Susan's Place Transgender Resources

So, I'm going to go ahead an introduce myself. My name is James/Jamie, I'm a grad student in English, I live in Georgia. I've been dealing with feelings of gender dysporia for a long time, I spent about 2 years almost living as a female.. hmm. What else. For a while I've classified myself as androgyne. Then gender fluid. Then genderqueer. =D Silly labels.

I'm about to start seeing a therapist for HRT, and my doctor.. and I'm also considering taking a T blocker.. hm. I wish that I started this before now.. I'm 23. I'm extremely afraid that I won't pass, that I'll wind up not only dissatisfied with my body, (no change there), but I'll also have to deal with jerks..

So yes. It's terrifying a little.

Welcome to Susan's Jamie I'm sure you will soon find your feet and make friends with people here.

You share a name with my past incarnation. ;) I was originally christened James, but this was changed to Jenny during my early childhood when amazingly I both came out to and was accepted by my parents aged about five. I was exceptionally lucky I know.

Anyway I assure you that you are among friends here. All of us have sightly different experiences and all of us are at different points in the Journey. I, for example, am one of the old lags nearly having lived completely in my target gender for almost 30 years.

I hope you will enjoy taking part in our growing community.

Please make sure you read the site terms and rules which can be found here https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,2.0.html (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,2.0.html)

Certain features of the forum will not become active until you have made a certain number of posts without and problems. You find details of this here https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,114.0.html (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,114.0.html)

Susan's is a very welcoming and friendly place where you can safely explore your feelings and learn from others on the same road.

Have fun, and I look forward to reading your posts. :)

Thank you! I'm pretty excited. And terrified =D

And I'm worried that in a lot of ways I still won't meet the physiological goals I have for transition-- losing my boy arms, feminine physique, passing, even. So I feel like I might wind up being caught in between STILL and it's very frustrating. That's the scary part I suppose. I'm still not really positive about what the road's even going to look like, if I'll get lost on the way, eaten by a wolf..

Well Jamie Here are three pics to encourage you - and indeed anyone else just starting out.

The first two show what can be accomplished in a very short time. Back in the late 1970's I had been put through a period of compulsory living as a male by my then therapist who felt that my parents had allowed me to be too gender flexible when growing up. He felt that if I was forced to try living as a "proper" male for a time I might lose the motivation to transition. Thus despite the fact that I enjoyed considerable freedom of gender expression in my early childhood in my late teens I suddenly found myself virtually forced to conform. The result is clearly visible in the first pic which was taken some time in mid 1982 on a family holiday. I was fed up and about to make the decision to transition.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4083%2F5015115083_f685f3fa62_z.jpg&hash=a0457aea06891c787e86520c24b8a4e7f0a94abe)
The second picture was taken just over a year later. (1984) By then, thanks to a sympathetic doctor who bent the rules for me I was already postop. As you can see in those days my hair grew like a weed.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4141%2F4941754821_d779bedc68_z.jpg&hash=696ecd4cb5e10bd9c9142f8b57640b8b053bb00e)
Finally for those who fear growing old. I am now over 50. (coming on for 30 years postop). This is me now. I have put on weight, and I do now colour my hair which grows rather slower these days. But overall I think I am not too bad for an old bird.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4101%2F4941713765_d95703f1da_z.jpg&hash=1592ea565a3313ded2d2aa9a70d80b5ddb47a0b8)
Never fear that you will not pass. Look where I started, look how quickly i changed, and look where I ended up.

I honestly can't recall the last time someone picked me out as trans. So have faith. If I can do it so can you.

I have had NO breast augmentation, no facial feminisation, just SRS and hormones. Oh and yes to be entirely honest I did have the luck to have a mild Intersex condition. I was PAIS grade 2 but trust me that isn't such a huge advantage as you might think. Just look at where I started - In retrospect the only real clue is my slight gynomastica and large nipples, and a few minor differences in bits you can't see, otherwise I was fairly typically male.

That's incredible! It's amazing how rapidly your body shifted-- but what makes me most excited is that you haven't been 'outed' in such a long time. That's really encouraging. I'm honestly a little frightened of the idea of that happening. I don't know how I'd react.

I'll post some pictures once I can. I'm just pleased to be here   ^-^

Hi Jamie, :icon_wave:

Welcome to our little family. Over 3500 strong. That would be one heck of a family reunion.

Feel free to post your successes/failures, Hopes/dreams.  Ask questions and seek answers. Give and receive advice.

But remember we are family here, your family now. And it is always nice to have another sister. :icon_hug:

Hugs and Love,
Janet

Hi Jamie,
Glad to meet you.
Being outed is not fun but it's not the end of the world either.
Although it felt like it at the time.
Welcome to Susan's,
Jillieann