I love my life.

[Silver]

My life has been pretty good. My transition was pretty easy and now I'm a lot more comfortable with myself and others. I feel like I can be more honest about myself now.

:]

I can't bring to mind exciting or interesting anecdotes to pepper the thread with, but I will say that life is overall pretty good.

[Lee]

Tonight will be family, food, and salsa dancing.  Tomorrow is friends, music, and blues dancing.  Life's good.

[some ftm guy]

sitting in front of the air conditioner, got to chat with someone tonight who thinks of me as just another gay guy when he told me that i was so happy! and now I'm looking forward to sleeping in my cozy bed. life is good. at least SOMEONE out there knows me as just another guy.

[zombiesarepeaceful]

I'm not gonna moan and groan here, but my opinion is that the less dysphoria someone has (as we all know, we experience different levels of dysphoria), the happier they are. Someone could have a perfectly accepting family and workplace, everything, yet still be in "hell" cause of their dysphoria, which in my opinion is the worse part.

Anyone have input on this?

[Sean]

I'm not gonna moan and groan here, but my opinion is that the less dysphoria someone has (as we all know, we experience different levels of dysphoria), the happier they are. Someone could have a perfectly accepting family and workplace, everything, yet still be in "hell" cause of their dysphoria, which in my opinion is the worse part.

Anyone have input on this?

Perhaps so. But perhaps it is the opposite. Perhaps the happier someone is, the less dysphoria they have. Those who are able to focus on the things they enjoy or maintain a state of happiness are not overwhelmed with dysphoria, because the "positives" crowd out room for worrying about the "negatives."

You could say that anyone who experiences dsyporia can not BE happy. I would say someone who is happy independent of the dysphoria will not experience crippling dysphoria, even if they are dysphoric and do experience discomfort from the lack of congruity between body and mind/spirit.

Dysphoria is a symptom, not a condition in and of itself. Imagine two people fighting off a different medical condition that makes them both feel lousy and manifests with the same symptoms and pain - it could be a virus, a headache, an injured arm, etc. Often, the person who is experiencing something happy and positive at the same time they are coping with illness or injury will feel less bad from the same condition as someone who also is enduring a stressful situation at the same time.

[Cirnobyl]

I hated my life completely until I decided to transition. Now I bless every day I have and work hard to stay healthy. I do sorta miss eating like a guy, but now I'd rather be slim then have that extra chicken strip xD.

[zombiesarepeaceful]

I hated my life completely until I decided to transition. Now I bless every day I have and work hard to stay healthy. I do sorta miss eating like a guy, but now I'd rather be slim then have that extra chicken strip xD.

You do look beautiful, if that is indeed you in your avatar. I'd never guess anything.

[Cirnobyl]

Aw thanks yes that is me. What you don't see is my 40% bald head thanks to the hat. Well its not really bald anymore, its really growing back thanks to the E. Something else to be happy about ^^.

[kate durcal]

Tonight: Susan's forum to have a bitch fest, 4 roses, my daughters to watch a chick flick, no work tomorrow...Life is good!

Sabbath Shalom

Kate D

[Eleanor]

A couple of weeks ago I had my first IPL session, and today I was washing my face and noticed some of my facial hair falling out! I'm not naive enough to believe that it's permanent after one session and that I won't have any regrowth, but seeing such a powerfully masculine feature simply falling away from me is too wonderful to even put into words.

[Sandy]

Yes, Eleanor, it is permanent.  I used IPL for my beard removal and the results were dramatic.

And permanent.

While it can only kill hairs in the growth phase, those that are, are now gone.  I had IPL about 5 years ago and it has been very good.  As you go through additional sessions more will be toasted.

My caveat.  I had quite a bit of "salt" in the pepper and had to follow up with some considerable electrolysis.  But I was given quite a boost in clearing through IPL.

-Sandy

[The Hawk]

My life has been amazing ever since I decided to transition. A couple of months ago I started T . I'm also so thankful to have amazing parents who are so supportive. I am still young and still live with them and they payed for my top surgery, and a couple of days ago my mom told me they'd try to pay for my bottom surgery too once I'm old enough and have been on T long enough to get it.

And I haven't been rejected by any family or anything, only an aunt that lives 6 hours away is having a bit of trouble accepting it.

I absolutely LOVE my life!

[Eleanor]

Yes, Eleanor, it is permanent.  I used IPL for my beard removal and the results were dramatic.

And permanent.

While it can only kill hairs in the growth phase, those that are, are now gone.  I had IPL about 5 years ago and it has been very good.  As you go through additional sessions more will be toasted.

My caveat.  I had quite a bit of "salt" in the pepper and had to follow up with some considerable electrolysis.  But I was given quite a boost in clearing through IPL.

-Sandy

Really? The lady at my clinic said it might not be permanent, so I didn't want to get my hopes up, but after hearing your story I'm cautiously optimistic. Thank you! And yes, I have some lighter hairs that will need to be done with electrolysis myself. My beautician seemed to think the majority of my hair would respond very well to IPL though, so fingers crossed that what I've seen so far continues!

