I started this blog back in March. The day before I took my first dose of testosterone (15th March…Beware the Ides), I wrote a post entitled ‘Highway to Testosterzone’, which included my “Testosterone Wishlist”. I want to revisit that after 7 months, to see if my wishes came true…

1) A lower voice.

Well, it has to be said I started high! Check out the first video on my YouTube channel to see just what I mean. Not only did I have a high voice, it was very posh indeed. Over time my voice has got lower, mainly in stages, characterised by a sore throat. There hasn’t really been a time since starting T when my voice has felt entirely ‘right’ or comfortable, but that’ll come, I’m sure! It’s MUCH lower than it was, but still doesn’t come across as particularly masculine. However, I sound less posh…how does that work!?

2) More energy.

I’ve never had a great deal of energy. Medication issues and a dodgy thyroid haven’t helped. I didn’t suddenly get a burst of T energy. However, over time it’s been really noticable that, like the Duracell bunny, I can keep going for much longer. Looking back, even over this short a time, I can see that I have much more zip than I used to. It’s like being on 4 star after a life-time of unleaded, and finding that now I can actually move properly. Testosterone, or feeling happy? I don’t care…it feels good!

3) Increased libido.

Again, being brutally honest, I’ve always had a pretty low libido – probably connected to the issues outlined above. Testosterone is well known for making you horny, whether your body produces it by itself, or you add it via gel/patch/needle. I’ve certainly experienced a change – having talked to cisgendered guys about this, what I feel these days seems to be more akin to a standard male drive. Which is fun, but a bit of an eye-opener. As one of those guys said “welcome to our world, get used to the sex stuff – it never goes away!”

4) Hair/less hair.

Let’s start with the less hair. I am losing the hair on my head, but slowly and evenly. I leave a trail of little hairs wherever I go, like Hansel and Gretel’s crumbs. However, my hairline isn’t actually receding (yet!). That said, my hairline does look different – it’s really hard to put your finger on, but there has been a change.

And hair everywhere else? My eyebrows are thicker than they were, I’m now the proud owner of a hairy tummy, and both arms and legs are distinctly more hirsute than previously. What you have to understand, though, is that I was practically bald before. Really. I’ve never been hairy at all, and I went through a spell about 4 years ago when my thyroid was playing really hard to get, and I lost most of my body hair. I even had bald patches in my pits. Weird. So for me, any hair is hairy! It’s coming along, that’s for sure, and my partner assures me I’m getting a furry back and bum, so I’m on schedule 🙂

5) Bigger muscles/increased strength/better recovery time.

I’ve not been to the gym nearly as much as I’d planned to over the last few months. However, my muscles are DEFINITELY bigger than they were. I can pose quite impressively, despite doing minimal exercise. Please don’t hate me, gym-goers. It does beg the question of what I could achieve if I actually did work out properly. I’m allowed back to the gym in November, and I really must stick to it. I’ve noticed I’m stronger than before, and when I have done serious exercise, I was quite shocked at the short time I can go from sweaty devastation to feeling just fine. I really do love testosterone.

6) Fat changes.

Oh wow, yeah! My hips and thighs have got much slimmer, and my bum is changing shape. Sadly, as predicted, my tummy is bigger. However, as I’ve been eating less than I did when I first went on T and got the munchies, I’ve actually been losing weight gradually, so hopefully as the fat has come off the womanly bits, it will have disappeared altogether, rather than all congregating on my belly! The fat in my face is changing very slowly too. It’s hard to comment on because I’m so familiar with my face, but looking back at old photos, I don’t look quite the same.

7) Menstruation.

I was walking through the supermarket the other day, past racks and racks of sanitaryware. And how I smiled. I started testosterone on the same day my period started. I had a normal period (that was bizarre, on my first few days on T!), and I’ve not had one since. I am very, very lucky – it can take up to a year on T for menstruation to stop, but mine went first month. Up yours, Madame Oestrogen!

So that was my Testosterone Wishlist, and everything has come true to some degree. Change is slow and steady, which can be frustrating, but actually I wouldn’t want it all to happen at once. There’s so many emotional and social issues to deal with that having my body evolve like this is much healthier and dealable with than if things all came at once. And I have time to savour the feeling of wishes coming true.