Non-transition. How does one cope?

[CaitJ]

Therefore you can't say with any accuracy what the outcomes are.

Yes - and it goes both ways. Trying to make a categorical statement either way is going to be speculation at best.

[Rock_chick]

As I've said to Cait via PM it's not so much physical problems and regrets that I was talking about, but more the loss of a sense of purpose that comes with achieving any life goal...especially when you focus solely on achieving that goal. As I said, focusing on the future to the detriment of all else means you forget to live and enjoy your life in the now. I think it's perfectly possible to have surgery and to not have any physical problems and no regrets over having had it, but to be in a position where you essentially have to remember how to live your life again. Personally, i'd like to try and avoid that pitfall.

Anyway, i think we've derailed this thread enough.

[spacial]

Anyway, i think we've derailed this thread enough.

For my part, I don't think you've derailed the thread at all, these are important points.

But to return to your assertion that many post op girls feel unfufilled after a few months. That might be expected when we look at the possible objectives.

If anyone thinks that, post op, their problems will be over and life will become  bed of roses then they probably shouldn't go ahead in the first place.

A post of girl for example, isn't going to find all her problems disappearing. She's going to start having to deal with the same problems that women have to deal with every day. To make things just a wee bit tricky, she's going to have to start from the begining.

For my part, I'm in my mid 50s. I have no illisions. The problems I would face would be enormous. But, for the first time in my life I could feel comfortable facing them as me instead of as a fake man.

[pixiegirl]

Well, just to add my tuppence to the derail:

I think it might be worthwhile remembering the physical impact of major operations and that some form of depression is a fairly common side effect to a lot of major surgeries. The initial bouts post GRS could easily be masked due to initial euphoria and then settling into a post op care routine then rebalancing hormones.... then a few months in, bang.

[CaitJ]

It's important to have goals for your post-op life. Big goals. Important goals. Ones that will take years to achieve.
You don't get a break from life being ->-bleeped-<-ty after SRS. It carries on and you need to make sure you have something to keep you occupied - be it writing a book, buying and renovating a house, training for a triathlon, adopting a child, planning your wedding, whatever.

[regan]

Yes - and it goes both ways. Trying to make a categorical statement either way is going to be speculation at best.

I hope this doesn't sound nitpicky, but on this point we actually agree.  There isn't enough open dialogue pro or con on post op satisfaction to accurately measure a level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

[CaitJ]

I hope this doesn't sound nitpicky, but on this point we actually agree.  There isn't enough open dialogue pro or con on post op satisfaction to accurately measure a level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

Yup.
Hell, my cousins were really worried about me because they had heard that 90% of trans women kill themselves after SRS, yet when I asked for their source, they were pretty vague ("A friend told me, and his mother's hairdresser read a study on it").
There's clearly too much mythology and misinformation surrounding this issue already.