So, My sister has thrown her hat into the ring for how many insulting, cutting and incredible stupid and wrong things someone can say in 45 minutes to a transwoman.

I am so exhausted... But, I refuse to let this take me down or cause me to feel bad about myself. Having your own flesh and blood tear into you for 45 minutes, and then accuse you of being confrontational is mind numbing. I know I will have to let all this garbage out via writing at some point in time, but "I'm hit!"
I'm going to have to take a stay in the medical tent before I can let myself rehash the crushing ignorance and closed mindedness that was my talk with my sister.

To anyone who experiences these kind of cancerous family conflicts, I just want you to know, I am here to listen and comfort you all. No one should have to be thrown through the wringer like that.
Lacy

Aww, so sorry it went that way!  I can't make it better, but I can give you a (((((HUG))))).

@RealLacy
Dear Lacy:
Very many of us on the forums have experienced similar outrage and insults from others and when it comes from family members that are supposed to be our "loved ones" ...  for sure it can really hurt and sting.
   
Rest assured that you are not alone in this terribly bad experience. 
My best advice is to NOT engage, there is no response or argument or debate that will change your sister's viewpoints on the subject, and likewise there is no argument that she could present to you that would make you change your views.  It is best to NOT let discussions, arguments and debates like this get started in the first place... it is a lose/lose situation... again, do not engage, move on to more agreeable subjects or calmly leave the room... with no bad words being spoken by you.  Have solace in taking the higher road.

Do not permit her or others to make you feel bad... you have made your personal life changing decision with your eyes wide open, you are the one that is in control of your feelings, I know, I know, this is way easier said than done for sure.   

Not only do I think that you should NOT engage but also do your best to NOT make any angry or nasty responses.   Let her run her mouth and spew all the insults she wants, if you can just bite your tongue and walk away that would be good.
Your sister will always be your sister so the goal for you is to not have any regrets later on in life for things you may have said to her in the heat of the moment.  Your words, especially hurtful words can not be taken back once they leave your lips.

I will be looking for your future updates.

Hugs and well wishes....
Danielle

Quote from: RealLacy on December 17, 2018, 03:34:25 PM
So, My sister has thrown her hat into the ring for how many insulting, cutting and incredible stupid and wrong things someone can say in 45 minutes to a transwoman.

I am so exhausted... But, I refuse to let this take me down or cause me to feel bad about myself. Having your own flesh and blood tear into you for 45 minutes, and then accuse you of being confrontational is mind numbing. I know I will have to let all this garbage out via writing at some point in time, but "I'm hit!"
I'm going to have to take a stay in the medical tent before I can let myself rehash the crushing ignorance and closed mindedness that was my talk with my sister.

To anyone who experiences these kind of cancerous family conflicts, I just want you to know, I am here to listen and comfort you all. No one should have to be thrown through the wringer like that.
Lacy

Sorry it went that way Lacy. Stay strong! I agree with Danielle's thought about handling yourself with class despite her ignorance. Hugs to you.
Moni

Thank you all for your encouragement! I took a few days away to spend time thinking and healing.

I will respond more in depth and personally with your comments, but for now I wanted to say thank you!

Merry Christmas to all my sisters here on Susan's who are so supportive and loving! I hope you all have wonderful days today!

Lots of love,
Lacy

I am enjoying my 2 month HRT today! A fitting day on my book!

I am really starting to notice the feminine features more in my face, and my breast are incredibly tender! My youngest has pressed against my chest so many times this past week! I have a new appreciation for what my wife went through during pregnancy.

Thanks to the tenderness I have been wearing a bra daily for over a week. I still haven't gotten used to it. I know why so many women are ready to take their bra off at the end of a day!

We had a Google chat with my parents and younger sister today. I was wearing my favorite jeans and a beautiful new long sleeved shirt and dangling earrings my wife bought me for Christmas.
She asked if I was comfortable talking to my family dressed like that. I was, and asked if she was. She said she was comfortable! I was very aware that this was the first time I have been fully dressed while talking to my parents. It was a little paranoia inducing,  but overall I felt comfortable.
There was no way my family could have mistaken the outfit for anything else than what it was. They said nothing about it and the talk was pleasant! First holiday done with no drama...a pleasant surprise.

