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Thread: Moving further along the path, encounter with an endocrinologist

  1. #26
    Platinum Member Eryn's Avatar
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    One Month Update

    I had my 1-month followup with my endo today. My levels are headed in the right direction but are still (barely) in the male range. She had been conservative and I didn't expect instant results. She adjusted both my S and E upward and now I have to wear three patches. I also switched to twice-a-week patches as the once-a-week patches got pretty ratty toward the end of the week so I wanted to be able to freshen them more often.

    The bad news was when Mimi stopped off at the pharmacy to pick up my prescriptions. The clerk said that the E prescription was held pending verbal confirmation by the endo. The clerk said to Mimi "This is a huge dose...and this is a man...what is the diagnosis, anyway?" Apparently that clerk needs a little education, both in dealing with prescriptions for transgender clients (the dose wasn't huge in TG terms) and with privacy. In any case, I'll have to wait for tomorrow to get my new patches.

    I'm feeling pretty normal which isn't a surprise as my levels are still in the male range. The only physical manifestation is that my bust has grown 1.5 inches incrementally over the last four weeks and I'm officially an....drum roll.....A-cup! This really surprised me as I understood that I shouldn't expect any development for months, if at all, at my age. I'm also experiencing a tiny bit of soreness behind the nipples but that is about it. Mental effects are hard to quantify since I can't separate the biochemical effect from the psychological effect. I feel somewhat calmer than usual, but it might just be because the "should I or shouldn't I" internal debate is now over.

    That's about it, the next month should be interesting!
    Eryn
    "These girls have the most beautiful dresses. And so do I! How about that!" [Kaylee, in Firefly] [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    "What do you care what other people think?" [Arlene Feynman, to her husband Richard]
    "She's taller than all the women in my family, combined!" [Howard, in The Big Bang Theory]
    "Tall, tall girl. The woman could hunt geese with a rake!" [Mary Cooper, in The Big Bang Theory]

  2. #27
    Valley Girl Michelle789's Avatar
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    Eryn,

    Congrats!!! I'm really happy for you!!! I went to see my endo after two months HRT, and he said that my hormone levels were dead center between male and female. This was based on a blood test I took after a month and a half on HRT - the doctor appointment was two weeks later.
    I've finally mastered the art of making salads. My favorite is a delicious Mediterranean salad.

  3. #28
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    Hi Eryn. I am so happy for you, and thank you for posting your progress here. I have been looking forward to hearing this news ever since we met last January. You talked about it then, but had not started. And I followed your (and Barbara's) lead, after fighting it for a while, and I recently started talking with a counselor, too. Not sure where that will go, but wherever it is - it will be forward from where I have been, and where I am right now.

    I wish you well my friend, and I will continue to follow your progress through your posts here, and when we meet up again. Please give Mimi a hug for me, and thank her again for being such a wonderful partner and wife to you, and good friend.

  4. #29
    Gold Member Kaitlyn Michele's Avatar
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    It's good that you are being careful and smart about the hormones.

    the levels are numbers, how you feel is important too, i am glad it seems to be working for you!

  5. #30
    Senior Member Suzanne F's Avatar
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    Eryn,
    Congratulations on your progress. I have been on the patches since 4-20. We are about the same age!
    Suzanne

  6. #31
    Platinum Member Eryn's Avatar
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    Went in for my 3rd monthly checkup. Everything is going well. My levels are good and my blood pressure dipped into the normal range for the first time in years (love those side effects!). My endo bumped up my S a bit and kept everything else the same. As before, I'll have blood work for potassium in a week but she said she wanted to wait two months for my next visit. Since things seem to be stable I agreed.

