As the title says, I received my first T-shot one year ago today. The first three injections were administered by my GP; after that point, I took over self-administration via IM injection of 1ml of Sustanon 250 every two weeks. My most recent shot was last Saturday, bringing me to 26ml in total over the past year - just slightly more than a single shot measure, lol! (Also, eww.)
Because I'm a guy who likes stats and figures, I've been tracking a few things, like my vocal changes and blood test results, etc., in a spreadsheet. I thought I'd share a basic list of where I was at this time last year and where I am today, in terms of my medical transition, for anyone who's curious.
Please keep in mind that these figures and observations apply to just one guy - me. Your results may - and almost definitely will - vary, and what has or hasn't happened to me in the last year has absolutely nothing to do what you may or may not experience. The following information is for interest only; I've followed the format of the
chart entitled 'Summary of changes from T' from this sub's wiki.
Please also note that clinical terminology for female anatomy and bodily functions may appear below. Okay, that said - here we go!
Voice: I recorded myself reading my favourite poem under the same conditions (same room, same angle of phone, etc.) using the native camera app on an iPhone 5s (last August) / iPhone 8 (today), then ran the file through Praat for analysis. 8/8/17: 147.9hz. 8/8/18: 98.9hz.
Body Hair: I've always been a pretty hairy person - thick forearm hair, legs that required shaving on a daily basis to keep smooth. I now have a smattering of chest hair, mostly in the very centre, and a trail of similar thickness running down the centre of my stomach; I also have hair growing on my upper arms where previously I've always had red bumps that I assumed were keratosis pilaris. My thighs resemble those of a bear, and my pubic hair has thickened, especially around the inside edges of the outer lips. Hair has also started to sprout on my back...
Facial Hair: Complicated by the fact that I've previously undergone two courses of IPL laser hair removal, in 1999 and 2006, while still presenting female. Pre-T, I had enough chin and lip hair to have to shave or epilate regularly in order to avoid sparse, coarse stubble to be visible, but it's definitely started to grow in locations that were previously bare or peach-fuzzy, like sideburns and along my jawline. Eyebrows are less enthusiastic, after decades of plucking, and were a major source of dysphoria, so I had them microbladed in February. I spent time in the American South over Christmas and again in late April/early May, passing on appearance probably half the time on the former visit and in all but two occasions on the latter visit; the eyebrows were the biggest change to my appearance during that time, so the microblading definitely made a difference.
Increased muscle mass: I have biceps where previously I did not - the same goes for whatever muscle is in one's thighs. (I already had huge calf muscles from years of baseball.) I have not deliberately worked out at any point, or otherwise encouraged any increase in muscle mass, but I have lost fat since last August and still weigh exactly the same, so an increase can be assumed.
Cessation of menstruation (monthly periods): These were infrequent to begin with, but I haven't had one since starting T. Hoping to get all the plumbing removed whenever I can convince the NHS to do so.
Genital growth: Noticeable but nothing astounding; I'm a big guy, so it's hard to do any measuring aside from confirmation from my husband that yes, things are definitely looking different down there. I've never achieved orgasm on my own without using a vibrator; my junk was not visible or tangible pre-T, but the growth I've experienced is mostly just noted when I'm showering and therefore cleaning myself. Rough measuring against a thumb tells me I might have an inch of growth? It does get hard, but doesn't protrude past my outer lips, so sensitivity to underwear, etc. has never been an issue.
Texture of skin and hair: Haven't really noticed a difference in either of these, aside from the upper arms as described above.
Acne (face and body): One or two spots at a time on my face, if that, but painful cystic ones which take ages to go away. Some chest acne, always followed by an erupting hair; I'm a compulsive picker so the healing process is unfortunately delayed and I do have some scarring, and the same is true for my back.
Fat redistribution (face and body): Literally no fat left on my arms or legs - it's all in my belly. I've always been shaped like a rectangle that swallowed a boulder, so this isn't exactly new, and my trouser size hasn't changed, but I'm experiencing some pain in my left hip that's being exacerbated by there no longer being any padding at all protecting the joint from my crappy mattress. Face is pretty much the same as ever -
something has changed, but I can't put my finger on what, and it's still fairly heart-shaped when I smile - no squaring of the jaw or anything like that.
Increased sex drive: Not that I've noticed - but I've always had a low libido, and I also take antidepressants, so. I'm somewhere on the spectrum between asexual and sexual-but-sex-repulsed, anyway; this might be bottom-dysphoria-related, or might not, but I won't know unless I end up getting phallo.
Hairline: Has reshaped into a male pattern at the temples; otherwise, no hair loss.
Emotional changes: I finally feel more settled in my own skin? I can still cry, etc., and I don't go off on angry rants any more now than I already did. :D
Changes to appetite and energy: No real change to appetite; more energy, though, I think, although in recent heatwave weather it's been hard to tell. The biggest impediment to getting enough sleep is the constant night sweats; it's possible this is being caused by a different chronic condition, though, although the frequency increased after I started on T. Yay, menopause.
Increased blood lipids and red blood cells (hematocrit): Total cholesterol has increased, from 2.7 to 5.6mmol/L, which is a bit high, but my diet goes absolutely pear-shaped around the end of term and over the summer, and I've been hitting up Five Guys far too often. Hematocrit is fine - was 42%, now 47%.
Vaginal dryness and atrophy: N/A - don't use that one.
Breast size: August 2018: 40F. Today: N/A. Top surgery on 6/9/17 rid me of nearly 2kg of breast tissue and fat, and I could not be more pleased.
Height: I'm 38 years old. I will be 5'6" (okay, 5'5.5", but allow me this one dignity) until I start shrinking.
That's about it, I think! I hope this has been, if not useful, at least interesting or entertaining in some way. :D
Final thoughts: Last summer, I was more focused on and concerned about being able to have top surgery, as the existence of my chest had bothered me for nearly three decades and, once I realised I was a guy, became a major source of dysphoria; actually starting T was a thing that I could do whilst I waited for the paperwork and red tape for surgery. I still hate needles, and shot day, but there hasn't been a single moment in the past year that I've regretted taking the leap and commencing the medical side of transition with that first injection. One year down, hopefully many, many more to come!
