I love my life.

[K8]

I ... have 100% support of wife, family, coworkers and friends.

Not a single person in my life has not accepted me for what I am.  If anything it has made my friendships stronger. 

This is gonna rock...

How wonderful for you!  I too found that my friendships got stronger, perhaps because I revealed more of who I am rather than trying to hide this big secret.

You go, girl!

- Kate

[Pickles]

Word,

It posses me off when people try to break the ice with something like like "You must have had a hard life."

I just decided to be myself and in two short years, I've gotten there. Just some tweaks to my face and ill be done.

Much to my surprise my parents didn't disown me. Lost my circle of friends but now I realise a lot of them are unhappy.like I was.

I live full time as myself (yes including work). As a matter of fact I'm more accepted at work than in general life.

I think the people that have difficult transitions are more vocal.

[Emmaline]

Yes more vocal, but also I think people with smooth transitions may feel guilty that they have had to face less horrors than some souls. 
I still have to pull my life back together after prolonged depression, self sabotaging my career and yes, I will have to put up with my own share of ->-bleeped-<-.  But its important to get the message out that there is goodness, acceptance and support somewhere out there for everyone... I am lucky because I surrounded myself with liberal, smart and creative people- mainly aethiests/agnostics/buddists.

But yeah... I think I am gonna make it.

[anjaq]

Yes more vocal, but also I think people with smooth transitions may feel guilty that they have had to face less horrors than some souls.

I guess I did in some aspects, but hey, there are always still some bumps in the road, so while a lot of things went much better for me than one could guess from the "horror stories" that are floating around so often, I did of course have my own bumps. But we focus on them a lot in other threads so this one was about all those good things that are more than a balanced counterweight of the bad stuff . Like I had some severe complications in SRS and suffered but hey - I have a vagina, no more wrong parts, feel that every day and just love it - I would do it again even if the same would happen.

[Pickles]

At first I tried to help people with problems by giving advice, etc. Now I just sit back and enjoy the schadenfreude. Learned you can't change people.

My therapist taught me that sometimes people will subconsciously create problems for themselves they can handle to avoid having to deal with ones they can't.

[Emmaline]

And we have each other for the bumps.

[Emerson]

I have been depressed all my life. I have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. My first diagnosis came when I was 9.

The first day I felt true happiness was the day I talked to my therapist about transitioning. I felt peace for the first time ever. I cried with relief.

I love my life.

[Lana P]

I love it because my older brother took me to my first hormone doctor appointment back in 2002 and have been accepting of me ever since. My mom is amazing and my dad finally came around before moving back to Ottawa over 10 years ago. I'm lucky because my family accepts me and supports me in whatever I want to do. I'm lucky because my parents paid for my breasts implants back in 2011 even though I have been slowly paying them back but all will be done once I move out onto my own.

I suffered from depression and anxiety but can now say I am out of the dark days as well no longer need medication to live day by day. I had a successful orchiectomy surgery and feel even better about myself now that I am no longer on Tblockers. I'm healthy I have a great family, A healthy dog and I really can't complain. Life is pretty good. Though I have had some bad days life is great.

[Cosi555]

While I'm currently still pre everything and riding the yoyo of depression on a regular basis, I use this thread as a source of inspiration and hope that it gets better and the pain gets replaced with joy and happiness.

Thank you all for sharing your joy <3

[Calder Smith]

While I'm currently still pre everything and riding the yoyo of depression on a regular basis, I use this thread as a source of inspiration and hope that it gets better and the pain gets replaced with joy and happiness.

Thank you all for sharing your joy <3

Same here!

[Tristan]

I love my life too. I don't look have bad (I'm shallow I know). I make decent money and can get guys. I have also noticed that woman go through different periods and I think I'm coming up on a new great one. I have a few wonderful people in my life and hopefully soon will be a mom. My post op life is great
Kappa kappa gamma for life!

[Elegant_Evelyn]

My joy comes from the ability i have to be seen as a woman on most of my days and y roommates who supported the trans community since before i moved in. I am lucky for those things in my life.

