Today marks 22 months since I began hormone replacement therapy (HRT). It’s been five months since my last update so here’s how things are going.
What has changed
Winter has come and gone here in the UK, and I felt the cold a lot more than I usually do. Maybe it’s because of my age; I am 50 after all, but more than likely it is HRT. Women do feel the cold more than men, and now my hormone levels are the same as any other woman; this is also true for me as a transgender woman.
My breasts are bigger and more sensitive than they were five months ago since my last update. My skin is also slightly softer and I have fewer wrinkles. I’m sure this isn’t because I use Nivea cream daily but rather the HRT. My natural smell is also a lot sweater than it was five months ago.
I’m also not growing as much body hair and the hair I am growing is nowhere near as dense as it was before I began HRT.
The biggest difference is mental; I’m much happier with myself and people have noticed I smile more.
What are my HRT levels
As I had by bloods done this month these reading are accurate.
Estrogen – 476 pmol/l
Testosterone 2.2 nmol/l
Cisgender women’s usual levels
Estrogen – 300-1200 pmol/l
Testosterone – 0.5-3.5 nmol/l
As you can see, I’m now comfortably in the cisgender women’s range. This is the first time it has been this way since starting HRT 22 months ago.
Conclusion
I’m delighted with the progress. Things stalled about four months ago but last month they resumed their upward trajectory. This is normal so don’t give up when things slow down.
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