I guess I'm 6 months into my transition now, and I'm trying to make it as smooth as possible.  I have some financial issues that mean I will have a much easier future if I can hang on for another couple of years before full transition, but I'm ok with taking things slowly most of the time as long as I can keep my eye on the long term goal.

Anyway, to help myself stay positive about things and reassure myself that I'm moving in the right direction, every now and then I try looking at the various parts of my transition to see how much progress is being made, and to try and plan things out as much as possible.  I've put down my current thoughts below.

The percentage is how far I feel I am to completion.

Self-acceptance 90%
I have my odd wt* am I doing? days, but generally I've come around to who I am and I'm really pleased that I can finally let myself out of the cage.  Starting HRT has been very affirming too.  I'm still in male mode 5 days a week, but even then I'm interacting with the world more and more as my female self now, and it feels very liberating.  I'm really looking forward to an outwardly female future.

Coming out 5%
Other than my SO I've told no one.  This week comes the first round of friends.  I am really scared about this (probably for no particular reason), but also glad to finally be getting this part in motion.

Hair removal 30%
Home beard removal with the Tria has had a fair amount of effect.  There is more that needs to go, and I may go professional eventually. I will need electrolysis to remove the white hairs anyway.
Tria and hormones are doing great things for my body hair.

Voice training 5%
The 5% I get because I realise I have to do something.  I' been trying various things, but I can't seem to make it click at all.  I want to find a voice therapist because I have no confidence that I can do this on my own.

Socialisation as female 20%
I go out a couple of times a week.  I started with simple walks at night, then going to restaurants, and now we take whole days and evenings out.  I feel comfortable enough that I can move in crowds with confidence now and I get treated as a woman and that feels good.  Unfortunately my voice still gives me away so I don't do much of the speaking.  I really need to speak more, but first I need a voice.

Hormone changes
On hormones now for 10 weeks, and I've had some decent breast growth and fat redistribution to my bottom and hips.  I hope I get more.  I've lost some muscle.  Skin is much softer, hair grows more slowly and my feet no longer do that odour thing when I take my shoes off.  Pretty glad about that!
My face is getting softer, but this is where I'm hoping for the most effects.  I hope I get it.

Hair 20%
I've been growing my hair out from very very short for 6 months now and it's about 3"(8cm) long.  I have MBP  so may need transplants, depending on how much of this new HRT induced peach fuzz turns into proper hair.

Wardrobe replacement 50%
At least I know my sizes now and where to get clothes and shoes that fit.  I'm slowly putting together stuff for different times and occasions.

Future employment prospects 10%
I don't intend to transition on the job, and this is one of my biggest worries.

Is there anything I missed?  Anyway, I still have a long way to go but I can see what needs to be done.

So how about you? I'd be really interested to hear how you think you're getting on with your transition too.

You know to put it simply , im doing great I feel great on the inside and I love the changes so far...
Ive come out to everyone and they accept and respect me , I dress more feminine dye my hair etc etc I do all these things

Τhere is a downside though...
I am the only one that sees it that way
to everyone else im just a guy (feminine , masculine it doesnt matter , all that matters is that im a guy to them)
and that takes all the happiness I feel with transition and eliminates it
everytime they call me dude , sir,,,every single time...

Quote from: FalsePrincess on March 17, 2014, 09:02:20 AM
everytime they call me dude , sir,,,every single time...

My ex calls me dude all the time, but yesterday we were hanging out with this other girl, and he started calling her "man" and "dude" too. So, that's just how some guys talk. But, getting called sir, yeah that sucks. Once you're on HRT long enough no one will call you "sir" no matter how you dress. A lot of it comes with time and patience. But presentation is also key. I just started wearing makeup again but that's cause I had the money to buy it. And I bought a lot. My fave being a MasterGlaze blush stick in pink by Maybelline. It's the best. I've been eye hustling up this blush for months and months. And it's finally mine!!!! I wanted it so bad I was going to steal it but thought that might be a bad idea.

Quote from: Joan on March 17, 2014, 08:17:29 AM
So how about you? I'd be really interested to hear how you think you're getting on with your transition too.

Self-acceptance 90%
I really love myself, and my new life. I feel like a male some of the time, but I accept that this is left over from 50 years of living as one.

Coming out 100%
Everyone knows me as Suzi

Hair removal 30%
This is depressing. I've had full laser on my face, but too many white hairs for that to do the whole job. I'm about 1/3 through electrolysis, and then there's my gross body hair to deal with.

