Why The Blood Test?

[Guest qRachelp]

Hello Friends,

I'm sitting here chomping at the bit wanting to start my hormone therapy, NOW. But I've got a little less than two weeks to go before I go in to have "blood-work" done. Please share with me just what exactly it is that they're looking for in my blood, and what, if any, problems would cause the physician to not treat me with hormones. I've got all these horrible scenarios going through my head to the point that I might need sedation, NOW.

XX,

Rachel

[Guest Joe Cool]

Hi Rachel!

I understand you wanting to start now but you are so close. Blood work is very important for many reasons. HRT changes the hormones in your body and hormones are responsible for many things. There are protein hormones, thyroid, steroid, growth hormones, sex hormones (testosterone, estrogen...) insulin, and many more. The hormones regulate homeostasis, body temp, metabolism, and lots of other things. Hormones are carried by blood cells to tissues and organs. Blood work will help the doctor know how your body is producing hormones, if they are all healthy levels, if your blood count is healthy. It also checks basic things like making sure you don't have any infections or are anemic. Hormone therapy is serious and is something that if you choose to be on it and continue with it, you will be on for the rest of your life. They need a general starting point so they can have something to check your levels against once you start to see how you are progressing and responding to treatment. I would be very worried if they did not check your blood. You will have fequent blood work in the beginning to make sure everything is ok and you body is tolerating the chemical change.

Good luck! I know waiting stinks but it is better to be healthy and able to continue than start right away and have to stop.

Joe

[Guest qRachelp]

Hi Rachel!

I understand you wanting to start now but you are so close. Blood work is very important for many reasons. HRT changes the hormones in your body and hormones are responsible for many things. There are protein hormones, thyroid, steroid, growth hormones, sex hormones (testosterone, estrogen...) insulin, and many more. The hormones regulate homeostasis, body temp, metabolism, and lots of other things. Hormones are carried by blood cells to tissues and organs. Blood work will help the doctor know how your body is producing hormones, if they are all healthy levels, if your blood count is healthy. It also checks basic things like making sure you don't have any infections or are anemic. Hormone therapy is serious and is something that if you choose to be on it and continue with it, you will be on for the rest of your life. They need a general starting point so they can have something to check your levels against once you start to see how you are progressing and responding to treatment. I would be very worried if they did not check your blood. You will have fequent blood work in the beginning to make sure everything is ok and you body is tolerating the chemical change.

Good luck! I know waiting stinks but it is better to be healthy and able to continue than start right away and have to stop.

Joe

Hiya Joe,

I know it needs to be done, and THANK YOU for specifying the reasons why (I was clueless on that point), but I'm just sitting here imagining how I can show up for one of the very best days of my life and be turned down because of something I can't help (that has already happened before to me, when I was in my mother's womb, and some... "power" decided to make my fetus grow a penis). I guess what you're saying though, is that I'm not gonna be turned down, they just need to figure out my body's particular chemistry?

Gosh, I hope there's not a lot of lag-time between blood tests and seeing one of the main hopes I have in this life come to fruition. (I'm shedding a tear as I type this....)

Thank you so much, Joe. Your response has made me feel a little better about things.

XX,

Rachel

[Guest viv]

Hello Friends,

I'm sitting here chomping at the bit wanting to start my hormone therapy, NOW. But I've got a little less than two weeks to go before I go in to have "blood-work" done. Please share with me just what exactly it is that they're looking for in my blood, and what, if any, problems would cause the physician to not treat me with hormones. I've got all these horrible scenarios going through my head to the point that I might need sedation, NOW.

XX,

Rachel

Hi Rachel,

The last few weeks I have had a few blood tests and my last for a while,will be Monday. Blood tests reveal a whole loada stuff

about your health, example, I found out I am diabetic re my blood test . You can also have high cholesterol which shows up in your bloods

and then put right. I would say if there was anything which was going to stop hrt you most prob would have known by now. So honey,

stop your worrying (blood pressure) ,thats an order, your gonna be fine, before you know it you will be chemically female. Luv, viv

[Sally]

Hey Rachel,

The biggest concern that they have is liver and kidney functions, these are easy to check through blood work and that is what they want to monitor, these are very important to your health and they don't want to cause any harm - it is in thier oath, the exact phrase is "cause no one harm" if I remember correctly.

Relax and know that this is a much more complete blood test than you will get anywhere else because beyond all of the usual tests they also add hormone levels and a few others that aren't in the 'usual' check up.

