Jamie on HRT!

[Guest Jamie61]

Well a few of you know that I have started HRT!

Unfortunately as I was taking this step, my ex wife decided to out me on FB... I believe she has taken the post down, however there is definitely a new set of people, aware of my situation... Some of my family is very angry, but I am resigned to just be me and let it unfold. I guess maybe Im more ready for it to be out there.

As I complete my first week I have two 'issues', a little dizziness and some leg cramps in both calfs at night, beside that I'd have to say I feel great! The last few days have felt particularly nice as my thoughts seem to focus on positives and my anxiety level regarding transitioning have eased up.

Physically I am very tuned into my body these days and I would say the only possible change is that my skin feels a little softer ( not sure if that is possible so soon ).

I need to start my documentation photos, trying to decide how and I am leaning toward a natural look, no makeup.

Anyway, thanks for listening and I appreciate all the support I have received!

Love,

Jamie

[Charlize]

Jamie make sure you drink more fluids. I had cramps early as my potassium levels went up do to the androgens. They tend to dry us up. It is worth a late night trip to the little girls room to keep your fluid levels higher.

Hugs,

Charlize

[StephanieVikingGirl]

Hi Jamie,

I would say that you should add some salt in your diet (I like Himalayan Pink Crystal salt myself), in order to compensate for the elevated potassium levels due to Spiro. I exercise very regularly in my profession as a bicycle wine tour guide, and adding some salt keeps me from leg cramps. As usual if some medical condition exists that limit salt intake, disregard my recommendations.

As for coming out a bit quicker than planned, well that happens. It happened to me when I was accidentally outed to my boss at a party, but it turned out fine for me, so no problem. So it could indeed be a good thing to get things rolling. I hope things work out well for you, and that folks are accepting. It makes all the difference in the world.

Yep, your skin will continue to get softer. Soon you may very well experience lots of other changes, so buckle up, it could be a wild ride. It certainly has been for me so far.

hugs,

Stephanie

[Guest]

Yep, it will be a wild ride

if it gets too wild don't hesitate to come and share with us

We girls are getting experienced with the wild stuff

Sometimes just jumping in the pool is the best strategy, hope everything is going well for you.

[VickySGV]

I have been on HRT for just a few days over 6 years and the recommendations to be SURE to up your water, and I mean water, not soda pop or coffee, will help greatly with the leg cramps. I keep 16oz bottles of water in the refrigerator, and if I wake up with a leg cramp, I get up, take a pee, and then down one bottle of water (16oz) and will usually last the night out. If the cramps become too bad, do get back to the Endo and see about adjusting your Spiro,

[Guest AllisonRae]

Hi Jamie, First I must say congrats on starting HRT! I started the estrodal patch 3 weeks ago. I noticed some dizziness at first too and some weirdness with my perphial vision. At almost 2 weeks my skin has softened, noticed an inital loss in stamina when I ran, I am not as pungent when I sweat, and my nipples are aching off and on. This is along with the emotional things.

Sorry to hear that you got outed, I know how I would feel in that case since I'm trying to come out slowly. But it might be like getting into a swimming pool. You keep sticking your toes in the water and thinking how cold it is then you just dive in and get the shock past you.

Hugs

Allison

[Guest Jamie61]

My left nipple is on freakin fire! Holy crap, it's starting to be the main focus on my existence. The right one seem to be a few days behind.... It's kinda makes it real, that hormones are doing their magic.

Ouch!

Jamie

[Guest Mickey]

Oooo girl, when they're growing, you need to be prepared for pain like you've not felt before if you bump them on anything. They'll itch like crazy and when you try to scratch that itch... well, they're also very tender and it kinda hurts to scratch. But you are absolutely correct, it does make it very real. And I love it.

[Guest KerryUK]

Oh yes Jamie, always the left one first (or so it seems). Sounds like you are now well on your way, enjoy.

Kerry

[Guest]

Gentle Huggs, Jamie.