I hope everyone enjoyed their time with family and some relaxation!

Lacy

@RealLacy
Dear Lacy:
Such a joyful update regarding your Google Chat with your parents and your younger sister today....

Your description of your 2 month HRT experiences bring back fond memories for other transitioners that know exactly what you are writing about... the breast tenderness for some can continue on for up to 6 months or more, every body is different however.

I wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a prosperous and Happy NEW YEAR 

Thank you for posting and sharing.
Hugs and as always, Well Wishes
Danielle

We have a lot in common. I'm from a dairy farming community in Wisconsin so i get the stares for even having shaggy hair. I worked in a factory as industrial maintenance too and I just graduated so I got into engineering so we have so many things we can talk about.  I'm going to do this! You inspired me as i have been reading your posts before I came out as mtf and I wanted to say thank you! I went for my first makeup lesson yesterday and I told my best friend today that I am transitioning.  The community here is wonderful but knowing that there's a similar mind on here with similar experiences is humbling and reassuring.  I'm asking my doctor to start hrt next month and I can't be happier... these last few days have been inspiring to know I can do this! Thank you for putting your story out there!!!!

@Alaskan Danielle, @KathyLauren, @HappyMoni

Thank you all for the well wishes and e-hugs after the talk I had with my older sister. I was able to reread your responses a couple times throughout the past weeks when I would start feeling down. I took your wise advice and ended the call with as much integrity as possible and kept friendly communication with her and my brother-in-law over the holidays.

She said she doesn't want to be the family member who disowns me and wants to keep a good relationship. I just hope she takes some of my "Recommended Reading" and learns from it!

I do apologize for the late reply. Our internet was out for almost 2 weeks during the holiday break. They sent out a tech without letting us know. He fixed the incoming line that had broken, but never told us. It took 2 days for me to reset the modem and have a new signal sent by our provider! So frustrating!

I feel like I missed so much, while I was absent!

Quote from: Dietlind on December 17, 2018, 08:49:01 AM
Are you sure it was a "stomach bug"?  The CDC came to the Concussio that over 90% of the so called stomach bugs are really different kinds of food poisonings.  You might want to see what he at  7 to 34  hours prior to this.

@ Dietlind
Thank you for the information. All the kids ate the same thing. They all ended up with it and spread it to my wife. She got it Christmas afternoon, just as she was getting over bronchitis! I felt so bad for everyone.

I don't know if it is because of the positive mind set I have tried to stay in, and the extra attention I am giving my body, but this is the first time in over 8 years that I did not get sick from my wife or kids. Thank God I stayed healthy through the holidays so I could nurse them back to health!

Quote from: Alaskan Danielle on December 25, 2018, 10:33:29 PM
Dear Lacy:
Such a joyful update regarding your Google Chat with your parents and your younger sister today....

Your description of your 2 month HRT experiences bring back fond memories for other transitioners that know exactly what you are writing about... the breast tenderness for some can continue on for up to 6 months or more, every body is different however.

Thank you for posting and sharing.
Hugs and as always, Well Wishes
Danielle

I do feel very happy with how my chat with my parents and younger sister went. My wife was 100% supportive of me staying in my comfortable new Christmas clothes! She has fully accepted me now I feel! This last weekend, we had several conversations that made my heart float! We celebrated our anniversary Dec. 31st with Champagne and warm, loving conversation. 

I will give more details in a full update, but needless to say, she told me to make a list of bras that I like from Victoria's Secret and she would get them with her end of the year order. She doesn't feel comfortable "doing" my make up or watching me put a bra on, but she understands that I need bras now and would like to begin wearing make up! I can understand and respect that.
She also told me that I should go to a bigger mall and try on a lot of different brands of clothing, so that she knows what sizes and styles to look for when she is out and about! We both recently went through our Wardrobe and donated things that didn't fit or we don't wear. I have a very small amount of male clothes left, and plan on replacing them with the correct clothing!