    My endo is a very nice young lady who has a cautious attitude that I like. It's taken a while to get things where we want them, but we've kept a close eye on things and now have a good idea of how my body reacts.
    Eryn
    "These girls have the most beautiful dresses. And so do I! How about that!" [Kaylee, in Firefly] [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    "What do you care what other people think?" [Arlene Feynman, to her husband Richard]
    "She's taller than all the women in my family, combined!" [Howard, in The Big Bang Theory]
    "Tall, tall girl. The woman could hunt geese with a rake!" [Mary Cooper, in The Big Bang Theory]

  7. #32
    Formerly Deborah Whitney
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    I've been reading the thread with interest. I just started HRT myself, on a very low, safe dose. Thanks for keeping it updated.

  8. #33
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    Glad to hear that things are going well. Going on two years and the endo has me on a six month interval.

    Hugs,

    Leah
    Be nice; It don't cost nothing.

  9. #34
    Platinum Member Eryn's Avatar
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    Some good news on the medication front. I refilled both of my prescriptions without any delays from the insurer or the pharmacy!
    Eryn
    "These girls have the most beautiful dresses. And so do I! How about that!" [Kaylee, in Firefly] [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    "What do you care what other people think?" [Arlene Feynman, to her husband Richard]
    "She's taller than all the women in my family, combined!" [Howard, in The Big Bang Theory]
    "Tall, tall girl. The woman could hunt geese with a rake!" [Mary Cooper, in The Big Bang Theory]

  10. #35
    Gold Member Kaitlyn Michele's Avatar
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    That's excellent news!

    and its good you are taking care of yourself...good health to you

  11. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eryn View Post
    ... my blood pressure dipped into the normal range for the first time in years (love those side effects!). ...
    I love it too! My BP started off at appx 160/110 before starting blood pressure medication. I dropped that med a year into Spiro and now routinely test around 115/80 or so. Amazing.

    I'm glad things are going smoothly.
    Lea

  12. #37
    Silver Member Starling's Avatar
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    Authenticity is good for your health.

    Lallie
    Time for a change.

  13. #38
    Platinum Member Eryn's Avatar
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    Wow, I can't believe that it has been six months already! The first half of that was spent in monthly blood testing and getting my dosages correct. My T level is great (7!) but my E levels are still stubbornly lower than I would like, around 100. My endo said that this will likely improve as my body adjusts to the lack of testosterone and develops a subcutaneous fat layer that will make it easier for the patches to do their jobs.

    For those who like data, I have been taking weekly measurements of chest (above bust), bust, ribcage (below bust), and hips. At my age (late 50s) I didn't expect much physical change. I'm not turning into Christina Hendricks, but there have been significant changes.

    Oddly, my bust measurement hasn't increased all that much, but the chest and rib cage measurements have gone down considerably. I'm apparently losing muscle mass which is masking breast growth. I was warned about this, which is why I have always kept track of all the measurements.

    On the graph below, the raw data bounces all over the place so I have added trendlines. Click on the chart to see a larger version.

    6 month chart.jpg

    The top red curve is the bust which is trending slightly upward. The blue and yellow curves are the chest and rib cage and they are trending significantly downward. The result is that I have gone from being completely flat to having two small round breasts, enough to make some cleavage if I so desire. I have noticed that my forms are now fitting differently and soon I will have to address that issue. Bigger bras or smaller forms, that is the question!

    The dark red curve is the hip measurement and it's the big changer. The green curve is my waist and it has progressed upward a little.

    My face has also changed. I used to have a deep wrinkle in one cheek that is much less noticeable now. Body hair has become a bit finer and grows slower. Head hair is in good shape, and hopefully will stay that way as I was showing early signs of baldness.

    Mentally, I feel calmer and have less anxiety. I don't feel quite as "sharp" as I was previously. Rather it feels as though the "edges have been rounded off" of everything. My GD is somewhat improved and will continue to improve as I make other changes.

    All in all I have been happy with my results so far. My endo wants to see me in four months and I'm now on long-term prescriptions. It's very nice to have things stable!

