How Do You Decide What To Get First?

[Crypt77]

I'm no FTM, but I'll still try to help. I didn't get what STP is though.

STP = Stand To Pee. Usually we call it a STP Device. So it's something to help you pee standing up. 

[Janet_Girl]

OK I  jump in to this topic.

1. Therapy  to be able to get 2.

2. Hormones  To begin the transformation

3. Wig just until my own hair grew

4. Breast Forms because I find that breasts are part of being a woman

5. Clothes and shoes of course

6. Clothes

7. Oh and did I mention Clothes  What girl does not want loads of clothes.

[spacial]

Been following this thread but a bit cautious to post since I don't want to be a downer.

But for me, getting the ugly bit fixed is my first priority.

OK, I have no intention of finding another partner. I know the drawbacks, having to sit down on the toilet for example, not to mention the potential for risk of being attacked.

But I just want to live the rest of my life as a whole person and not a freak with an ugly bit.

[xAndrewx]

Janet Lynn- Thanks for the response. Clothes are always a plus I'm a bit of a shopping addict so I understand

Spacial- You're not being a downer. If lower surgery for ftm's were "better" (I put that in quotations because that is only my opinion. It works for some just not for me) I would probably be saving up my money to be focusing on that. I don't think your a freak with an ugly bit though. I think from reading your posts that your just a kind caring girl who just happens to have something that wasn't meant to be there. I look at it like me with my chest. It ain't supposed to be there but it doesn't make me a freak. Just makes me a person who's a little different until I get it removed. Just my opinion though.

[spacial]

Thank you so much Michael.

You're right of course. I was letting my personal frustrations run riot for a sec.

[Lee]

I wish I could start by having my top done. 

[some ftm guy]

I wish I could start by having my top done. 

don't we all?

[Vanessa_yhvh]

This is actually a really good question. Necessity has dictated much of it for me so far.

First, HRT, medical expenses, and a leg up on facial hair.

Then the GGs in my life began to point out a need for some work clothes & makeup.

Along the way I've made a few nutritional changes after observing that transgals on YouTube seemed to make leaps forward when doing so.

I got started on the name change process, but the local court system put the brakes on until I can come up with more funding, a lawyer, and/or time off from work to annoy the s*** out of them in person. The judge didn't even show up for my court date. That's all on hold while the cash is dried up.

[A]

I'm sorry about the name change thing ; must be really annoying when you have to fight just for the name change... At least, here, if you have all the prerequisites, it's just a couple of letters...

On a more selfish note (:3), I'm intrigued about those "leaps forward" and nutritional changes. Can you please refer me somewhere ?

[Vanessa_yhvh]

On a more selfish note (:3), I'm intrigued about those "leaps forward" and nutritional changes. Can you please refer me somewhere ?

Alas, it's just an observation made by noting changes within spans of several weeks by various YouTubers logging HRT updates. People would note that they had balanced their diets fairly dramatically and/or added vitamin supplements to the mix, and it seemed to me that each seemed to just look significantly better as a result.

Examining possible weak spots in my own diet, I started drinking V8 Fusion with water at almost every meal, changed up my daily multivitamin a bit, added D supplements, etc. and didn't tell anybody I was making the changes. Within a few weeks, people IRL and online began to comment that I was finally starting to look feminine. But there are so many other factors, it's just anecdotal stuff.

I'd say if you look at your diet and see that it isn't balanced in some fairly extreme way, try compensating for a month & see how that works out. Healthy is attractive!

[A]

Oh, so it's just about eating healthily and adding vitamins. Here I was thinking about some kind of high-glucose, low-fat, high-protein and high-peter-pan (what?) diet.

Yeah, I should try adding a Centrum or something to what I take - I tend to eat like 3x more grains than anything else anyway.

Thanks for your help !

EDIT: Just remembered the topic's goal. Sorry for straying.

