Out of all the good, close friends I've ever had, only one has dropped me, and we hadn't been close in at least a dozen years, but he's a right wing Christian zealot and would probably stone me outside the Christian church he attends. I think you'll find, Mikaela, that when it comes to friends and relatives, most will see you as still the same person, just happier and better equipped to handle life. Many of my friends already knew and the few who didn't simply realized that this was the missing piece in the puzzle named Miranda (Randi) Thomson. All of them who didn't know that I'm transsexual knew I was unhappy and some, desperately so. Your other friends, once they know what it is that's been bothering you for as long as they've known you, will realize how everything now fits. They'll soon see how much happier you are once you're living as a woman and/or on HRT and they'll often be happy for you. At least, that's what my experience has been like. Good luck with the rest of your family and friends. God bless you, Mikaela! Hugs, Mira
