Quote from: JaneNicole2013 on March 19, 2014, 08:22:53 PM
I've come to the conclusion that I'd rather be an ugly woman than an unhappy man.

Well Jane if that is you in the picture, you are far from an ugly women. Thank you everyone for the encouragement and support. I have a long road ahead of me and am looking forward to it...

Quote from: Veronica M on March 19, 2014, 08:53:29 PM
I have a long road ahead of me and am looking forward to it...

I hope everything goes well with you with your transition and you become very happy Veronica

Lavinia

Awww... Thank you Lavinia. That was very sweet of you to say.

Quote from: Veronica M on March 19, 2014, 08:53:29 PM
Well Jane if that is you in the picture, you are far from an ugly women. Thank you everyone for the encouragement and support. I have a long road ahead of me and am looking forward to it...

Thanks! That is me, but it was one of many pics :-) .

I wanted to start when I was 28 or so, but two of my kids were diagnosed with VWD and I wanted to make sure they were taken care of.  When their treatments were no longer neccessary, I was going to start up but then my father died and I had to be there for my oldest son, who loved his "Pa-pa" dearly.  I didn't know how he would handle losing a "dad" so I was there for him as a "dad."

Then the wife's health went to ***** and I had to pay for her cancer treatment.  I didn't tell her I was putting it off or that I was considering it at all because I wanted her to live and not die a slow, painful death to cancer or worry that she was "taking from me" my dreams at that time.  She was Stage 2 but kicked it in two years.

Now, here it is four years later and I am good to go.  I am yet to start hormones but am diving into the makeup and dresses head-first, even daring to go out in public in a miniture dress and fishnets.  (All or nothing!)  My wife and kids know now, and are appreciative of me waiting for them and now are super-supportive of it all.  The reason why I caught on relatively young is I was for a short time a psych major with a special interest in human sexuality.  Self-awareness is a blessing and a curse: a blessing because you can understand yourself a little better but then a curse when you learn yourself but are put in a situation where you know but can't act.

I know a pre-op personally who did not start until she is 62.  Like she said: better late than never.  She's been super-helpful and I would like to someday "pay it forward" to some younger trans who needs someone to be there for them like she has been for me.

I'm 59 now and it's been 2 years this month that I decided to quit hiding in the boy disguise and be the "me" I always dreamed about for 50 years! So much happier now
  It's not all rose petals and pink lace though as I live in a conservative little country town where I need to be not so "out", fortunately San Francisco is just 125 miles away and it is a true haven for us to be ourselves if we wish

On the lucky side I feel very fortunate that time has been sorta kind to my body, perhaps it's Mother Nature's way of making up for her "oops" all those years ago.

Good luck Veronica!
Your sisters here will never let you down, you have found the right place!

Quote from: Veronica M on March 19, 2014, 10:09:03 AM
Cindy
Thank you very much you have made me fell very comfortable here, and I really needed that at this point. And yes you are quite gorgeous. I can only hope I transitions as well as you. So if you don't mind me asking, are you in a relationship now. The reason I ask is if so, what is it like? I have always dreamed of being a wife / girlfriend instead of a husband as it suits me much better. I love to cook and keep a pretty clean house as well. Myself I am tired of trying to be the boyfriend or husband and it is a role I no longer want or desire. While this is not a top priority or goal at this point considering this is all about ME and not a relationship, I do look forward to that. In my twenties I was in a gay relationship for about four years and quite enjoyed it, being the feminine side of it, but something was missing, mainly the real me... LOL... And yes I have tried being straight but have always preferred men over women. Sadly I am in a straight relationship with a women now for 19 plus years and when this all boils to the top it is going to break her heart. She is my best friend, but that is where it is at... She knows and considers me to be bisexual but when I hit here with this I can't say what is going to happen. This also I am fearful of is losing that friendship. Hard to say what will happen as we communicate very well. Never the less I can not live a lie anymore and that is the bottom line.

I know I am chattering about a lot here, and all over the board with questions, I hope you don't mind. It's like for the first time in my life I am accepting myself for who I really am and have to admit very excited about it.

Thanks again,
Veronica

Sorry for the delay, yes I am in a relationship and it is great. Since we are both 'mature' it was quite easy to respect each others boundaries and enjoy both our times together and still live happy independent lives.

54 here

I took it really slow, I began HRT at 49, had BA at 52 (2011), and will have SRS on my 55th birthday, may 21, 2014. I sometimes wondered about my age too, but I want to live the rest of my life the way I should have lived the first part.

Quote from: dkl on March 30, 2014, 06:49:04 PM
54 here

I took it really slow, I began HRT at 49, had BA at 52 (2011), and will have SRS on my 55th birthday, may 21, 2014. I sometimes wondered about my age too, but I want to live the rest of my life the way I should have lived the first part.

Congrats dkl, that ought to be a wonderful 55th birthday present for sure. After a month now of therapy I have also chose the slower path. Lose a bunch of weight, get healthy, start HRT and the surgeries follow over time depending on my budget. I am now looking at it this way. I have spent 56 years learning how to be a man, what is 3 - 6 years in becoming a women. Hell, it will take me that long just to un-learn the macho man crap I have used as a defense tool for all these years.

Welcome Veronica!
At 59 I knew for sure that something had to change.  The choices were to shrivel even more into something very sad, or very dead.  First thing I did was shave my body hair and look in the mirror.  Damn near threw up.  Immediately started eating mostly vegetarian, running (sort of) doing push ups and sit ups.  Six months later I started HRT - which is another story.  I'm sixty one now, 5'9", fit, weigh 155 having lost 40 lbs - that took me 10 months, don't get too drastic and try to lose too much too fast.  Diets don't work, lifestyle does.  Pay attention to portions! 

Your goal is to become the real you, and this whole thing takes seemingly forever.  Also start electrolysis now!  You're talking 200+ hours, and this is not something you want try to do too quickly.  You can end up with scaring.  Next month (May) I go full time at work, and submit the passport and financial paperwork to make Julie my sole personna.  It makes me almost, no not almost - very, giddy.

Twenty months on HRT, I look fine, I blend in fine, I feel better than I have in decades.  This is not without cost, a marriage, some friends, even some family.  But the choices were very sad, very dead or jumping into the void knowing that caring docs, therapists, and the women here, were there to catch me.  Oh one more thing, I expected to go slowly and carefully also.  Maybe you can, but a year or so into the process, I felt like a girl, like an actual girl!  And wanted much more as soon as I could manage it. I'm proud of you for these first steps, if you want to chat with an old but pretty jazzed girl, drop me a line.
Cheers,
Julie

Quote from: JulieBlair on March 30, 2014, 08:45:47 PM
I'm proud of you for these first steps, if you want to chat with an old, but pretty jazzed girl drop me a line.
Cheers,
Julie

Thank you Julie and I will for sure. I have to laugh a little as this was my first post on this site several weeks ago, Right before my 2nd therapy session. Looking back just that short time I remember how frighted I was. Well, scared out of my wits would be more like it. Over that short length of time I have found a sense of calm I haven't felt in years. Thanks to the ongoing therapy and this website. I truly don't feel alone anymore. Even my therapist noticed and commented I was much more relaxed and looked healthier.  I am really glad I found this site for sure.

If we weren't terrified, we weren't paying attention.   
j