Robin: Year One

Whooooo! This is a lot more than normal. If I do another of these in a year it’s not gonna be this long.

Also, I was tempted to hurt everyone (including me) by making the title a RENT reference. You're all welcome.

Have a bulleted list of other thoughts that I couldn't fit into the comic:

• Everything in here is about my experiences specifically. My medications, my doses, my injection cycle, everything is specific to me and my body. Your body might handle a lot of these things differently! Nothing in here is medical advice. Please talk to a healthcare provider if it’s at all possible for you.
• Moreover, obsessing over other trans people’s doses and hormone levels and results is never helpful. My first few months, any time I read something online about doses or results that differed from mine I’d fall into a rabbit hole of unnecessary anxiety, furiously googling for half an hour until I found something that reassured me that yes, I’m fine, and I’m going to get a good grade in HRT, something is both normal to want and possible to achieve.
• Yes, the Spiro makes me pee a lot. It didn’t at first, but it turns out I was just not drinking enough water and was a bit dehydrated all the time. Whoops!
• Yes, I sometimes get cramps that resemble period cramps. It’s weird, and sucks, but is not nearly as intense or frequent as people with uteruses deal with. (No stolen valor here)
• Therapy can be really good, actually. The fact that so many doctors or governments require therapy before one can start hormones is bullshit, but if you can get a good therapist, it can be really helpful to unpack and process your feelings while transitioning, even if you don’t need a stupid letter where you live.
• And perhaps most importantly: transition, medical or otherwise, isn’t a cure-all for depression. It’s helped me immensely, but that’s me. You’re not broken or failing your transition if going on hormones or changing your presentation doesn’t solve your depression. It only means you need to find what does help you. And there is something that can help.