Voice training 100%
I love my new voice. As sweet and feminine as I'd ever want it to be.

Socialization as female 100%
This came easy to me. I've always relate to people the way a woman does.

Hormone changes
Like you, I'm not sure. I have had emotional changes, sexual changes, soft skin, and facial changes. Still no hips and tiny boobs, though.

Hair 0%
MPB will never improve. It will be wigs from here on out.

Wardrobe replacement 90%
I'd still like more tops, both summer and winter. I'd like some more skirts, and some dresses I can wear to work. Other than that, I'm doing OK. I haven't run out of stuff to wear 

Future employment prospects 90%
My job should be secure, barring the unforseen.

Quote from: Joan on March 17, 2014, 08:17:29 AM
Is there anything I missed?

I don't know. Legal stuff maybe. Name change, gender marker change, etc.

I'm gonna add two more:

Self-esteem: 60%
Most days, I feel ok or pretty good about my appearance, but some days (like today) i feel ugly and hopeless, or like I'm not 'eligible' for successful transition. Often times i'll compare myself with my wife and it just brings me down because she looks exactly how I wish I looked. Luckily, this is usually balanced out by her unconditional support.

Social adaption: 30%
Aside from my wife and one other friend: all my friends constantly misgender me, and my parents and family and co-workers still call me by my male name and use male pronouns. This has a very defensive response from me, not in a verbal form, but in the situation that my mind reverts to a male facade because the misgendering is forcing my mind to behave male, the best way I can compare it is like going to a panic room when burglars break in, you feel more safe in the panic room but it doesn't necessarily mean you are happy to be there.. I only feel truly myself either at home or out in public with my wife... because i rarely get misgendered in public either out of respect/etiquette, or because i actually pass.... thought truthfully i think its because people are more respectful than i give them credit for.

Self-acceptance: 100%
I am proud of who I am and I'm happy to say that I feel like my life makes sense since discovering this about myself. I may not have been 100% sure of it since i was very little, but disorienting life and clouded personality were always a recurring factor, and now being sure of who I am compares to no other feeling.

Coming out: 100%
Everyone in my life knows, even those who don't know only don't know because I dont talk to them anymore or often, but word travels fast in my town and my entire family, co-workers, and friends know. A lot of the times they think that i'm playing a joke.

Hair removal: 0%
Unless you include regular shaving, I haven't removed any of my hair permanently nor have the hormones been going on long enough to remove any of it, but I keep my body completely shaved.

Voice training: 50%
The pronunciation is there and the inflections are there.. but the pitch isnt.

Socialisation as female: 90%
I dress full time and present as female everywhere I go, I just havent fully gone all the way at work because i feel i need to take it slow at work. But at home or around my friends or out in public im 100% female unless i'm heading to/leaving work.

Hormone changes: I'd say 5% maybe
Been on hormones a few days shy of a month and aside from changed to my sex drive and no more random erections or morning erections, i can't honestly say i've noticed anything difinitive. My skin MIGHT be softer, cant really tell. I have gotten skinnier but thats because i've been dieting. My hair is more controllable but thats because i actually take care of it now. I am feeling a lot more emotional than I use to, my anger has been exchanged for tears. I feel like crying a lot of the time for different reasons whether its losing friends or feeling hopeless in my transition. But it could just be my patience wearing thin, i've always been very emotional so i can't tell if I'm more emotional or if I'm just "looking" for it. No definitive changes other than the physical results of testosterone blocking that i mentioned earlier, as well as loss of ejaculate, shrinkage, and most likely sterility has already taken effect. Sorry if this is TMI but my sperm no longer looks like sperm. Otherwise, no breast development in the slightest, and seeing as its only month one, breast development would be the only "POSSIBLE" response, but it has not yet occured, and the rest of the stuff comes later on.

Hair: 20%
I too have been growing my hair out and part of it is currently upper-lip length. I say part of it because i went through this "phase" where i wanted long top hair and shaved sides, I thought it would look good on me, but then quickly abandoned it when i realized i wanted long, female hair. So I still got a couple of years on the hair growth.

Wardrobe replacement: 100%
Ive already abandoned all my male clothes and strictly wear female clothes. Thats not to say I dress up extravagantly all the time. Instead of loose, baggy jeans ~ I wear tight, flared jeans or jeggings, or just different color leggings. My closet has only female clothes.

