So I started my hormones one month ago and thought I’d share my experience so far. A lot of people told me not to expect anything noticeable within the first few months. Well, I have noticed a lot of changes.

Within days of starting, my mood was significantly lifted. I have just been constantly happy ever since popping those first pills. I would lie in bed smiling, start to laugh and eventually start crying because I was so happy. One thing I never realised before I started was, and this may be a little hard to understand, how cloudy my mind was. It’s a very strange sensation. It feels as if I’m finally getting the right chemicals in my brain and can think so very clearly now.

For years, I have had a bit of fat on either side of my waist that has made it fairly uncomfortable for me to sleep on my side. I had tried exercises to get rid of it, but it seemed rather stubborn. A few days after starting hormones, I got some dull cramps right where that fat was. A couple of days later, I went to sleep on my side and suddenly the discomfort wasn’t there at all. The fat was gone. From the day I started hormones until now, I have lost a total of 4 inches from around my waist. My housemate commented just the other day that I look a lot thinner – yet I haven’t lost any weight since I started.

About two weeks in, I noticed some significant breast growth. They just seemed to pop out from where they were as man-boobs into small, but not insignificant, breasts. This is what you can see in the photo above. Over the past two weeks, they have been consistently growing more and more. Every morning I wake up, look in the mirror and am very pleased at how they’re coming along. They are constantly sore, but from the people I have talked to, this is normal and signifies growth.

There are a few other things that I’m not sure whether are just psychological or are actual hormonal effects; such as my senses of taste and smell changing subtly. I did notice that things started to smell fairly differently within the first couple of days, but can’t really say whether or not it is definitely due to the hormones or me just expecting some change.

All in all, I’m super excited about my progress so far. I really can’t wait to see what other changes await me in the months to come.