Obviously nobody is ever happy with all that time they wasted in the wrong body, but all you can really do to get through it is accept that the past is the past and just look forward.

When did you start transitioning?

I was 51 when I first started taking concrete steps to transition.

The same as Suzi - 51, although I knew I was transgender for about 8 years before that. I couldn't handle it anymore and flipped the switch.

Well it depends I started hrt at 33 but as far as planning and preparation I would say 29. But really I don't regret my past life sure it was hard growing up being different but I don't regret it. It actually helped shape the woman I am today.

Started seeking HRT at age 18.

I'm not sure how to answer.  I was fifty-nine when I started HRT and I had spent the better part of a year researching the risks and possible outcomes, including FFS, not including FFS.  Gobs of BS looking for another way out.  Finally, I couldn't find one.

At twenty-four a girlfriend dumped me because I was too feminine, so I thought maybe I was gay.  Well that didn't work out very well so I tried being artistic, acting, stagecraft, anything that would allow me to play with color, style, and form.  Turns out I wasn't really good enough and finally accepted that reality.  Then some of my friends began getting sick.  I've talked about this before, but HIV/AIDS took a number of people that I love.  That pushed me down the rabbit hole of denial and refusal to consider anything relating to gender or sexual identity for a very long time.

So I embraced alcoholism and drug addiction with increasing intensity.  Got married and began ruining my life and the lives of anyone who cared for me.  At thirty-five I found AA and sobered up.  Last month I celebrated twenty-five years clean.  Without sobriety I could have never had the clarity to finally and belatedly become me.

Well yadda, yadda, yadda time passed I got married again and my new wife asked me directly if I was trans. I was shocked!  I assured her I was not - so stupid. Screwed up her life and wasted another nine years living inauthentically.  Finally I was pretty much forced to face the truth or wither away.  Times had changed, I live in trans friendly Seattle and I could no longer imagine living my life as it was.  I began to seek the authentic me.  I think I have found her, and I love her.  This is the first time in my life I can say that.

So when did I start transitioning?  I dunno, a few years or perhaps decades.  It has taken a lifetime of struggle, changing society, changing attitudes for me to embrace authenticity.  But living an authentic future life, free from the half truths and denial; real; filled with opportunity and in the company of wonderful, amazing people is a dream come true for me.

Ah well short question - long answer - sorry   

Julie

Well, here I am 60 - soon to be 61 in a few more weeks - and I have just taken my first step that would be considered a start to transition.  Of course, I still don't know exactly where that transition will lead.


Erin

Hi Aquila,
Myself I am 56 and just started my adventure. After many years of torment I finally had to do something. As this is still very new for me, it is scary to say the least, but I can't tell you the relief I feel finally accepting myself. I sought out therapy and that has been the biggest help of all. Not to mention this site has been a Godsend also. The girls here have really made me feel welcome and I don't feel as though I was the only one going through this...

PS: If you haven't already, I strongly urge you to find a therapist... They will help you to sort out your feeling and get you on the right track...

Hugs

I started about 4 months ago.  I'm 29 now.  Lately I have been learning to love the old me.  He was a pretty cool guy. 

Good luck Aquila!

embraced my transsexualism at 19, started hormones at the age 21 and had srs at 24... 

Quote from: Veronica M on March 31, 2014, 09:30:18 AM
PS: If you haven't already, I strongly urge you to find a therapist... They will help you to sort out your feeling and get you on the right track...
Hugs

I am in the "custody" of a doctor at one of my city's psych departments, and I worked up the courage to give him a vague overview of my gender identity issues, but I'm not sure I came on strong enough. He mainly wanted to treat my ADD and said we'd look into the gender stuff at some point in the future. My next appointment is in May, but as we all know, time is constantly ticking, and sooner is often preferable to later. I tried calling up the psych department to tell them about my urgency, but they said there was nothing they can do. They refuse the 'urgency' argument unless there is a looming threat of suicide.

Edit: Wow, do I sound like a douche

Quote from: Lauren5 on March 31, 2014, 08:52:35 AM
Started seeking HRT at age 18.

me too XD
actually got it one year later

44.

I started HRT at 27.

I pretty much knew that I was trans at 15, but I was completely unaware of the effectiveness of HRT at the time. So because of that, I opted to not tell anyone about my trans desires, and to try just accepting my body how it was.