Quote from: Malleableman on December 28, 2018, 09:31:33 PM
We have a lot in common. I'm from a dairy farming community in Wisconsin so i get the stares for even having shaggy hair. I worked in a factory as industrial maintenance too and I just graduated so I got into engineering so we have so many things we can talk about.  I'm going to do this! You inspired me as i have been reading your posts before I came out as mtf and I wanted to say thank you! I went for my first makeup lesson yesterday and I told my best friend today that I am transitioning.  The community here is wonderful but knowing that there's a similar mind on here with similar experiences is humbling and reassuring.  I'm asking my doctor to start hrt next month and I can't be happier... these last few days have been inspiring to know I can do this! Thank you for putting your story out there!!!

@ Malleableman,
Reading your comment made me smile so much! Thank you for reading about my experiences. I feel so happy that you are inspired to take the next step in your life! It sounds like we do have some similar backgrounds! I would love to chat with you!

I can understand your experiences with the stare down over long hair! Those dairy farmers haven't seen nothing yet! Feel free to post any experiences or questions you have. There is pleanty of wisdom and resources on the forum!
I look forward to reading about you beginning HRT and the changes as you feel comfortable writing about them!

Also congratulations on talking to your friend! I hope it all went well.

Hugs,
Lacy

Okay...lesson learned. Never say anything about making it through a family epidemic of the stomach bug. : (
I ended up getting sick on my way home from work Wednesday evening. It made for an eventful 45 minute drive. I was bedridden until this morning. Thankfully my wife and kids are completely over it, so they nursed me back to health.

I hope all you here on Susan's are staying healthy this New Year!

I feel so excited about what is to come this year. I believe I have taken some of the hardest first steps with my transition. I look forward to seeing growth and continued milestones met!

I am nearly at the 3 month mark on HRT! I will be visiting my doctor this month for a checkup. I hope to receive an increase in dosages and look forward to seeing my blood results.

February brings my first electrolysis appointment. The dermatologist who performs the procedure is experienced with working in tandem with the Trans community.
I was told at my last appointment that the University is expanding their LBGTQ clinic this year. They are hiring a speech and body language trainer, a FFS surgeon as well as a surgeon who performs GCS. It is exciting that there will at least be those options around me!
The Law students at the University work on one big project each year. It is supposed to benefit a different department each year. A few years ago they made a booklet that has all the details on how to change your name and gender on all needed documents and forms. It is very thorough and will be of great help in the future.

I feel blessed to have the support of my wife and friends at work, as well as everyone who has shared their experiences and wisdom on this forum. I want to thank you all for giving me the courage I needed to start this new chapter of my life!

I want to share with everyone the story of me coming out to family and some people at work. It has been a few months since I did, and now it seems like it has always been that way!

I appreciate everyone who follows this thread, and for those of you who have shared positive thoughts and friendship via messages. It means a lot to me!

Lacy

Quote from: RealLacy on January 06, 2019, 03:01:56 AM


I appreciate everyone who follows this thread, and for those of you who have shared positive thoughts and friendship via messages. It means a lot to me!

Lacy

I really feel like your older sister (friend??), because the two of us are almost for the same time on HRT.  You are so lucky that you have family around who loves you.  I am pretty much alone in the world (my son who supports me, lives about 2000 miles away, so does my ex, who also supports me now).  I am lucky to have very good friends here (all cis women), who seem to have decided into making me into the best woman every walked the face of the earth  !  But nothing replaces a loving family!
I wish you a lot of luck for this 2019 and hope the two of us can safely continue our journey into femdom!

Hugs
Linde

Sorry for the absence. It has been an interesting/eventful start to the new year.

Quote from: Dietlind on January 06, 2019, 10:15:48 AM
I really feel like your older sister (friend??), because the two of us are almost for the same time on HRT.  You are so lucky that you have family around who loves you.  I am pretty much alone in the world (my son who supports me, lives about 2000 miles away, so does my ex, who also supports me now).  I am lucky to have very good friends here (all cis women), who seem to have decided into making me into the best woman every walked the face of the earth  !  But nothing replaces a loving family!
I wish you a lot of luck for this 2019 and hope the two of us can safely continue our journey into femdom!

