Strangest thing to get used to

[Julia1996]

Maybe you can teach them a few tricks by giving them bananas [emoji23]

On a more serious note:
A few weeks After I had figured out I am trans I was on a work assignment with a few male coworkers and of course they started the usual boy talk. It did feel so strange to the point where I had to remind them to tone it down.

The strangest part about it was that a year earlier, I may have been part of the conversation.
Made me realize some of my past behavior would have meant Julia throwing Bananas at me... Glad I am not that person anymore.

You're going to notice a big difference in how guys act around you. Before I transitioned my brother and his friends talked like nasty pigs. After I transitioned they are careful what they say around me. If one of them drops the F bomb they will say " oh, sorry Julia". They still fart but now they say excuse me after slapping one out. It's just one of those strange boy behavior mysteries.

[Denise]

The number of shoes.  Pre-transition I had 4 pairs: sneakers, deck shoes, work shoes and "junk" shoes.  I had 8 pairs in the first month of transition and now I'm over a dozen.

i'm also surprised that not all woman's pants zip "backwards".  I have some in each direction.

I've also got a full closet and "I have nothing to wear."  I didn't understand that pre-transition, but wow!  I do now.

[Erika_Courtney]

Eating food, like ice cream, without eating your hair.

Maybe this is just a problem for me because I wear a wig.

[Sydney_NYC]

Eating food, like ice cream, without eating your hair.

Maybe this is just a problem for me because I wear a wig.

Nope it happens to us who grew our hair long too

[elkie-t]

Eating food, like ice cream, without eating your hair.

Maybe this is just a problem for me because I wear a wig.

I watched some movie about Arab women where they go with their husband to a restaurant and got themselves spaghetti, and then tried to eat it but weren't allowed to take off their niqabs. Imaging eating something messy and trying to keep your face covered. Thank you St Vladimir, that I'm not a Muslim (he thought about taking Muslim religion before settling on Christianity... the story goes, because muslims aren't allowed to drink alcohol which he considered to be necessity).

[Lady Sarah]

I never understood guys at all, but since transitioning I find them even more confusing. They can be so unpredictable and weird. Especially groups of guys. It's interesting but confusing to watch them. I feel like Jane Godall and want to throw them bananas.

[Julia1996]

OMG, that is hilarious!  I almost sprayed my soda. Lol

[JessiCalypsoƸ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ]

Sorry Jessi.  I don't know if this will help but there are two "believe it or nots" about transition. One; once we start, almost all of us get there. Usually to a more endurable state by far. It is just outlasting the storm. Two; for most of us, the grass actually IS greener on the other side.

So on to strange things to get used to.
Hmmm... There are a few.
Pockets. Seriously, what happened to pockets? I mostly wear dresses or skirts so maybe once every two or three weeks I am wearing something that has pockets. Even if I wear pants though, again I ask,  What Happened To Pockets?!?! They are so small! If I put my phone in the back pocket I have to worry about it falling out every time I go to the bathroom, no matter what pocket I use I can only fit half my phone into it. This particular phenomenon is not so bad, I have a bag or 4 that I can put all of my stuff in.  Sometimes a pocket would be nice though.
There are 7 days to every week but I need a minimum of 8 pair of shoes to survive a week. I am not well taught in algebra or whatever but even I can tell the math doesn't add up.

Really though I have to agree with Harley, attention. I guess that in a way I have gotten used to stares, well from women anyway. You can check my logic but I figure it this way. I look at women all the time, what they are wearing, oh my god those shoes!, I wonder how hard it would be to do my hair like that, sheesh  where did she find that guy? Hot guys-r-us? Is there a website or app or something? She is not that much prettier than me, maybe I could find his not as hot cousin? Sigh, not always proud of my thoughts.
It is so pointless to wonder what people are thinking that I have to just assume that other women are thinking about the same thing that I am. I would go bananas otherwise.
Men though are completely different. I mean I get it, I stand out. Tall, usually in a dress or skirt, long curly hair and don't judge, don't wear a bra. Now, I assume that it is something like false advertising to men, I am nothing special. That they see me and something in their Neanderthal, crotch scratching, chest thumping brain wakes up and goes Ooooo! and a moment later they get a closer look at the real me and go Awww! Truthfully though, transition has not given me any greater insight into a man's thinking so I don't know what is going on in there. Here is the strange however, why do so many if them turn into the most macho dude in the world or a little boy when they talk to me? Sometimes both!? I just don't understand the attention. My one boss will not leave me alone, he is either picking on me or trying to help me ALL THE TIME! Took a friend to the doctor this past week, I felt like I was back in high school. This 50+ year old surgeon follows us back to where the nurse has a little more paperwork to finish, he is bragging a little, talking big and bad a little, fidgeting a lot until the nurse tells him to go away until she is done. He is waiting for us with the receptionist and again he is being just annoying enough that she finally rolls her eyes, turns around and asks him if he needs a valium. Then she apologizes to me. Why apologize to me? That is what is strange for me and is hard to get used to. I used to listen to their stories now they tell me about themselves, god that is awesome though! Just hard to get used to. I am not used to men being vulnerable around me, not unless I knew them very well. I don't know, I suppose that I always thought that men were men you know? The way they were around me is the way they are around everyone. Turns out that I was as wrong as I have ever been. It is all so weird though and a little sad. I am very careful not to look men in the eyes anymore, not on most random encounters and I feel like I am being rude. How do the rest of you girls deal with that? Is it wrong of me not to want to deal with that all the time?

