how old were you when you transitioned?

[Skittles]

I'm 47, I started my journey when I was 47, I transitioned HRT at 47, I am full time Female at 47, I will be 47 on my next birthday, I will be 47 when I pass. Most people mistake me for 41. Thanks for asking.

LOL! It's a middle age Woman thing... Hug. Joann

[Robin Mack]

I'm 47, I started my journey when I was 47, I transitioned HRT at 47, I am full time Female at 47, I will be 47 on my next birthday, I will be 47 when I pass. Most people mistake me for 41. Thanks for asking.

LOL! It's a middle age Woman thing... Hug. Joann

Great answer... I intend to hang around here at 39 for a *while*    HRT improves the skin, right?  RIGHT?!! 

[Skittles]

Yes Robin,  I do believe you are right. In fact my daughter's junior high school friends all think I am 35. I just gotta adore them all! Hug. Momma Joann

[Ms Grace]

Every time I go to my endo he reckons I look younger, not seeing it myself but I'll take what I can get!

First time I was 23... this time 47... sheesh, where did the years go?

[Jenny07]

Interesting the effects of E Grace_C as it will make you look younger.

While I start now at 44, my age even as a male is always assumed as much younger, mid 30's by my team as I have kept myself very fit.
I wonder how much E will make me look even younger. From what I can tell I will do just fine.

Still I do wish I did this 20 years ago.

Jen

[Sammy]

I was mis-aged by others before the HRT and now people tell me that I am looking even younger than I used to. Before the HRT, people were usually giving me ~ 31, now some said that they would give me 28-29 years. I dunno if they are correct or not, but my skin definitely contributes to that. whereas "salt" in my rich hair does not .

[Thylacin]

I am starting in my late 20's. I feel like the day I first began being open with myself and and a very close friend of mine was when my transition began. I'm now out to the people who matter most to me in my life (all three of them, one of which is family, lol).
I'm pre-everything. I've started face laser, as well as epilating all of my body hair (and trying an at home IPL device for my chest/inner thighs, armpits, seems to work very well so far, but I have no idea if there's any permanence to the hair loss), and experimented with make up, and that's all so far. I've met other people in the local trans community by attending a conference, and a local support group. I've let go of my anxiety about presenting to be more male than I feel, and let myself just be who I am (if that makes any sense! lol).
I want to start hormones soon, and have a doctor and therapist who are both wholly supportive of my transition. It feels great to finally be myself. I feel like have a lot coming up in the future, not of it will be easy, but so far all of the little changes I've made have felt wonderful.

I am super nervous about changing how I present. So far, my nails have gotten a bit longer, and I've let my hair grow (though not styled at all), I plan on getting my ears pierced soon ^_^. I've also gone back to more of how I spoke/gestured/walked before I was gender policed by bullies during my childhood.

[Naturally Blonde]

Lol, yeah, I stole some from my mom as well when I was a teen, but rare occasions.
So you are on HRT as long as I am - 1998 - I legally changed everything after SRS in 2000. What is it that you still need to do?

GRS and breast augmentation. I had been trying to get a referral since 2007 and at that time I was 5 years FT. Just starting to get referrals now (12 years FT).

[anjaq]

GRS and breast augmentation. I had been trying to get a referral since 2007 and at that time I was 5 years FT. Just starting to get referrals now (12 years FT).

Wow - what took them so long? For BA I guess they take time, I did not get a full insurance cover for it, but of course if I had paid myself in full I could have done it whenever I wanted, I assume. At least after GRS and legal change. But for GRS 12 years of FT until a refferal letter is steep - did you have bad luck with therapists? I was a bit on the fast side and was like 2 years out and about 15 months in therapy before I got my letters, but I think regular timeline here was 1 year therapy to hrt and then another to the SRS letters, if things went "normal".

[Naturally Blonde]

Wow - what took them so long? For BA I guess they take time, I did not get a full insurance cover for it, but of course if I had paid myself in full I could have done it whenever I wanted, I assume. At least after GRS and legal change. But for GRS 12 years of FT until a refferal letter is steep - did you have bad luck with therapists? I was a bit on the fast side and was like 2 years out and about 15 months in therapy before I got my letters, but I think regular timeline here was 1 year therapy to hrt and then another to the SRS letters, if things went "normal".

