Jump to content
  • Welcome to the TransPulse Forums!

    We offer a safe, inclusive community for transgender and gender non-conforming folks, as well as their loved ones, to find support and information.  Join today!

Next Week!


Shawnster

Recommended Posts

OMG!!!! Next week..... I meet with my Endo.... I can't believe it's almost here!!! My dysphoria is at an all-time high.... Anxiety is off the chart!!! I can't think about anything else.... I think I have all my ducks in a row.... I can't wait!!! It's been two and a half years in the works.... I see the light at the end of the tunnel.... and this time I don't think it's a train!!!! What to expect??? How soon before I start feeling any changes? A shift in thinking? I have read soooo much, sooo many different stories... I just don't know what to believe.... I know everyone's journey is different, and I know the changes won't be immediate, I know it's not magic.... But I am hoping for a mental switch soon.... the physical will come in time... I just have the Jitters wicked bad!! I could sure use some support and encouragement!!!

Luv, Shawn

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Congratulations!

 

Unfortunately, we're all unique and the changes are strange and subtle. They sneak up on you. The physical changes are easy to document. "Hey! My breasts are sore!" is easier to notice than, "I just bawled my eyes out at the end of, as a completely random example, WandaVision."

 

I noticed the mental static faded pretty quick. I can't say how much of that was my anxiety fading, how much of it was actual progress and how much of it was euphoria because I was going forward. I think the emotional changes started in the first three months, but, again, there were so many variables it's hard to pin down an exact moment where I started to feel like myself.

 

But, again, my dosage is not your dosage. My body is not your body. I won't even react to the same medications and dosages the same way you will. My advice to you is to do whatever the doctor says, be patient, lean back and enjoy the ride. You're in for an adventure!

 

Hugs!

Link to comment

Thank you Jackie! I'm just sooo excited... I can barely contain myself!!! Thanks for your input!!! 

Luv, Shawn

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

You are very welcome. May your journey be everything you want it to be and may the boob fairy visit you swiftly and with great generosity.

 

Hugs!

Link to comment

I am AMAB. I haven't experienced estrogen yet, but it took about a month to notice changes after getting a Lupron shot to shut down my hormones for cancer treatment. . I had heard nothing but complaining from the prostate cancer survivors, but I don't understand what they are talking about. I guess I was running on the wrong gas and they were not?

 

After a month I noticed changes in color perception, sense of smell, and softening of my skin. The most important thing was what happened in my head. It shut down most of the noise of dysphoria. I found out I started to cry much easier than before. In about 7 months I started getting boob growth on estrogen levels that were extremely low, even for a male. I NEVER want testosterone again. You should get growth much sooner than me. YMMV

 

Hugs Mike

Link to comment

Thank you Mike!! I'm really excited to experience the changes!!!!

Link to comment

You are welcome. I made my urologist/oncologist VERY AWARE that I wanted estrogen, but he feels it is too soon after the radiation and could energize my cancer. My endocrinologist won't prescribe it without consent of the urologist. I have researched this to the ends of the earth and plan to have it by the end of the year if I have to change doctors or do informed consent. I think I have looked at more cancer research than my doctor has. After what the prostate surgery did to me, I leave Nothing to chance!

 

I believe you will enjoy the effects of HRT.

 

Hugs,

Mike

Link to comment

I had prostate cancer like my uncle and his wasn't removable and he was put on estrogen (No hormones just about drove me out of my mind) There is no danger with Estrogen unless you have something new. Its an accepted treatment for unremovable prostate cancer. See someone else and don't take no for an answer.  Testosterone grows prostate cancer like gasoline to a fire however.

 

Link to comment

Hi JanePlain,

Thank you for your reply. For many years estrogen was used to treat prostate cancer. I had my prostate removed in 2018 and had radiation with Lupron shots early in 2020 for a recurrence. I have a very aggressive cancer and the SOP for it is to use ADT for 2 to 3 years. Research is inconclusive whether estrogen will feed it. Believe me, I have done my research. I don't think there is a PCa forum that speaks English I haven't been on.

 

This is my second urologist. I fired the last one. This urologist tried to quote a research paper to me I have already read. I told him I will have estrogen soon or get another doctor. According to the latest research, 18 months of hormone suppression is statistically equal to 36 months. At about 19 months I will have a prescription for estrogen or make good on my threat. I had my last Lupron shot about 2 months ago. Since I am getting GCS next month, I won't need another one.

 

Being hormone free has actually been an improvement for me. I didn't realize how much testosterone was bothering me until it was gone. However, I am ready to get on estrogen.

 

Sorry to hog your thread, Shawn. I'm happy you are getting HRT soon.

 

Hugs,

Mike

Link to comment

All the best for your upcoming appointment @Shawnster ? You have waited a while, but that just means when those jitters hit you already know what you're doing and why. Just keep being you!

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator
9 hours ago, Confused1 said:

Research is inconclusive whether estrogen will feed it.