Michelle

Thanks, I appreciate that. I was in a bad place the other day (fell off the "pink cloud," as we call it in AA/NA), but things are much better now; plus, I've begun to notice some physical juuusst barely starting, so that's helped a lot too! : D I'll get where you ladies are, someday!

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[Colleen_definitely]

Nope it happens to us who grew our hair long too

That's a fact.  I keep a hair tie in my pocket at all times now.

The most amusing thing for me is realizing that it's now MY hair clogging the shower drain.

[Deborah]

Speaking of hair, I have a foam roller I roll my back and shoulders on every morning.  Now that my hair is long it regularly gets caught under the roller if I don't think about it first and hold it out of the way.  That can be quite painful.


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[JessiCalypsoƸ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ]

No penis.

OMG I can't WAIT for my "dangly bits" to go bye-bye! <SIGH> Must be amazing to look down & just feel... RIGHT.

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[Kylo]

Beard itchiness.

It's somewhat confusing, as I also have to deal with skin changes at the same time, and a bit of mild skin dryness on one side of the jaw. Instinctive urges to scratch anything that feels a bit rough have to be suppressed.

[Bari Jo]

Pockets by far is the most annoying so far.  There's so much strange that I'm getting used to.  I giggle now during pain of electrolysis.  It's the pain, but also the absurdity of what we are doing.  It helps me power through so far without pain killers too!

Bari Jo

[JessiCalypsoƸ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ]

Pockets by far is the most annoying so far.  There's so much strange that I'm getting used to.  I giggle now during pain of electrolysis.  It's the pain, but also the absurdity of what we are doing.  It helps me power through so far without pain killers too!

Bari Jo

Is it very painful? I have a high threshold for pain, but I'm EXTREMELY sensitive to electricity. I can tell if power is running thru a cord when I touch it, & I had electroshock therapy once (hit a nerve in my armpit w/ a shovel & temporarily "killed" the nerve, couldn't move my hand for 2 wks) & it was the WORST THING EVER!!! I'd rather have a kidney stone again than deal w/ that!!

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[Dena]

You don't feel the electricity at all. What you feel is a burning where the root of the hair is. I would rate it about a 3 or 4 on the pain scale but others might rate it higher.

[JessiCalypsoƸ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ]

You don't feel the electricity at all. What you feel is a burning where the root of the hair is. I would rate it about a 3 or 4 on the pain scale but others might rate it higher.

Oh thank goodness!! Sounds like when I had a mole removed. I was starting to think "Okay, I don't have THAT much hair, really... maybe I'll just shave forever..." Lol, that's right, I hate electricity THAT MUCH.

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[Julia1996]

You don't feel the electricity at all. What you feel is a burning where the root of the hair is. I would rate it about a 3 or 4 on the pain scale but others might rate it higher.

Burning! OMG that sounds horrible. I always thought it would feel like electric zaps too.

[Dena]

Burning! OMG that sounds horrible. I always thought it would feel like electric zaps too.

It only happens with a very small spot on your skin, a little like getting picked with a hot needle. I had all my facial hair removed with electrolysis and I didn't use anything to control the pain. Remember they are running the needle between the hair and the skin so you don't feel the insertion unless the hair is shallow and the needle bottoms out.

[Julia1996]

It only happens with a very small spot on your skin, a little like getting picked with a hot needle. I had all my facial hair removed with electrolysis and I didn't use anything to control the pain. Remember they are running the needle between the hair and the skin so you don't feel the insertion unless the hair is shallow and the needle bottoms out.

That sounds awful! I'm sorry you had to go through that.

[JessiCalypsoƸ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ]

It only happens with a very small spot on your skin, a little like getting picked with a hot needle. I had all my facial hair removed with electrolysis and I didn't use anything to control the pain. Remember they are running the needle between the hair and the skin so you don't feel the insertion unless the hair is shallow and the needle bottoms out.

Kinda sounds like a tattoo, & I can deal w/ that. Luckily I have very little hair that I'll have to do that to!

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