So I had another session with my therapist, and he wants to be sure I know what I'm doing. I already know I do, but I can't get anywhere if I can't convince someone else as well. He gave me a "homework assignment" of reading about someone else's full experience of transitioning. I've definitely read about all the possibilities for years now, but I want to tell him that I actually did what he wanted before I see him next. It may get me just that much closer to actually starting HRT. Does anyone have a link to something like a blog I can read for this? Alternatively, I would love to actually chat with someone who has fully transitioned. It would help me out a lot, either way.

Sounds to me like he just wants to be sure you are acting under "informed consent". I think it is a good idea and it would make you and him feel better about your decision. Sounds like he cares a lot. 

Yeah, he is a really great guy. I'm not disappointed at all that he wants me to do this. I'd probably do the same thing in his shoes, too. Even though I know what I want and I am definitely informed about my decision, I know I need to do this so that he and I are working together in this as much as possible. We have to be on the same page.

Mine made me read a book about it.

Quote from: Eevee on July 27, 2014, 12:51:30 AM
So I had another session with my therapist, and he wants to be sure I know what I'm doing. I already know I do, but I can't get anywhere if I can't convince someone else as well. He gave me a "homework assignment" of reading about someone else's full experience of transitioning. I've definitely read about all the possibilities for years now, but I want to tell him that I actually did what he wanted before I see him next. It may get me just that much closer to actually starting HRT. Does anyone have a link to something like a blog I can read for this? Alternatively, I would love to actually chat with someone who has fully transitioned. It would help me out a lot, either way.

I could help you with a chat.

A good book is She's not There , most book stores should have it and maybe even the library?

I have not finished my tale of transition yet. Grrr maybe some year. Lol.

I'm of a slightly different mindset... As all of our situations are so unique in terms of our social, familial, marital situations, not to mention things like passability, income, financial security, anyone else's experiences are almost irrelevant to our own. For instance, as an extreme example and all things being equal, the story of the hardships faced by a middle-aged transitioner who is not able to fully pass who also depends on a job in an intolerant field in a southern city will certainly be different from a twenty-year-old student in NY or a sixty-year-old with an independent income or Andreja Pejic for that matter.... and any combination you can think of in between. It is helpful to think of the worst case scenarios in your own life, and if you can life with them--if the pain of suffering them is less than the pain of not transitioning--then you should go ahead.

I happen to have such a blog... I've been keeping it since the very moment that I decided to begin transition. (It's VERY long, though, but God knows, it's thorough. I've written down ALL of my thoughts from the very beginning, day by day, as honestly as I could. So it's probably close to a good 100 pages of reading all together.) I'll give you the link to the whole thing now, and then maybe a couple days from now when I have more time I'll try to find posts that best summarize my thoughts at various stages of transition and post those, so that I'll be giving you a decent condensed version, since I'm assuming you probably don't want to read the whole thing.

Here's the links:

Pre-transition: (Where I talk about my decision to start HRT, what led me to it, and what I was hoping to get out of it:)
"Considering Taking a Huge Step": http://forums.eunuch.org/showthread.php?24163-Considering-Taking-A-Huge-Step

My first 4 months of HRT: (Where I wrote about the actual mental effects of HRT almost every single day:)
"Cheetaking243's Official Hormone Trial!": http://forums.eunuch.org/showthread.php?24218-Cheetaking243-s-Official-Hormone-Trial!

My official "transition blog" on Susan's: (Where I've talked about the process of socially transitioning, and all of the heartaches and depressions and victories and struggles that came with it, starting at 4 months on HRT, still ongoing now that I'm post-transition and full-time:)
"CarrieLiz's Adventures in Life": https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,142008.0.html

Ever think of walking in one day and setting down a copy of Road To Trinidad? It's a very detailed, but not graphic, book about a womans transition and her SRS with Dr. Bowers before she moved her office from Colorado. In the book if I remember correctly she touches briefly on her transition but it is mostly about her surgery and the time soon after while healing.

An interesting approach but there are so many stories out there. If your therapist thinks one size fits all - "met one trans person met them all" - then they are sadly mistaken...

Quote from: Carrie Liz on July 27, 2014, 02:26:29 AM
Pre-transition: (Where I talk about my decision to start HRT, what led me to it, and what I was hoping to get out of it:)
"Considering Taking a Huge Step": http://forums.eunuch.org/showthread.php?24163-Considering-Taking-A-Huge-Step

Wow Carrie, reading your post really took me back to when I was first thinking about transitioning. I had even created an account and posted on the Eunuch Archive a few times back when I thought I might just be a normal male that really, really hated being masculine. I also had thought it was too late for me to successfully transition, even if I wanted to, which was keeping me from exploring the idea further. I think the biggest mistake I made was underestimating how negatively having to be male was affecting me mentally. It wasn't until I was fully able to accept that I was transgender and that trying so hard to fit into a male gender role for my whole life had been a mistake, that the depression I had been going through since I was a teenager finally started to lift.

Thanks for the help everyone! I'm glad I joined this site. I'll make sure to return the favor when I have more experience under my belt.

Quote from: Carrie Liz on July 27, 2014, 02:26:29 AM
I happen to have such a blog... I've been keeping it since the very moment that I decided to begin transition. (It's VERY long, though, but God knows, it's thorough. I've written down ALL of my thoughts from the very beginning, day by day, as honestly as I could. So it's probably close to a good 100 pages of reading all together.) I'll give you the link to the whole thing now, and then maybe a couple days from now when I have more time I'll try to find posts that best summarize my thoughts at various stages of transition and post those, so that I'll be giving you a decent condensed version, since I'm assuming you probably don't want to read the whole thing.

Here's the links:

Pre-transition: (Where I talk about my decision to start HRT, what led me to it, and what I was hoping to get out of it:)
"Considering Taking a Huge Step": http://forums.eunuch.org/showthread.php?24163-Considering-Taking-A-Huge-Step

My first 4 months of HRT: (Where I wrote about the actual mental effects of HRT almost every single day:)
"Cheetaking243's Official Hormone Trial!": http://forums.eunuch.org/showthread.php?24218-Cheetaking243-s-Official-Hormone-Trial!

My official "transition blog" on Susan's: (Where I've talked about the process of socially transitioning, and all of the heartaches and depressions and victories and struggles that came with it, starting at 4 months on HRT, still ongoing now that I'm post-transition and full-time:)
"CarrieLiz's Adventures in Life": https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,142008.0.html

This is wonderful! I'll sit my butt down and read through all of this now. I won't need the abbreviated version. The full thing should keep me reading until I go back to see my therapist on Wednesday. Thank you so much for sharing, Carrie!

Quote from: kariann330 on July 27, 2014, 03:06:38 AM
Ever think of walking in one day and setting down a copy of Road To Trinidad? It's a very detailed, but not graphic, book about a womans transition and her SRS with Dr. Bowers before she moved her office from Colorado. In the book if I remember correctly she touches briefly on her transition but it is mostly about her surgery and the time soon after while healing.

Quote from: mind is quiet now on July 27, 2014, 02:03:49 AM
I could help you with a chat.

A good book is She's not There , most book stores should have it and maybe even the library?

I have not finished my tale of transition yet. Grrr maybe some year. Lol.

I wonder if I can get these on my Kindle. I'll start looking. If not, I can search through the library. I haven't been there in a while.

My psych had me do the same thing.  I read "Becoming Ellen" by Ellen Krug. (Ordered it off Amazon) Then, I called her up and bought her dinner and we talked.  We were total opposites.  It helped a little.  Dinner was fun though.

Hugs,

Jen