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Starting out

Started by JustFirefly, July 18, 2014, 08:23:38 PM

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JustFirefly

So I am new here *Waves*. I have lurked on here for years, I'm usually a very shy person and I'm bad at being myself and I've known since I was little that something was "not right". For someone who has little to no money, no insurance, no real support group from real life (tend to stay home to much xD I've always been the shy type), and no clue where to even start... what should I do.

I haven't been to a doctor in years...
My current plan is to try to find a therapist (Find one at an LGBT center i believe?)
Find a way to pay for bloodwork... Maybe find an insurance? I dont know how this works.. or how id find money for it...
Then see what happens next.

Idk. Im not very good at feeling welcomed by most forum groups so ill probably just disappear after 3-4 posts which will suck because people here are ever so nice. Bleh Sorry
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Annabella

JustFirefly where are you located (state/country etc). Where you are is going to have a lot to do with what resources are available to you.

Where to start depends on what you want :)

Also:
Hello There :)
"But you can only lie about who you are for so long without going crazy."
― Ellen Wittlinger, Parrotfish
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MelanieH74

Hi, and welcome!
I hope your journey goes well!!!
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JustFirefly

North Carolina
Usa

But yeah, eventually i want to at least go full time and over time decide if i want to go post op...

But thats just me thinking

Apparently i fail at answering easy questions or this would have been up right away
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Annabella

It seems that the first two steps for you then are to find a proper psych resource (preferably one aligned with your local LGBT center) and begin therapy. If you and your psych reach the conclusion together (as it sounds may be the case) that you would be better off with HRT, they can give you a recommendation to an endocrinologist who can prescribe and monitor your use. That is all on the medical side though.

On the non-medical side, start experimenting with your presentation. What kind of woman do you want to be? What does she look like? Does she wear a lot of makeup or very little? How does she dress?

Also (and very importantly) figure out who your local support group is going to be, and which people in your life you feel you can share this with before you decide to go FT. Have them help you decide how to present if you can, because we can't see ourselves the way others do. We will always see "man man man" plastered all over our faces, and as a result we will use makeup above and beyond what we need, or choose wigs and clothing styles which make us stick out like a sore thumb. If you are going FT you will likely want to find a way to present like a normal girl, rather than Madonna or Lady Gaga, and that will be difficult to do without trusted critics. :)

Let us know if you have questions.
I only have one, about how old are you (I don't need your birthday or anything), if you are on the younger side it may make the most sense to first get onto hormone blockers to delay puberty.

Before I forget, if you haven't got great income, you should still have access to health insurance through medicare/medicaid or through the affordable care act. Definitely square that away first.
"But you can only lie about who you are for so long without going crazy."
― Ellen Wittlinger, Parrotfish
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Just Ole Me

First things first.....get a job. Sounds like you need to get out of the house and transiting isn't cheap so you're going to need money. Any job just get rolling and you will feel better.

Hugs

Kay
Just trying to find comfort in this "shell" that doesn't fit.  But I am "remodeling" the shell finally!
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JustFirefly

Im 24, i had 3 jobs down to 2 full time but i take care of my younger siblings.  Ill look into health insurance
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JustFirefly

Sorry for the short response, was on a phone :O

But no i do have 2 jobs, i currently work ~ 70 hours a week...

One at a dog kennel and one as a gas station clerk overnight (Really safe neighborhood, right next to the police station... Usually police hang out there with me :3)
But yeah, My mom and dad both fell into some nasty habbit when they broke up (dad spiraled into drugs and mom into alcohol) and neither of them are capable of taking care of my two younger brothers (im 24 almost 25. One Just turned 18 the other 15)... so a lot of my time and money goes down there and into helping them learn better.... The one who just turned 18 is planning on joining the military and the 15 year old is struggling with school so im tryiung to help him some....


In my free time though i do explore who i am. I do tend to dress very femme around the house. I dont dress all crazy or put on tons of make up...  I have gone out before dressed up (had no choice, family emergency; one of my brothers had broken his leg) so it was very important that i got there asap. haha

im going to lay down now :3 i need some rest.
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Auroramarianna

Quote from: JustFirefly on July 19, 2014, 08:44:11 AM
Sorry for the short response, was on a phone :O

But no i do have 2 jobs, i currently work ~ 70 hours a week...

One at a dog kennel and one as a gas station clerk overnight (Really safe neighborhood, right next to the police station... Usually police hang out there with me :3)
But yeah, My mom and dad both fell into some nasty habbit when they broke up (dad spiraled into drugs and mom into alcohol) and neither of them are capable of taking care of my two younger brothers (im 24 almost 25. One Just turned 18 the other 15)... so a lot of my time and money goes down there and into helping them learn better.... The one who just turned 18 is planning on joining the military and the 15 year old is struggling with school so im tryiung to help him some....


In my free time though i do explore who i am. I do tend to dress very femme around the house. I dont dress all crazy or put on tons of make up...  I have gone out before dressed up (had no choice, family emergency; one of my brothers had broken his leg) so it was very important that i got there asap. haha

im going to lay down now :3 i need some rest.

Woah! You sure are some fighter! Going dressed help your borther!!! Also, welcome I'm Auroramarianna, I'm in the same situation as yours, except I'm younger and I'm not started anything. Anyway, I hope to be able to help with what I can :)

X
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JustFirefly

Fun stuff, ive more or less been trained to not care what others think and the look was a lot more androgynous, but odd cause clothing was more on female side and face was more on male side xD. Im not that brave but ive always been on that "other side" growing up. Weird looks happens either way. And just do a little at a time. Ive been lurking on here on and off for about 5 years.(i say all this and first few times i went out in an odd gender that wasnt my own i was nervous... learned to not think about it.... cause tbh it doesnt matter what others see me as, just got to get to a point where im happy with who i am and so that i match with me).. so xD. Anyways
Current agenda... look up aid
Go to lgbt center... try to get a few sessions in with a therapist
Figure iy out from there...  sorry if the post was kinda weird, was made from a phone.
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Ms Grace

Hey Firefly

Welcome to Susan's :) Great to have you here - looking forward to seeing you around the forum. I hope you can stick around despite your shyness and the fact that you are so busy working being an awesome sibling to your brothers. If you do press forward with investigating your gender identity and, possibly, your transition there will no doubt be countless questions and this is a great place to come for support, to share your own experiences and feel part of a big family.

Please check out the following links for general site info...


Cheers

Grace
Grace
----------------------------------------------
Transition 1.0 (Julie): HRT 1989-91
Self-denial: 1991-2013
Transition 2.0 (Grace): HRT June 24 2013
Full-time: March 24, 2014 :D
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JustFirefly

Thank you Grace :)

Always makes me feel like I've broken rules already when it gets linked to me so quickly... Haha, though I know its the job that way people are well informed.

Yeah tomorrow is my day off so I will be looking up information then. :3

And im not an awesome sibling, trust me. I can be quite evil from time to time. Anyways...
Hopefully I get this going sooner then later. I need to look up financial stuff also, figure out if there is anyway I can pinch a little more into my purse :3

Thank you everyone for making me feel welcomed
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