[FlightyBrood]

I want in on this one! I'm three days post op, ftm top surgery. Hi!

I have an extremely supportive family. It took some time, but my mother especially started going to pflag meetings and doing research to really understand and be okay with my transition. I have a boyfriend that is four days post op himself!

My mother came by to see me today (brought us cupcakes!) and mentioned she told my grandmother about my surgery. Grandma was very happy and made sure that i know shes close if i need something! in fact my whole extended family didnt even bat an eyelash. They slip up sometimes but they love me so i dont mind much. I got to be best man at my brothers wedding. He was so happy to give me that opportunity as well.

I grew up pagan, being around a coven was amazing. All of the people i grew up with sent me good energy and told my boyfriend and i how proud they are of us for taking hold of our own lives. The support i have is amazing. even after i cut contact with my highschool friends, for fear of being thought of as weird for transitioning, they refused to let me disappear from their lives and accept me fully. The love i have is almost corporeal, im so very lucky and blessed. I also got the chance to help trans youth realize there were ways that they could feel right. Ive saved lives by existing.

Most of all, i can look in a mirror with no shirt on and smile. Because im finally right.

[Ev]

My name is Ev, which is an androgynous prefix for several names I go by depending on my dress and appearance: Evelyn (feminine) and Evan (masculine) specificially.  I like to view myself as "transdrogynous" because I am going through the MTF change for sexual interests/preferences  and not so much gender identity.  I am a pre-op and decided to carry this through 3 weeks ago, waiting for the opportunity to arise for me to let Ev out for the last 18 years.  The outing has been easy, exciting, and rewarding so far.  There is an old saying: "Trying is lying."  I tried for years to be me.  But I have not tried the last month. 

I am currently (at the time of this post) not on hormones but am to see a geneticst soon for them.  I love my body: 5'11 175 lbs, 33 inch legs, 32 (in man's sizes) at the waist, a natural A cup without hormones and broad shoulders.  Even though I am 32 I am often asked if I am in my early 20's or so which is good for the self-esteem.  I love my eyes and my lips and the softness of my skin.  However, I see where I would like to take my body and that is exciting within itself.  I will learn how to make the most out of that too: I always have.  I was 300 Lbs while in a depression a few years ago so I have a lot to be proud of.

I had a pretty crappy life as a kid, but rather than look at that as a tragic past I look at is as the 1st chapter of a "coming of age" story where I rise above those who sought to destroy me and conquer them not by destroying them so to speak, but by becoming more than they ever thought I could be.  Sort of like a allegorical transexual Conan if you will, minus the blood and the gore and the giant biceps.  Okay, maybe that was a bad example, but I have a warrior spirit of sorts and symbolically vanquishing my enemies is something in the blood.  But the biceps...yes please!

But where were we?  Oh yes:

Love life?  I don't LOVE life: I worship it!  Let me preach all about it:

I am a biological father of three wonderful children and have been with the same awesome woman for 15 years.  I am a USAF Vet, self-published author FOUR times over and soon to be five, secular minister, and martial artist of 20+ years.  I love food and to cook, and the coolness of the night and the sound of rain.  Nature is beautiful and I look to her more gentle aspects when I am down as it lifts me up. 

Hot baths?  Don't get me started!  Who needs a boyfriend when you have a hot bath, some wine, chocolate, incense, candles and a little soft music to fill the air?  Always cheers me up!

Sexy people?  I LOVE sexy people.  I like to look at them, think about them.  Ooooh yes, when I am down I can always count on a pretty face to life me up.  Guys, girls, doesn't matter!  Gorgeous!

I am currently being groomed to be part of a Mary Kay troupe as a neck-up model so that makes me feel good.  Can't wait to see what the ladies can do with my face.    Maybe after the transition is a little further along I can do some full-body shots?  That would be fun.

Running!  I love to run.  So much freedom.  Speaking of freedom, what about skirts and dresses?  So loose, so soft.  I like!

