Everyone’s SRS experience is as unique as their journey. I have girlfriends that have had no issues, some with issues had them resolved easily, and others required additional surgeries. You cannot over-research the types of SRS procedures and the surgeons who perform them. There are so many variables at play. One thing that helped me was hearing the stories of others. If you can read or watch the testimonials of other post-op trans women, that’s one of the best ways to prepare yourself for such a procedure and also gives you some idea of what the surgeons pre-op and post-op support is like.   My SRS was done in two separate surgeries. I’ve been very happy with my results as was my GYN on my first visit a year after my second surgery. She said my surgeon (Dr. Stiller) has done a wonderful job. That was nice to hear since she works on mostly cis-women all day long. If your surgeon is successful, in time, you can be as confident as any cis-woman out there.   Good luck on your journey, Susan R🌷

I won’t get into a long explanation about all the crossdressing I did growing up and all the denial and shame that came with it. Yep, I went through it all after being caught on many occasions. I knew I was different and I thought it was extremely rare thing. There was a point around age 11 when I believed I might be the only boy who wanted to be a girl. None of the other boys ever mentioned such a thing around me and I was too afraid to ask.   After a dozen or so purges of all my ‘fem gear’ growing up, I was beyond frustrated by the cycle and repeated stopping and then restarting the crossdressing. At 23, I saw a TV/TS ad for a Seattle Counseling Services support group in the back of a Seattle gay newspaper publication (SGN). I decided I needed help and needed to attend. I went to the very next Wednesday meeting presenting “en femme”. It was one of the scariest moments in my life. After hearing introductions and testimonies for a few dozen people, it finally hit me for the first time. I wasn’t alone and I accepted myself as transsexual (which was the TS in TV/TS as the word ‘transgender’ was not used back in 1986). It was the start of a new era in my life.   Susan R🌷

I am only able to work 79 hours a month. I am there in case a student needs to take a test. I could sit around all day and not have anyone test. Still waiting one the transmission to get finished. She is just for cruising to car shows.   Got the shed put up for my wife. So, I am slowly getting more room in my garage.   Kymmie

Hello @Wisp, It’s a pleasure to meet you and I’m glad you found our community. Sometimes it’s difficult to reach out and ask the questions you might have especially in the very beginning of one’s self discovery. That, in itself, is a huge hurdle you managed to overcome. As the other’s have mentioned, the information and support here can be extremely helpful in finding your way through all the anti-trans misinformation and propaganda out there in today’s social media. Most of us here are either a member of the trans community, allie’s of the trans community in general, or a supportive family member of someone who is trans so we have a very important perspective on the topic. Feel free to ask questions (within the guidelines of the Community Rules) and I’m sure you’ll find a few members here who have had similar experiences or can at least give you some helpful leads to further search out the answer yourself. There’s quite a lot so have a look around and if you can’t find the answer, we’re here to help.   Warmest Regards, Susan R🌷

If you suspect someone being a predator, contact your local police department. If the individual you have explained about attends a group meeting in - person, he would be banned from the building, not only just for in - person meeting but also includes virtual online groups as well, blocked friend invites on social media. If the person refuse to leave then he would be escorted by the police.

I will completely echo @Carolyn Marie's advice to you about the documentation and reporting of the person's behavior to the appropriate authorities.  My suggestion also is to find a counseling center that deals with what you described happened to you.  LGBTQ Community Centers are a very good source of contact for trained professionals including actual legal services to help with such things as stay-away police help if you feel the abuser is a threat to you,  The Centers will also very likely have peer support groups where you can meet others that have been in your situation.  I actually have some young (below 60 year olds-- I am older than that) friends entering the Behavioral Health fields who are Trans and came to the field because of their own young lives of abuse.   As to this site in particular, we do guard and monitor our members for interpersonal safety.  We do not allow people looking for sexual relations to join, and our rules are strict about the interaction of adults and the younger members of this site.  Administrators like Carolyn and myself and our moderators are trained on things to look for and monitor in relations between our members.  Our record here for the most part is very good on safety that way.  You may always contact any Staff member if something makes you feel uncomfortable.  

