You're looking good girl!  I wouldn't worry about other people too much.  I was very conservative in dress and demeanor too.  I even survived the Navy without getting a tattoo. When I got my ears pierced almost no one noticed.  One co-worker asked about it and I just said it was something I had been meaning to do for a while.  He just shrugged and said, "right on."

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<3 you all for the kindness.

Quote from: Shambles on November 20, 2017, 04:24:16 PM
Get a big tatoo at the same time as the ear rings. I promice they wont care about them then 

Oversized tramp stamp of an eagle clutching a shark it is.

Quote from: amberwaves on November 20, 2017, 09:34:23 PM
You're looking good girl!  I wouldn't worry about other people too much.

I'm really only worried about family in this respect, mostly just because I don't want to deal with coming up with excuses or having to answer questions about it constantly during holidays. Which maybe by the new year I'll be out to everyone that matters and I can do whatever I want without people bothering me about it. Though it would be sort of funny to make them wonder, heh.

Quote from: Laurie on November 16, 2017, 06:38:17 PM
Julia Julia Julia you are so precious.  Google horseshoe game.

Dont we all just love our own ditzy wisewoman, Julia.  She is always coming up with something.
Makes my day a bit better.

Quote from: Roll on November 17, 2017, 04:06:25 PM
Just spoke with my HRT doctor, and she's still waiting on some lab results. Normally the hospital lab has them done in about 3-4 days, it figures this would be the one time they decide to take over a week, particularly running up against the Thanksgiving holiday which is going to be another slow down in the middle of everything. *sigh*

On the plus side, I bought some cheap $10 clip on earrings to hold me over that actually look really good on me. Even just wearing them without a wig does an amazing job at feminizing my look, I was shocked. I definitely want a "real" version in the same colors/style. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QTIUDB8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

OMG those would feminize a horse...with A1 sauce in the slow cooker.
Too cute. 
Maybe should be Susan's place's official clip on earrings.

Holy Wow, Ellie!

Watching your transformation is really something and I cant even imagine how incredible HRT is gonna work for you. I'm really excited for you to be out and free like you deserve!

Small update just because...

Well, spoke with my HRT doctor yesterday, and she said she still hasn't gotten some of the labs back. Thanksgiving week really messed things up on timing, and I guess they had a backlog at the hospital. If I don't hear by Friday I am going to call the hospital and ask what the deal is.

But I do have one bit of news! So, as I've mentioned a few times now, having spent so many years in my anxiety bubble, I didn't have a driver's license. Well, as of today, at the age of 35, that has changed! 19 years later than I should have gotten it, I felt like a complete loser at the DMV (which, let's be honest, being a loser at the DMV is pretty much the lowest of the low ), but I got my license finally! I would not have done this without dealing with my gender issues as I have, because I was driven (no pun intended, I SWEAR) by the need to advance my transition in a way that I never have been before. This will allow me to actually start hair removal over the next few weeks (starting serious price comparisons tomorrow), as well as actually make a few ventures into stores that I wouldn't feel comfortable going to being driven around. Maybe I'll even build the courage to go to Savannah or somewhere out of town fully dressed! But I better not get ahead of myself on that.

Funny story from the exam... After my road test, the instructor looked at his clip board with my learners permit on it and said "Oh, I'm so sorry I picked up the wrong form and license, this is somebody else". I looked over... nope, it was me. I changed so much in the two years since the picture was taken, I was unrecognizable! 80 pounds+, more hair (which is growing in like crazy, I am having a major response to the Finasteride), and no beard, the guy literally thought I was someone else. What's going to be really funny is seeing the progression in another two years after HRT and what not.

Speaking of the hair regrowth... I am only 3 months on finasteride, and as I said I am already having a major response. If the pace keeps up at all going towards the year+ mark (which everyone seems to say you won't see full effect until at least a year), I might need only the smaller amount of transplants. I'm really excited, and going to start growing out my hair a little bit now, just to see how it goes. I might start getting the rock band roadie look a little with the still bald spots and longer hair, but maybe, just maybe, I can do something besides a full wig down the line. Also, I totally forgot my hair is curly.

aw congrats on the license, that's so exciting!!

     Congrats on the license and the changes I have the same reaction I am down 75 pounds and have hair thanks to finasteride and rogaine my drivers license is pretty much useless as ID I live in a very small town so I dont really need it

   bobbisue

Congrats Ellie getting your license is a big deal at any age.

Hugs,
  Laurie

Yay Ellie!! I have a coworker that's recently graduated from college and doesn't have a license yet. She probably won't be getting one anytime soon, either. So not everyone gets one at 16!

Quote from: Roll on November 29, 2017, 08:45:11 PM
because I was driven (no pun intended, I SWEAR)

Hey now!! You OWN those puns lady! 

Congrats on being unrecognizeable.  I'm getting that too, and love it. Question on finasteride,   I'm not so sure I'm seeing much but I've only been on two months.  When did yours kick in?

Bari Jo

<3 everyone of you!

Quote from: Bari Jo on November 29, 2017, 11:36:47 PM
Congrats on being unrecognizeable.  I'm getting that too, and love it. Question on finasteride,   I'm not so sure I'm seeing much but I've only been on two months.  When did yours kick in?