My opposite Baby Girl started my minute growth. The left Baby Girl is desperately trying to catch up to its sister though.

Be careful around door jams and vehicle doors.

Huggs,

Joann

[StephanieVikingGirl]

Hi Jamie,

Yep, nipples, breasts, are all very sensitive while growing (and frequently itchy as well). My left boob is in the lead right now, but both are still growing fast at 13 months HRT. Hormones are magic aren't they? I really am astonished at the changes, both physical and mental due to HRT, so magic is a good word to describe it. Enjoy the ride!

hugs,

Stephanie

[Guest Jamie61]

I have completed my third week of HRT and I feel ok. I was a little moody today. I do feel that I am a little more emotional. Physically I am very sore at my nipples and I was wondering if everyone starts feeling this so soon in the process? I still have a little problem with cramps in my calfs, but it seems to me less intense and less frequent. It is possible ( or I could be imagining it ) that my skin is softer and that my body odor is slightly less. Again, I would like to know what time frame these things occurred in others? Finally I can definitely feel that my libido is dropping. I would estimate it to be gone in another 2 or 3 weeks at the current rate of decline. I don't seem to be too worried about it...

I am also feeling a little scared about transitioning.

Thanks everyone for their remarks!

Jamie

[Guest Mickey]

Yeah I had breast growth starting right after I started HRT. It stopped when I had to change endos and she put me on oral E, instead of injections. Then things went back to male normal. Now my levels are female normal. Body odor is less, much less thankfully, and skin is softer. I also go longer without washing my hair and it stays looking good longer. Libido is in the basement, which is fine with me. Life is good when HRT levels are where they need to be.

[Guest Jamie61]

Hi Everyone,

I have completed my first month of HRT! Most of my key family members know that I have, which makes me feel not so isolated.

I am also amazed at how quickly my body is responding to the therapy. I feel great! People have literally said to me " you seem happy lately". My libido went complete away within three weeks... My nipples are swollen, painful and I believe my right side is noticeable bigger then my left ( it must have always been that way) ... I recall the doctor saying " you will be very easy to treat" and that I needed to not start HRT too early if I didn't want to show a change in appearance too soon. I am seeing this as starting to really happen!!!

It's both wonderful and scary. Am I ready for the inevitable coming out at work.... Terrifying!

Do other people feel this way?

Yikes,

Jamie

[Guest Kayla Grace]

They'll find out eventually, Jamie.

Most of the time its our own fears and doubts that hold us back. I remember when I first told my work about my name change. I decided to say the name change and imply a female name so others can catch on without making me the centre of the attention. Unfortunately Jamie is a multi-gender name, so I guess you won't have much luck there ... I stand by what I said before about finding out the policies before you out yourself to them

Stay safe

[Guest]

Congrats on HRT, may the boob fairy bless you. Sorry about your late blooming gynocomastia. Giggle. Hug. JodyAnn

[Guest KerryUK]

Hi Jamie,

Coming out at work really is scary but I found that the fear was mostly in my head. Like you, I have a unisex name which I believe helped in my transition. I chose Kerry because it is mostly used for females but it's also sometimes used for boys too AND it was prior to me deciding to transition. Ten years after I changed my name, I decided to transition - so, when that time came, those around me were already used to my name.

To come out at work, I approached my HR director and together we came up with a plan. This was that I would go on annual leave for a few days during which time, she would gather the teams I worked with in a meeting and read out a pre-prepared letter. She would then answer any questions they may have. Then I would return to work a few days later as ME.

When I returned to work, the only change in my presentation was that I wore tinted lip balm. Over the next 6 months or so, I slowly added more and more feminine things until one day I suddenly realised that I was presenting as female. Some time later, I had a male colleague (whose reaction I'd feared the most) come up to me and thank me for doing things so subtly - he had been scared of his reaction to me on my return to work as ME. I made him realise that I was still the same person inside. Although I no longer work there, I am still friends with him and his family.