(You can thank our stupid braindead American media, who constantly perpetuates the myth that trans women's femininity is completely due to surgery, for that. I opted to not transition because I didn't want surgically-created boobs, I wanted natural ones. And I wanted soft feminine skin, and I wanted a naturally-feminine face and figure, and I didn't know that it was possible for hormones to shrink my bulky male muscles. And again, if I had known just how much of these things HRT solves, if I had known that surgery wasn't required, and that I really could have my own authentic femininity without going under the knife, I would NOT have waited so long. So yay, Youtube! Boo mainstream news. )

Wellll, I've known I was transgender/wanted to be female since forever/my earliest memory, I've always known. Then I found out about transition at 16 but was not in a place to do it back then.

Then I started thinking about it again at 17 and finally decided to just do it (started HRT immediately etc and went started living as female a couple months after that). Then I got freaked out a while later and quit for 2 months (age 18) but started again pretty quickly and have now been back on HRT almost 5 months (I'm currently 18 going on 19).

Quote from: Carrie Liz on March 31, 2014, 11:30:16 AM
I started HRT at 27.

I pretty much knew that I was trans at 15, but I was completely unaware of the effectiveness of HRT at the time. So because of that, I opted to not tell anyone about my trans desires, and to try just accepting my body how it was.

(You can thank our stupid braindead American media, who constantly perpetuates the myth that trans women's femininity is completely due to surgery, for that. I opted to not transition because I didn't want surgically-created boobs, I wanted natural ones. And I wanted soft feminine skin, and I wanted a naturally-feminine face and figure, and I didn't know that it was possible for hormones to shrink my bulky male muscles. And again, if I had known just how much of these things HRT solves, if I had known that surgery wasn't required, and that I really could have my own authentic femininity without going under the knife, I would NOT have waited so long. So yay, Youtube! Boo mainstream news. )

like Carrie said didn't know the process . I've had quite a lot of therapy for other things , but the root of the problem wasn't exposed till much latter so I basically suffered from dysphoria and didn't know it. I knew I wanted basically since birth to be female , just wasn't aware it couldn't be done without immediately going to a hospital and having surgery and leaving the hospital as a female. Times are different from where I came from. I wish I could of started in first grade to transition. I just have thankfully started and plan to have enough life to left to enjoy peace. I'm 62

I ever knew I was "different" and I discovered exactly what/who I am a few months ago (in December). I am searching a good therapist to start transitioning with some luck and hope.

Quote from: (Not So)LonelyFrench on March 31, 2014, 12:05:51 PM
I ever knew I was "different" and I discovered exactly what/who I am a few months ago (in December).
I am searching a good therapist to start transitioning with some luck and hope.

good start

Quote from: Aquila on March 31, 2014, 08:07:43 AM
Obviously nobody is ever happy with all that time they wasted in the wrong body, but all you can really do to get through it is accept that the past is the past and just look forward.

When did you start transitioning?

I started transitioning last fall, two months before my 45th birthday; although I had thinking about it much longer. A search of my amazon.com wish list will show that I added a book about transitioning to my wish list back in 2006. Took me until 2013 to actually buy and read it...

Seven years wasted.

Quote from: Aquila on March 31, 2014, 10:08:49 AM
I am in the "custody" of a doctor at one of my city's psych departments, and I worked up the courage to give him a vague overview of my gender identity issues, but I'm not sure I came on strong enough. He mainly wanted to treat my ADD and said we'd look into the gender stuff at some point in the future. My next appointment is in May, but as we all know, time is constantly ticking, and sooner is often preferable to later. I tried calling up the psych department to tell them about my urgency, but they said there was nothing they can do. They refuse the 'urgency' argument unless there is a looming threat of suicide.

Edit: Wow, do I sound like a douche

You don't sound any different then anyone else dealing with these events so relax...

I do have to ask however, when you say "I am in the "custody" of a doctor at one of my city's psych departments" could you elaborate? More so I have a better understanding of why your doctor is seemingly not addressing these issues and what you mean by "custody" ? Without understand these statements fully it is hard for me to answer.

If it were me perhaps I would think about a new doctor that will address these issues. As to the time thing you have plenty of time so again relax. I spent 40+ years dealing with this, so it is not something that has a stopwatch on it. While yes sooner is better than later, it takes time to find the right people that will help you and to set up a support system. This is by far no means a race. Rushing will do more harm then good.