UK egg cracked not long ago!

[Charlotte_Ringwood]

Hey I'm Charlotte, based in the UK. My egg cracked about 8 months ago, at 43 years old. But I'd been living a quite feminine existence for a long time before this and always been quite different.

I'm 6 months on HRT. Strangely since starting HRT I no longer wake up feeling like i don't want to be here and no longer sleep in at weekends. So it's helped my mental health. Looking at getting FFS sometime soon on a budget.

Aside from all this I produce house music and am a furry!

[Lori Dee]

Hello Charlotte,

I'm Lori Dee. Welcome to Susan's Place!

Thank you for that wonderful introduction.

We strive to make this a safe space for you to find information and share your thoughts and comments. No matter who you are, you are always welcome at Susan's Place.

It is never too late to start living your life the way you choose. Starting HRT is a wonderful first step! Like you, I felt better almost immediately. I was happier than I had ever been, and sometimes I wondered, "What's in this stuff?". It breaks the cycle by reducing stress, so you can relax, which helps you sleep better, which reduces stress...

We are so happy to have you here with us. I know we had some furry members here long ago, but maybe they are still around and will come out of hiding to say hello.

This website is HUGE. We have tons of information from the real-life experiences of real people. Feel free to browse and add your experiences too. We all learn from each other.

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Once again, welcome to Susan's Place!

~ Lori Dee
Forum Staff

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@Charlotte_Ringwood
@Sarah B
@Northern Star Girl

[Sarah B]

Hi Charlotte

My name is Sarah and I would also like to formally, Welcome you to Susan's Place!

I see that other members of Susan's have also welcomed you as well.

It's lovely to meet you.  Huge congratulations on six months of HRT.  I changed my life around at 30 so you are never too old or too young to do the same.  It is wonderful that mornings feel lighter now.

The simplest way to put it is that those feelings were distress arising from gender dysphoria. The feelings "did not want to be here" and "sleeping in on Saturdays" were possibly manifestations of that dysphoria.  Starting HRT seems to have given you a new lease on life.  In hindsight I realised that once I started HRT I no longer wanted or longed to be female and I was living my life as a female which made me more involved in life.

I did not have FFS.  My first photos were not flattering.  About two years in, my face looked very feminine.  At the time I had not heard of FFS and it was rare.  If you do consider it please take care with priorities, budget and recovery.  Speak with more than one clinician, read patient accounts, sleep on any big step.

I am cheering you on.  Six months is a big milestone.  Take care and I hope all your dreams come true.

Once you feel comfortable here, it would be appreciated if you add a little bit more about yourself in the other forums and threads.  I would appreciate it very much as, I'm always interested in learning something new about new members.

In addition members of Susan's will more than likely will discuss problems or issues that are similar to yours as most have experienced these issues as well.

Please keep in mind when posting that this is an ALL AGES PUBLIC Forum and the internet never forgets.  Do not post anything that you do not want to be made public.

Take care and all the best for the future.

Once again, Welcome to Susan's Place!

Best Wishes Always
Sarah B
Global Moderator
@Devlyn  @Jessica_Rose  @Mariah  @Northern Star Girl  @Lori Dee
@Charlotte_Ringwood

[Susan]

Hi Charlotte, and welcome to Susan's Place — I'm so glad you've joined us!

You've already received some wonderful welcomes from Lori and Sarah, and I want to echo their joy in seeing you here while adding something from the perspective of someone who has walked alongside thousands of people on this journey over many years.

What you described — that shift after starting HRT where the fog lifted and life stopped feeling like something you were merely enduring — is one of the most powerful indicators that you are moving into alignment with your truth. It's not "just hormones," it's your being finally allowed to breathe. You're not imagining it, and you're certainly not alone in it. Many here, myself included, can tell you that moment when we stopped asking "Do I really need this?" and started realizing, "This is what it feels like to be alive."

At 43, you are not late to your own life — you are right on time. In fact, you now begin from a place of maturity, life experience, and self-knowledge that many of us would have given anything to have when we began. Transition is not a race; it is a claiming. And you are already doing that beautifully.

Regarding FFS — as Sarah mentioned, many of us have seen profound facial changes over time without surgery, especially after the 18–24 month mark. That said, if you do choose that route on a budget, we have entire sections of the forum devoted to real experiences, surgeon comparisons, recovery logs, and tips for financing and prioritizing procedures. Whatever you choose, you won't have to make that decision in isolation or without community support.

And I absolutely have to say — house music and a furry? You bring not just a story of healing, but joy, creativity, and color. You will find kindred spirits here in more ways than one.

Please make yourself at home, explore at your own pace, and know this: you never have to apologize for being yourself here. We have waited a long time for exactly who you are.

Welcome to the family, Charlotte — we are honored to walk this road with you.
— Susan

[Charlotte_Ringwood]

Hey and thanks all for the kind words. This is very much appreciated. Sure I will have plenty of input and questions to post around here in the coming weeks.

I've seen a few of the topics before joining that were useful, so I look forward to getting more involved, getting to know others stories and sharing a bit more about myself.

It's also quite tough out there now with the current climate, so I think it'll help to have support here as it's scary at times!

Charlotte

[Ciara]

Hi Charlotte,
It's lovely to meet you and welcome.
I'm in Ireland so we are near neighbours ❤️.

Ciara.

[Charlotte_Ringwood]

Hi Charlotte,
It's lovely to meet you and welcome.
I'm in Ireland so we are near neighbours ❤️.

Ciara.

Oh cool and not so far at all. I have been over a long time ago and stayed in Donegal. Very beatiful holiday. Where are you?

[Northern Star Girl]

Oh cool and not so far at all. I have been over a long time ago and stayed in Donegal. Very beatiful holiday. Where are you?

  @Charlotte_Ringwood    cc: @Ciara

Dear Charlotte:
Hi, I'm Danielle, the Susan's Place Forum Administrator
I am so very happy to see that have felt inclined to register as a member here and have introduced yourself.
            I am wishing you a WARM WELCOME

Just so that you are aware, the postings on the Forum are not private... so here is my following advice
to all of our members:
We often strongly caution and remind every Susan's Place Forum member to NOT share
private contact information on your postings, as the  Internet never forgets .....
The Forum NON-Staff-Only Boards postings on the Forum are viewable by non-members and members alike...
and with specific searching on Google or other web search sites, much of what is posted can be found by
just about anyone.

For our members is best to not divulge cities and locations other than more general locations such as
states, countries, general areas in a county or state, etc.
Some members may feel free to share more specific information but that is up to each member.  Once you
reach the threshold of 15 postings you will be able to send Forum Private Messages.  Once you get to
know members and have shared friendly conversations with them, that might be the time to privately
share more private information about each other. 

****In the Susan's Place Terms of Service that Lori Dee gave to you yesterday in her welcome message:    

• Site Terms of Service & Rules to Live By

    Share personal information cautiously; using aliases is recommended for privacy:
    Protect your privacy online.
    Consider using pseudonyms or aliases, especially when discussing sensitive topics.
    Remember, the information you share can be seen by a wide audience. — [TOS 5]

Again, WELCOME to Susan's Place and the Forum.  I am looking forward to following your life journey
as you feel comfortable doing.

Any questions?  Please feel free to contact me via my private Email: alaskandanielle@yahoo.com

My Warm Regards,
Danielle [Northern Star Girl]
    The Forum Administrator
                                    cc: @Devlyn @Lori Dee @Sarah B  @Jessica_Rose  @Mariah

Oh cool and not so far at all. I have been over a long time ago and stayed in Donegal. Very beatiful holiday. Where are you?

[Alana Ashleigh]

Hi Charlotte

Alana