I imagine that if I start taking the spiro, there would be no need for Reshi or any other form of NBE AA right?

I am thinking or really leaning towards starting slow, and only starting Spiro for a few weeks/month, and continuing NBE. Then that will give me time to have the talk with the wife about hormones and what not.

I feel at least Spiro is not hormones, it's a step towards it, but not full on taking hormones of the opposite sex. I feel that may help my wife come to terms and cope with the process. And Spiro is tech for high blood pressure, and I do have slightly high blood pressure, I imagine for the years of steroid use. So there is that benefit to starting Spiro as well. 

Thoughts, opinions, suggestions, advice are welcomed. If my circumstances were different and I didn't have someone I love and cared about to consider I would have started them the day I got them if I'm being honest. Just out of respect I feel I need to tell my wife my intention of starting hormones before I actually start them.

CM, I tried spiro some year ago but stopped after just few weeks. I felt weird when taking it, difficult to explain
if it was physical or mental, but too unpleasant to continue. Hope it works better for you. Note that I took it along with Estradiol. Larer on I used Finasteride for a while which did not have same sideeffect on me.
Best of luck to yoy!

Thanks Tommie. I'm not sure if the VA would use finasteride or not, I know they mentioned injections to stop t production every few months but they don't start off with that.

So my lab results came in or some of them from my appointment this past Friday with the endocrinologist. I'm not sure if they posted all the lab results on the electronic portal but what I can see is that my estrogen level is at 54 pm/ml and the reference range they have for that is 10 to 44 so I'm assuming they have the reference range on their specifically for a male and not premenopausal female. 

And after being on nbe routine for just under 2 months now my estrogen is only slightly higher than what it should be considered for a normal male.

And after being on nbe routine for just under 2 months now my estrogen is only slightly higher than what it should be considered for a normal male.

HRT is a LOT stronger LoL.

Stevenator Yes I would agree. Lol. I'm hoping to start first week of November. I've planted the seed in my wife's mind, and after having another "initial consultation"  I'll have prescriptions that she will now know about. 

To catch up. I told her that the mental health specialist put in recommendations for Endo, laser hair removal, and voice therapy. And that Endo called me and wanted to schedule our first appointment. In which I told her I wasn't sure when I could get it scheduled, but wanted to try and get it done before Nov, and that it would be purely educational, a way for me to talk to an expert and ask all questions etc. 

Which lead to a conversation that I know she struggles with. Which only confirms my suspicion that she's ok with anything as long as it doesn't involve actual change or transition. 

I know she is torn, for a lot of reasons. I know she doesn't want me to transition for those same reasons. I know she loves me and wants me to be happy, and do what ever I feel I need to do for my health as well.  Starting hormones, even if it's a low dose trial run for 2-3 months before checking back in with Endo is the start of transition. Which it could very well be, but I don't know till I try It. For all I know I could get on HRT and feel even worse and decide it's not for me.  Who knows. I'm hoping things will be good on HRT. But I won't know until I try it. 

And I'm trying to give her time to adjust, but if I don't move the ball forward it will never get moved forward. She would be fine ignoring the elephant in the room for as long a I allow it to be ignored. Which will only hurt our relationship just as bad as she thinks transition will or worse. 

I am tired of living life to please everyone else, to live my life and be as everyone else expects me to do based on how I look. I want to take the mask off. 

That being said I'm willing to move slowly and hopefully slow enough for my wife to adjust and cope. I hope with this she takes a more serious and active role in educating herself and not just go on what society and her up bringing has taught her about trans individuals.

Got a call from the VA regarding getting me scheduled for voice therapy and laser hair removal for gender affirming care. Nothing actually scheduled, just an operator calling and asking me if I still wanted these and once I said yes they said we have to send you out of facility for these, someone else will be contacting you to make the actual appointments. Lol all the middle men involved just to schedule appointments...

Nothing really to update. Only really still have the dull aches downstairs. Nothing else is really noticable. 

Currently still using my NBE routine. It will be 2 months now give or take a week. 

Is there any sort of time line as to how long one would feel the dull aches, do they ever go away and if they do, I would imagine I would then start to see feminine changes starting shortly afterwards 

Had a conversation with the wife. She knows I went to she the endocrinologist and knows I was given prescriptions. Now all I need to do is have another conversation with her about actually starting them and hopefully answer all her questions that she may have to give her more of a warm and fuzzy about me using them then she is currently feeling about.e using them. 

I did say that I want to try them. I am in no rush to try them but none the less I still want to try them to see if they help me or not. 
Her main concerns are about if I will still be able to function downstairs or not. And in her mind once I start them I will be starting to transition (even tho that may not necessarily be the case, since there are some people who don't transition while still being on HRT. ) so we will see how that goes. Hopefully I'll be able to start here early Nov, if not like I said I'm in no rush, but at the same time, I won't make any progress unless I move the ball myself. I know for a fact she won't (which is understandable). If it seems like I'm getting no where with her and our talks then I will make it clear that I will be trying them without her permission by the new year at the latest ( and yes I know I don't need her permission, It would be more of a respect and common courtesy thing, to be open and honest with my intentions and when I plan to start.)

I still get dull aches. That means it's working!

Estrogen is very addicting, so chances are you will love it.

Cialis is excellent for erections, much more better than Viagra.