<![CDATA[A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently.]]>A quote from a woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. Deep enough that I thought I'd share here -

"I know I post selfies on here frequently, and it might seem like I do it because im narcissistic. However the truth is that I avoided cameras for most of my life because I hated how I looked and now I love seeing the happiness on my face." πŸ’―

A few from a flying visit to London ✈️ over Easter ... me at 57 btw.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/9ad796df-a2b5-4f01-a9dc-1ddca55827dd/a-quote-from-a-trans-woman-one-that-resonated-with-me-deeply-recently.RSS for NodeFri, 01 May 2026 03:05:41 GMTFri, 17 Apr 2026 07:00:04 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 19:39:45 GMT]]>@Natasha_Jay @dianea urgh, zero estrogen at all is just wrong.

It kind of annoys me that my wife got upped just by asking from patches and a pump a day to patches, 3 pumps and prog without even a blood test. Shows how much bs our gatekeeped dosages are.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cultofshiv.wtf/users/jen/statuses/116427403102817664https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cultofshiv.wtf/users/jen/statuses/116427403102817664Sat, 18 Apr 2026 19:39:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:46:24 GMT]]>@Natasha_Jay

that's why I am prepared for the next several lifetimes if needed. I had nightmares of the world's estradiol supply stopped and I was too late helping others in time of need.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://lgbtqia.space/users/dianea/statuses/116426721466244868https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://lgbtqia.space/users/dianea/statuses/116426721466244868Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:46:24 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:40:43 GMT]]>@dianea
I recently heard from a GP that the NGS in Ireland stop estrogen for trans women at age 60, and I have no words for those 🀬. Even the UK NHS agree it's lifelong.

Equally I think menopausal cis women should be allowed to try higher estrogen levels if not contra indicated. Same kind of patriarchal gatekeeping you start to realise.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116426699126432136https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116426699126432136Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:40:43 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:48:39 GMT]]>@Natasha_Jay

I have opinions about 100-200pg/mL17Ξ²-estradoil...that's the bare minimum for survival! Lower than that, I have real health problems that has made many expensive ER visits. The stories I have from low estradiol are many...

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://lgbtqia.space/users/dianea/statuses/116426494422460282https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://lgbtqia.space/users/dianea/statuses/116426494422460282Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:48:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:41:42 GMT]]>@Natasha_Jay

truth. I used to always avoid looking in the mirror, only to check if I was ok to go out. Now I look in the mirror to confirm I really did make this journey and each time I do look in the mirror is to confirm that I am never going back. Every time I look in the mirror, I remember the decades of not moving foward with this and to see this brings great relief. The dark walls of the closet are long gone, but I never forget the years of pain not coming out. There were many times since I can remember that I was seconds away from coming out and am grateful I finally had a safe time to do so. Looking in the mirror and a selfie is a powerful moment to reflect the change.

edit: also 57 too πŸ™‚

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://lgbtqia.space/users/dianea/statuses/116426467092660796https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://lgbtqia.space/users/dianea/statuses/116426467092660796Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:41:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:38:25 GMT]]>If an endocrinolist or GP can tell me why estrogen levels for trans women are set at an 'empirical' (ie basically made up) follicular phase 350-700 pnmol or 100-200 pg/mL that doesn't reference scientific papers from ~2005 before we were on bio-identical estrogen and transdermal / injection bases administrations ... I might actually listen, you know? But I'm waiting.

Risks -
VTE risk = now low, possibly cis levels.
Breast cancer = very low, we get mammograms too.
Liver = very low or non-existent. Annual screening is easy.

The more you know, the more you realise your endo or GP doesn't.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116426454170437782https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116426454170437782Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:38:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:33:31 GMT]]>@Natasha_Jay Of course!!

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/bzzzwa/statuses/116426434894991443https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/bzzzwa/statuses/116426434894991443Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:33:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:19:09 GMT]]>@bzzzwa
I like looking in mirrors now.

Okay, I see padding round the middle that obscure my hips a bit more than I'd like ... hardly unusual for a middle aged woman though πŸ€·πŸ»β€β™€οΈ

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116426378387693048https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116426378387693048Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:19:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:02:17 GMT]]>@Natasha_Jay@tech.lgbt ..when you are out and posting pictures there also might be some serious misunderstanding sometimes like this. Commenter on a trans girl I know: Forget about being a man, you'll never look like a man in this world, and you are too female for this!
Not the type of acknowledgement she was after but when we discussed this she attacked the table with her forehead. ​​

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hai.z0ne.social/notes/al7oakdqp7ka02hyhttps://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hai.z0ne.social/notes/al7oakdqp7ka02hySat, 18 Apr 2026 09:02:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:31:34 GMT]]>@Natasha_Jay ... and looking great!