Hugs
Linde

Thank you Linde!
It is very nice to have a fellow sister who started on hormones close to that same time! I have had some painful conversations with my family recently. They are not disowning me, but it seems as though they forget after a while what is really happening, and need me to explain it again.

I came out to my younger sister and my Mom's mom 2 weeks ago. MY grandmother is the first family member to 100% accept and support everything! She really made the transgender side of things a smaller focus, and really just wanted to make sure I was doing well mentally and had the love and support of my wife. She has had issues in the past with my parents an sisters. I have always been closer to her than them, mainly because when she needed support and love I gave it without judgement. Now she is returning that to me! iam not super close to her, but I knew she would be supportive and actually say things that an ally would say, and that she would mean those words.

My younger sisters took it how I thought she would. more details on that later. None the less, after we talked she called my parents (she still lives with them) and had a bit of a breakdown. My dad called mean to talk more after this happened. He hasn't said anything about it since I came out to them and we went on vacation several months back (before HRT).

He was in shock when I told him it was 2.5 months since I started HRT. It is hard to get upset with them and their concern, since I know it comes from a place of love. But it hurts hearing them constantly question my convictions, spirituality and intelligence. He ended the hour long call with a statement that wasn't mean, but hurt. He told me I was born his son, I will always be his son and he will never treat me or think of me as a woman.
This kind of love and wanting to keep a relationship while not supporting or acknowledging my proper gender will nd up limiting our future relationship health and interactions. Once I walk down this path further and present all the time as female, there is no way that myself or my wife and kids will feel comfortable being around them. Say we go to an amusement park. Is he going to call me by my (granted, androgynous) dead name and say son when I am clearly female? They won't feel comfortable with me using the women's restroom. The always voted against those legislations.

It just seems to me that anyone who puts a limit on their support or acceptance is also putting a limit on our relationship. I want to thank the wise advice I received from you ladies earlier about not saying anything I would later regret. I remained calm, kind and non confrontational the entire conversation. I told him he can always ask questions and reminded him that I never have tried to tell him he is wrong for feeling the way he does nor tried to change his mind. I feel like that sunk in a bit for him.

None the less, the phone call with him was the subject of my first personal diary entry in my new journal! It was the first time I signed something with my new signature. The signature, on the bright side, was very fun learning what felt right as I experimented with my female name!

Despite the tough conversations, my self esteem is still higher than it has ever been. Why? Because I love who I am! I am a much more happy woman than I ever was a man. My mind is cleared of fog and my heart is refreshed. I am prepared to see this journey on until the end!

Lacy

@RealLacy
Dear Lacy:
Thank you for sharing your wonderful and affirming update and report on your thread.

Coming out, especially to family members, and receiving support and acceptance is a wonderful feeling and is like a big weight is off of your shoulders... no more hiding secrets.
Hopefully you can eventually gain acceptance from your younger sister as you had mentioned her in your previous posts.

Personally for me I found that Dads are the difficult ones to deal with... well, anyway for me with my Dad, after 2+ years of being Full-Time ... and announcing to him my transition 4 years ago, my Dad still will hardly speak to me and when he does he uses my dead name and wrong pronouns and nouns.... undoubtedly on purpose.  Certainly very hurtful to me but I do understand how difficult it must be for a parent... so I forgive him automatically.

Yes indeed, I think that I had mentioned to you in a previous posting about not saying things in the heat of the moment that you may regret later....  our parents and family will always be our parents and family so we need to respect that fact... and when tragic things may happen in our families we definitely do not want regrets for words that we spoke that will always be remembered and can never be taken back.

Ahhh... I am so glad that you are keeping a personal pen & paper journal in addition to what you share on the forums in your transition thread. 
I much enjoyed your comment about signing your journal with your new name!  So much fun and joy... and very affirming for sure.

