ok, ladies and gents, Nichole's last thread gave me these questions:

How many have transitioned without HRT?
How easy was it for you in all aspects?

i would like to know, i already know Lisbeth has, so that's one counting myself cuz yes at the moment i do not have any hrt letters to be quite honest, i hate needles for ANY kind of purpose especially when it involves poking me. let the experiences commence........

thanks,
Mickie

I transitioned without HRT in my early teens, it wasn't till a while later I started HRT.

Aesthetically, no probs.

Socially, life got messed up, but it would have happened with HRT anyways.

Some of us are simply alright passing without it, some of us need it, some of us need friggin surgeries.  Some of us simply have to wait till our next life comes around.

Quote from: mickie on April 07, 2008, 09:36:04 PM
i already know Lisbeth has, so that's one counting myself cuz yes at the moment i do not have any hrt letters to be quite honest, i hate needles for ANY kind of purpose especially when it involves poking me. let the experiences commence........

On the other hand, I did eventually start HRT, and I wouldn't go back for anything.  As for needles, I use patches, but getting my blood drawn is no longer an issue for me.  After enough hours of electrolysis, getting pocked with one more needle is nothing.  I don't even care about getting a shunt installed at the hospital.

My therapist required year long RLT before HRT... so I transitioned M2F without HRT. I'm under no illusion that I passed all the time, I think that the g-ddess was with me. 

Z

That "one-year requirement for HRT" thing is sooooooo very messed up. I admire all of you ladies (and gents, should any choose to reply) waaaaaay much for having the guts to do this.

~Simone

Quote from: lady amarant on April 08, 2008, 07:32:46 AM
That "one-year requirement for HRT" thing is sooooooo very messed up. I admire all of you ladies (and gents, should any choose to reply) waaaaaay much for having the guts to do this.

~Simone

Ya srsly.

I wonder if you peeps in the uk can just get away with TELLING your therapist you're full time and just doing a good job of convincing her at the sessions, LOL.

Quote from: lady amarant on April 08, 2008, 07:32:46 AM
That "one-year requirement for HRT" thing is sooooooo very messed up. I admire all of you ladies (and gents, should any choose to reply) waaaaaay much for having the guts to do this.

~Simone

One year requirement of rlt before HRT? Who ever thought THAT? I thought the one year rlt was for SRS only.
HRT is not just about passing, really, but feeling at home in your own body. At least for me.

Quote from: soldierjane on April 08, 2008, 10:27:02 AM
One year requirement of rlt before HRT? Who ever thought THAT? I thought the one year rlt was for SRS only.
HRT is not just about passing, really, but feeling at home in your own body. At least for me.

Those would be the old standards of care. The latest versions omit that, instead saying either RLT or 3 months continuous therapy, but many practitioners still follow the older guidelines.

~Simone

I don't think I could have transitioned without HRT, at least not in the way I defined "transition." For me, transition was more of an event than a verb, something that happened on it's own BECAUSE of the HRT. I just kept swallowing the pills and waited, and eventually crossed the border because of the changes it brought about, society re-shuffling me into the "female" slot once I crossed an invisible threshold.

Without HRT, not only would I never pass, but I'd look and seem totally male to society... and they'd treat me as such I fear, no matter what I wore or how I acted. There's a difference to me between being perceived as a female with a male past, and being seen as a male "presenting as a woman." I can deal with people reading me now and then, but not with being seen as a feminine male. Pathetic and sad as it may sound, I *have* to be accepted as Kate by society in order to fully exist and live.

~Kate~

Quote from: lady amarant on April 08, 2008, 11:02:08 AM

Quote from: soldierjane on April 08, 2008, 10:27:02 AM
One year requirement of rlt before HRT? Who ever thought THAT? I thought the one year rlt was for SRS only.
HRT is not just about passing, really, but feeling at home in your own body. At least for me.

Those would be the old standards of care. The latest versions omit that, instead saying either RLT or 3 months continuous therapy, but many practitioners still follow the older guidelines.

~Simone

Insane. That's more akin to torture than "help".

Quote from: soldierjane on April 08, 2008, 11:37:47 AM
Insane. That's more akin to torture than "help".

Under the NHS, it's still a requirement in the UK. Most folks think it's more about discouraging people than helping them "function in their target gender".

~Simone

Quote from: lady amarant on April 08, 2008, 11:41:01 AM
Under the NHS, it's still a requirement in the UK. Most folks think it's more about discouraging people than helping them "function in their target gender".

Is it because of fears of lawsuits if the medications were prescribed for someone who's "not really TS?" You know, just as we have to do the RLT thing before SRS?

