Quote from: Tori on February 23, 2015, 02:35:42 PM
I chime in here once in a while.
I just want to remind those of you who have not started transition, or wonder if you should ever start, they you too may get similar results compared to the beautiful ladies in here.
The changes are often not AS drastic as they appear at first glance. The changes are not to bone structure, not without FFS,
it is just, we get to look at a person after their dysphoria lifted.
The biggest difference in most who post to this thread, is a peace of mind. A desire after years of dysphoria to look at ourselves in the mirror and finally put some time and effort into what we see. A newly discovered joy in looking at pictures of ourselves. A pride in finally taking the leap of faith and transitioning.
If you take the leap and put in the effort, you too will see results.
People will recognize your progress in photos as well as in real life. That joy is infectious.
Tori, you know the way.. you've walked this path as well, you've put, really, into words what the secret is. Once the hood of anguish, the veil of anger, the mask we wear to hide who we really are.. once it is lifted.. the true living has begun, that is when who we really are becomes visible. THAT is what others finally see. For years, my life's song, and sig line, was Mulan's lament,
When Will My Reflection Show, Who I am Inside... 
Most of us who have been finally fixing this.. birth defect.. and been on the path for at least a while, know that it isnt wise to go thru any of the surgeries (FFS, VFS, BA, or even GRS) until we've been changed enough by HRT, as it will do no good to get facial restructuring, or breast augmentation before, hormones, or even just after starting as the changes will be totally unpredictable. I see myself first working with FFS, but not for a while yet, until my face stops changing.. maybe I should make some really funny faces.. Mom always said not to, as my face will freeze that way. Then Toby can work his magic that much sooner!
In all seriousness.. you did nail it.. once we begin to love ourselves, get to live ourselves, we really -will- begin to change.
oh, geeez
Rachel... you look like my sister!
Cindy .. oh my, honey, if you look ANYTHING like your profile pic, you're going to be stunning!!
Paige.. I was a 24-26" waist til senior year in HS, 28", 108lbs til 1st yr of college, 30"/124lbs @ 26yrs old (when I got married).. biggest, heaviest, 34" waist, 171lbs..
now.. I'm 33" waist (almost 32", size 7 jeans), 144lbs.
Girls, you'll find, and hear, and read us older girls telling you how good you're going to turn out.. we're really envious, that we.. well, I do, anyway.. wish that I had the .. (yeah, gonna use the words I sooo dislike, on you..) courage, and strength, to have really pressed my parents and said who I was when I was your age. I tried at 12, and quickly shut up realizing the danger I was in.. times are different, so completely different now than they were then. So, as good as you might think we are (I'm not), you are going to have all the years LESS T-damage we went thru, to overcome and be that much better. No, I'm not saying this to stroke your ego, or give you false hope.. it's just more hope than we had at your age.