 

Wouldn't that depend on the receptors they found when they biopsied the cancer? I know they tested the breast cancer my spouse had for estrogen receptors.

 

Hugs!

Link to comment
2 hours ago, Jackie C. said:

 

Wouldn't that depend on the receptors they found when they biopsied the cancer? I know they tested the breast cancer my spouse had for estrogen receptors.

 

Hugs!

 

Hi Jackie,

 

It is prostate cancer and I don't think being tested for estrogen receptors is commonly done. I have been thinking about getting tested for BRCA genes to see what mutations I might have. I think I will have to pay for that out of pocket. I had a Gleason 9 T2c at surgery. That is considered intermediate/high risk, and the doubling time before radiation was 3 months. I am currently undetectable, but both my estrogen and testosterone are in the toilet. This is a balance between risk and getting on with my life.

 

The result of my prostate surgery was severe enough it made me re-access my life and wonder if I wanted to live. I have found only 2 others that are even close to what I endure. I leave nothing to chance anymore. I talk to people all over the world on PCa forums almost daily by email. I have found that some doctors don't appreciate patients that argue with them, but I do?

 

My upcoming vaginoplasty will fix my surgery issue. That is one thing my current urologist agreed on with me, and my GCS surgeon is aware. The details are probably too graphic for open forum.

 

Hugs,

Mike

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Who's Online   4 Members, 0 Anonymous, 132 Guests (See full list)

    • MaryEllen
    • VickySGV
    • Abigail Genevieve
    • Susie
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.7k
    • Total Posts
      768.4k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      12,029
    • Most Online
      8,356

    Selkimur
    Newest Member
    Selkimur
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Anyatimenow
      Anyatimenow
      (23 years old)
    2. Aria00
      Aria00
    3. Ava B.
      Ava B.
      (24 years old)
    4. Claire Heshi
      Claire Heshi
    5. CrystalMatthews0426
      CrystalMatthews0426
      (41 years old)
  • Posts