~Kate~

these are all very interesting experiences, i thank you all for sharing and so far i've seen everbody's made it through. the therapist i was talking to was not really versed in the full issue, she was for more of support, so the guy that answers the phone has referred me to another counselor he believes can help me a little better and then hopefully i can get referred to whomever i need to see around here hopefully. yes, i seriously hate needles, i have really sensitive skin so it hurts real bad and i bruise easily, i don't want to do the patch thing as i have a two year old who would think it was fun to peel it off all the time. i only really want hrt so i have my own breasts, other than that i really don't need it. i have somewhat of a deep voice, but i obviously subconciously have figured out how to fluctuate enough to sound androgynous or feminine(if i ever figure it out i'll let you all know). my facial hair has always grown in in stubble form and it's only been around my chin and upper lip(at least to me it doesn't sound normal for a guy), i have shoulder length natural blonde hair and blue eyes, i wear makeup rarely and don't even pluck my eyebrows, and i'm only 120 lbs and yeah i have somewhat of a prominent adam's apple but i am still referred to as female by 90 percent of the people who come in to see me. so i'm at least relieved that there are some out there that have done this without hrt. Kate, i'm terribly sorry you had to go through it the way you did, but at least you got through it. the only rough part i have now is having everyone reference me as female like i should have had them done from day one. probably would have saved a little hassle in the long run, but i also had to make sure i was staying here for awhile. the 10th of April will mark my one year anniversary there and i am quite happy with the Walmart that i am employed by.


Best Wishes everyone,
Mickie

Quote from: mickie on April 08, 2008, 12:24:40 PM
i only really want hrt so i have my own breasts, other than that i really don't need it.

Maybe breast implants then? Expensive, but it's a thought?

QuoteKate, i'm terribly sorry you had to go through it the way you did, but at least you got through it...

Awl thanks! But honestly, aside from my ME freaking out every few seconds, my transition was a breeze. No laughs, no taunts, nothing. But I credit HRT partially for that. I didn't have the bravery or self-acceptance to do this without HRT like some of you have.

Quotethe only rough part i have now is having everyone reference me as female

It just takes time for people to get used to it. Some might stubbornly refuse to make the switch, but I've found people generally want to help - but it takes time to change old habits. Hang in there!

~Kate~

Quote from: Kate on April 08, 2008, 11:43:05 AM
Is it because of fears of lawsuits if the medications were prescribed for someone who's "not really TS?" You know, just as we have to do the RLT thing before SRS?

I think it's a combination of that and actual transphobia. The old-guard tend to still see TS as a fetish/mental problem, and their approach is more one of containment than actually helping people. The younger doctors are more open, but the older doctors are still firmly in control.

From the lawsuit point of view yeah, there was a very well-known doctor here, Dr. Russel Reid, who was very sympathetic and compassionate. He was of the opinion that HRT itself can be used as a diagnostic tool, so would usually prescribe immediately, and then watch you like a hawk for discomfort. He was sued into retirement a few years back by a handful of patients who had regrets, and blamed him. From what I understand though, it was a rather mucky case, with lots of puppeteers behind the scenes.

~Simone.

Quote from: mickie on April 08, 2008, 12:24:40 PM
yes, i seriously hate needles, i have really sensitive skin so it hurts real bad and i bruise easily, i don't want to do the patch thing...

Pills perhaps then? I know they (may) have more risks, but they could be another option for ya?

Aside from aiding with passing, there are tons of subtle (and not so subtle) changes HRT brings about, both physically and possibly emotionally as well.

~Kate~

Quote from: Kate on April 08, 2008, 12:34:10 PM

Quote from: mickie on April 08, 2008, 12:24:40 PM
i only really want hrt so i have my own breasts, other than that i really don't need it.

Maybe breast implants then? Expensive, but it's a thought?

Ew.  Shudder.  Emplants?  No way.

I think the emotional freedom I feel from HRT has been wonderful and I
think it's real. The lows are lower the highs are higher but overall I
feel so so much better about life.

A few days ago I explored the possibility of stopping HRT when I realized that
people do transition without it and there are real risks.

But for me I could not go back to the one steady emotional state that was me
as a male... I'd rather die And I love all the physical changes as well .

Amanda

Quote from: AlwaysAmanda on April 08, 2008, 01:53:26 PM
But for me I could not go back to the one steady emotional state that was me
as a male... I'd rather die And I love all the physical changes as well .

Me three!

~Simone

ladies, don't get me wrong, i do want to try hrt, tbh though i don't think it will change much, i'm quite sensitive emotionally as it is already. no, i wouldn't do implants because i would always know they were fake and not really mine. yeah, i know it will take time for everyone awhile to get use to using different pronouns, but the sad thing i feel is that the younger ones you know should be on board quite quickly but actually i have found it's the older ones and the ones i don't work with so often who are on board the fastest. my service manager has been quite sympathetic and looks at this as a learning experience, he's only a year older than me so i don't think it will be too hard for him and i respect him for that.

i do have one other question: do you think they will give me a fight if i want to change my name on all my paperwork if i haven't legally changed my name yet?

i would really like to know, i don't think they will cause i read on a nother post form somebody here that the irs doesn't care what you call yourself as long as the numbers match. they've been supportive so far, am i wrong to assume they won't do this for me to help me out? my wife thinks that they won't

Best Wishes,