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!

What to do for your first HRT appointment.


katea

Recommended Posts

So in 5 days, I am scheduled for my MTF HRT consult. Is there any advice that those who have gone on before me can offer?

Wear loose clothing? Make sure underwear has no holes? How long did it take for your test results to come back in and the prescription to be written?

 

I thank you for your wisdom. ^_^

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Maybe if you are like me the most important thing is to remember is to relax and take a deep breath.  My doctor's PA was great in explaining all the desired and possibly non desired effects of HRT.  Please make sure you are well informed.  She also showed me how to do a self breast exam.  I had already had a blood test but it does take a day at best to get results.  Best of luck.  Let us know how it goes.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

Link to comment

Katea, you must be very excited. Like many of us, you've probably been waiting for some time to get to this point in your life. I would try to relax as much as possible beforehand - and don't drink coffee :) - so that you can absorb the information AND this very important experience.

 

Best of luck,

Gwen

Link to comment
  • Admin

Breathe in and out in that pattern!!  Do not vary the pattern, the doctors do not like their patients blue in the face, but the good ones will understand.

 

Link to comment

Nothin' to it!  It's not much different than any other Dr apt.  Personally I'll never  forget the day I held real estrogen in the palm of my hand and took my first dose.  It was surreal, spiritual, emotional.  Finally after 40 years my body was getting what my heart knew it needed.  Congratulations Katea.  Enjoy this special moment.

Link to comment

Just relax like others have said it is similar to the other appointments. But different in the fact it is the end of a long wait, but it is the beginning of your journey and a moment you will not want to miss. 

Link to comment

Hi Katea,

 

I had to provide a letter from my psychologist documenting my gender dysphoria before they would even schedule an appointment with the Endo. They take all the vitals and blood test. I had to sign off on the dangers of and the personal understanding of the effects of HRT. She actually gave me a prescription right away for the Spiro and Estrogen and then called me back in two days with the results of my blood test. The starting dosage was really low and was built up over the first year.

 

I just lost 40 lbs after being on HRT for three years. I walked my little butt off and went back on Weight Watchers,  but it can be done.

 

I wish you the best of luck, I'll never forget that first appointment and am excited to take my hormones every single day.

 

All Good Thoughts to You,

 

Tess :)

 

Link to comment

The letter I am picking up the letter tomorrow from my therapist. While I had her blessing, I felt I needed  a little time to be fully prepared before going into things. Its a hard thing to have something you want in your reach, but know that you are not quite prepared to take it. So once all the ducks were lined up, I get the letter on a Tuesday and the HRT appointment the very next day..

I am looking to lose some weight and will actually be joining a gym by the end of the week. Though if the weight comes off a bit slower due to my new hormones, I will at least reap the benefits of more regular exercise.

 

I have been able to breath pretty well, but the smile on my face just won't seem to go away though.

 

 

Link to comment

Katea,

 

So very very happy for you and your new life is about to begin. You have all the reasons in the world to be sporting that beautiful smile!!!

 

Keep us posted!!!

 

Tess

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Slow down kitten!!!  It will all be fine and someday soon you'll look back fondly at this day.

 

Congratulations!

Jani

 

 

Link to comment
8 hours ago, katea said:

Letter is in hand and emailed to my HRT doctor. Now I'm having to concentrate on breathing. lol

 

 

 

Yaaaay Katea !!!!! Awesome news and I'm so excited for you!!!!! Congratulations!!!

 

Big Hugs,

 

Tess :)

Link to comment

My doctor was awesome! She was everything I was wanting. We talked and discussed stuff, with her listening to my thoughts and opinions. 

Once blood work comes back in about a week, I'll be on Estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone blockers. 

 

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Congratulations Katea.  It seems after we decide we may take a route to HRT that there are many too many barriers.  The frustration of waiting certainly bothered me but at the same time i have found a certain growth and understanding because of all the steps taken.  I am also safer because of the close supervision by my doctors all of whom want me to enjoy the highest quality of life while maintaining safety.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

Link to comment

Thank you! 

Got my test results back today so I just need to check that the pharmacy got the prescriptions and hopefully I can grab them on the way to work tomorrow morning. Otherwise I have to wait a day... :(
 

It was noted that I had very low testosterone for a male of my age; which optimistically translated over to my Doctor thinking that this first two month battery of Spiro is going to get me down to the right level. 

Also on the up side, I learned my blood sugar was in the higher than normal bracket. So while the trip was to take the next step forward in my transition, I also was able to learnthe next steps forward in trying to eat and live better as well. :)

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   3 Members, 0 Anonymous, 116 Guests (See full list)

    • Abigail Genevieve
    • RaineOnYourParade
    • Willow
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.7k
    • Total Posts
      768.5k
  • Member Statistics

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

    Selkimur
    Newest Member
    Selkimur
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. BraxtonLee
      BraxtonLee
      (26 years old)
    2. Bryanna
      Bryanna
      (45 years old)
    3. Jayde1
      Jayde1
    4. Mireya
      Mireya
      (66 years old)
    5. Shellianne_Kay83
      Shellianne_Kay83
      (41 years old)
  • Posts

    • RaineOnYourParade
      Congrats to your family on the new addition!
    • RaineOnYourParade
      Funny you think that I would be able to get through more than two sentences with how bad my stutter gets (joking, of course)   My topic would probably be mythology, random Japan factoids in my mind, or a favorite story   (Best option would be a fave story of mine including a lot of factoids on Japanese myths-)
    • Willow
      Congratulations @ivy. Nothing beats a family growing two feet at a time!
    • April Marie
      I read each of your entries and learn so much. Thank you, especially, for the TransCentralPA info. I have been looking fora group and activities where I could express myself safely and with support. I missed this year's conference but next year might be possible and I am going to look at their other events, too.
    • April Marie
      Leadership and Management, the differences and similarities between the two as well as the applications of military leadership principles across the spectrum of professions.
    • 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.
  • 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...