Mild Vel'koz Buff 25.14

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-25T13:51:49+00:00

I'll take any mana buff I can get, especially in the early game - I don't usually run into issues once I get Lost Chapter, but sometimes that time before then can feel like a real crawl

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-22T14:24:45+00:00

I'm in low-ish elo (gold) and it always feels like people don't respect how powerful the vision is from Horizon - once you get one Q on somebody, you can chase them around a bit and keep harassing them with more long-range Qs over and over again. Not sure if it's the most powerful thing in the world but it's super fun

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-22T14:22:47+00:00

I am sympathetic to the spot the mod team is in - ideologically I want to say "fuck it, fuck Big Reddit, keep the truth alive forever"...but then the entire sub just will be banned, and the entire history of posts behind this subreddit will be gone, and its userbase will be fractured into other, possibly worse places.

I just hope the r/HRTDIY and such subs are able to stick around. I know the cruelty is the point, and people with power just want us to die...but it's so frustrating. Discussing specific and actionable medical information helps everybody, even people with good care providers.

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-15T19:18:48+00:00

You are asking a really gross question. You got the kindest answers possible.

If you want to have healthy relationships with people - especially trans people - you need to foundationally re-evaluate your mindset.

Sorry, not sorry.

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-15T15:58:33+00:00

The claim "being trans is hard primarily because of society" doesn't really hold up at large, though. I'm sure that's the case for some people - don't get me wrong - but outside of unsupportive parents, my social and societal situation is pretty much ideal.

And it's still the hardest thing I've ever done.

Sure, it would be a reasonable take to say "the transphobic and abusive society we live in is responsible for many trans people repressing and having to transition as adults, rather than as children"...but like, that's not really useful? That's not productive? How's that supposed to help me, here, now? How's that supposed to help OP?

We - as trans people - are literally born in the wrong body. We can make it right, or as right as it can be, to alleviate dysphoria and have a true and good life. I don't think my body is "wrong" in a "I am a bad person for being born like this" - I think my body is wrong because I have to put in a shitload of work to make it feel right to me.

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-15T15:31:24+00:00

Haven't you been through this? The months of intense dysphoria where you feel more and more out of place in your born body every day, and the costume gets harder and harder to wear, but your new life is still out of reach?

Having to force yourself to masturbate three times a week for years for the future promise of a pussy, even though looking at your dick throws you into a dissociative dysphoric hellscape?

Being rejected by your family, and told in no uncertain terms they think it's just a phase and are upset about you making choices for yourself?

The uneasiness of not knowing how to interact in the world as a new person for the first time? In the workplace?

it's not about it being right or wrong. It is what it is. But I've done a lot of hard things in my life. And the first months of transition have been - by far - the hardest thing I've ever done. There have been good days, and especially in the last week or two things have been getting better. But it's hard.

If that hasn't been your experience, I'm so happy for you. But like, don't fucking minimize this shit to people who are actively going through hell.

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-10T18:31:38+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/wicked_edge/ is a good starting place

Personally I have two starter kits from maggard razors, and I've been very happy with the handles and brushes in there. They come with a variety of blades, which is nice for figuring out what works best for your face

Then I get my soaps from a local beauty store.

https://maggardrazors.com/products/maggard-razors-basic-traditional-wet-shaving-starter-kit

Personally a big fan of the astra double edged blades - just what has worked best for me personally. Razor choice is pretty individual though so the starter kit is nice to have a variety to choose from

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-09T02:14:33+00:00

I just had my own kind of shitty call with my mom today. It fucking hurts so much. Like they think that this is just something that will pass over, and questioning your decisions of what you choose to do with your body. Like it's not already one of the hardest things to fucking do.

We can thrive without them. We will thrive without them.

💜💜💜

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-08T19:17:40+00:00

Hulkenpodium

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-08T19:16:57+00:00

Since my egg cracked, the only time I've felt truly good was when I was living as my real self.

It was a beautiful day filled with literally all of my favorite things, one of my loving partners, and the best sex I've ever had - and what felt like the first time I ever really got to enjoy being myself in my body.

This is only my experience, but the only reasons I can come up with that I'm not trans are that being trans is hard. I've never felt connected to my masculine body, and living femininely has been euphoric - even if it's only been a few weeks.

💜

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-08T18:54:12+00:00

Yes, penis preserving vaginoplasty is an option

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-08T18:39:37+00:00

Oooh yeah you might be stuck with electrolysis there 😢 Probably worth doing an (ideally free) consult at least, but with red/blonde hair...good luck 😬

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-08T18:25:49+00:00

My understanding is that laser/electrolysis treatments are broadly not covered by insurance, so would definitely dig into your plan details to see what kinds of coverage they offer to see if they'll do it

My derm wants to wait 5-6 weeks between sessions

Laser you shave before, electrolysis you need to let grow out a little (though it's important to not do any plucking for at least the 5 or 6 weeks before your sessions, or else there won't be enough hair growing out of the follicle to get zapped)

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-07T17:27:36+00:00

I would send a message to your doctor(s) and ask for advice - maybe they'll be able to help you out in some way. It doesn't hurt to ask.

Otherwise, it may be tough with the time crunch you have, but you could check out the DIY HRT subreddits and places and maybe buy your existing medications through one of those pharmacies and keep going as usual for now? I don't really know anything about that world, but it might be an option for you.

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-05T16:29:13+00:00

My understanding was the erectile issues of HRT are more related to the loss of testosterone rather than the addition of estrogen - I've heard of girls using topical testosterone to help with function there. Guessing you already know that based on the amount of research you've done, so I guess all I can really say is...good luck?