[rachel_eliason]

I definitely love this thread. Yeah, I had a few bumps on the road but my transition went pretty well too.

My family still accepts me, they aren't thrilled and most of them think I am crazy for what I did, but I am the baby so all my decisions are crazy. 

My co-workers have accepted me completely and I got so many compliments and supportive statements that I was totally overwhelmed. They are such an awesome group of people to work with.

My friends, well let's just I picked them well. Everyone has been very supportive.

My transition itself has been pretty by the book. I had a minor complication with SRS, but nothing permanent. I never thought I would pass at all, but I do surprisingly well for myself.

[Rock_chick]

Perhaps so. But perhaps it is the opposite. Perhaps the happier someone is, the less dysphoria they have. Those who are able to focus on the things they enjoy or maintain a state of happiness are not overwhelmed with dysphoria, because the "positives" crowd out room for worrying about the "negatives."

You could say that anyone who experiences dsyporia can not BE happy. I would say someone who is happy independent of the dysphoria will not experience crippling dysphoria, even if they are dysphoric and do experience discomfort from the lack of congruity between body and mind/spirit.

Dysphoria is a symptom, not a condition in and of itself. Imagine two people fighting off a different medical condition that makes them both feel lousy and manifests with the same symptoms and pain - it could be a virus, a headache, an injured arm, etc. Often, the person who is experiencing something happy and positive at the same time they are coping with illness or injury will feel less bad from the same condition as someone who also is enduring a stressful situation at the same time.

This.

Lots of people on the forum say things like "transitioning is really hard...i'll be glad when it's done" and yes, in one sense this is absolutely correct, I have spent literally thousands in the past year, have had crippling depression at points, been suicidal, been scared to leave the house etc etc etc. If you focus on these kind of things and make them the central theme of your life, then yep, Transition is going to be a very very dark place indeed. The real trick is to realise that there is a lot more to life than your dysphoria and your transition. Do what you need to do to transition, but live your life at the same time as well. You have the complete power to choose your mental attitude. View transition and dysphoria as a struggle and that's what you get, veiw it as a journey...even a bit of an exciting adventure if you want and while it doesn't completely protect you from the dark times, it will mean you can actually go out and enjoy being alive.

Being alive is good...a gift if you prefer, you should just embrace the sheer joy of the fact that you're not dead and can experience the world. Also, everyone here needs to buy a longboard and go skating.

->-bleeped-<- yeah! Skating

[justmeinoz]

This afternoon while going through the checkout there was a child screaming at 400 decibels at the other end of the supermarket. 
The checkout girl said, " obviously a male!"
I said, " I'm a parent, he'll turn into a teenager, kick him now and get your retaliation in first!"
She laughed, and we had a great conversation while she scanned and bagged my croceries.
Then we wished each other a good day as I left.

I think I was actually walking about 6" above th ground on the way back to the car! Total 101% pass.

Yesterday in the cinema watching 'Bridesmaids' the women I was sitting next to accepted me totally too, even when the lights were on before the movie, and also chatting on the way out afterwards.

Karen.

[ty.to.the.man]

i might love my life or hate it after the first day of school. thats when i come out to my whole grade. im nervous yet excited. i hope i love my life afterwards.

[GinaDouglas]

About once a month, I tell the Story for All Ages to the children gathered before me, and the rest of the congregation during Sunday Church Service, in a mostly straight Unitarian Universalist Church, 125 years old, in the heart of downtown Colorado Springs, the home of Focus on the Family, one of the front-line battles for LGBTQ rights.  I have shared from Black Elk Speaks, from my own collection of the best children's books when I was a librarian, personal stories of people I have known, and even stories about episodes in my life.  I have made people laugh and cry at the same story.  I directed two stories that we did as Readers Theatre with several members of the congregation playing roles.  I cannot express my joy at how fulfilling my role in the church has been, and fully I am accepted by so many people, more that accepted, a full member of what our pastor calls "our beloved community".

My live-in girlfriend of over a year now, we have problems and we fight.  But I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she loves me for who I really am, not who I pretend to be, or because of the role I fill.

[PaRaDeaD]

I spent the whole last night on Omegle. I was there for so long that I probably cammed with over a hundred people. I "passed" to every single one of them as a girl. I even told a few that I'm not physically a girl yet and they didn't believe me and said that I look so much like a girl. I was so shocked, yet so so so pleased!

Considering I haven't started HRT yet, I now feel confident that I will have no trouble whatsoever passing completely after a while on hormones. So yeah, things are looking really good for me right now and I'm eagerly waiting for my transition to properly begin!

[justmeinoz]

I spent the last week interstate looking for a rental property prior to moving and everyone I dealt with was totally accepting.  Because you have to have a stack of ID before you can lease nowadays I had to use my new Birth Certificate as I still have limited documentation.  Whenever I had to point out the name change, nobody batted an eyelid and just treated me as if I had always been Karen.

I spent a full week exploring my new hometown and never once had any second glances.
On the flight home I spent quite a while chatting with the woman in the next seat about the suburb I am moving to, as she knew it well, and it all felt so "normal" it was an absolute pleasure.

Karen.