Many rainy, cold, snowy nights I will sit in front of my fireplace and leaf through my personal journal and sometimes read for hours... sometimes with tears of joy, and perhaps times of sadness.  My journal is full of colorful doodling, drawings and a few photographs.   
Personal journals are great therapy as we can write our our very personal feelings and thoughts as we deal with our life issues...  it helps us to formulate positive solutions and feelings when we do.

Thank you again Lacy for feeling free to share with your followers.
We are you biggest fans and we are always rooting for you.

Many HUGS and lots of well wishes as you continue on.
Danielle

Quote from: RealLacy on January 21, 2019, 12:48:31 PM

Despite the tough conversations, my self esteem is still higher than it has ever been. Why? Because I love who I am! I am a much more happy woman than I ever was a man. My mind is cleared of fog and my heart is refreshed. I am prepared to see this journey on until the end!

Lacy

And this, my dear Lacy, is all that counts!  I learned along the line that all who really love you, will find their way back to you once they were able to digest the news. And those who don't are not worth to be part of your life anyway!

Life is to short to be surrounded by grumpy, unhappy people!  As long as your are happy that happiness will reflect onto your environment and make others who feel for you, to be happy, too!

I still go as a guy once in a while, if it is of advantage to me.  But my friends always tell m that they don't see any sparkle in my eyes when I am in guy mode.
And that is it, being the person who one is destined to be, brings the sparkle into ones eyes!

Keep on going my sister, the path is adventurous, but also beautiful!

Love
Linde

Dads... amirite? Lacy, it sounds like you're doing this the right way leaving the doors open but setting the tone. I'm really proud of you! I think your Dad will come around given time. As my sister often reminds me, they don't really have a choice if they want to be part of your life. That's the reality. Once they see you as a full-time woman, how can they possibly expect you to walk into the men's room. LOL. 

Now, since you're sharing, let's get some pics! Let's see that signature. I expect LOOPS and FLOURISHES. XD

Lacy,
I'm so glad things are working out with your wife. I'm envious of how far you've come in such a short time. We each have our own story. Good luck in your journey.

Quote from: elle's bells on February 02, 2019, 05:22:08 AM
Dads... amirite? Lacy, it sounds like you're doing this the right way leaving the doors open but setting the tone. I'm really proud of you! I think your Dad will come around given time. As my sister often reminds me, they don't really have a choice if they want to be part of your life. That's the reality. Once they see you as a full-time woman, how can they possibly expect you to walk into the men's room. LOL. 

Now, since you're sharing, let's get some pics! Let's see that signature. I expect LOOPS and FLOURISHES. XD

Lovely@Bree!

I hope you are right! I have given it a lot of thought and I think the reason Dads can have such a hard time with this kind of news is because most Father/Son relationships differ greatly from Father/Daughter. They have shared their "wisdom" and knowledge that they have gathered regarding women and pass it on to their boys like a precious treasure. The conversations they might have with sons can touch topics and go places that they never would with daughters. I also think there is a bit of a feeling that their own masculinity is threatened. They immediately start analyzing everything they ever did with their son and every conversation. They try to figure out what happened and why. In the case of having an only son among daughters (that was my situation growing up) seeing there "son" change into a female has to be a bit frightening for them and painful. The most common male reaction to fear is anger or frustration.
I find it interesting, that even with all that in play I would say that out of all my family, my dad as been the most real and most transparent with me in regards to his concerns and the feelings of not being able to "Fix" the "Problem" that caused his middle child so much pain and depression during their youth and young adult life.

Despite everything the love I have for my dad is great. I will do everything possible in my power to keep our relationship and help him transition with me.



I attached a picture, but for some reason it isn't showing up!

Quote from: Dietlind on January 21, 2019, 02:07:24 PM
And this, my dear Lacy, is all that counts!  I learned along the line that all who really love you, will find their way back to you once they were able to digest the news. And those who don't are not worth to be part of your life anyway!

Life is to short to be surrounded by grumpy, unhappy people!  As long as your are happy that happiness will reflect onto your environment and make others who feel for you, to be happy, too!