Future employment prospects: 100% for now
I work with my parents, they are the managers. They support my transition and pretty much told everyone in the office, their (my coworkers) options were either stay and deal with it, or leave. Seeing as my office is a very family-operated-business (hispanic nature) everyone has been working here for years and they're all parents as well, so luckily while they didn't fully understand it, they accepted it. So currently my job is secure, though the reason I say for now is because i work in shipping and export to venezuela, and I'm sure you all know how things are over there right now ~ its putting stress on our business. I am studying music production and engineering, seeing as its an art industry, my transition status is either welcomed or not an issue. Might even be a bonus.

Nice post Joan. Re your changes on HRT, ten weeks is hardly any time at all, so don't worry overly, usually at the six month mark the changes become a little more obvious by then and keep improving thereafter.

My transition is zooming along, if I filled out any of those points the list would be different tomorrow. Most of my friends know now and I have been out with many of them as Grace. I'm outing myself at work today and will be full time there by Monday. Will be telling my family before Monday. Still need to work on the beard but that's about 50%, hair regrowth has been promising but it will be wigs possibly for years. I expect my wardrobe will be changing significantly in the next week - have a good start but don't have more than a weeks worth, need more, more, more!

Self-acceptance is great. I know what you mean by the "What the...?" moments, had them intensely for the first few months on HRT but they have dropped away to near zero now. I feel very happy about my decision to transition this time. Voice is as good as it will ever be, when I use it in face to face conversations with shop assistants they don't even blink so that's a pass in my eyes. As for socialisation, I've always been female socialised since my first attempt at transition, I just had to bury some mannerisms. So, full steam ahead.

Quote from: FalsePrincess on March 17, 2014, 09:02:20 AM
Τhere is a downside though...
I am the only one that sees it that way
to everyone else im just a guy (feminine , masculine it doesnt matter , all that matters is that im a guy to them)
and that takes all the happiness I feel with transition and eliminates it
everytime they call me dude , sir,,,every single time...

Reading this actually got me kinda teary eyed... I know exactly how you feel.. every time my friends call me Emily, I smile, but then they instantly destroy it by calling me Him or He... and some friends even remind me that "they'll never see me as female, i'll always be a guy to them." and it destroys me. I even have a friend who wont go into a gay bar, not because hes a homophobe, he has nothing against gays... but he doesn't want to run into other transpeople... and he fails to see how that effects how I feel. Half support is not support.

Just tell them they obviously don't care enough about you to bother trying.

Self-acceptance 50%
As long as I don't have my vagina and face fully passable I'm never gonna accept myself as ->-bleeped-<-.

Coming out 100%/0%
I'm out since 2009 full time but on STEALTH now though so I'm not sure coming out in which sense?


Hair removal 90%
23 laser sessions on face since 2009 and it's still not over pfff

Voice training 90%
My voice is passable as female fortunately but on super high falseto

Socialisation as female 5%
I don't like socializing cos I am not fully passable for now, I will when I'm complete.


Hormone changes 10%                                                                                 
The most f... up thing in my transition. I take injectable Estradiol Valerate since 2009 and I think the only good thing is smooth hair and nice skin, besides that boobs, hips etc is all f.. up.

Hair 100%
Thanks God I'm blessed.

Wardrobe replacement 40%
I just have basic stuffs but when I have my face and vagina I'll take this side more seriously.

Future employment prospects ?
Not sure

At 14 months in, here's my "ratings":

Self-acceptance 80%
I pretty much knew that I was never going to go off of HRT ever since I started it in the first place, because to me it was the difference between night and day, between feeling emotionally brain-dead and completely alive. So accepting my gender-nonconforming status was settled pretty quickly. With that said, though, I'm still having some problems really accepting myself as actually being female. I still have a few inadequacy issues that are keeping me from fully embracing my femaleness. This will likely only jump up the final 20% once I'm actually full-time for a while, though, so there's nothing but making the big jump that can remedy it.

Self-esteem 30%
I've frankly just started finding this. I'm basically full-time, and haven't been gendered male in the last two weeks straight (ever since I started wearing my hair back with dangly earrings,) even with many people who very clearly had no idea that I was trans. But I still have a VERY hard time believing that I'm really passing. I see it in the mirror, and kind of believe it, but I'm always obsessing over my flaws, and almost find it hard to believe every time I'm gendered female. But I'm starting to get to the point where I'm realizing that just because I can see my maleness doesn't mean that anyone else can. But I've still got a long way to go on this.