  14. #39
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    Late 50's? Really? I think you wear that very well! I used to do the measurements. Had my wife doing it. Used the measurements at badtranny.com as a guide of what I would measure. First, there were months where my wife wasn't available and I couldn't take measurements that were close to her's. Even with just her's, it was obvious it was hard to be consistent. I saw the changes over months but month-month was variable. I like the way you flattened the line out to just get to the trend. All in all, pretty good for six months. I saw more from 6-12 months than 0-6 I believe. Or maybe it is a result of that being recent memory. Here's to the E getting right!

  15. #40
    carpe diem jenniferinsf's Avatar
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    what an exciting and anxious time it must be for you...wishing you all the best but with your support group you are in good hands by the sound of it

  16. #41
    Platinum Member Eryn's Avatar
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    I learned the measurement techniques from this site:

    http://www.transgendercare.com/medic...ram_7.asp#brst

    Their rationale is this:

    while most measurements are taken no differently than for a genetic female, we have noticed that a crucial body measurement needs to be taken differently for the transgender woman.

    The measurement area of concern is the breast. Often the medical literature as well as physicians not familiar with transgender practice will suggest measuring the breast itself. This technique calls for measuring each breast—taking a measurement of the breast along the horizontal and vertical axes. While treating the breast as a hemisphere and taking measurements accordingly works well for the genetic female, it offers little for the transitioning female. Let's take a look at why:

    For the genetic female, no de-virulizing takes place. The muscles in the upper body do not diminish as they do in the transgender woman and breast growth is normally significant. So for the genetic female, taking a measurement of the breast, itself, is the most telling. But, this traditional technique is not very useful for the transgendered woman.

    For the transgender woman, breast growth occurs along with the diminishment of upper body muscle mass. So the traditional technique which measures only the breast area does not take into account the competing forces of breast growth and decreasing upper body mass, and provides little in the way of useful information.
    I'm very glad that I came across this information, otherwise I would have been very puzzled with lack of increase in bust measurement even though I now have small breasts where everything was boy-flat before. That half-inch increase in bust measurement is actually a two inch increase in differential between bust and measurements above and below.
    Last edited by Eryn; 10-18-2015 at 04:10 PM.

  17. #42
    FAB Moderator/ Eryn's GG Mimi's Avatar
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    Even though the numbers haven't been changing all that much lately, I think there's been a pretty big change in how you look since you started HRT!
    If you are a Genetic Female (Female at Birth) and would like to join us in the F.A.B. Forum, please follow the link.

    F.A.B. Forum Access

  18. #43
    Platinum Member Eryn's Avatar
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    Just received my latest blood work. E went up a bit, to 111, and P is a bit high, at 28. BMP looks good. Haven't received T results yet but I've never had a problem keeping that down. Endo appointment is this Friday!

  19. #44
    Call me Pam pamela7's Avatar
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    have you written this whole story up?, would be interesting to see.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJFyz73MRcg
    I used to believe this, now I'm in the company of many tiggers. A tigger does not wonder why she is a tigger, she just is a tigger.

    thanks to krististeph: tigger = TG'er .. T-I-GG-er

  20. #45
    Platinum Member Eryn's Avatar
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    (Written on 2-27-16 and copied to a new post in order to avoid violating the double posting rule):
    Well, I have documented it here!

    My appointment went well. My T was 12, up a bit, but negligible. BP was excellent (with Spiro I no longer fear The Machine!) and blood work checked out, so I'll see her in 6 months, with blood work at 3 to keep an eye on levels.

    She also scheduled me for a mammogram and told me to see my GP for a general checkup.

    So far I am pleased with my progress. My mental attitude is good, emotions flow more freely, and physical changes are coming along slowly. I'm doing better than I expected. My only complaint is fatigue, but that is to be expected when I lose muscle mass.

    Written on 4-6-16:

    Mammogram Day!

    We had some time off, so Mimi and I scheduled our mammograms back-to-back to save us a trip to the radiologist. We went down first thing in the morning. Mimi was called first and was out 15 minutes later.