Yes, I had a couple of nasty psychiatrists in London. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm now 13 years down the line and only just getting GRS referrals this year (not from London).

I expected it to be a 2 year transition, not a 13 year transition.

[sarahb]

I guess I started my transition when I was probably 18. I can't quite remember. I had some set-backs in the beginning, but I finally went full-time when I was 22. I'm 28 now and loving life!

[anjaq]

I expected it to be a 2 year transition, not a 13 year transition.

Yes. 2 years is way enough. I did that in 2 years and I already always wanted it to go faster.
13 years - in the UK, which I thought was a rather decent country that does not require people to be rich for SRS either...

[Naturally Blonde]

Yes. 2 years is way enough. I did that in 2 years and I already always wanted it to go faster.
13 years - in the UK, which I thought was a rather decent country that does not require people to be rich for SRS either...

The U.K sucks! and you do really need to be rich if you want to fast track your transition. I couldn't get a GRS referral from the London NHS GIC even though I was at that time about 5 or 6 years full time (that was 6 years ago). They would not provide an explanation as to why not?  In the end I had to get my referrals elsewhere. It was partially my fault (and my GP's) for sending me through that system.

The U.K is very backward when it comes to transition and they don't have a proper treatment program set up. For me it was very much a DIY job and still is. Over here GP's are often not familiar with Gender Dysphoria and they often don't see it as a real condition. My anti-androgens are not monitored and my GP refuses to provide prescriptions, so I have to get my anti-androgens from an outside source.

If I lived in America I would have probably had my surgery by the late 1980's which is when my original GD diagnosis was made.

[oliviapril]

i try every day, and one day i will...

[anjaq]

The U.K sucks! and you do really need to be rich if you want to fast track your transition........Over here GP's are often not familiar with Gender Dysphoria and they often don't see it as a real condition. ....
If I lived in America I would have probably had my surgery by the late 1980's which is when my original GD diagnosis was made.

Gotta say this: Please be careful what you write there about your sources for HRT, maybe edit it ...?

This sounds horrible indeed - so much waiting. GPs here will also rarely give HT, but there are gender therapists who usually will do so at least after visiting them for a year and being fulltime for a year - not nice, but at least not 5 years or more. And usually it is faster anyways. I got my HT after some weeks and SRS letter after a bit over a year. Its not that this costs them anything, so they give it. Some are a bit busy but you only have to go there a few times to get your letters. I think I was there like 6-10 times. Therapy itself is partially disconnected from it too - so you go to a therapist parallel to going to the psychiatrist. Those appointments are more frequent, but the therapist cannot prescribe anything.

[Naturally Blonde]

Gotta say this: Please be careful what you write there about your sources for HRT, maybe edit it ...?

I haven't mentioned HRT? only anti-androgens. I can get HRT on prescription no problem. I also used to get my anti-androgens on prescription but my present GP wants a letter of authority from an endo every year and I don't have an endo? and all the endo's I contact won't see someone who has Gender Dysphoria, so it's a catch 22 situation.

[RavenMoon]

I just turned 56 seven days ago. I'm just starting my transition. So... 56.

[edit] However, I knew I was female since I was 4. Wish I had started sooner. 

[Missy~rmdlm]

I transitioned at 35, for all intents and purposes. There are still several steps I intend to take, but they are invisible to presentation and/or the public. I have heard from plenty of long term women that one is never "done" with transition, so barring that experience myself I'll probably not claim it either unless I have a very different hindsight in fifteen years or so.

[maximusloverus]

I'm 22 and I came out earlier this year when I was 21. Still working out the insurance stuff but I am living full time right now.

[harlee]

I came out and started living as male (stealth) when I was 15. I've changed all of my documents except for the sex on my birth certificate and started testosterone at 18. I'm booked in to get my chest surgery next year when I am 19 No idea when the lower surgery will happen tho!