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest qRachelp]

Hi Rachel,

The last few weeks I have had a few blood tests and my last for a while,will be Monday. Blood tests reveal a whole loada stuff

about your health, example, I found out I am diabetic re my blood test . You can also have high cholesterol which shows up in your bloods

and then put right. I would say if there was anything which was going to stop hrt you most prob would have known by now. So honey,

stop your worrying (blood pressure) ,thats an order, your gonna be fine, before you know it you will be chemically female. Luv, viv

Yes ma'ma, Sergeant viv!

I know, I'm "doing the human thing" and wanting time to hurry by so I can have my day-of-reckoning with my true self... and then I want time to go slow as snails. he he

BTW- I've been an insulin dependent diabetic for 27 years; since I was 12-years-old. With me being diabetic, my best option for hormone therapy is taking injections, when I can, and avoiding oral medications. It will be better for my liver, as it would for anyone because things that are ingested have to, ultimately, go through the liver. While things that are injected, for the most part, bypass the liver. It's also better for all diabetics to inject hormones because when hormones are taken orally, and their blood sugar is too high, the medication will pass right through the body and be urinated out. Yet when it's injected, it stays around in the body for awhile, and gives diabetics a chance to get their blood sugar out of whack. So, with my "educated" INSISTENCE towards my doctor (he's transsexual-friendly, thank Goddess), I will be taking injections where possible.

Shall I do twenty push-ups for you now, Sergeant viv? I sure wish my breasts would get in the way of doing them, already....

XX,

Rachel

[Guest qRachelp]

Hey Rachel,

The biggest concern that they have is liver and kidney functions, these are easy to check through blood work and that is what they want to monitor, these are very important to your health and they don't want to cause any harm - it is in thier oath, the exact phrase is "cause no one harm" if I remember correctly.

Relax and know that this is a much more complete blood test than you will get anywhere else because beyond all of the usual tests they also add hormone levels and a few others that aren't in the 'usual' check up.

Love ya,

Sally

But that's just it: I CAN'T relax, Sally. I'm a 27-year insulin dependent diabetic, and if they refuse to give me hormones due to potential less than optimum kidney and liver functions, THINGS. ARE. NOT. GOING. TO. BE. PRETTY... FOR ANYONE.

Pardon my extreme feelings over the matter, Sally, but THAT's what I'm dealing with....

XX,

Rachel

[Guest qRachelp]

But that's just it: I CAN'T relax, Sally. I'm a 27-year insulin dependent diabetic, and if they refuse to give me hormones due to potential less than optimum kidney and liver functions, THINGS. ARE. NOT. GOING. TO. BE. PRETTY... FOR ANYONE.

Pardon my extreme feelings over the matter, Sally, but THAT's what I'm dealing with....

XX,

Rachel

I don't THINK I'll be turned down because I'm healthy, but it's just the fact that "someone else" can play God with MY life if they want to. I mean, God himself has already screwed me BIG TIME with making me be born male....

[Paula ult]

Rachel sweety,

As mama Sally already said the blood tests check for liver and kidney function, a complete blood panel will probably be done, these are used as a baseline for future visits, Testosterone and estrogen levels should be included so when future blood tests are done, for me it is every 6 months at my endo's appointment, they can compare levels to see if the hormones are at the correct levels, if not they will be adjusted.

I am a type II diabetic and and have good control, in 2001 i had a heart attack and stroke, i was healthy enough in 2008 to start taking hormones.

We always imagine everyone is trying to derail our transition, relax you will be fine.

Paula

[Guest Donna Jean]

As has been pointed out in another thread...Diabetes is really of no concern in a transition as long as one keeps it under control..

What IS looked out for and monitored is like Sally said...Liver functon/kidney functon....

You see....HRT can be very hard on a liver, so obviously it needs to be watched!

There ya go!

Huggs!

Donna Jean

[Guest Sherry7620]

Well, the first thing they will look at is a liver panel, after that they will look at lipids, keytones, electrolites, metobolic functions, & some other stuff. If you've been a real good girl, santa will allow hrt.

[Guest Joanna Phipps]

But that's just it: I CAN'T relax, Sally. I'm a 27-year insulin dependent diabetic, and if they refuse to give me hormones due to potential less than optimum kidney and liver functions, THINGS. ARE. NOT. GOING. TO. BE. PRETTY... FOR ANYONE.

Pardon my extreme feelings over the matter, Sally, but THAT's what I'm dealing with....

XX,

Rachel

One thing you will learn fast is that nearly everything on your labs has a range and even if it is a lil offscale most of the time they wont block hormones. I had to wait a month to get mine going because of a high liver enzyme reading but it settled back down and has been normal ever sinces. Nobody has any idea as to why it was elevated.

Getting mad at your team, trying to force your time table on them will only delay things more. I tried that for my first 3 months post diagnosis and it backfired.