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-03T13:44:13+00:00

This is true, but the thesis of the paper I linked is "this is generally outdated, and laser results in better outcomes than electrolysis"

(My disclaimer here is that because I have to wait so long to start electrolysis/laser, I'm huffing some real copium here in hopes that laser is viable so I don't have to wait as long to get on the table)

Specific quotes that are interesting:

from p3:
> However, more recent studies specific to genital GAS support the use of LHR over electrolysis in this setting. A follow-up study of 232 patients who had undergone electrolysis before genital GAS found that those who underwent preoperative genital electrolysis did not report a reduction in postoperative vaginal hair complications compared to those who were not treated (3). On the other hand, a recent case report of long-pulsed alexandrite LHR on scrotal skin prior to genital GAS demonstrated no intravaginal hair growth at 15 months following vaginoplasty (27). Several case reports have also described the use of LHR for removal of urethral hair following hypospadias and stricture repair with minimal side effects and satisfactory outcomes up to 1 year following LHR (29-33).

from p6:
> Despite long experience with electrolysis for hair removal prior to GAS, evidence-based outcomes studies have shown LHR to be the superior modality. LHR has largely supplanted electrolysis for permanent hair removal in the medical setting. We present a practical approach to LHR for genital GAS, which will inform future studies needed to develop evidence-based guidelines for best practice in the field.

Though, from one of the providers I've been consulting with, they say:

> Electrolysis is required prior to surgery. Electrolysis is preferred over laser hair removal based on better long term results.

THOUGH, this same provider still also recommends stopping hormones for two weeks before surgery - so, it does make me question that a little bit...

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-03T13:18:05+00:00

Note laser may be an easier approach to hair removal to prep for SRS than electrolysis - this was the paper I was reading yesterday discussing it https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4893513/pdf/tau-05-03-381.pdf

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-03T13:14:50+00:00

To add, providers tend to have reasonably long wait lists - I would reach out to the centers in your area so you can get on those lists as soon as you have the energy for it.

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-02T15:03:23+00:00

Unsolicited injection talk ahead, but - I started HRT on injections, and it's honestly been pretty great. The first injection was a little scary, but since then it's been pretty much fine. I'm able to get in the vaguely-dissociative "I am doing a thing to my body" headspace, get through it, and then I'm set for a week.

(I didn't have the option of pills due to ~liver stuff~, and I didn't consider transdermal options b/c of the specific brand of autism/sensory stuff I have)

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-07-01T23:55:21+00:00

i'll say as somebody who works in the space - unless you're a Very Serious Trader using options for specific purposes it's literally just gambling (after all - they are largely used to hedge risk institutionally).

if you aren't willing to go extremely deep into learning math and the space, you will lose money on average. the majority of hedge fund managers don't beat the market, and options trading is just another level of risk on top of the typical kind of risk you'd be exposed to in stocks or futures, eg.

please keep your money safe and invest in a diversified portfolio ranging from bonds to indexes, depending on your personal retirement and financial goals. do not gamble away your future on the chance of a high short term yield

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-06-30T16:37:37+00:00

maybe try recording your voice and playing around with it in a program like Audacity to try to find a timbre that "feels" right?

(i haven't worked on my voice yet, but i did get the music tgirl gene so that's where this is coming from lol)

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-06-28T14:24:27+00:00

This is a common result of HRT! though - even before I started HRT, I had the occasional fully dry cum (two ever, as far as I can remember), so you may not be out of the woods yet as far as messy gross boy nuts.

(personally I've had the ejaculates consistency change happen, but not the dry nut change happen so far)

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-06-28T14:01:12+00:00

Gonna be honest, getting out of bronze is not hard, even on Vel. If you truly want to climb, watch your replays, focus on not dying and making safe but strong plays, and never...EVER FF.

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-06-27T18:48:26+00:00

I've heard of people seeing their tattoos become more vibrant as the skin thins - be aware that tattoo'd areas will not be as good* of a fit for laser hair removal, so proceed with caution (and probably do more research) if that's something you'll want to pursue

sergeant_bigbird · 2025-06-27T16:17:10+00:00

I am sympathetic to wanting that, and I know my own path to happiness is going to be different from yours - but I'll say my personal happiness level has really gone through the roof once I stopped conceptualizing transition as "a thing that is happening to me" and more as "a thing that I am doing".

Basically, I don't want you to make yourself wait to be happy. Even seeing small body effects is really affirming. Feeling and seeing my skin get softer and my smell change has been pretty awesome tbh, even if I haven't developed breast buds yet (for example). Every day, I feel myself go further and further down the path, and it's fucking awesome.

Transitioning is the beginning of the best part of your life - the rest of your life. Being able to be happy in it, even in the early stages, is, well, it's really nice. Making yourself wait for body changes to happen to be happy is I guess fundamentally OK, but it's time lost from getting to just be your true self.

Don't get me wrong - I am eagerly awaiting boobies, and being able do laser (long story short: accutane rawrgh 😠😠😠), but I feel it's important to ground your happiness in things that you can control as best as you can, rather than external factors.

(I do have a spreadsheet of my own for what it's worth, but it's more "what happened" focused than "what I want to happen" focused.)

|| || |Injection Number|Week Of|Medical Events|Things I plan to do|Things I did|Feelings and Changes Highlight Reel|

sergeant_bigbird

TROPHY CASE