1. Should anyone know : exactly WHAT is covered in the whole transition process in Québec ?Dunno
a) How big is the effect on body hair ? Is it good enough that a hairy person would not need to evisage body hair epilation ?Depends, potentially significant, in my case I have never needed to do anything about it apart from hormones (started right after 21st birthday)
b) Does it have ANY (even slight) effect on the skeleton ? (for example, hip size)Depends on a lot of things, it can, more likely the young you are.
c) I know the big lines about what the body fat redistribution implies. But I'd need the exact effects, even though they vary between people.Can't help on this one, don't understand the question.
d) Do hips actually really appear feminine enough with them or is it still an obstacle ?I've never worried about it, I don't think most people pay much attention, but to answer your question, it depends, it can yes, again, younger is better.
e) How much can the muscular mass lessen ? What can I hope for ? And if the hormones are not enough and the muscles are still a problem, is there another - not life-threatening - way to make them smaller ?Significantly, you can hope for similar or the same as female muscle mass, I can't think of any non-hormone option, but I can't see why it would be needed, muscles can't just maintain themselves out of nothing.
f) When metabolism lowers, should I be really afraid of gaining weight ?You should be somewhat concerned, but with oversight it's no big deal, I've lost a huge amount of weight since starting HRT.
g) Does losing or gaining weight before, after or at any moment during transition help get a more feminine body ? If so, what does and how much does it help ?Weight you gain post beginning HRT should be more female in pattern, existing weight will adjust simply over time by small fluctuations that are always happening in your body weight. As is my understanding.
3. About electrolysis...
a) What are the chances of it not being permanent ?Extremely low if done properly over time.
b) What is the total cost, in average, for the face ? And what about *shiver* the whole body ?Dunno, never had it done.
c) Do follicles where hairs used to grow retain the same size ? Can you get little "holes" on the skin ?Dunno, but I don't think so.
d) About how long can it be from the start to the beard actually going away ?My understanding is something along the lines of a year? But I could be wildly off and highly recommend going by the other posters on this one.
4. About dr Brassard's GRS... (as it's the only surgeon reasonably close to my home (5 hours of car))Dunno the answers to any of these really.
5. About voice...
a) I can achieve a pretty good female voice, so much that people on the phone sometimes don't believe me when I tell them my - male - name. But being able to achieve it and using it naturally are two things. When talking to strangers, it's easier. But as soon as I'm with people I'm familiar with, I've a strong tendency to take a more relaxed - and masculine - tone, even when I try hard not to. How do you achieve naturally using the female voice at all times ?As others have said, practice.
b) How do you cough, moan, cry, laugh, scream, etc. in a more feminine way, naturally ? I find it extremely hard as the goddamned male voice always kicks back in.See above
6. About Real Life Experience and transition...
a) I've found that for a legal gender change, one needs to have undergone SRS. And that to undergo SRS, one needs to have had a full year's worth of living as a girl all the time. How can you possibly retain stealth while living with a male name and legal status... as a girl ? I just don't get how I can ever do that without blowing up any cover I might have.In most places you can legally change your name for most any reason, and in most others you can still do it with a letter from a shrink.
Some areas will even let you change your gender on your drivers license with only a letter, just not your birth certificate (and by extension most other legal documents)
b) There will be some point where I won't pass as a guy because of breasts and I won't pass as a girl because of the face and other factors. At that point, I'll probably need to conceal breasts. How do you do that ?I never had that point, depends on a lot of things, mostly age.
c) There will be some point where I'll be a girl full-time but will still have male parts. How can I.. Hide those ?Probably won't need too, HRT tends to shrink em over time, but others will have better suggestions than this.
d) What were the steps you followed towards transition, including every professional/others you've seen ? Waht were your first steps ?First step was seeing a GP... then a shrink, then self medicating, then getting letter of recommendation, then starting HRT, that's what I've done thus far. Oh and standard change of name stuff.
7. Other topics...a) I've always had a problem with biting my nails. What are your tips against this ?
Dunno, if you find one let me know
b) There's... absolutely no way to reduce feet, neck, arms, legs, fingers and hands' width, is it ? (of course not...)ehh, not really. Not really in terms of skeletal changes.
c) What are/were your biggest problems with passing as well as you'd like ?Don't have a good/interesting answer to this one.
d) How fast do hair and nails grow in average ?Dunno
e) Before transition, what do/did you do that makes/made you feel better without being too much of a dead giveaway ?Cry a lot? dunno.
f) How did you "educate" yourself about how to be a girl ? (hair, clothing, socialization, make-up, etc.)Didn't. I don't put a lot of stock in trying to dress girly, socialization I never felt like I had any trouble with, don't wear makeup.
g) What is the thing you did that helped you pass the most ?HRT and voice practice
h) What is the thing you did that helped you pass the most, except medical options ?Voice practice
i) What are your best tips toward good stealth ?HRT and voice practice.... being able to creatively manipulate the truth a little is helpful too. (The secret is to lead them to making false deductions by manipulating how you phrase the truth..... yeah I'm scum I know, lol)
j) What should I definitely wear and what should I definitely not wear, post-transition ?Whatever you like? There's plenty of chicks around who dress androgynously or even outright masculinely.
k) Can a physician actually prescribe hormonal treatment anytime, or are there rules about some kind of waiting time ?In theory they can, but in practice most won't without a shrinks letter, and a shrink won't usually give you a letter until've seen them at least 3 months (there's way around it involving harm reduction that I mentioned earlier)
l) As a male who's unable to "act" male, what are your tips towards getting a job ?Can't help there.
m) Is it possible to achieve total disparition of the male voice (even unability to reach it) ? How ?Not sure what disparition means, but the answer is probably again, practice.
n) Do you think it's unrealistic for me to plan on going full-time in 3 years ?Depends on your are and what you consider 'full-time' to be. I very much doubt that it's unrealistic however.
I don't really consider there to be any such thing as 'full time' or 'part time'. I was full time when I started passing full time, I didn't ever really attempt to live in both roles simultaneously.
Hope that helps!
