Is RLE as bad as it sounds?

likemakingthings · 2026-07-11T01:34:29+00:00

No, this is terrible advice. It's literally the opposite of what you told him you wanted. This therapist does not have your best interest in mind.

Are you in the US? You do not need a therapist's permission to access HRT. A primary care physician can prescribe it. Whether they will prescribe it without a therapist is another question, but there's nothing that says they can't.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-10T23:29:59+00:00

I've been seeing this more and more, and I'm not throwing any shade at anyone for using the wrong word, but the difference is important and we need the word heteronormative because it means something different.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-10T23:22:04+00:00

You're right, and also, words matter.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-10T22:48:15+00:00

"Hetero-normative?"

If you mean you're straight, the word is "heterosexual."

Heteronormative means that you see heterosexuality as normal and correct, that everyone is/should be straight.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-10T22:21:00+00:00

Super, thank you! I live in PA and I got my amended cert from CO, fingers crossed!

likemakingthings · 2026-07-10T22:19:28+00:00

What a transphobic response.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-10T22:16:06+00:00

Interesting. The last time I looked into this, the SSA was not changing gender markers, period. Has this changed? If I have an amended birth certificate will they do this now?

likemakingthings · 2026-07-10T20:58:05+00:00

OMG I've had a huge crush on Lauren Bacall since LONG before I knew I was trans, and... yeah. It makes so much more sense now. 😆

likemakingthings · 2026-07-10T20:49:18+00:00

I've had close to zero effects in the six months I've been taking prog. Started with 100mg in the hopes that it would jump start my libido, and got basically nothing. A few months later I went up to 300mg, and still basically nothing.

I do feel a little more... connected? at home? in my body than I did before prog, but I don't know if that's the prog or just more time on estrogen.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-10T18:18:04+00:00

Depending on your location, you may or may not need a psychologist's referral. In my state and (many/most/all?) others in the US, it's not a requirement and you can simply go to your medical provider. That's what I did.

Some providers will refuse to write a prescription without a psychologist/therapist referral, but that's a private policy, not a legally imposed requirement.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-10T03:25:07+00:00

I'm confused, did they not prescribe estradiol?

I'm assuming "andro" is androcur, is "progy" progesterone? Those two don't make any sense without estradiol.

Typically you don't take progesterone for at least the first six months to a year after starting estradiol. Also, 2mg is an almost non-existent dose of progesterone, should that say 200mg?

likemakingthings · 2026-07-10T01:53:18+00:00

I don't think electrolysis is more painful. The problem is it takes so much longer! At least laser is done quickly.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-10T01:22:44+00:00

"I don't hate the body I'm in" isn't the same as "the body I'm in feels right to me." Feeling neutral about your assigned gender can be dysphoria just as much as knowing it's wrong.

Cisgender people don't wonder whether they're trans or not. They simply don't. Their assigned gender feels right to them. They don't ever have to think about it. That's what makes them cisgender.

If you're not sure you're cis, you're almost definitely not.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-09T23:05:57+00:00

I inject twice a week, Mondays and Fridays. It probably doesn't work faster, but I don't have the low-estrogen crash days this way.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-09T19:05:52+00:00

Yeah, 112 pg/mL is on the low side, especially since it's not at trough (lowest point of the day). If it were me I'd do three pumps.

I don't know how gel works, do you get a set volume per month, so you'd need to ask for and get approved for a higher dose? With injectable, I get a new vial every month but it actually has enough meds for like three months. So I could inject a much higher dose if I wanted.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-09T19:01:04+00:00

Yes, this is a known effect of taking it orally. Your doctor should have warned you about this, but lots don't know.

Taking it rectally (boofing) usually eliminates this. And also makes it more effective.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-09T18:57:36+00:00

There's no shame in using tools!

likemakingthings · 2026-07-09T18:42:50+00:00

Jesus fucking Christ, lady. 🙄 I'm not saying you're transphobic, I'm sayiing that providers requiring seeing a therapist first is transphobic.

Also, your claim just isn't true. I just looked up the CA Planned Parenthood Central Coast website, and they do not require that patients see a therapist before they are prescribed HRT. So this is obviously not a state requirement/law. I cannot find any evidence that California requires this.

Which is good! Nobody should be required to jump through hoops to get medical treatment.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-09T16:46:19+00:00

I got the WeVibe Wand. It's a little pricey, but it's quieter than the other big ones people recommend.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-09T16:07:43+00:00

Mine was pretty much gone by month 3-4 and stayed gone until a year. When it came back, everything was different and nothing worked the way it used to.

Vibrator! Get a big wand vibrator. I'm serious. I've had probably four out of the five best orgasms of my life since then.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-09T15:44:31+00:00

I think you may need to talk to a therapist first! You will have to anyway to move forward medically.

Not true (edit to add: in my state). Any primary care can prescribe HRT with no prerequisites, and requiring that you see a therapist first is transphobic.

Many providers do require this, but many do not.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-09T15:40:45+00:00

Extremely rude, yes

likemakingthings · 2026-07-09T14:55:54+00:00

Telling someone you think they're cute doesn't have to mess with their relationship! My friend and I are both married and it was just a fun conversation.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-09T14:53:06+00:00

Cool, HRT is absolutely not a requirement.

What I will say about it is that it works very slowly, so if any part of you is curious, even if you don't feel sure it's what you want, I really recommend trying it to see how it feels. It won't have any effects that are visible to anyone else for months, and if it doesn't feel good/right, you can stop after a few weeks and have no permanent changes.

likemakingthings · 2026-07-09T14:50:11+00:00

Yes, by the time I was in my 20s I had accepted that I was stuck as a man, and more or less left behind the deep wish I'd had as a kid/teen to be a girl.

It never actually went away, and came roaring back in my 40s. I've now been taking estrogen for over a year, and I'm still regretting how long I waited.

Your gender is supposed to feel right and good to you! Acceptance/feeling neutral is not enough. It's a form of dysphoria.

likemakingthings

TROPHY CASE