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://fedi.j1nk4l.com/users/pilum/statuses/116421944565601352https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://fedi.j1nk4l.com/users/pilum/statuses/116421944565601352Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:31:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:13:00 GMT]]>@Natasha_Jay I started to smile at the woman in the mirror. I avoided mirrors before.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/bzzzwa/statuses/116421871547155077https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/bzzzwa/statuses/116421871547155077Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:13:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:02:19 GMT]]>@bzzzwa
Even a move from avoiding a camera to taking selfies says a personal change happens that's far far more than a faux smile. I liked this quote a lot.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116421829576013603https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116421829576013603Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:02:19 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:54:08 GMT]]>@Natasha_Jay So real. Both you and the quote.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/bzzzwa/statuses/116421797355447003https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/bzzzwa/statuses/116421797355447003Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:54:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:42:18 GMT]]>@gusseting
I was thinking along similar lines!

Post-menopausal or trans women, you want to keep high estrogen levels because you might feel good on them? Can't have that ...!!

There's a fear of letting women run "supraphysiologic" πŸ™„ levels but the science around risks mainly dates from an era decades before bio-identical estradiol administered transdermally or injected.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116421750828405676https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116421750828405676Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:42:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:26:33 GMT]]>@Natasha_Jay
"There is currently no evidence regarding the optimum HRT monitoring strategy"
So, in laypersons terms, does this mean "when women hit the age where if they were cattle, they'd be sent to meatworks to die, that's when the medical industry who provide at best sub optimal information re: womens health, turn their backs on us completely?"

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/gusseting/statuses/116421688904918035https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/gusseting/statuses/116421688904918035Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:26:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Fri, 17 Apr 2026 18:28:21 GMT]]>Shamelessly boosting my selfies while reading an article on endocrinology of women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) ... which is pretty anologous to trans endocrinology, but at least they openly admit for POI "There is currently no evidence regarding the optimum HRT monitoring strategy". Interestingly they reference trans feminine guide estrogen levels, which they say are "empirically set".

Reading between the lines empirically set is code for 'scientific guesswork, possibly a bunch of old cobblers' πŸ˜‚

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116421460066231785https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116421460066231785Fri, 17 Apr 2026 18:28:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:57:08 GMT]]>@Natasha_Jay Was hard to figure out, but now i'm starting my new life.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/ap/users/116127546313661526/statuses/116420157651278133https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/ap/users/116127546313661526/statuses/116420157651278133Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:57:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:50:45 GMT]]>@bre_fos
Ah, lots makes sense later on. Just need to lead with your heart and gut.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116420132558736969https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116420132558736969Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:50:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:36:53 GMT]]>@Natasha_Jay I'm starting my transition at 26 and now makes sense why i always hated myself.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/ap/users/116127546313661526/statuses/116420078012219856https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/ap/users/116127546313661526/statuses/116420078012219856Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:36:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:17:23 GMT]]>@Nikkileah
I think there's a tendency to retreat to trans only online spaces but I admire those here and Bsky who don't (easy for me to say from Ireland, and safety is a factor I totally get)

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116420001335123274https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116420001335123274Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:17:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:05:37 GMT]]>@HarriettMB
We kind of both threw caution to the wind, but we'd been chatting like only only trans women can for a year+ before πŸ’•
@IsabelB

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116419955086459887https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/Natasha_Jay/statuses/116419955086459887Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:05:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:03:14 GMT]]>@Natasha_Jay very true - photos are very powerful πŸ“·πŸš€ and I enjoy your selfies, so important not only for you, it’s important for the community. Visibility is so important! 🫢πŸ₯°

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://troet.cafe/users/AnnaMeurer/statuses/116419473836430780https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://troet.cafe/users/AnnaMeurer/statuses/116419473836430780Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:03:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:22:04 GMT]]>@Natasha_Jay I love seeing trans joy in photos, and in stories and in how each person, individually pushed on through and succeeded in the most important thing of all.

Being themselves.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mendeddrum.org/users/Nikkileah/statuses/116419311992880496https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mendeddrum.org/users/Nikkileah/statuses/116419311992880496Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:22:04 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A quote from a #trans woman, one that resonated with me deeply recently. on Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:02:39 GMT]]>@Natasha_Jay

Was it me that said that?! πŸ˜‰πŸ€”
It could so easily have been - it's true!
And I do post the occasional selfie...πŸ€¦β€β™€οΈ

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.ie/users/IsabelB/statuses/116419235643019240https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.ie/users/IsabelB/statuses/116419235643019240Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:02:39 GMT