I so hope that this helps to allay fears about coming out at work Jamie (by the way, I nearly chose Jamie as my name and still think it's a lovely name).

Kerry

[Guest Jamie61]

Wow Kerry! Thanks you for sharing that. This is what has been in my head, that I need to let the hormones work and let it happen slowly. That just seems so right to me. I find your experience with the co-worker very insightful.

I have so many in un-answered questions, despite reading on and on and on about transitions, that I'm almost lost in the details... I'm finding that hormones are blowing my hair back! My beard has slowed tremendously ( maybe I won't need much facial hair removal), my skin is getting noticeably softer ( perhaps I won't need to always wear so much makeup). When I met a voice therapist in Chicago ( she has a lot of experience with MTF) she looked at me and said " you don't need surgery, you need bangs!" My sister who I was so worried about coming out to, talked to me today as if it is a done deal that I need to transition. I feel so happy in my life right now and I recall some good advice I receive here to "enjoy the process". With all systems go I feel like I can really do this, I really should do this, I may need to ask my doctor to slow me down and plan on a nice slow transition so everyone can be comfortable with me naturally progressing. I need to figure out the facial hair issue, as I think you need to be able grow it out to have it removed ( is that right?).

Jamie is my family name, I have always called me that at home, I just love it. I could never imagine using another name. 'Aunt Jamie' just rolls of my tongue when I talk to my nieces and nephews... I've read where some recommend an obviously female name, but I think Jamie is special for me, it is what my mom called me. I will always be Jamie

Sorry for the ramble!

Jamie

[Guest KerryUK]

You're very welcome Jamie and I can tell that you've really been doing your research already. You sound like me (in fact my psychologist said that I'm a bit of a planner - I most certainly am). It's good to plan but be prepared for the odd fast ball which will make you need to take a slightly different route - for us planners they are great, they make our transition a little more exciting heehee.

It sounds great about your sister, she could even turn out to be the one true ally who supports you in the tricky moments or when your confidence takes a dip. For me it's my partner (actually she's my wife of 20+ years) and she is simply my rock - I will forever be indebted to her.

Like I said, I think Jamie is a really lovely name and I was so close to choosing it myself. Because all of those around you already use the name, it's somewhat easier because they only have your pronouns to think about.

About the voice. Well, many of us put a lot of importance on the voice and getting it right. When I first started transition, so did I. As time has passed, I've realised that I have been blessed in many other ways and I am very very lucky. So, whilst I my voice is still work in progress - it's not the most important thing to me, in fact it's sort of developing as I go along. There are many ciswomen who have deeper voices than me after all. My colleagues don't even notice my voice anymore because it's - well, my voice.

My goodness, I've gone into a ramble again.

Hope this helped Jamie,

Kerry x

[StephanieVikingGirl]

Hi Jamie,

I also think you have a lovely name. Yep, I researched what I could early on in my transition, but I have had to remain flexible since the time frames were a bit off for me. It sounds like you are another girl who responds very quickly to HRT. My beard growth (always kinda sparse) slowed considerably once on hormones, and I noticed no shadow after shaving. My skin softened, and the fat in my face redistributed quickly. I plucked my beard, and mustache (thus avoiding the expense of laser or electrolysis), and while this probably doesn't work with most trans girls, it worked for me. I don't wear make up, and the only time that I shave is the night before a work day (some whitish hairs still remain, but I do pluck on days off). I did experience some awkward moments early on with HRT since I started male failing at a much faster rate than expected. This kinda made coming out at work a necessity sooner than I had originally planned, but it worked out. I personally think voice is quite important in blending in as a woman. When I first started coming out, I found an excellent resource: Finding Your Female Voice, and I printed the free 35 page document. I tried the exercises, but since I don't really read music it mostly taught me to talk more from my head rather than from my chest. Fortunately my voice changed, and continues to change, becoming more feminine all the time (YMMV though, and I warn you that there are zero studies supporting my own experiences). I don't have much information regarding my birth, but I suspect that I am intersexed (undescended testes as a kid, breast growth at puberty, feminine bone structure), and maybe that explains my voice changes (I really don't know). Heck just being trans is an intersex condition in itself really, our brains don't match our assigned gender. In any case, I just wanted to share my experiences, and I hope that you find something useful in my long dissertation about myself. Thanks for reading.

hugs,

Stephanie

[Guest Jamie61]

Thanks Stephanie ( and everyone),

I agree that being transgender is in itself and intersex condition.