    A couple of minutes later I was called. The tech escorted me to the changing room where there were small lockers for my purse and clothing. I put on a paper gown and followed the tech to The Machine. Yes, the fabled machine so hated by GGs and i was going to put some tender parts of my own body into it.

    First was the paperwork. The tech shot questions at me. Phone number?, birth date?, Family history of breast cancer?, was it my time of the month? was I pregnant? was I taking any hormones? etc. I told her that I was taking estrodiol and spironolactone. She said "what's spironolactone?" I said "it's a T-blocker." "Huh?" she says. I say "Testosterone blocker, it stops me from producing testosterone." Suddenly the light dawns in her eyes. "Oh!" She says. She goes back to the top of the form and asks "Are you now male or female?" I replied "medically, I'm still male." She changed the checkmark and off to The Machine we went.

    Now, as pleased as I am with my development, I'm not very well-endowed. 38A. The tech fussed about quite a lot getting the machine to the proper height and getting all of me stuffed onto the platform and squished under the transparent side of the vise. The measurements on the machine went up to 8 and I was barely a 3. My breasts were at the tech's eye level so she spent some time on tiptoe getting things lined up. She apologized for handling things so much and I told her that I didn't mind as long as the pictures were correct!

    As she was taking the first picture I was struck with a wave of weakness and nausea. This isn't normal at all for me and I asked if I could sit down for a minute and compose myself. She fanned me with a magazine and slowly the feeling passed. It was probably caused by the fact that I hadn't eaten anything that morning. I felt better and stood for the remaining three pictures. She kept having to rearrange the paper gown and I asked "Do you mind if I just take this off and make things simpler? She agreed and her job was much easier without the added complication.

    When she was done she said "Congratulations, your first mammogram is done! See you in a year!" I got dressed, retrieved my purse, and rejoined Mimi in the waiting room.

    We then went to a nice breakfast with my sister in law, daughter, and her boyfriend!
    Last edited by Eryn; 04-06-2016 at 05:56 PM.

  21. #46
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    Eryn, You're the poster child for the results I'm looking for. I guess we're roughly the same age. Also, I have a loving supporting wife. Lucky us..... Congrat's woman! Keep ripping it up. Lisa

  22. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eryn View Post
    "medically, I'm still male."
    This is an interesting response. Medically, I am not male. I might have the wrong genitals, but I don't have T going through me in anything but really minor amounts and I have a good level of E. That isn't male to me. It is interesting you can say that as I would assume most couldn't as it would cause a level of dysphoria.

  23. #48
    Call me Pam pamela7's Avatar
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    congrats Eryn, i have a question: why the annual mammogram?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJFyz73MRcg
    I used to believe this, now I'm in the company of many tiggers. A tigger does not wonder why she is a tigger, she just is a tigger.

    thanks to krististeph: tigger = TG'er .. T-I-GG-er

  24. #49
    Platinum Member Eryn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sue View Post
    This is an interesting response. Medically, I am not male. I might have the wrong genitals, but I don't have T going through me in anything but really minor amounts and I have a good level of E. That isn't male to me. It is interesting you can say that as I would assume most couldn't as it would cause a level of dysphoria.
    Practically, the physical structure of my body is male and my genetic makeup is XY. So, for medical purposes I'm male. Now, I have a few female things going on too, like estrogen and breasts. I'm an amalgam of both sexes and always will be. Unfortunately, "Amalgam" is not a choice on the form.

    For me, dysphoria is not really triggered by practical matters, but by how I am socially perceived.

    Quote Originally Posted by pamela7 View Post
    congrats Eryn, i have a question: why the annual mammogram?
    I'm in my 50s and on HRT. That makes me higher risk for breast cancer, just as it would a GG in the same position.

  25. #50
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    Anyone on HRT eventually needs mammograms. There doesn't seem to be an agreed standard on when to start them, though. My doctor says after 5 years on hormones.

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