I still go as a guy once in a while, if it is of advantage to me.  But my friends always tell m that they don't see any sparkle in my eyes when I am in guy mode.
And that is it, being the person who one is destined to be, brings the sparkle into ones eyes!

Keep on going my sister, the path is adventurous, but also beautiful!

Love
Linde

@Linde
You are always so encouraging in your posts! I complete agree with you that those family and friend relationships that are meant to last will stand through this. I am doing my best to give everyone the freedom and space they need to process things and understand how much our relationships will change because of this. It can be so hard, but transitioning teaches nothing if not the virtue of patience!
Getting rid of the negative energy is very important. I look back on pictures that were taken at the height of my happiness as a man...the eyes look dead. The smile turns cold quickly and the frost of it can't seem to make it to my eyes.

My smiles now days are glowing, and I feel a joy that I haven't felt before.

Quote from: Alaskan Danielle on January 21, 2019, 01:14:57 PM
@RealLacy
Dear Lacy:
Thank you for sharing your wonderful and affirming update and report on your thread.

Coming out, especially to family members, and receiving support and acceptance is a wonderful feeling and is like a big weight is off of your shoulders... no more hiding secrets.
Hopefully you can eventually gain acceptance from your younger sister as you had mentioned her in your previous posts.

Personally for me I found that Dads are the difficult ones to deal with... well, anyway for me with my Dad, after 2+ years of being Full-Time ... and announcing to him my transition 4 years ago, my Dad still will hardly speak to me and when he does he uses my dead name and wrong pronouns and nouns.... undoubtedly on purpose.  Certainly very hurtful to me but I do understand how difficult it must be for a parent... so I forgive him automatically.[/b]

Yes indeed, I think that I had mentioned to you in a previous posting about not saying things in the heat of the moment that you may regret later....  our parents and family will always be our parents and family so we need to respect that fact... and when tragic things may happen in our families we definitely do not want regrets for words that we spoke that will always be remembered and can never be taken back.

Ahhh... I am so glad that you are keeping a personal pen & paper journal in addition to what you share on the forums in your transition thread. 
I much enjoyed your comment about signing your journal with your new name!  So much fun and joy... and very affirming for sure.

Personal journals are great therapy as we can write our our very personal feelings and thoughts as we deal with our life issues...  it helps us to formulate positive solutions and feelings when we do.

Thank you again Lacy for feeling free to share with your followers.
We are you biggest fans and we are always rooting for you.

Many HUGS and lots of well wishes as you continue on.
Danielle

@Danielle,
I have used your experiences with you family as a way to encourage myself. I appreciate everything you have shared with us about your journey. It is so helpful! I had such a great relationship with my dad. One of the things he asked me, that probably hurt worse than him telling me he woud never accept me as his daughter was his doubts on whether the good times we had were faked on my part. We would fish together a lot growing up. He took me hunting, we watched sports. I reassured him that none of that was fake. Our relationship was real and those kind of activities were not going to have to go away. I still go fishing a lot! My kids love it and it is a time for me to relax and be refreshed by nature.

Going through so much emotional challenges and processing the idea of transitioning has a way of taking things that should be second nature and obscuring it. Having you remind me to stay on the high road, even when it really hurts to, has been so helpful. Anytime I talk to anybody about being transgender I keep this in the front of my mind. I don't want to regret anything in regards to my personal relationships, and I also do not want my actions to effect the transgender community as a whole. So thank you for your wisdom!

Finding my new signature was really fun! I have always disliked my signature, but getting to write it every time I make a journal entry is so fun! I literally have an entire page of my journal that is just covered with different styles of my signature! If someone ever got into it, they would think I am self obsessed!
Having a community to share everything that goes on in the transtion journey is great for support. But nothing beats a book just for me that I can keep the (small to others) big moments that happen and the most personal of thoughts in. I found a great place that sells hand made leather journals, and just adore it! Another thank your for the suggestion!

Quote from: Jaime320 on February 03, 2019, 09:56:41 AM
Lacy,
I'm so glad things are working out with your wife. I'm envious of how far you've come in such a short time. We each have our own story. Good luck in your journey.

