Guest Writer this week - Lola Kendal on HRT ! !

Hello there, my name is Lola Kendal (lolakendal.com)  and I am a transgender female who has been on hormones since October 2020.

I am doing a piece specially for this blog as to what to expect when you start using hormones to change from Male to Female as I have a bit of knowledge on the subject now. Maybe I will be back again in the future to report how I am getting on. 😊

Background

Unfortunately, I was stuck waiting years for NHS assistance with gender dysphoria and like most transgender people, I was left on the side-lines with no date given. I have been waiting for NHS help now since April 2020 but previously had numerous counselling and help from doctors to no avail before this referral was made for the second time. First time it got lost in the system to my horror. 

I started to take hormones by self-medicating and ordering them online however the risks were great to my health and is not something I would recommend anyone doing. 

My gender dysphoria felt better but this soon fizzled out as time went on and I was frustrated this was showing slow progress. 

Eventually I was seen by a specialist after paying through the nose privately in London and was prescribed hormones with the outcome proving positive with my GP who agreed to do my blood tests and hormones on a shared care agreement.

Would I recommend self-medicating?

No despite the fact I did it myself because when I told my GP, I was advised that my actions were foolish and could cause serious damage to my kidneys so my GP ensured I was tested but luckily, I was given the all clear and there was no harm done.

Oestrogen in tablet format is warned for causing strokes so this was a major concern in my mind at the time.

The point is you are putting your health on the line by taking medication that is not authorised in this country let alone on the NHS because anything could be in them and if you do this then you must do blood tests even if your GP refuses to support you, so you would have to pay out for private blood tests. My GP would not test my oestrogen or tester tone levels which was key to this as she did not want to be seen as supporting this.

The cost of buying the hormones is pretty expensive and you got the added hassle of custom charges as its coming from overseas plus limit on what you can import. Plus most online chemists don’t have the best payment methods and the wait time to receive your package can be up to six weeks.

I got lucky but not everyone is as everybody is different.

What did my gender clinic say about my self-medicating and how well did I progress?

Obviously, they weren't happy this happened but understood and were glad I came to them for help.

My blood tests results showed I made very little progress which was heart-breaking for me.

What am I on now?

I am no longer on any tablet hormones as I now use oestrogen gel as prescribed by my gender clinic and my GP will be providing this to me moving forward which will finally mean I save money.

What effects did I notice?

1. My chest where boobs would be, have given me endless pain since October 2020 as they are starting to grow and have become very sensitive.

My boobs have not grown much and are not even an A cup yet.

2. I suffer mood swings and I would describe this as time of the month but without the red stuff that cis women get

3. My skin is smoother so I am more likely to cut myself when shaving

4. Loss of muscle mass/strength - one time I could carry bags of shopping but now struggle. 

5. Bigger bum - Due to fat redistribution, I now feel my bum has grown slightly.

6. Thicker and longer hair - My hair was very thin one time in the middle but this is no longer the case and my hair has grown to just above shoulder from very short hair in 18 months.

7. Lack of body odour - I no longer sweat as much as I used to.

8. I noticed I seem to need to drink and eat more so weight has increased slightly

9. More toilet breaks

How often am I reviewed?

Every three months my dosage will be reviewed after I do blood tests and whether it should be increased or decreased.

I have to see my gender clinic every six months for a review though.

When would I be refused hormones?

A gender clinic will not prescribe them if I was a smoker or had a very high BMI. The risk to health is great if these factors were ignored.

How much have I spent?

I have most likely spent £1,500 so far on hormones and my gender clinic alone plus I have to pay £50 a month subscription until a NHS GIC take over one day. This is in addition to larger expenses I have incurred from having operations.

Thank you for reading and continue to follow this blog, Kira will be back next week… 😊