Coming out 90%
Out to everyone important in my life. The only thing stopping this from being 100% is that I need a job as a girl first before it will really be complete.

Hair removal 80%
Basically done with laser, so almost nothing grows back now. It takes about 8 weeks for even the tiniest hint of a dark shadow to start showing again. I still have a few blond facial hairs that I have to shave, but it's basically gone. I'll probably need electrolysis to finish it up.

Voice training 70%
My voice passes pretty much 100% of the time, and everyone tells me it's good, but I still have a LONG way to go before I'll feel completely happy with it. Cis-women still just have so much dynamics in their voices, so much expression, where I can feel myself still subconsciously holding back, not really able to "let go" and be emotional and dynamic in the same way. Plus it still takes conscious effort to speak in a female voice that I'm happy with, even though my "natural" voice is still read as female pretty much always.

Socialisation as female 30%
REALLY need to work on this. It's admittedly my fault, because I've been too scared to hang out with cis-girls and learn from them, due to my feelings of inadequacy. I feel like this is the one area where I really lack. I still really feel inadequate in terms of learning how to talk like a girl, just naturally accept my own femaleness, and really get used to the social experiences. But again, I know it's not going to come until I'm full-time.

Hormone changes 65%
(This is on a purely statistical level. Supposedly you'll reach 80% of your changes by the 18-month mark, and I'm at 14 months, so math dictates this one.) In terms of how well I've feminized, I have no complaints whatsoever. I definitely have boobs, I definitely have a girl butt, my muscles have shrunk down to nothing, and I'm starting to appear female and pass even with basically no effort whatsoever. So yeah, technically I'm only 65% of the way there, and there is still a LOT more to come in the next few years, but in terms of personal happiness with my results so far, I'd put it at about 80%. I do still want more, but it's already exceeded my expectations. Especially emotionally. WOW, I feel good inside now!

Hair 50%
Grr... stupid hair... I've been growing it out for FOURTEEN MONTHS now, and my bangs are still barely down to my eyebrows, and the rest of it is still barely off of my head. This is taking FOR... FREAKING... EVER!!! Plus the hair on the back of my head is still a little thin.

Wardrobe replacement 20%
I'm still dressing in bland androgynous clothes, basically too scared to really expand my wardrobe and find a feminine style that works for me. This, I've basically barely even started. I REALLY need to work on it.

Future employment prospects 10%
I'm unemployed right now. I was basically fired from my last job due to being trans, and fired from the one before that due to a mistake I made during a bad night of dysphoria. I'm planning on going full-time, and just starting my new job as a girl, but the prospects of hiring discrimination scare the s*** out of me. Especially since I don't have my name or gender marker legally changed yet. So I'm about as nervous as I could be in regards to my work situation. Only the fact that I seem to be passing relatively consistently is giving me some hope here. And what makes it worse is that right now I'm still not actually doing anything that I WANT to do, something that I'm passionate about and feel like is meaningful, I'm just applying for jobs as a necessity for survival. So after I do find a job, this will maybe jump up to 60% or so. After that, it will take either going back to school and getting my teaching degree, or actually accomplishing some of the writing/Youtube projects that I've been dreaming of doing for years, before I'll really feel like I'm doing something meaningful.

Quote from: LittleEmily24 on March 17, 2014, 01:11:16 PM
Reading this actually got me kinda teary eyed... I know exactly how you feel.. every time my friends call me Emily, I smile, but then they instantly destroy it by calling me Him or He... and some friends even remind me that "they'll never see me as female, i'll always be a guy to them." and it destroys me. I even have a friend who wont go into a gay bar, not because hes a homophobe, he has nothing against gays... but he doesn't want to run into other transpeople... and he fails to see how that effects how I feel. Half support is not support.

Cut them off. They are not your friends. Friends don't say stuff like this. I got into a fight with my ex's roommate, she's like 50 or something, so twice my and his age about and the first place she went was ..."listen girl, oh wait boy, oh yeah, hermaphrodite...whatever it is the eff you are..." First argument, first place she went. She apologized and I forgave her. Kinda. Mainly I did cause my ex is alos my best friend and he thinks the same way so I don't want to make it awkward for him. So I just accepted it. But If these people are saying stuff like I don't want to run into transpeople...RED FLAG. The He or She stuff. That can be foregivin in my book. People need time. Sometimes. I now my ex used to call me he all the time and people would get freaked out and say "Why do you keep calling her him?" One guy, who i just told cause I had bad beard shadow and stuff and he still said the only thing that betrays you is that beard shadow. I have no idea how he can even think of you as male by looking at you and hearing you talk. But he is supportive and he just neeeded time. Now he calls me she and her all the time and never misses. Of course, I look a lot more female, I think, so could be that.