Thank you @Jaime!
It was very difficult at first. Even now, she doesn't feel like she is any more supportive than she was, but she is by legions.
I did have a bad day on Monday in regards to being anxious about her leaving me. We have both acted in community theatre and I worked for a year for a production company on a play that played theatres around Colorado. We have done enough work to understand that on stage relationships are not something that interferes with real life relationships.
That being said, she is auditioning for Beauty and the Beast with our local acting troupe. After her weekend of auditions I had horrible dreams on Sunday night about her leaving me for another person. A masculine man instead of her new wife! She has said she won't leave me, but there is still plenty of time and much more drastic steps that will be taken in my transition. I am still preparing myself for the worst. I had managed to put it on the back burner for the past few months but I apparently still have some major doubts about how our future will go. I just keep reminding myself that worrying about just a possibility is a waste of time and energy.

Thank you to everyone that continues to follow my journey, and for the support you all give!
Lacy

I am two weeks past my 3 Months on HRT. I figure it is time for an update on my progress so far.

Breast development has been noticeable. I have had periods every few weeks were my breasts are sore and then become extremely tender. This has made it to where I were a bralette daily to protect them! I got a few Razor Backs from Aerie that are super comfortable and breathable. Vertically on the back is silver writing that says "Let the real me shine!" I love them! My wife was actually the one who found those for me.
One of the first things I learned about bras:
Wear a nude color under white shirts! I figured white would be the ticket, but that is very visible. The more you know!
Before HRT my areolas were 20mm in diameter. They are now about 30mm. The color seems to slowly be changing a bit and the nipple appears to be growing as well. They look smoother than before. I doubt I actually hit a cup size unless there is something less than A. That said if I wear a t-shirt sans bra my breast development is easily seen. Since I still have a male looking figure they can appear to be moobish in nature. Another reason for the bras!

My hair seems to be much more annoying since my 2 month update. It is still growing nicely, but it gets frizzy easier. I can go a few days without washing it before it looks greasy. Realistically it is long enough that I could get a female style in it, but I have decided to just let it grow for a couple more months. I have a specific style I would like and don't feel the need to rush into a style.

I noticed my pubic area smells differently than it used to. Not that I ever really noticed a smell, but now there are times that I can smell a smell that is unfamiliar. Nothing bad, just new.

Shaving is having to be done less and less. I have a growing patch on my chest where hair no longer grows! Yippee! My skin needs lotion all the time! especially my legs. A solid bath in lotion is required after each shower and leg shave!

I am much more self reflective and comfortable with who I am. I regularly wear female shoes to work, including boots with a very decent heel. Being 5' 11" already, that gives me a decent boost. It works though, because a good portion of the women I work with are taller and pull that style off. I actually have gotten a lot of compliments on my shoes!
I didn't stop there. I were womens' sweaters and jeans to work as well. Not all the time, but 2 to 3 times a week. Most of the time the look is not completely feminine. I am simply at the point where I am easing my new style into everyone's life so that the full effect will be less jarring.
I am now called a fashionista by some of the women around my age. They apparently are comfortable with the fact that I am confident wearing clothes that are against the norm for "men". My office is between two other women, and there was a day when a work friend of mine came down the hall to our offices and looked in on myself and my HR friend and said "good morning ladies!" She then caught herself and tried to play it off as an accident. I smiled hard inside!

My emotions and mood have been fairly level since the 1 month mark. It may sound weird but I feal like I hit a plateau with my hormone dose. I had an appointment yesterday and had my dosages doubled. Today is the first day on the larger amounts, so I hope to see more changes happen.

My goal is to begin loosing some weight and carving out more of a athletic figure like I used to have. Weight is harder to shed on HRT, but I have no doubt I can do it. I want to drop about 25 pounds over the next few months.

My mind is so far ahead of my body that it feels more and more weird looking into the mirror and seeing a man. I try not to focus to much on physical changes, as that is about as exciting as watching grass grow. If I do a good enough job not paying much attention to things, then every month when I take a picture I am able to bask in the small changes I see.

