Starting my transition . . .

[Gina Taylor]

I'm living that right now... and it is an OK place to be, for a while.  In my own experience, I have discovered that more and more I'm resenting filling the shoes of my male persona as time goes on.  At some point, you will probably reach a place where it is intolerable not to be Gina full time, but until then, it's a great way to gain experience, learn, and grow.  It's a lot less scary to learn to swim in the shallow end of a pool than by throwing yourself into the deep end.  It can be a lot less dangerous, too, which may be why your therapist is suggesting it.
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*hug* I'm so glad you have a helpful therapist you can work with! 

Thanks as always for your good and insightful advice Robin. I can fully understand what you're talking about. This won't be my first atempt at doing this though. Before I got married, I was out doing this every Friday night for five years sraight. Then I had a set back, and now that my wife is gone, I've returned back to the way things were. It's only that one hurdle that I've got to get over is the acceptance of myself as a woman in my family that will make everything peachy. Because right now (unfortuanetly) I'm still living under my parent's roof. Back nine years ago, I was living on my own and I had a job, things have changed since then. 

[Gina Taylor]

Robin,

Thanks for your insightfullnes, but when the time comes there will be no CONSEQUENCES to deal with. Really enjoyed talking with you very much. 

[Robin Mack]

And I you... good luck, Sis! 

[Gina Taylor]

It's all about "intell" baby sister! The more we know the better the mission goes. That's one of the reason's I wanted a slow transition, to learn along the way. That's why I type my name, to get used to seeing it and it being a reflex that I don't have to think about. That goes the same when I am with my new support system and let them use my name. So slowly I can start to hear it more and respond more normally instead of "Hey Jessica", "Jessica", "Hey ditz!" Slowly build the muscle and brain memory. That's why we had to practice I.V.'s so much, so we could do it without thinking about it and could concentrate on other treatment issue's.

I was just thinking about this yesterday, and I was reminded when my late wife had just gotten married to me, it still took her a little time to convert from her last name to her new name. So I see where you're coming from. I figure that I'll probably will be going through the same thing as well when I go full time  . . . soon. 

[Alice Rogers]

Thanks for the advice Robinmack, but I'm 45 years old. Unfortunately time has crept up a little too fast on me for things and I don't think that starting HRT at this age would make much difference. But thanks for the thought.

37 here, I don;t care how minimal the effects of HRT may be, I am going for it 100% anyway, I HAVE to take this as far as I can with my outwards appearence.

[Gina Taylor]

37 here, I don't care how minimal the effects of HRT may be, I am going for it 100% anyway, I HAVE to take this as far as I can with my outwards appearence.

I think you look really good for 37. Starting on Hormones will probably give you a better complexion and will smoothen out your skin.

[Alice Rogers]

My skin isn't too bad anyway to be honest, I am getting Laser treatment for my facial hair and am VERY happy with the results so far even if it is excruciatingly painful!

If I lose some muscle mass off my shoulders and a little of the typical man shaped belly I will be delighted!

If I am really lucky my Hormones will be prescribed before the end of this month.

[Gina Taylor]

This morning I e-mailed a copy of my coming out letter to my cousin along with a second e-mail telling her that I have told some close friends about my decision and that they're all very supportive. I was just checking my e-mail five hours later, and thankfully there has been no reply, so I believe she has read it and has accepted my terms.  We've been very close through out our lives, and she's coming down for Christmas, and I don't want anything to surprise her.

[Gina Taylor]

I received a reply to my e-mail today, and I really don't think that my cousin read my 'Coming Out letter' fully because of long hours  at her job, because I had explained to her in my letter that I was not seeking to take HRT or requiring SRS, and she was under the impression that I was, so she was against these things. But I sent her a reply and hopefully I've cleared things up with her. 

[Gina Taylor]

I had a little talk with my eight year old neice today about my plans, and at first she didn't want to talk about it, so I just took my time with her. Eventually I got her interest and we talked and I don't think that she really cares which way I go, and too my surprise, she tells me that my sister (her mother) is the same way. Talk about killing two birds with one stone 

[Robin Mack]

*heh*  Ain't kids the best?  From their perspective, it's down to being who you are, and they often wonder what the big deal is.  Social conditioning hasn't even begin to sink in to the gender role level yet, or at least nowhere near the degree as it has for grown-ups.  Gender, sexuality, they are what they are to kids...

Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone felt that way? 

[Gina Taylor]

*heh*  Ain't kids the best?  From their perspective, it's down to being who you are, and they often wonder what the big deal is.  Social conditioning hasn't even begin to sink in to the gender role level yet, or at least nowhere near the degree as it has for grown-ups.  Gender, sexuality, they are what they are to kids...

Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone felt that way? 

For sure they are! My neice is a very intelligent person (her IQ is 145) but as long as I'm still physically there for her is all that matters. Like you've said Robin, the gender role comes in second to them, and I wish that other people could see through the eyes of children. 

[Gina Taylor]

During my last session with my therapist, I was telling him my plans, which are that for Halloween I plan on getting dressed at home so that it will give my mom a chance to finally see me as my true feminine self (and make a lasting impression) and then I'm going out to a walk about at our local mall with some friends. Then when I officially tell my mom my plans for coming out full time for next year, hopefully she'll remember and hopefully she'll be more accepting of it. But if she isn't then I do have a back up plan, and that is that I'll move in with an old acquaintance that I've known who is a part of the LGBT community.