(03-04-2014, 03:35 PM)Karren Wrote: [ -> ]I still have a half bottle of those breast pills in my drawer! lol.... I think I got into NBE because I was cheap and didn't want to go get a prescription for anything stronger... which I feel there's nothing wrong with.... if it gets you to where you need to be!
Ha! Glad I wasn't the only one, Karren! Lol...good, that cheered me up again...tee hee
(03-04-2014, 02:27 AM)Samantha Rogers Wrote: [ -> ]An interesting series of thoughts, Annie.
I suppose, risking branding on this board as a heretic, I should confess that what originally brought me to this board was a mix of ignorance and laziness, and had nothing to do with being "natural"
After years of "dressing", I knew I needed more...of what, exactly, I did not know. I was in a drug store and saw a bottle of pills in the women's health section that promised to boost breast growth. On a whim, I bought the bottle and took the pills for awhile, feeling foolish as I knew I was a sucker. But I looked at the ingredients, and the pills contained a cocktail oh herbal ingredients. Researching those ingredients brought me here, and the rest is history.
But it was about convenience, you see?
Had that same drug store shelf contained bottles os over the counter estradiol, I would have bought that.
However, at the time I was convinced the only path to a supply of regular HRT hormones led through. Therapist and at least a year of living full time as a woman.
This was four years ago and the depth of my ignorance at that time was staggering.
Yes, I now have a supply of estradiol, but only through a series of happy coincidences that led me to it without any of the baggage involving long term therapy, living as a woman and so on. Granted, I am now using the services of a TG therapist, but this came about more in connection to stress after coming out to my wife and the ensuing problems associated with that, rather than an attempt to gain access to a scrip.had I not stumbled into the office of an unbelievably open minded, TG friendly endo, I expect I would still not be using estradiol, and would still be happily scarfing handfuls of PM.
It isn't, for me about whether the "tool" is natural, but about whether it is most effective, and readily available on my terms.
And, yes, I expect PM is far more complex than syn E. On the other hand, I think I had gone maybe as far as I could on PM, and that I needed a change.
We will see where this goes, won!t we?
I don't think that your use of estradiol is in any way unnatural, for the reasons i gave. What is unnatural is the conditions that used to be imposed (and sometimes still are) to get a prescription. I suspect that your 'confession' and mine, although our paths are different, would have quite a bit in common. I did at one point get hold of and take some estradiol, but the quantity was too small to prove anything. I also considered buying it while in Brazil some years back, but my courage failed me - also the quantity of pills required to last me for perhaps years seemed to present a potential customs problem.
My only concern is that the E2 may take you too far and too fast, and that we might lose you despite your protestations. I and obviously others truly value your support, example and friendship. Hugs from
Annie, I am touched by your care and your concern, dear one. But I am really not going anywhere...hee hee...why won't anyone believe me?
(04-04-2014, 03:15 AM)Samantha Rogers Wrote: [ -> ]Annie, I am touched by your care and your concern, dear one. But I am really not going anywhere...hee hee...why won't anyone believe me?
I do believe you gona be a long term fixture here sammie , like me who is gona keep givin ppl ol cheek
Well, dear ones, todays installment ...
Being naturally ditzy and indecisive (my female self seems to want to be blond...tee hee), I have been unable to grasp any intelligent path forward so I am kind of punting...
The doc suggested adding low dose T so I have been doing so for the last week.
Dear sister Sarah suggested eliminating PM. Tried that for a few days but could not stick it.
So here I am, and here is the current craziness...
E at 4mgs daily
PM at 1500 mgs daily
WP at 900 mgs daily
Licorice (cant remember the exact amount but one cap daily)
PC - Currently without but planning to reacquire and introduce again asap.
Plus a once daily topical application of low dosage T
Pray for me sisters....tee hee
. LOL
LOL...it's ok. I'm having trouble laying off the AAs, myself. I tell myself I'm just gonna take the Estrace and Fincar, but for some reason I keep taking spiro.
I guess I'll just run a bunch of stuff by the doc on wednesday when I hopefully finally get my script.
So yeah, basically....I can understand why it's hard to cut things out...especially when your boobies are buzzing from something lmao
I knew you would get it, Sis.
(02-04-2014, 10:44 PM)AnnabelP Wrote: [ -> ]I wish I knew my own T level. I'm still trying to extract the results of the blood tests I managed to persuade the NP to order and have an appointment with her on Monday. I am interested that your endo said, Iif I understood you correctly, that loss of male function is usually reversible - I was certainly under the impression that mine had gone for good. 
My visit to the NP today was a bit unsatisfactory, and I had some difficulty in extracting meaningful figures. The first problem is that, as in the case of blood sugar readings, the units commonly used in the US are different from those commonly used in Canada and Europe, the next that she had not been provided with detailed results. It does however appear that my total testosterone expressed in ng/dl is less than 20, or less than 0.7 nmol/l which is pretty low. Her line was that both this and the extreme atrophy of my male equipment was just andropause and something I could expect at my age, and nothing to do with other factors which I raised, but I think I had her way outside her comfort zone. She was however strongly against any testosterone supplementation. Unfortunately I failed to take a copy of the original test requisition, and there were two other tests, one of which was for SHBG. She merely said that the other test was less than 1 (which would be very low for SHBG if that is what it was).
I'm glad to see that you haven't abandoned PM - I can't help feeling that it provides benefits beyond those of E2, and hope that you're still basking in the afterglow of your magical evening - that's the kind of magic I do believe in.
Annie,
I, too, have noticed how vague and reluctant doctors are to give detailed, precise information about my health. It's maddening how they think I'm incapable of understanding anything remotely technical.
I remember after my latest colonoscopy, I asked about the results and got the same vague responses about the discovery of a couple polyps and their nature. I got the feeling he didn't want to be bothered discussing it. When the doctor was suddenly called away from the examination room, he left the official medical report on the monitor, so I walked over to read it. It was very interesting and answered all my questions and more -- how clean the colon was, how much of the colon was inspected, no sign of diverticulitis, polyp locations, tissue type from the biopsy analysis, no swollen hemorrhoids, etc. Why are doctors so protective of giving out the straight scoop?
Clara
(09-04-2014, 03:03 PM)ClaraKay Wrote: [ -> ]Annie,
I, too, have noticed how vague and reluctant doctors are to give detailed, precise information about my health. It's maddening how they think I'm incapable of understanding anything remotely technical.
I remember after my latest colonoscopy, I asked about the results and got the same vague responses about the discovery of a couple polyps and their nature. I got the feeling he didn't want to be bothered discussing it. When the doctor was suddenly called away from the examination room, he left the official medical report on the monitor, so I walked over to read it. It was very interesting and answered all my questions and more -- how clean the colon was, how much of the colon was inspected, no sign of diverticulitis, polyp locations, tissue type from the biopsy analysis, no swollen hemorrhoids, etc. Why are doctors so protective of giving out the straight scoop?
Clara
I guess it depends on the doctor, because I just ask for my lab results and he prints me a copy lol....he also kind of goes over everything with me and shows me his copy with notes on it.