[Morgan]

For me it was

-Clothes (Boy I started off with the most ugly thrift store clothes :c All I could find pants wise were chinos, an ugly green one and an ugly brown one with pinstripes.. both still too big for me. I was pathetic! Then I realized that my parents would pay for clothes... D'oh!)
-Therapy (Wanted hormones ASAP.. Like that happened. My parents fought it tooth and nail until I dropped my classes this semester and told them what was what )
-Binder (I used ace bandage for half a year. UGH.)
-Packer, converted into STP
-Hormones, I see my doc for my initial visit (Again. Long story, he's a dumbass jerk who makes people jump through hoops)
-Chest surgery
-Hysto?
-GRS? Still considering. Depends on if I can get my Drivers License changed with out it (You don't have to have it for your pass port anymore, maybe more will change?)
-Name change goes in there somewhere.. Whenever I have the money to blow (It's only my middle name, Alexandra to Alexander)

I'm really taking my transition one step at a time. My parents pay for my therapy and clothes, I paid for everything else. So it kind of came as I could pay for it and as I could convince my parents not to kill me for it...

[xAndrewx]

I wish I could start by having my top done.

I sure wish I could've

Sydney: I'm sorry they're giving you trouble with your name change Thanks for answering

Morgan: I'm guessing the state you live in requires GRS still? Ace bandages are evil, but I guess at least they work until a guy can get a binder. I read your post about the idiot doctor, I'm sorry they're giving you so much trouble man. My mom paid the $5 for my binder from the big brother's program but the rest is all up to me. Though recently she loaned me $10 for my therapy session that is on Monday so maybe she'll help out a little in the future. That's awesome that your parents are helping out.

[kelly_aus]

Therapy was first on my list, not because I really thought I needed it, but because it is a requirement here in order to get HRT. After I had that going, I got my ears pierced and my eyebrows waxed. Along the way I'm picking up the odd item of clothing and make up.. I must confess that I'm lucky that I have a very accepting mother and she has bought me quite a few items of clothing - oh, and shoes! How could I forget those..

[Morgan]

Morgan: I'm guessing the state you live in requires GRS still? Ace bandages are evil, but I guess at least they work until a guy can get a binder. I read your post about the idiot doctor, I'm sorry they're giving you so much trouble man. My mom paid the $5 for my binder from the big brother's program but the rest is all up to me. Though recently she loaned me $10 for my therapy session that is on Monday so maybe she'll help out a little in the future. That's awesome that your parents are helping out.

Yeah, Virginia doesn't help trans folks much. That's the only reason I'd ever get GRS, because me and my partner don't really care otherwise...
I have another appointment with the idiot doctor next week, so hopefully everything goes well this time. If it doesn't, I DO have a backup, so I'm not really worried :/ Just.. Annoyed and angry. Apparently my therapist hates him too, so why she sent me to him is beyond me... Weird.
Good luck tomorrow with therapy! -throws confetti-

[xAndrewx]

Thanks Morgan Yeah, Virginia... That's actually where I was born. I didn't find out until recently that I would never be able to change my birth certificate without GRS.

so I'm not really worried :/ Just.. Annoyed and angry. Apparently my therapist hates him too, so why she sent me to him is beyond me... Weird.
Good luck tomorrow with therapy! -throws confetti-

Understandably so and yeah that is a little weird.

[Morgan]

Ahhh that sucks. It's sad that so many states require GRS. Not everyone wants to go down that route But, the Obama Administration changed how pass ports were done, now they only require that you're going through transition, no questions asked. So maybe drivers licenses and birth certificates and social security cards etc. etc. are on the way to change? His slogan is hope after all.

[Lee]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for that, Morgan.
Also, you're lucky to have a name that needs only a slight change.
My name is Kimberly. :/

[ilanthefirst]

This is an interesting question!  Based on others' answers, I think I'm doing things in an unusual order.  I've been wearing men's clothes since I was in single digit boys' sizes, so I didn't have to worry about that.  I got an STP about a year ago before I was even really questioning. 

A little while after that I revisited the question of whether I might be trans for the first time since middle school, and that was when I started going by a male name on-line.  That was also when I got a binder and started considering getting a haircut, because I need these things to pass. 

Now I'm wondering if I should try to get therapy because I'm so conflicted when it comes to surgery and hormones.

[Farm Boy]

Let's see...  For me, I've been wearing male or unisex clothes for a long time so that was already out of the way.  My next step was a therapist, and then a binder.  I'm actually still struggling with what to do next.  I know I want my chest gone, so I wish I could do that before anything else.  I'll probably end up going the route of hormones first, surgery second, though, because of money and because of the effect hormones would have on surgery results.  A name change and the like would be included in there somewhere...