I'm approaching 60 and transitioned/had srs when I was 19 in 1978. I wanted to hear from other long term post-op people who transitioned so long ago on general things like how well their surgery has held up. And how old age affects us generally, and what i have to look forward to.

Mostly because I'm approaching old age and want to find out more...

Being deep under the radar means its hard for me to surface and get concrete information from other old-timers.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Hi, O.F.!

Welcome to Susan's.

We have some members who transitioned long ago, but you may be the record holder.  You may find them coming to you for advice!

We have lots of members in the same age range - I am 63, for example - but most of us are still actively transitioning.

Hopefully, someone will chime in who can answer your questions.

Please feel free to stop by the Introductions forum to tell the members about yourself.  Here is some information that we like to share with new members:

Site Terms of Service & Rules to Live By	Standard Terms & Definitions	Post Ranks (including when you can upload an avatar)
Reputation rules	Cautionary Note	Photo, avatars, & signature images policy

And on that note, I'd love to hear how things have worked out over the last few decades for you O.F.  I'm transitioning later than you did but would like to know what sorts of things you learned over the years since I'll be in your shoes before I know it.

Hi Old Fogey,

   Just what are you calling old?? I'm Laurie and I am 65, Though I do feel old at times 65 really isn't that old. I'm sorry to say that I did not transition long ago. Life for me would have certainly have been different. No I am only a bit over a year on hormones and have had no surgeries. So I can be of no help in answering your questions, sorry.
  I can say welcome to Susan's place and come on inside now that you are here. I think someone is calling Dena for you as she is one of our long ago transitioners.

  Hugs,
    Laurie

Hi O.F. 🙋‍♀️ Thank you for joining Susan's Place!  Your experiences can be invaluable to many here.  I have started much later than I wished, and can't give a proper answer to your question, but Kathy Lauren is right that there are members that may be able to.
I too am interested like Colleen on how life has been for you.
And while Laurie may huff and chuff walking up hills, she has a young spirit!

Smiles, Jessica

Well back in the day their just wasnt people around to help, so i pretty much had to spend my time in libraries reading obscure journals about oestrogen and its effects on the body, and the effects of almost no testosterone.The technicalities of the various surgeries, what the risks were. Obtaining information from those few who went before me. Conundrum was an extremely important book to me. Almost I treated it like a guide to flesh other information around.

Nothing was like it is now, when I first transitioned passing was easy due to it being relatively unknown outside of front page newspapers. It made many things alot easier (people wernt under social inspection back then), but on the other hand i never lived any part of my life in the adult role as a man. So I grew through my 20s which i regard as my learning years, for me just because i had transitioned i couldnt at the time rightly say i was a woman (i hadnt lived it, experienced it understood it), that only came through years and decades of being me. One thing I came to understand was thinking about it and living it were 2 entirely different things.

Now dont get me wrong the things I will say often will upset modern transgender people, but i'm not PC and have nothing to do with trans people in general. Once i've done here i'll crawl back under my rock if you dont mind. Its a reflection of the times back then we used different language, and thought about things differently, and no doubt did some things differently.
Anyway its one thing to be old and transition, its entirely another to be walking around after 40 years of HRT, and surgeries, and wonder what the prognosis is. Ironically I still manage my own health care pretty much, a legacy of the old days i guess, and just was looking for someone similar or more experienced to discuss the next 20 years and potential ramifications of things like the strong oestradiols we took back then, and things like cancer risks etc.

Quote from: oldfogey on March 15, 2018, 06:37:31 AM
I'm approaching 60 and transitioned/had srs when I was 19 in 1978. I wanted to hear from other long term post-op people who transitioned so long ago on general things like how well their surgery has held up. And how old age affects us generally, and what i have to look forward to.

Mostly because I'm approaching old age and want to find out more...

Being deep under the radar means its hard for me to surface and get concrete information from other old-timers.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Hey Oldfoggy. How did you find out there were opportunities to transition in the 70's? Did you live outside the US? I would not have suffered if I had known what was available at the time. I began HRT 18 months ago and surgical transition is not possible now due to health problem. I am now 66 years old. If I had not found Susan's two years ago I would have had a mental breakdown. It was serendipitous to have Dena answer my initial queries. I can say with female hormones flowing through my system now has given me such a sense of relief. I came out to everyone I care about and immediately I began looking forward to the future. Something I did not know was possible. I have been married for 35 years to my wonderful wife and we have 2 children, I told her before we married that I crossdressed and prayed to be a woman. We never discussed it again and I went about my business dressing whenever I was alone. But the desire for change has always been there. When I finally came out to my therapist after my sixth or seventh trip to a therapist since the 80's. I always found a way not to discuss what was wrong and as such I have been to more stress relief sessions than any one person should be subjected to. By the third session with Kristy, we had decided that I more than likely was transgender. Thanks to information I received here, I found my questioning may have been predetermined via medical malpractice of DES poisoning. The chances are pretty high that my mother was treated with DES for miscarriages, while I was in the womb. I have about 7 of 10 symptoms that would indicate this treatment. By the way Dena one of the administrators here, transitioned very early. Hopefully she will respond to you.

Hi Dawn0day,
Im in the UK, Here we had April Ashley and Jan Morris. Thanks to "delightful" newspapers such as "News of the World" public outings were things to run away from back then. Back then you heard things "on the grapevine" from a well-known but not transsexual related group about someone who was in the know, and got to hear about a sympathetic psychiatrist that way. All my treatment was private, so luckily to this day its not on my medical records
Its interesting you mention stilboestrol, it was one of those early days oestrogens handed out like vitamin tablets back then. For me its a lingering concern, ive gone through lighter oestrogens over the years, and at one time or another tried most of them i think. Nowadays i try to keep to as light a touch and as little as possible.
It wasnt that though that hammered me it was cyproterone acetate. I still remember the first time i took that and was swaying slightly, feeling sick, and brain fogged. Luckily i didnt have to take it for very long but oestrogen was a breeze by comparison. I'd say after 40 years the biggest effect oestrogens had on me was on the brain, and how i think. The physiological stuff is relatively minimal over time by comparison, and much seems to be made of it physical effects.

I had heard of Christine Jorgenson and Dr. Richards but the person that had the greatest effect on me was Caroline Cossey. I had finally seen what was possible, right there on Donahue. As my health deteriorated due to deformities and heart problems the sense that I could do something about it evaporated. So I settled for what cards were dealt. One of my greatest experiences so far was going to Gender Odyssey and seeing for the first time 1700 other people just like me. It was truly amazing as I knew there were others but not that many.