I have found that Confidence and Kindness are infectious. My smile reaches my eyes now, and in another 3 months I imagine the distance that I will be at will be very enjoyable! Stay the course and enjoy life as much as you can. Don't let your transition consume every thought you have!

Lacy

Quote from: RealLacy on February 07, 2019, 03:51:56 PM
I am two weeks past my 3 Months on HRT. I figure it is time for an update on my progress so far.

Breast development has been noticeable. I have had periods every few weeks were my breasts are sore and then become extremely tender. This has made it to where I were a bralette daily to protect them! I got a few Razor Backs from Aerie that are super comfortable and breathable. Vertically on the back is silver writing that says "Let the real me shine!" I love them! My wife was actually the one who found those for me.

You are one week ahead of me on HRT.  However, I had a solid headstart over you in all things looking female, because I went into it with a rather female looking body already.
My breasts are a now about a 34 C, (I use the 34 bandwidth as my measuring standard).  In reality, I am a 42 bandwidth, and just decided that I need to upgrade from an A to a B cup.  I still can hide the girls in some way, if I wear a very tight fitting t-shirt and over that a shirt with breast pockets.
You have to get used to the girls hurting, that is my daily feeling or over three years now, one learns to move in a way that the boobies are not hitting anything.  And I started to dislike people who want to hug me really good, because these hugs mean instand pain!

QuoteThe watching grass grow. If I do a good enough job not paying much attention to things, then every month when I take a picture I am able to bask in the small changes I see.

I have found that Confidence and Kindness are infectious. My smile reaches my eyes now, and in another 3 months I imagine the distance that I will be at will be very enjoyable! Stay the course and enjoy life as much as you can. Don't let your transition consume every thought you have!

Lacy

I do not take any pictures of my development, because it just gets to be t much after a while.  You have to remember that you will be doing this watching gras grow thing for about 3 to 5 years (I am at 3 years already, and the girls still hurt).  My milestones are the changes of my body, how well it fits into female clothing.  I discovered that the typical male muscle contours of my butt (the holes at the side of the butt) are gone now, and filled with bacon (I guess).

I fit now for quite a while already into normal sized female clothing, and my goal is to loose about 20 lbs to be able to wear one size smaller of the stuff.

I hope that you will have continuous success in the feminization of your body!

@RealLacy
Dear Lacy:
Thank you so very much for posting your 3½ month HRT update.
I am happy to read about your breast development and also how your wife helped you to select bras that work for you. ...  how special is that!!!!!   I am thinking that soon enough you will encounter some difficulty hiding them from view through your shirts and tops.... in my opinion you should enjoy that good news.

Regarding body smell, yes indeed "we" do smell differently that before HRT...   the hormones are altering our body chemisty and thus our body shape, and it just will do that more significantly as you continue on.   You have noticed other changes such as reduced body hair growth as well.

I like how you described your appearance in your work environment, easing into your feminine self and doing it in baby steps is probably a good plan as your co-workers learn how to accept your transition and eventually start using your new name and using the correct pronouns as you continue to slowly show up in more and more feminine attire, painted nails, makeup, hairstyles, etc.

Regarding emotions and your mental attitudes, the hormones are working in those areas also.   When watching movies or hearing stories about other people's difficulties I now find myself with tears in my eyes and kind, tender and compassionate feelings more that I ever did as my old self.   I like that change a lot.

As you have probably already read in many of my past posts around the forums I always give the advice that Patience is Required for HRT... nothing usually happens as quickly as we all desire with HRT, but it will happen.
What you read about others and their HRT experiences you will most likely not experience exactly what they have experienced.   Your unique body and genes will react to HRT uniquely.   Some will experience more significant changes more quickly and some will experience less significant changes more slowly.   As is said frequently here on the Forums....   YMMV ... Your Mileage May Vary.

I am eagerly looking forward to reading more of your HRT transition updates as you feel so led to post them.
Hugs and many more hugs and well wishes.
Danielle