It's hard to say exactly. I was on the minox for about 2-3 months already, so that was doing something. Combined with not being sure what the cause of some of the loss was (I've mentioned before how I'm pretty sure some of it was psoriasis damage and not true MPB), it's hard to pinpoint a specific time the finast started working explicitly. For all I know it actually has been the minox and the finast is still in the early stages, but if that's the case that might be even better since the minox is the weaker of the two. I'll tentatively say about a month ago is when I started really noticing everything thickening up and darkening beyond the wispy hairs, so about 2 months on finast.

So Roll is going to be rollin' down the open road [emoji16]

Congratulations!

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On the finast - None of the negative side effects some have experienced?

I've been using Fin and Min for over 2 years now with no issues I'm aware of. I seem to tollerate it well.

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Congratulations Roll. It is nice to be able to go places when you want and shop as long as you want without someone rushing you. (My brother is known for that) But do be careful driving. It's totally amazing what idiots are out driving around. Some of the people out driving around are too stupid to walk much less drive a car. Sometimes my dad brings his police cruiser home. I told him he needs to let me use it for Christmas shopping. It would be so nice to drive as fast as I want, ignore traffic lights and make people give me the last parking spot at the mall. He said no. He can be so inconsiderate some times! I would have been totally careful with it.

Quote from: katiekatt on November 30, 2017, 09:31:48 AM
On the finast - None of the negative side effects some have experienced?

I've had zero side effects so far, but in general I have a very high tolerance for medicines for whatever reason, and I honestly can't think of any I've ever had the slightest side effects on except Lunesta (which was just a really horrible copper taste in my mouth for a few hours).

Though some of the "worst" side effects are sort of what a lot of us are going for anyway, as it is a DHT blocker.

Quote from: Julia1996 on November 30, 2017, 09:43:31 AM
But do be careful driving. It's totally amazing what idiots are out driving around. Some of the people out driving around are too stupid to walk much less drive a car. Sometimes my dad brings his police cruiser home. I told him he needs to let me use it for Christmas shopping. It would be so nice to drive as fast as I want, ignore traffic lights and make people give me the last parking spot at the mall. He said no. He can be so inconsiderate some times! I would have been totally careful with it.

Reasonable use of a police siren in my opinion.

I'm actually extremely careful and a good/safe driver despite relative inexperience. Part of the reason it took me so long was my anxiety about other people, not myself, so I'm always hyper aware of them. (When I'm in the passenger seat I irritate people because I'm always pointing out people to watch out for. Like people barreling in from side streets who slam on their breaks at the sign at the last split second, I don't trust people not to T-bone me at all. It's a serious fear. )

Congrats on the driver's license Roll! I can definitely see that you are happier these days and that's awesome

Quote from: Roll on November 30, 2017, 11:53:10 AM
I've had zero side effects so far, but in general I have a very high tolerance for medicines for whatever reason, and I honestly can't think of any I've ever had the slightest side effects on except Lunesta (which was just a really horrible copper taste in my mouth for a few hours).

Though some of the "worst" side effects are sort of what a lot of us are going for anyway, as it is a DHT blocker.

Reasonable use of a police siren in my opinion.

I'm actually extremely careful and a good/safe driver despite relative inexperience. Part of the reason it took me so long was my anxiety about other people, not myself, so I'm always hyper aware of them. (When I'm in the passenger seat I irritate people because I'm always pointing out people to watch out for. Like people barreling in from side streets who slam on their breaks at the sign at the last split second, I don't trust people not to T-bone me at all. It's a serious fear. )

I get nervous too if another car gets too close. I especially hate it when I stop at a red light and the person behind me stops at the last minute. I can almost feel them slamming into me. I backseat drive too. My brother is always threatening to stop and shove me out of the car. My dad will just reach over and put his hand over my mouth. Lol.

What's the use of having a cop as a dad if he won't even let me terrorize other drivers. Lol.   I was at the mall one day and my car wouldn't start. Since he was in the area he just came and got me in his police cruiser.  I couldn't sit in the passanger side because his computer is there and he had all kinds of stuff in the actual seat. So I had to get in the back. All the way home people in other cars just gawked at me. I guess they thought I was arrested and were trying to figure out what I could have done. It was kind of embarrassing.

Quote from: Roll on November 30, 2017, 11:53:10 AM
I've had zero side effects so far, but in general I have a very high tolerance for medicines for whatever reason, and I honestly can't think of any I've ever had the slightest side effects on except Lunesta (which was just a really horrible copper taste in my mouth for a few hours).

Yeah... I'm a silly person and read a thread on here about side effects. Will I never learn?

Quote from: Roll on November 30, 2017, 11:53:10 AMI'm actually extremely careful and a good/safe driver despite relative inexperience. Part of the reason it took me so long was my anxiety about other people, not myself, so I'm always hyper aware of them. (When I'm in the passenger seat I irritate people because I'm always pointing out people to watch out for. Like people barreling in from side streets who slam on their breaks at the sign at the last split second, I don't trust people not to T-bone me at all. It's a serious fear. )

Quote from: Julia1996 on November 30, 2017, 12:43:38 PM
I get nervous too if another car gets too close. I especially hate it when I stop at a red light and the person behind me stops at the last minute. I can almost feel them slamming into me.

I was in a really scary wreck on interstate 25 in which someone hit me from behind while I was stopped. Its really stop and go around 5pm. This oil and gas guy was texting and I looked back and saw him coming so fast and I tried to escape but I was right over a river and he hit me and pushed me into 4 other people, but moving saved my life and I now am unable to stop myself looking in my rearview mirror at, seriously, every light. I will never forget that wreck as long as I live. I use to never even think about traffic and I cant not think of it all the time now.