I have always had a kind of pear shape body which is finally pleasing to me. Unfortunately I have surgery for gynecomastia when I was younger and was trying to be more masculine. That makes me question what my results may be up stairs. On the positive side I have the experience of undergoing the procedure and knowing how expectations and actual results can differ.

My beard growth has really slowed, but I still have dark shaded areas above my lip and on each side of my chin. I'm hoping to have the dark hairs treated with laser and see if I can live with the slow growing light hairs ( thus avoiding electrolysis). Thinking that next week I will contact a facility that can do laser hair removal.

Last week, I went to the transgender clinic and was able to get my prescription issue resolved and I have lab work due in about a month. It was nice to see and talk to other trans people. Each day seems like a bit of a roller coaster as I alternate being confident about transitioning, to worrying about four specific issues (future work environment, the reaction and relationship with neighbors, treatment from health care providers, and bathroom use when traveling). I'm sure that if I knew what I was doing I'd know what I really should be worried about and what I really should be focused on.

I feel good physically, but I need to loose 25lbs to feel good about clothing and working as female.

Love you all,

Jamie

[Guest Jamie61]

Hi everyone,

I am coming up on 2 months on HRT and one of the changes is the things I look forward to nowadays...

Taking my next dose, I always feel really good after dissolving the E under my tongue.

My next weekend out as me!

Starting laser hair removal on my face, next month!

Coming out to my family doctor, physical is schedule for next month.

Losing weight, I seem to be at the right level of motivation to slowly lose weight and I feel I have now only 15lbs to go. Size 10 is my goal!

Coming out to friends, that phase is ongoing ( amazingly supportive so far), some know because of my ex... rats...

Having the HR talk at work someday and starting to transition full time, next spring I'm thinking at the latest, time will tell.

Getting my ears pierced! Getting my eyebrows shaped!

Shaving my body. November ish ( after a small surgery I need to have).

Anyway that is what is going on in my head.

I also seem to wonder how I will react when I encounter an issue with someone in public, esp. when using the ladies... I need a strategy for this... Any ideas?

I hope all is going well on your journey!

Love,

Jamie

[Guest Kayla Grace]

Safety is the first priority. Regardless of trans or cis, you are a woman, and much more likely to be assaulted sexual or not. The obvious "don't travel alone at night if possible" is one thing. The other is have an escape route. Flight before fight. If someone verbally assaults you, ignore them. If it comes to fight, gut groin nose is always effective. Hopefully it doesn't come to any of that, though.

[Guest Jamie61]

Kayla,

Thank you for your advice. I needed to be reminded, for as I experience success, I may become too confident. I think I need something to serve as a reminder about making safe choices about where and when and with whom. I may ask one of my family members, a retired police officer, for some self defense lessons. That might help him to related to me.

Meanwhile my nipples and breast are extremely sensitive and sore. I feel like I'm changing my posture to protect them.

Some days i feel great about transitioning, most days. But there have been a few days, like today, when I feel like I'm not sure that I can do this. Self doubt about me being strong enough to handle everything. To those who have made this journey, do you recall feeling this way?

Jamie

[StephanieVikingGirl]

Hi Jamie,

Yes, I had self doubt quite a bit, early in my transition. Nowadays not so much, I have successfully transitioned on the job, and I am very happy with my life as a woman. I hope your journey goes as smoothly as mine is going now.

hugs,

Stephanie