What aspect of transition were you least prepared for?

[Tori]

Cats are more affectionate.

How I get to reinvent myself like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

How fast the changes started to happen and set in...

... and yet...

... how long the process truly is.

How little I would care about my changing sex drive.

[michelle666]

The thing that has come up for me recently as I've started taking the train to work is getting hot on by random men. I've had one that won't give up. Two days in a row he tries to talk to me. Yesterday he blocked my way and I had to scream at him. Very creepy.

[noleen111]

How incredibly painful hot ash in your bra can be....i really gotta watch my cigarettes closer...and falling embers at bonfires lol

never had this happen to me... but i am sure it can be painful.

For me..

My attraction to men.. i assumed I would be a lesbian.. then i a friend of mine, had a friend who needed a date to a function.. I met him and wow... we clicked.. i ended up with a boyfriend. It was weird at first .. kissing him etc.. but i quickly became to enjoy it.. We dated a couple of months.. I have had a lesbian fling since him.. and when that ended.. I wanted a man rather... I find men sexually attractive now.

minor things..

Boob sweat... but  I love my breasts...

How much time it takes to get ready in the morning... when i cross dressed it also took long.. but then you were not a schedule..

and been checked out by men.. especially since i love wearing short skirts.. you kinda feel they are looking at you...

[EllieM]

the hair thing at the beginning of this thread?
*sigh*
I wish...

now, to answer the question: heavy objects are a lot heavier than they used to be.

[michelle666]

I had trouble opening a jar of pickles last night.

[Danniella]

now, to answer the question: heavy objects are a lot heavier than they used to be.

I had trouble opening a jar of pickles last night.

I moved into a flat at the beginning of my transition...I distinctly remember carrying my big TV into the building with no problem.

4 months of HRT later, when I was moving out again, I had to call a friend for help because I could barely even budge it xD

Yeah it sneaks up on you that on >.>

[Juliett]

I had trouble opening a jar of pickles last night.

OMG yes! And it feels amazing if there is a man around you can ask to do it.

[Eva Marie]

now, to answer the question: heavy objects are a lot heavier than they used to be.

I used to routinely pick up and carry two 50lb bags of fertilizer at the same time from my front yard to my back yard without breaking a sweat.

Now i struggle to put a 35lb jug of cat litter into my cart at Costco, and it takes me both hands to pick it up.

Jars are impossible to open.

As you said - everything is a lot heavier now.

[missy1992]

Being confident in myself! Caring for myself! Such an increase in positivity, overall, compared to before when it seemed like a dark cloud followed me everywhere I went.

[Jill F]

I do remember about 3 months in, I was taking my pills and picked up my anti-depressants, looked at them, smiled and threw them in the bin.

YESSS!!!

I got off of EVERYTHING as soon as I got on full-strength HRT.  Those pills probably saved my life, but I was more than happy to dump them all last year.  Ever since I went "balls out" and have no T left, it's even better.   I feel like a new girl enjoying a fresh start now.

[Nicole]

On the happiness, I love watching time line videos on youtube, one thing that always stands out is the sadness in their eyes at the start to the joy at the end.

You can fake a smile, can't fake happiness

[Jill F]

On the happiness, I love watching time line videos on youtube, one thing that always stands out is the sadness in their eyes at the start to the joy at the end.

You can fake a smile, can't fake happiness

^THIS^   I haven't seen all that many transition videos, but I've seen enough before/after pictures here and that is the one thing they all seem to have in common.  I see pics of myself before transition (and there are very few of those because I used to run screaming from the cameras) and in every one is a forced smile and these sad eyes and an already-dead-inside look about me.   Now I look legitimately happy because I am.

[immortal gypsy]

How quickly things get heavy. I can still hold and carry a 14lb bowling ball with no problem, but expecting me to use it with a control and accuracy. Umm pass me the 12lb please

[Nicole]

I had trouble opening a jar of pickles last night.

I've never had an issue opening jars.

The trick is to flip them upside down and bang them twice on the counter on their lid.

