I'm starting to think very seriously about transitioning, and was wondering what the timeline/general sequence of events is. I'm changing my major (and possibly transferring colleges) so if I do transition, it seems like this would be an ideal time to do so because I'll be interacting with a new set of people! (of course, I don't want to rush myself into something that I'm not ready for, but it really does seem like it would be good timing!)
With that in mind, I have a few questions about the timing of transitions, as well as how to start the process.

Do most people start out by talking to a therapist? (I think that this is something I should probably do in order to figure out if transitioning is right for me)

How long did it take for you to start HRT after the initial step? For those of you who have gotten/plan on getting top surgery, what's the timing on that look like?

Thanks in advance!

Hey there,

There isn't one uniform way to transition. You'll likely get a lot of varied answers here. It will probably be difficult to glean any kind of trending information from it, but there may be something that resonates with you or helps you along. Most people do see a therapist first (or at least relatively early in the process), because it is sometimes required for HRT and always required for top surgery.

If we don't consider all of my half-hearted transition attempts before college and grad school, this is my timeline thus far:

- Summer 2014: I came out to friends and some family members, chose a name.
- Fall 2014: I came out at work, to the rest of my extended family, online and started seeing a therapist.
- November 2014: Switched therapists, had initial appointment to fill out paperwork and get blood drawn to start HRT.
- December 2014: Started HRT, got a referral from my therapist for top surgery.
- February 2015: Had top surgery consultation, booked surgery.
- March 2015: Legally changed name, gender marker on documents.
- April 2015: Top surgery.

My only additional milestone right now will be a hysterectomy, hopefully within the next two years. Personally, my plan is to get all my surgical needs taken care of, then move and start over elsewhere. I'm doing just fine transitioning in place, but I'd like to be in a place where people just know me as Max and not Max who used to be a girl. I think it'll really depend on what you're comfortable with. If I could go back, the only thing I'd change in life is I would have started to transition in college. It seems like an ideal time to get it done with.

my personal order of operations...
Therapist--->HRT--->FFS--->Full-time   
And I was on HRT for 5 years before I could afford FFS, but there was no way that I was going full-time without it. 

There is no right answer here each person has their own demons, circumstances and what ever else that plays into the whole transition thing. I would suggest to try and not measure or compare yourself to others and do what feels right for you to be successful.

I am about 19 months since I started any aspect of this journey we call transition and just shy of 12 months fulltime. My experience does not seem typical but it has worked for me. Oh and I am not a young one either but a upper middle aged gal to boot.

All the best!

Ok, thanks! I realize that it's definitely different for everyone-- I was just curious (and it's interesting to hear everyone's stories!)
I guess I should probably work on finding a therapist to help me sort things out!

Quote from: igatun on March 31, 2015, 08:11:26 AM
I guess I should probably work on finding a therapist to help me sort things out!

That's a good thinking. Approach it step by step, and there are no rules when to take a step forward.. you do it when you are comfortable with doing so.
Very smart thing to do, right from the beginning, is start to save money.   

Quote from: kittenpower on March 30, 2015, 08:55:42 PM
my personal order of operations...
Therapist--->HRT--->FFS--->Full-time   
And I was on HRT for 5 years before I could afford FFS, but there was no way that I was going full-time without it.

That's similar to my story. I can now easily pass in public, but for me I still need FFS to go full time if that makes any sense. And it's taken way longer than I thought it would have. Seeing people start HRT then go full time in a year or less blows my mind. Good for them though.