"And so it begins." -Kosh Naranek
Henceforth, this day, the 18th of November shall be known as HRT day! Well until I forget the exact date at least as I usually do. I still can't recall if Teri's birthday is on May 15th or 17th.
Also this happy news comes interestingly timed, as the 20th is the Transgender Day of Remembrance, in honor of all those who have been killed by those who cannot tolerate anyone not fitting into their narrowly defined concepts of gender.
But for now we are here to focus on the happy news!
As of today I am taking Spironolactone and Avodart. Spironolactone (an anti androgen (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiandrogen )) is starting at 25mg per day for a week then going to 50 for the rest of the month. Avodart (a testosterone inhibitor (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5-alpha-reductase_inhibitor )) is 0.5mg and may ramp up in a month. Estrogen will be starting once the levels for the other two are settled.
No real visible effects should be seen until a month to 3 months have passed but the knowledge alone that I've begun this step fills me with a sense of peace I can't begin to describe. I'm sure however that will fade as soon as I get to work and dive into the "stresspool".
The interesting thing about Spironolactone and the Avodart are marketed for completely different uses. "Spiro" is used as a hypertension medication and Avodart is used to deal with benign enlarged prostate issues. As a result they are both covered by my insurance though to different degrees. At the current dosages, Spiro will cost only $10/month but Avodart is $40/month. I'm not sure what for the estrogen will take at this time and whether it can be slipped by Preferred Care or not.
It should be noted that considering the drastic changes to my body chemistry that I'm making there is a relatively high risk of negative side effects. But that's why I'm doing this by the book and under the experienced supervision of my doctor, who has assisted a number of other transgendered individuals. And hey recent studies have suggested that taking Spironolactone may actually reduce the chances of Alzheimer's. Considering that there is now a family history of it, and the loss of my cognitive faculties is my single biggest nightmare, that's a side benefit I'm thrilled to hear about.
Well, time to get ready for work I guess. If you folks have any questions please do ask, I'm always willing to answer. And if for any reason you are hesitant to do so in my publicly accessible comments, and don't know how to contact me otherwise, just comment that and one way or another we will open a line of communication.
This can be a scary and daunting undertaking, and it took a long time for me to find the courage (and the needed information) to start all this. Anything I can do to educate anyone involved, be it friends, co-workers, family members, or transgendered individuals themselves. and make it easier for everyone, I will do to the best of my ability. Unlike the gay and lesbian communities, there are really no spokespeople, no leaders or role models for us to learn from. We have to learn from each other and try to educate and support each other ourselves.
Wow... this was a lot more long winded and rambling than I had originally intended, but what the heck. It's my journal after all, right? ^_^
Also this happy news comes interestingly timed, as the 20th is the Transgender Day of Remembrance, in honor of all those who have been killed by those who cannot tolerate anyone not fitting into their narrowly defined concepts of gender.
But for now we are here to focus on the happy news!
As of today I am taking Spironolactone and Avodart. Spironolactone (an anti androgen (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiandrogen )) is starting at 25mg per day for a week then going to 50 for the rest of the month. Avodart (a testosterone inhibitor (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5-alpha-reductase_inhibitor )) is 0.5mg and may ramp up in a month. Estrogen will be starting once the levels for the other two are settled.
No real visible effects should be seen until a month to 3 months have passed but the knowledge alone that I've begun this step fills me with a sense of peace I can't begin to describe. I'm sure however that will fade as soon as I get to work and dive into the "stresspool".
The interesting thing about Spironolactone and the Avodart are marketed for completely different uses. "Spiro" is used as a hypertension medication and Avodart is used to deal with benign enlarged prostate issues. As a result they are both covered by my insurance though to different degrees. At the current dosages, Spiro will cost only $10/month but Avodart is $40/month. I'm not sure what for the estrogen will take at this time and whether it can be slipped by Preferred Care or not.
It should be noted that considering the drastic changes to my body chemistry that I'm making there is a relatively high risk of negative side effects. But that's why I'm doing this by the book and under the experienced supervision of my doctor, who has assisted a number of other transgendered individuals. And hey recent studies have suggested that taking Spironolactone may actually reduce the chances of Alzheimer's. Considering that there is now a family history of it, and the loss of my cognitive faculties is my single biggest nightmare, that's a side benefit I'm thrilled to hear about.
Well, time to get ready for work I guess. If you folks have any questions please do ask, I'm always willing to answer. And if for any reason you are hesitant to do so in my publicly accessible comments, and don't know how to contact me otherwise, just comment that and one way or another we will open a line of communication.
This can be a scary and daunting undertaking, and it took a long time for me to find the courage (and the needed information) to start all this. Anything I can do to educate anyone involved, be it friends, co-workers, family members, or transgendered individuals themselves. and make it easier for everyone, I will do to the best of my ability. Unlike the gay and lesbian communities, there are really no spokespeople, no leaders or role models for us to learn from. We have to learn from each other and try to educate and support each other ourselves.
Wow... this was a lot more long winded and rambling than I had originally intended, but what the heck. It's my journal after all, right? ^_^