[Yulaiyre]

Getting hit on by guys all the time. I mean, i thought it *might* happen, but by god i was unprepared for it

I still blush whenever anyone compliments me, now i get wolf-whistles, 'dayums' and all sorts of other things.

although
probably the one i was least prepared for was being treated like a pretty little airhead all the time, my opinions aren't taken seriously anymore. also going out at night is a no-no unless you have an entourage. How frightening teenagers/groups of men are. Losing all your guy friends because they cant control what's in their pants, getting nasty glares from women cos their partner checked me out. feeling wrapped up in cotton wool, and not really having any freedom.

I don't mean to be all 'oh woe is me I'm so pretty'
but becoming a female makes you realize just how male dominated the world is.

Oh yes, and how weak i have become. everything is so heavy and hard.

[Danniella]

although
probably the one i was least prepared for was being treated like a pretty little airhead all the time, my opinions aren't taken seriously anymore.

Oh gods yes...I've been feeling this at work recently...In the past, if I offered an opinion on a solution to a problem or estimation on time/cost of anything in the work place, I was treated with curt "Okay, We'll take your word for it, moving swiftly on"...and then get back to work...

Now given the exact same scenario, I encounter "Okay Danniella..." -turns to Random Co-Worker who has no idea about this project or the tech involved- "What do you think? Is that realistic?"

It's slowly driving me mad!

People must think that my new breasts and ass are made up of segments of my brain that fell off and latched on to other parts of my body or something -.-;

[Yulaiyre]

Oh gods yes...I've been feeling this at work recently...In the past, if I offered an opinion on a solution to a problem or estimation on time/cost of anything in the work place, I was treated with curt "Okay, We'll take your word for it, moving swiftly on"...and then get back to work...

Now given the exact same scenario, I encounter "Okay Danniella..." -turns to Random Co-Worker who has no idea about this project or the tech involved- "What do you think? Is that realistic?"

It's slowly driving me mad!

People must think that my new breasts and ass are made up of segments of my brain that fell off and latched on to other parts of my body or something -.-;

The truth! so much. And nobody asks my opinion on things anymore, unless its with making things look nice (which i'll admit...it *is* kind of fun to do) and the rest of the time i'm just a pretty face. That and not being able to do anything on your own. I mean ill admit it was a nice change of pace being the 'damsel in distress' but the novelty wore off pretty quickly when I realised I hardly do anything by myself and i'm basically mollycoddled.

[Allyda]

The pain from not transitioning sooner, the lost years as I like to call them.

This one ^^___^^ I still have a hard time dealing with. Every time I think about my "lost years" the tears form then comes the river for a while until I cry it out. Other things include:

My happiness. Before I was always an unhappy person finding the gloom in every situation. Now I'm happier than I ever thought possible, and look forward to each day.

I'm much more outgoing and get really antsy when I've got no place to go, or, am too broke to go anywhere.

This one's a doosey: Being found somewhat attractive is the biggest thing I was and to a great extent, still am unprepared for, and still don't know how to handle at times. And since I'm a lesbian and am not interested in guys that hit on me it's especially difficult for me to deal with. I am getting better at it though so I guess it just takes time.

Compliments. I've lived through a lot including a self imposed 10 year hibernation. This has left me unprepared for receiving compliments which, I now get a lot of. Much more than I ever expected. Social changes such as this have taken me a while to get used to. But I am getting better at it.

I've always had long hair with the exception of a misguided period of 9 years, so I'm used to getting a strand or two in my mouth while eating unless I put the sides of it behind my ears, which I usually do with the left. However I wasn't prepared for how fast my hair grows/is growing. My hair grows over an inch per month which is much faster than the norm.

And finally, I used to hate shopping for clothes and shoes -now I can't get enough of it. I'll never have enough shoes or sun dresses(I loooove these -so comfy and cool). And shopping for makeup has become an added bonus.

Allie

[EmmaD]

I didn't expect the mental workload required to manage all this stuff.  Old life? very safe and routine (boring!).  Now, I just want some space to draw breath in.  I am exhausted.  In the process of coming out at work, changing name and getting new passport, arranging FFS, clothes etc, while also managing HRT changes, electro, an allergy treatment programme and working 11 hours a day (plus 2 hours travel).  I sleep no more than 5 hours a night.

Oh well, its 5.40 am, better get ready to go to work....it has to be done.

[Evelyn K]

Breaking a nail and having it much shorter and stubbyish than the others is now another source on my list of low level anxieties.