Some things from me:
- Early on, darkening of the perineal raphe was quite a surprise (aka the “sack stripe”). It’s not something I’ve seen mentioned in most HRT guides.
- How incredibly unreliable my own perception of how feminine I look is. People were treating me as a woman well before I could see even hints of it in my face.
- It’s nice that women will sit next to me on the train now. As the carriage fills up I quite often find myself in the center of a cluster of women, which is very affirming.
- Makeup areas in bathrooms. I had no idea this was a thing, and they’re great!
👆
Moms side of the family has some hereditary weirdness with regards to similar issues, chronic pain, and rare blood pressure issues that don’t normally get tested for because “haha hysterical woman”. I can get an earlier bead on things than she did (50…) but it doesn’t mean it won’t suck.
Does the misogynistic healthcare bias persist with female doctors, in your experience? My GP/PCP is also a woman in her thirties. I feel so seen when I talk to her, and she’s taking my woes very seriously, referring me for all sorts of tests and working through different drugs to find what works best. Seeing her always gives me a boost of optimism because it feels like I have someone powerful on my side.
I don’t know, sorry 🫤 I’m still very much closeted until i can get some distance between me and Ohio, and possibly a new government, out of my own paranoia.
That and i haven’t seen a doctor in close to a decade 😅
My moms case is a lot of military docs (tricare) so YMMV