I still like my my boy-dollies.  The guys call them action figures.  Action figures, dolls...what's in a name anyways?  I like Transformers.  Reminds me of myself: able to change modes and appearances.  Evan, Evelyn...who shall I go as today?

I love to read, but hate TV.  Give me a good book!  Give me a REAL book.  The soft firmness, the smell, the sound as you turn the page, the paper sliding across your fningers as you run them accross the outside of the book...the words, the images...isn't it beautiful?  Books are nice.  I have a lot of them...but I could always have more. 

...and...and...and...fun stuff!

Life is filled with so many great things.  I love life.  Hail life!

[vi]

I spent a long time feeling like a ghost. Joyless, soulless, empty, dull.

I've never felt more alive. I feel like a real person now.

Being trans is often terrifying, but it's the kind of fear that comes with euphoria and exhilaration. I was always unhappy before - now, I'm so happy, experiencing so many new emotions, that it's overwhelming.

I guess the fear is that I'll somehow lose it all and go back to the way I was before, a pathetic, wretched creature fumbling sadly in the dark.

But I've known, ever since the first time I told someone I'm a lady, I have the strength to keep going.

Strength, happiness, self-understanding, confidence, self-esteem - that's what being trans means for me.

[PixieBoy]

I pass pretty much all the time now, nobody thinks I'm anything other than cis and maybe a bit effeminate. It's great to be able to stop worrying about passing and everything. I have had top surgery and I can look in the mirror without feeling sick. I feel like myself. If I hadn't transitioned, I'd be dead now. It's still such a novel concept for me to think that I have a life ahead of me and that I want to live it. It's not perfect, life never is, but I'm feeling good anyway.

[ZombieDog]

I had a good day today.  I like my job.  The kitten I'm bottle feeding is getting bigger and her eyes are open.  My co-workers accept me and don't intentionally do things to make me uncomfortable, not even so much as weird looks.  I was hating this new hair-cut I got because it's a high and tight and it just doesn't suit my face and makes me look younger than I should(like, pre-teen) but they were all very polite and two of my bosses even said they liked it.

[katiej]

This thread is fantastic! 

My impression early on was that transgender people all had tragic stories of horrific abuse, and they all seemed to describe suicidal levels of depression.  I've even heard a few say that you shouldn't even attempt transition unless your only options are transition or death.  Death?  Really?  I'm just not that dramatic about anything in life.  So I always felt like I probably wasn't really transgender, and it kept me from transitioning in my early 20's.

So threads like this are enormously helpful for people like me.

I have a lot to be thankful for.  Sure I have mild depression when the dysphoria really kicks in, but overall I'm happy.  And I'm excited about being able to live life as myself.  And the exploration process has been fun so far.  For most of my life I've kept my distance from femininity, but now I can really go after it.

I'm actually glad I didn't transition early on though.  I have 4 amazing kids, and a wife who seems up to the challenge of sticking with me through all this.  I'm also in a stable career, and I'm trying to get myself into a company with insurance that'll pay for a lot of it. *crossing fingers*

[eggy_nog]

I've been incredibly lucky and fortunate as well. I often question why me, why have I been allowed to be trans, yet be so fortunate for so many things. Being able to pass, fantastic family and friends, so many wonderful things. Sure there are difficulties in my life, and sure I feel that I SHOULD have been born a girl initially to avoid having to go through being trans, but compared to many I am really really lucky and I am far happier, more confident, prettier, than I've ever been before transitioning

I am also blessed with the ability to do a lot of good for the world, and I keep telling myself that's what I can do for what I have been given. It's a nice feeling

[phouka]

Random happy tidbits of recent life:

I found a practice nearby that does HRT off informed consent and am waiting on the callback for my intake appointment.

I got a 997 binder for $15 so my broken down tri-top can finally go.

And odd but makes-me-feel-good thing:Caught some heat for being seen going to the womens' room at a store yesterday. I cracked up and beamed for a few hours.