transdermal estrogen vs. oral estrogen

[morphine.livejournal.com]

I saw my doctor today and talked to her about possibly going from oral generic estradiol to the transdermal or cream version of it. She said at my age (23) oral estradiol would be fine since my liver is functioning normally, but I've read reviews from women comparing oral vs transdermal  and many of them seem to favor the latter since it's more easily absorbed into the body.  Also, I'm very nervous about blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, and long term harm to my liver or gallbladder; it seems that these threats are much lower with the patch vs the pill. 

So, here's my question - is anyone here on a transdermal system of hormonal delivery? How much is a monthly supply? I don't have health insurance, but I wouldn't mind shelling out more money if the pay off would be worth it. 

Thanks so much!