But really, if they are that against trans peeps, maybe it's time to ditch them. However, how are they to YOU. Don't worry about other trans people. My ex always says when he shows my pic to people they are flabberghasted cause they have stereotypes in their head and it isn't of a 5'5, 125 lb delicate dirty pretty thing like me. The other day I was walking around with him and we ran into this trans woman who did not pass and she wanted change or a doller or something and he made me stop and not give her money because he said it's not my job to save the world, you have surgery to save up for, are they going to help you? Who ever helps you and you look like this helpless little frail female. And he was right. It's not my job to help other trans people or anyone for that matter, cause I'm in rough shape financially. I need surgery,. So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Moral is: I'd consider cutting them off. Sorry for the long post.

Self-esteem: 90% I'm almost there completely.  Still feel a bit self-conscious about being too bulky, but I no longer wish to hasten my expiration date.
Social adaptation: 100%  This was easy.  All I had to do was stop pretending to be dudely, and now everyone gets that I'm a girl.
Self-acceptance: 100%  I'm 100% on board.  Every day gets a bit better and I'm finally living the dream.
Coming out: 100% Everyone knows.
Hair removal: 80% Still have icky body hair, but mah face is 99% there.
Voice training: 60%  It's OK, I sometimes get ma'am-ed on the phone now...
Socialisation as female: 100% I'm there.
Hormone changes: I'd say 50% maybe  Small bewbs, some butt, soft skin, less body hair, emotional bliss.
Hair: 80%  Still need to let the new growth catch up to the rest, but I don't think I'll need plugs now.  What I have is good enough to go out with.  Wish it was longer/thicker.
Wardrobe replacement: 100%  I don't wear guy clothes.  It's all girly now.
Future employment prospects:   I'm mostly unemployable now.  Haven't had a proper day job in years, but my wife is a prominent attorney and I can/do make money as a guitar tech/luthier/guitar collecter/dealer.  We're pretty far into the top tax bracket, so if I do make money, the taxes wipe out too much of it to make it worth my time.  If I want a day job, all I have to do is buy/start a business.

Self-acceptance 30%
There are many times when I wonder if it would just be easier to just suck it up and live life as a guy.  I accept that I'm actually a girl inside, and my personality is girl-centric.  I don't HATE being a guy, but it bothers me slightly every time someone refers to me as 'sir', 'he', or 'him.  I am afraid to come out because of its potential effects on future employment, discrimination, just making life more difficult in general, confidence issues, being afraid of how others will react and treat me, being able to fit in without being seen as a freak, making new friends and new relationships, and how it could hurt my family.  I feel that my family would be extremely embarrassed of me. 

Self-esteem 20%
There are times that I feel that I'm attractive as a girl, and there are times that I feel I'm totally ick.  I need to lose some weight so that I can have a more feminine figure.  I hate how my body looks from the head down, and I'm not a huge fan of how my face looks either.  I have a very square body shape and it bothers me. 

Coming out 10%
I've told my parents a while back, but they don't accept it.  A whole bunch of my closer friends know and are fully accepting of it, but my work doesn't know (I'm sure that some of them suspect it), but I feel that they would be very accepting if they found out.  I'm surrounded by great co-workers and supportive management.  My parents give me a lot of flack whenever they see me dressed as a girl.  My closest friends are extremely supportive of me. 

Hair removal 95%
I went through a year of electrolysis and barely got anywhere.  I then went through a dozen sessions of laser hair removal, and my facial hair is almost completely gone.

Voice training 70%
I took lessons with a speech language pathologist for a couple of months.  I then bought Kathe Perez's 30 day crash course, and found it to be extremely helpful.  My speech therapist and gender therapist believe that I was blessed to start with a naturally higher voice (I'm upper tenor/countertenor), and that it will be a much easier transition for me.  I haven't practiced a lot, so I haven't had a lot of progression yet.  I am confident that with practice, I can achieve a passable voice. 

Socialisation as female 2%
I visit my gender therapist every week in female mode, but I mostly spend time with other people as a guy.  I've hung out with a couple of my female friends in girl mode, but that's about it.   It feels very awkward to me still, and I am not confident about whether or not I pass.

