We switched hormones in opposite directions and both of us ended up happier haha.
I get what you mean about that dread of heart disease. When I started hrt they kept telling me that it might make me get blood clots and die lol. It didn't happen, at least not so far, but some of those side effects they tell you are quite scary
Probably worth a look at https://costplusdrugs.com/ , $70 sounds kinda high for a med but idk what would be "normal" price for that. Actually I haven't been on any meds in so long I have no idea what any meds beyond off the shelf stuff costs 😅
As for bottom surgery... if you ain't got one, you can pick whatever size/color/shape bits you want, at any time, for any occasion, but once a doctors attached something it's there its... there. And present. Constantly. I'd love to see a future where we can get "grow your own" style bottom "treatments" via CRISPR or something, instead of surgeries.
This website doesn't list any kind of testosterone, unfortunately. I'm in the US and typically testosterone gel is around $150. It's a lot more expensive than testosterone injections, which are around $20. I am needlephobic so I take testosterone gel. Also a lot of trans men have more mood swings on injections especially in the last few days before injecting again.
Edit: hi Zorsith I didn't realize it was you
I do want one, but I stumbled across bottom surgery pictures and wooo that was intense. Also recovery is awful from what I've heard. There's also two main options: somewhat normal looking dick but they have to take a skin graft from your arm so you have a permanent scar on there, plus it can't get erect naturally (phalloplasty). Then there's teeny tiny micropenis that can get erect but it's too small to go in anything most of the time (metaoidplasty).
Grow your own would be the ideal...there's this one episode of South Park which sucks cuz it makes fun of trans women but there's a whole thing where they figure out how to grow penises on rats and transplant it to humans. That would be so cool.
i would if it weren't prohibitively expensive and i think i have to move out of this fuckhell state first
also it might be super difficult for me to get T regardless if i'm in a red or blue state
I'm in a deep red state and have to travel to a neighboring state (also deep red) to get my t. It's got to do with the bs age of adult laws. They should have it be the same age everywhere. Why can't I make my own medical decision but go into the military and vote...makes no sense.
Anyway, might help to research prices on goodrx. A lot of times you can get it significantly cheaper. Injections are the cheapest and are usually only around $20. I found me an informed consent pcp, which made it relatively easy to get it. There's a large list of clinics and drs in the US by state who will prescribe trans hrt that I can send you if you want.
I've been on HRT for over a year, and I feel so much better. I have ESP! (Estradiol Spironolactone Progesterone) 🥰️
I need bottom surgery. I think about it constantly. My recent meme on /traa expresses my emotional roller-coaster pretty well.
yes because i'll probably kill myself otherwise :3
Real
I do plan to transition, but that is realistically 4-5 years away, which sucks because I'm over 50 and only very recently realized I'm a trans woman. Tempus fugit and all that, but I want it done like tomorrow. So much wasted time already. I know the process needs to happen, but a girl can dream, right?
Why is it 4-5 years away? It's never too late to transition.
I started my medical transition 7 years (and 2 days) ago. Because I'm older, and have been working most of my life, I had funds saved in my government mandated superannuation fund (sort of like a 401K in the US). I was able to access it to cover all of my surgeries using those funds.
I've had pretty much every surgery available to trans fem folk, and rushed through them in the first couple of years of my medical transition, and they've done a great deal to alleviate my dysphoria, but I'm not sure I'd necessarily do them all the same way again if I had the chance to do over.
Absolutely plan to. Going through the gender dysphoria bible showed me I don't see a single dealbreaker as far as femminizing HRT goes, and a hell of a lot to gain (or more specifically, lose).
Greatly reduced body hair and redistrubition of future fat (existing fat stays until you work it off I've heard) are the big ones for me. A bit more "junk in the trunk" would hopefully make chairs a bit more comfortable.
Already have to shift things around to see my feet (I want to lose a good 40+pounds minimum, more if a doc tells me I'm still overweight). 😅 Never particularly wanted the bits that came stock downstairs. The jumblies could fall off tomorrow and I'd be thrilled (aside from re-learning how to pee, which I imagine is fairly quick to get the hang of, standing is overrated and messy anyway)
Social is the hard part for me; mom would probably be fine, very accepting gem of a lady there. Dad is a crapshoot, not sure I'd care longterm how he reacts. Workplace is... a shitload of old white military veterans with no sense of tact, some of whom were moved to a different area for their behavior. And my dad is in this workplace as well. 😐
EVERYTHING would become a lot easier if I was in a different state. Don't exactly have much in the way of a friend group as is, not a lot to lose other than closeness to parents and access to one of my favorite places.
Do you plan on getting electrolysis?
I wanna lose weight too. I'm slightly overweight, so it's not major health wise, but I want that sweet sweet body fat redistribution. It's the main cause of my dysphoria. It's been a lot easier to exercise and eat healthy with someone else that lives with me than to do it alone. Way harder to get off track that way (I got off track after they left, rip).
I hope you can get a new job in a different state soon. What do you work in again?
Absolutely plan on electrolysis, got a place bookmarked locally i want to look into once ive got a credit card down more.
IT, thankfully. Can go pretty much anywhere with IT. Currently not the best job market I hear but once the AI craze dies down a bit I'm hopeful things will be more... available. Current job is as stable as it gets (fed), which is great for continuing to get paid, but they call it the "golden handcuffs" for a reason.
I started talking testosterone 11 years ago, I've only ever been on gel due to a needle phobia, and I had top surgery eight years ago. Testosterone straight up cured my depression (although I'm not sure it should be called depression but whatever) so that was pretty great.
That's awesome man
HRT cured my depression. I was nervous, but it blew my expectations out of the water.
Same. I never thought I would be off them, but here I am. Really ironic considering all the condescending people who told me I just think I'm trans because I'm depressed.
I'll have been on hrt for 1 month in 3 days, it's been pretty nice. My symptoms were never crippling, but I've gone from being essentially dead inside to being able to feel a sense of wonder at the sunset <3 I was very worried that it wouldn't help as most accounts I've read about trans peoples experiences are from people with more severe symptoms, but I figured it was worth a shot.
Also waiting for gel to dry sucks >:|
Im assuming you're on T since you mentioned gel? I'll usually put on a muscle shirt in the morning and change once it's dried or roll up one of the sleeves of a Tshirt.
I plan to medically transition because that would make me happier. Dysphoria isn't a big problem for me, it's there but pretty subtle, so I probably could live as a man for the rest of my life but I would regret it.
Been on HRT for 11 years now. Would love to have bottom surgery but just can't afford it.
Shit's expensive, yo.
If anything it's going to be HRT. Too worried about complications and the definitive character of surgery for it to even be considered an option at this point.
I'm about to start taking HRT. I have my next endo appointment next Tuesday and will probably get my first prescription there.
I want to medically transition because without I'm unable to achieve my desired body.
I plan on having surgeries. Unfortunately I got really sick on HRT, so that's my only choice
There's no shame in that. I hope you'll find something that works for you.
I've been planning to do so 5 years before cracking my eggggg
Nope I'm happy the way I am, I used to be insecure about my appearance and wanted to look more like a real man (I look unusually young and androgynous due to a hormonal/genetic condition) but I don't really feel that way anymore and am mostly okay with the way I am now.
I am a trans woman. I started HRT around Nov 2022. However I'm trying to seek happiness with myself without any surgery. Only relying on HRT to get the effects I want.
Part of the reason for that decision is because I have health related issues that cause me to have a higher risk of infection from surgeries and diseases in general. Part of it is also uncertainty.
That said, I like where I'm at in the process though. And I'm pretty happy overall.