    • Abigail Genevieve
      I have read numerous accounts of trans folk no longer being welcome among evangelicals.   I am here for help and fellowship not to rebuke anyone.  I can take a pretty high degree of insult, etc., and you haven't insulted me, to my recollection anyway :) and I usually let it go.  But I thought I would let it all out there.   I am sure I disagree with you on numerous issues.  I appreciate other people's viewpoints, including those who radically disagree with me.  Intellectual challenge is good. One thing I appreciate about @MaeBe.
    • Abigail Genevieve
      Congrats!
    • Sally Stone
      Post 8 “The Ohio Years” We moved to Pittsburgh because of the job with US Airways.  The job involved classroom instruction and simulator training, but no actual flying, so I kept looking for an actual pilot position.  A year after signing on with US Airways I got hired to fly business jets.  The company was located in Cleveland, Ohio, but I was flown commercially from my home in Pittsburgh to where my aircraft was located, making it unnecessary to live near company headquarters.    My flight scheduled consisted of eight days on duty with seven days off.  Having seven days off in a row was great but being gone from home eight days in a row was difficult.  For the first few years the flying was fun, but after a while the eight flying days in a row, were taking their toll on me.  Those days were brutal, consisting of very long hours and a lot of flying time.  Usually, I came home exhausted and need three days just to recover from the work week.  Flying for a living is glamorous until you actually do it.  Quickly, it became just a job.    After five years as a line captain, I became a flight department manager, which required we live near company headquarters.  That meant a move to Cleveland.  Working in the office meant I was home every night but as a manager, the schedule was still challenging.  I would work in the office all week and then be expected to go out and fly the line on weekends.  I referred to it as my “5 on 2 on” schedule, because it felt as though I had no time off at all.   About the same time, we moved to Cleveland, my wife and I became “empty nesters,” with one son in the military and the other away at college.  Sadly, my work schedule didn’t leave much time for Sally.  Add to the fact that while Cleveland is an awesome city, I just never felt comfortable expressing my feminine side.  Most of my outings, and believe me there weren’t enough, occurred while I was on vacation and away from home.   One of the most memorable outings occurred over a long weekend.  I had stumbled across an online notice for a spring formal being held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, hosted by a local trans group there.  I reached out to Willa to see if she was up for an excellent adventure.  She was, so I picked her up and we drove to Harrisburg together.    The formal was held on Saturday evening and we had the absolute best time.  It turned out that organizers were a group named TransCentralPA.  Everyone was wonderful and I made a lot of new friends that evening.  We learned the spring formal was one of the group’s annual events but for the following year, instead of a spring formal, the group wanted to do a local transgender conference.  That local conference would become the Keystone Conference, and I would attend every year for the next 12.  My move to the west coast was the only reason I stopped attending annually.  I went to the first annual Keystone Conference as an attendee, but in subsequent years I served as a volunteer and as a workshop presenter; more about those in the next installment.   For my Cleveland years, the Keystone Conference would be my major outlet for feminine self-expression.  Yes, I did get out on other occasions, but they were too infrequent.  The managerial job just didn’t allow me the freedom I needed to adequately live my feminine life, and my frustration level was slowly, but steadily on the rise.  It amazed me how adversely not being able to express the feminine half of my personality was affecting my happiness.   However, a major life change was upcoming, and while it would prove to be a significant challenge in many ways, the events would ultimately benefit my female persona.  First, my mom and dad got sick.  They were in and out of the hospital and required personal care.  My wife and I did our best but living in Cleveland, we were too far from them to give them the support they both needed.  Second, I was experiencing serious job burn out.  I decided I need to find another job and I needed to be closer to my parents.    Things changed for the better when I got hired by an aviation training company as a flight simulator instructor.  I would be training business jet pilots.  The training facility was located in New Jersey, which put us much closer to my parents, and the work schedule was much better for quality of life.  Most importantly, this life change would help Sally re-emerge and once again flower.    Hugs,   Sally       
    • Mmindy
      I made a living talking about bulk liquids in cargo tanks transportation as a driver and mechanic. Safe loading/unloading, cleaning and inspecting, as well as emergency response scenarios.   Hazmat and fire behavior in the fire service as well as emergency vehicle operations and safe driving. "It was on fire when they called you. It will be on fire when you get there." Arrive ready to work. I could also talk about firefighter behavioral  heath and the grieving process.   The real fun thing is I can do this for people who are not Truck Drivers or Fire Fighters. Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Citizen Tax payers about Public Safety Education.   I love public speaking,   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋
    • Mmindy
      Congratulations to the mom and family @Ivy on the addition of another child.   Hugs,   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋
    • MaeBe
      Congrats to you and yours!
    • Ashley0616
      YAY! Congratulations on a granddaughter!
    • Ashley0616
      I recommend CarComplaints.com | Car Problems, Car Complaints, & Repair/Recall Information. A lot of good information
    • LucyF
      I've got Spironolactone ___mg and Evorel ___mcg Patches (2 a week) going up to ___mg after 4 weeks 
    • Ivy
      Got a new Granddaughter this morning.  Mother and child (and father) are doing fine. This makes 7 granddaughters and one grandson.  I have 2 sons and 6 daughters myself.  And then I  switched teams.  I think this stuff runs in the family. Another hard day for the patriarchy.
    • Ivy
      Like @MaeBe pointed out, Trump won't do these things personally.  I doubt that he actually gives a rat's a$$ himself.  But he is the foot in the door for the others.   I don't really see this.  Personally, I am all in favor of "traditional" families.  I raised my own kids this way and it can work fine.  But I think we need to allow for other variations as well.   One thing working against this now is how hard it is for a single breadwinner to support a family.  Many people (I know some) would prefer "traditional" if they could actually afford it.  Like I mentioned, we raised our family with this model, but we were always right at the poverty level.   I was a "conservative evangelical" for most of my life, actually.  So I do understand this.  Admittedly, I no longer consider myself one. I have family members still in this camp.  Some tolerate me, one actually rejects me.  I assure you the rejection is on her side, not mine.  But, I understand she believes what she is doing is right - 'sa pity though. I mean no insult toward anyone on this forum.  You're free to disagree with me.  Many people do.   This is a pretty complex one.  Socialism takes many forms, many of which we accept without even realizing it.  "Classism" does exist, for what it's worth.  Always has, probably always will.  But I don't feel like that is a subject for this forum.   As for the election, it's shaping up to be another one of those "hold your nose" deals.
    • Ivy
      Just some exerts regarding subjects of interest to me.
    • Ivy
      Yeah.  In my early teens I trained myself out of a few things that I now wish I hadn't.
    • Abigail Genevieve
      I was thinking in particular of BLM, who years ago had a 'What We Believe' section that sounded like they were at war with the nuclear family.   I tried to find it. Nope.  Of interest https://www.politifact.com/article/2020/aug/28/ask-politifact-does-black-lives-matter-aim-destroy/   My time is limited and I will try to answer as I can.
    • Ivy
      Well, I suppose it is possible that they don't actually plan on doing what they say.  I'm not too sure I want to take that chance.  But I kinda expect to find out.  Yet, perhaps you're right and it's all just talk.  And anyway, my state GOP is giving me enough to worry about anyway. I remember a time when being "woke" just meant you were paying attention.  Now it means you are the antichrist. I just don't want the government "protecting" me from my personal "delusions."
  • Upcoming Events

Contact TransPulse

TransPulse can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: Click Here.

To report an error on this page.

Legal

Your use of this site is subject to the following rules and policies, whether you have read them or not.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
DMCA Policy
Community Rules

Hosting

Upstream hosting for TransPulse provided by QnEZ.

Sponsorship

Special consideration for TransPulse is kindly provided by The Breast Form Store.
×
×
  • Create New...