Hormone changes 1%
I started taking a lower starting dose of Estradiol on February 4, 2014 (but no antiandrogen - my endo looked at my face and said "you look like you dont need spiro, your face looks very clear of hair, and the entire process is cleaner without spiro") Today is March 17 and I still haven't noticed a single change caused by the estrogen yet.   I have no buds, pain, tenderness, no noticeable skin changes, no emotional or physical changes, or anything.  Blah.  This is a source of disappointment for me thus far.  I know it's only been 6 weeks, but it disappoints me when people say that their boobs started feeling tender after a few days, yet I haven't had anything happen after 6 weeks. 

Hair 60%
I like my hair and it took me a year to grow it out, but I need it styled/trimmed!  I'm afraid to find a hair stylist that would be supportive of my transition.   I wish that my hair was thicker. 

Wardrobe replacement 90%
I have HUNDREDS of pairs of heels and boots.  I'm so happy about my shoe collection, and I'm obsessed about heels.  I also have a decent amount of jeans, pants, tops, and skirts to fill out my outfits.  I'm excited about a trench coat that I got that gives me a more feminine shape via use of colorblocking, angles, cut, and flare. 

Future employment prospects 80%
I work for a large insurance company, as a licensed agent, that has specific language in the employee handbook that bans discrimination based on gender identity.  I'm very happy about that, and am confident that my coworkers and management would be extremely supportive.   I am very fortunate that my job allows me to work from home (i've worked in office there for 6 years prior). 

I am also planning to buy a home soon, and shortly thereafter, pursue completion of  college degrees in computer science. 

doing alright . the baby step forward progress approach. going on five months people are seeing changes because they react to me slightly differently. I know some people are curious but don't say anything.

Quote from: LittleEmily24 on March 17, 2014, 01:11:16 PM
Reading this actually got me kinda teary eyed... I know exactly how you feel.. every time my friends call me Emily, I smile, but then they instantly destroy it by calling me Him or He... and some friends even remind me that "they'll never see me as female, i'll always be a guy to them." and it destroys me. I even have a friend who wont go into a gay bar, not because hes a homophobe, he has nothing against gays... but he doesn't want to run into other transpeople... and he fails to see how that effects how I feel. Half support is not support.

I agree with Joanna.  These are NOT your friends.  There are people out there that will love you for who you, are instead of who they want you to be.  True friends are 100% accepting and supportive of you.  They empower you to help you to do things that you couldn't do by yourself.  Sounds like these people are holding you back, and they are not worthy of being called a 'friend'. 

You need to cut them off and you will eventually find people who are 100% supportive of you. 

Self-acceptance: 95%
I know who I am and I know what I want. I have my doubts from time to time about various things, but especially when it comes to transition I have never been so resolute about anything.

Coming out: 80%
I am not out at work....but I am in my own life. I have to admit it is strange to have people I don't even know well to know something I had previously considered so personal. Work, eh, They don't know anything about me, and at this job I intend to keep it that way.

Hair removal: 50%
IT NEVER ENDS!

Voice training: 50%
I can do a great voice....but I have so much trouble keeping the pitch up, that I am thinking about Yeson voice surgery.

Socialisation as female: 30%
I need to get out more. I mean seriously I work (away from home) 5-7 days a week and when I am home I just want to relax a bit, so I end up doing nothing. It also doesn't help that I have a serious aversion to spending money because I need to save what I have (living off of MREs and ramen these days).

Hormone changes: ?%
They bounce, they hurt, they even fill out my bra now, but I am on an incredibly low dose right now. I don't know what to make of it, but based on the progress I am getting I haven't seen a single person report this much on such a small dose. So, I don't really know how far along those changes are. I am trying not to go full time for another year....but, with the way I am responding and the fact my mother was a double D, IDK. I have no idea how far I am along.

Hair: 90% My hairline could be lower (which will be fixed surgically), but my hair itself looks great now. I have had hair between my shoulders and waist since I was 13, so I have never had short hair in my adult life. I have always loved my hair, even if it gets all wavy at the tips, and is a nondescript shade of brown. Also, I am very lucky to have no hair loss nor history of it in my family. To put this into comparison I spend more time brushing my hair than watching television. (which is a bit of a trick as I watch less than 2 hours a week lol).

Wardrobe replacement: ?%
Can you ever have enough shoes, clothes, and accessories? Deep in my heart I say no. Also some of my clothes like Tripp NYC "Bondage" pants and whatnot are pretty unisex and even though they tend to be quite large on me now, whatever I am keeping them. Same with my paintball clothes, because even though all of my gear is in my storage unit, I do still intend to play. Though at this rate I am gonna need a chest protector because I imagine one paintball hitting the girls at 200mph would cause so much pain that I would just die right there on the spot.

Future employment prospects: 0%
It isn't zero because I don't think I will be able to get a job, it is zero because I want a job in a different field and I haven't done much work towards making that a reality, primarily because I make more money in the transportation industry at the moment than I could with my skill set and credentials in IT at the moment. No one wants a Delphi person, and no one really cares how much I know about Linux if I don't have any networking certificates or degrees.


All in all, I would rate my transition at less than 25% done, and in general as frustratingly slow by design.

I seem to be the reverse of a lot of answers... I'd rate my transition except for the bottom bits as 100% done in 2010, and GRS finished it off in 2012. But my self-acceptance and self-esteem are still like 10%.

Hello again, all.  Lots of very interesting thoughts, and some quite saddening comments too.

FP: That really sucks I'm sure that with time HRT will have its effects, but from that photo you posted a while back I can't understand why they would say that.

Suzi: Legal stuff, yes! I'm in a bit of a nowhere land with that so I'm kind of pushing that from my mind guess.  And I know exactly what you mean about the white hairs!

Emily: Self-esteem is a good call.  I guess I kind of lumped it in with self-acceptance but thinking about it my self-acceptance is pretty much there, but my self-esteem, especially regarding my appearance, is still a long way off.

Grace: I'm so pleased for you for where you are now.  I hope today went well.  I'm trying to stay patient about HRT but the need to feel progress all the time is strong!

EvolvingBeauty: My word, yes! Hair removal takes forever, and that's one of the reasons I may bite the bullet and find a salon.

Carrie: I think you're being very hard on yourself in so many areas.  To me you're pretty much there I think.  I'm really with you on the socialisation thing though.  I really want women to accept me as a woman, probably more than anything, and it feels fantastic when I get that smile from another woman in a shop and that sense of solidarity.

Jill: you're through and out t he other side! Fantastic

KatelynRain: That's really too bad about your parents and the HRT progress.  I hope those things start getting better for you.

Stephanie: Baby steps still move you forward!

Hikari: You seem to have most of it under control, and yes, I know what you mean about the wardrobe! When are you going to go full time?

JennaMarie: I'm really sorry to hear that.  Is there something that is holding these things back? 


What comes across is that we all seem to have strong areas, things we're blessed with or things we can do well.  I guess we need to bring the other things along to a decent level, and that's where it begins to get hard.  For me that's coming out to people and finding a workable voice

Quote from: Joan on March 17, 2014, 08:17:29 AM
I guess I'm 6 months into my transition now, and I'm trying to make it as smooth as possible.  I have some financial issues that mean I will have a much easier future if I can hang on for another couple of years before full transition, but I'm ok with taking things slowly most of the time as long as I can keep my eye on the long term goal.

Anyway, to help myself stay positive about things and reassure myself that I'm moving in the right direction, every now and then I try looking at the various parts of my transition to see how much progress is being made, and to try and plan things out as much as possible.  I've put down my current thoughts below.

The percentage is how far I feel I am to completion.

Self-acceptance 90%
I have my odd wt* am I doing? days, but generally I've come around to who I am and I'm really pleased that I can finally let myself out of the cage.  Starting HRT has been very affirming too.  I'm still in male mode 5 days a week, but even then I'm interacting with the world more and more as my female self now, and it feels very liberating.  I'm really looking forward to an outwardly female future.

Coming out 5%
Other than my SO I've told no one.  This week comes the first round of friends.  I am really scared about this (probably for no particular reason), but also glad to finally be getting this part in motion.

Hair removal 30%
Home beard removal with the Tria has had a fair amount of effect.  There is more that needs to go, and I may go professional eventually. I will need electrolysis to remove the white hairs anyway.
Tria and hormones are doing great things for my body hair.

Voice training 5%
The 5% I get because I realise I have to do something.  I' been trying various things, but I can't seem to make it click at all.  I want to find a voice therapist because I have no confidence that I can do this on my own.

Socialisation as female 20%
I go out a couple of times a week.  I started with simple walks at night, then going to restaurants, and now we take whole days and evenings out.  I feel comfortable enough that I can move in crowds with confidence now and I get treated as a woman and that feels good.  Unfortunately my voice still gives me away so I don't do much of the speaking.  I really need to speak more, but first I need a voice.

Hormone changes
On hormones now for 10 weeks, and I've had some decent breast growth and fat redistribution to my bottom and hips.  I hope I get more.  I've lost some muscle.  Skin is much softer, hair grows more slowly and my feet no longer do that odour thing when I take my shoes off.  Pretty glad about that!
My face is getting softer, but this is where I'm hoping for the most effects.  I hope I get it.

Hair 20%
I've been growing my hair out from very very short for 6 months now and it's about 3"(8cm) long.  I have MBP  so may need transplants, depending on how much of this new HRT induced peach fuzz turns into proper hair.

Wardrobe replacement 50%
At least I know my sizes now and where to get clothes and shoes that fit.  I'm slowly putting together stuff for different times and occasions.

Future employment prospects 10%
I don't intend to transition on the job, and this is one of my biggest worries.

Is there anything I missed?  Anyway, I still have a long way to go but I can see what needs to be done.

So how about you? I'd be really interested to hear how you think you're getting on with your transition too.

I like the way you put this.

here is mine
Im almost 2 years into my transition. Went full time last may.

Self acceptance: 80% Gotta get surgury to hit that last 20%

Coming out : 5% im not even gonna get into the details. it was bad

Hair removal: 80% aside from shaving my legs most my other body hair disappeared.

Voice training: I didnt really train it, me and my roomie played around with pitches I like one day, and over time it just kinda happened. I didn't consciously make an effort.

Socialization as female:  I pass, I very rarely get clocked, and aside from some body language, I stlll choose my words like a man. most the guys I hang out with and women, just think im a Vulgar and very brash woman. but they love me non the less. 

Hormone changes: id say im satisfied, cant really think of a %

Hair:  I love my hair, I loved my hair to begin with, I just love the fact now I can wear it long all I want and style it.

Wardrobe replacment: 99% still got a few male shirts I use to sleep in cause they are big and baggy.

Future employment:  I lost my job cause of transition. I have a new one that im full time at. But imma go back to college as a full time student this summer/fall. I want a professional career, im tired of scrapping the bottom.

I'm about six months on a regular dose of HRT, but a year on HRT at the second lowest dose possible of spiro and the lowest does possible of E. Now, It's normal to high.

Self acceptance: 100 percent. I accept who I am and have been at this stage since 2004 when i transitioned non-hormonally. I got called my GF's ugly sister a lot.

Coming out : I let HRT do that for me. Within two months of starting the low dose, the changes were impossible to hide.

Hair removal: Body hair: 90 percent. I shaved it, and it didn't come back. I imagine that's the sprio. Face: zero percent.

Voice training: My voice never really broke and I was a contralto in choir in High School.

Socialization as female:  I'm pretty much full time, had/have/on a break with the BF or whateva. Though he is coming back around. Everyone treats me as a female, 'cept family and even they are now, cause it's kinda hard to refer to me as male.

Hormone changes: Very satisfied. I'm a 32D-27-35 so I guess they did their work. I could use a bigger butt though.

Hair: Hate it. It's short and this girl the other day was telling me I could get extensions for $100 and she will help me put them in since she said she had hair exactly like mine. If I had longer hair and laser I'd prolly look great, but I like short hair too so maybe I'll just do the laser and keep rockin' this pixie. I'm dyeing it blonde as soon as I get laser. Hopefully b4 the BF and I go to NYC on May. 1 for vacay/fun/business/fun. We like fun. He started calling us a couple in front of other people the other day...ill shut up...i know i talk about him way tooo much...but he's all i got. Well and my mom. So I guess that's alot all things considered since I present female right in front of my mom now. We're watching the Following and I'm wearing ballet flats and a my PJs so...this isn't bout hair at all. well it was.

Wardrobe replacement: Love it. It will never be complete so I can't put a percentage on it. One of the things I love most about this is shopping and buying makeup and no one ever looks at me funny and I use the women's changing room. I don't really have a choice. People escort me to the women's restroom when I had to ask a week ago, so if I tried to use the men's they'd prolly be like...over there lady.

Future employment:  I lost my job within a month and half as soon as I took off my suit. My body showed and along with my androgynous/femme face it screams woman. It's getting easier for me to see it, but still, IDK. I'm suing them but now have a job as a an online tutor and it is paying okay, not great but it does the job.