@Katy, welcome to Trans Pulse.  What you are describing is very serious behavior, and, as you said, some of it is criminal behavior.  We are very diligent here about watching out for predators, fraudsters, fakers and other ne'er do-wells.  I won't describe all of our methods, but they are very successful.   My suggestion to you is to write down everything you can about his potentially illegal behavior, especially that involving underage girls, and include every detail you can think of.  If he has images on his phone or tablet or computer of underage girls in "sexualized" situations, be sure to include that.  Take all of that information to a police agency in your state that has the resources for a sexual predator task force or unit and let them start an investigation.  If you know or suspect that some of the victims are from out of state, take the information to the F.B.I.    If you want to discuss details privately, you are welcome to PM me.  I am not an officer, but I was one years ago, so I know of what I speak.  If he is currently engaged in these activities, it is imperative that you let authorities know, in order to keep young victims from being hurt.  Thank you for asking about this, and thank you for being concerned enough to let us know.   Carolyn Marie

So your experience sounds a lot like mine. I'm 52, married with 2 kids. I adore my family but acknowledge I'm a bi crossdresser. I knew I was different ever since I can remember.    When I was a child I wanted to wear the little girl clothes I saw in the catalogs.  I admired the woman and thought they were beautiful.  I knew little boys don't feel like this typically so I kept it to myself.  It never went away.   Crossdressed in my adolescents, mom's clothes when nobody was around. High school did the same and would wear panties or panthose under my clothes.     Crossdressed in 1st marriage in her clothes.  Then divorced and did it as a single man. Remarried, wife knows I've done it in the past, still do it today with my own clothes I hide. I wear panties or something that works be considered for gay men daily.    I often wonder if I should have either transitioned after high school or decided to live a crossdressing life and dated both and never married. It's odd because I don't hate being male but I miss not being female and feel lost between.     So I understand how it's not clear cut for you. It isn't for me either. Add in I'm attracted to men as well and it further complicates it. I feel I was born wrong at times and should have been a tomboy fitness girl.  Talking about it helps that why I'm on this site. Therapy helped a little at times but I'm so in-between no clear answer ever was presented to me.    Hope this helps

hello! I am a gender non conforming person who hasn't really interacted with the transgender community much and I would like to ask a question. How are predators dealt with in the community? I suppose I just need a peace of mind after something that happened to me. I was groomed by my ex when I was a minor and he has done so to other minors as an adult. He is not trans (goes by he-him) and thinks it's weird to wear girl clothing but displays himself online as a girl and sometimes uses that idenity in real life. I tried to be very supportive of him in this but he was highly abusive and kept using his idenity as a weapon. Like to be in changing areas or see naked images of girls who didn't consent to be sexualized and then do perverted things. He also sexualizes the transgender community and has a warped sense of feminity where he sees AFABs as property and all. He is still doing illegal and messed up things to this day and I am terrified that he will try and get close to more girls and exploit them >< So my question to you guys is how are these individuals treated here? do their identities not get accepted as real, do they get accepted but ostracized, is there a forum/list to raise awareness of potential predators? It would make me feel a lot better to know if there's something I can do about him or if other people try to keep the community clean of those folk. I don't really have an opinion on it myself because I value the perspective of you all first before doing anything

You are such an inspiration, Vidanjali.

Successful meditation workshop I taught today 😌🙏

Good luck to you @Wisp. Coming out can definitely be stressful. But it does get easier. Every time you come out to someone, you're also affirming yourself to yourself. In that sense, you're also coming out to yourself each time. Each time it gets more real because you're putting it out there. But guess what - you also get stronger and it gets easier with practice and time. Little by little you become more confident and self-assured. Someday, you'll be able to just say it in conversation matter-of-factly when relevant and safe. But again, just like you said, you cannot know the future. So it's little steps that take you further into being more yourself. And while you cannot know the future, you are taking those steps toward affirming yourself which will shape your future. So bravo to you. I'll leave you with one more thought. I recall Karamo Brown of Queer Eye said that coming out should more rightly be thought of as letting in. That is, you're inviting people who are important to you to know you on a deeper level. That's their privilege and your gift to them. 

@Timi ❤️🙏🤗

Hi & welcome @Wisp! This is a special community, very supportive, uplifting, and deep thinking. Very glad to meet you & look forward to learning more about you.

Well, I hope the Foxes are enjoying the Henhouse (aka fancy top floor suite in a hotel). I’m thinking no news is good news on this one.  We will have to hear all about.   @KymmieL when is your first proctoring session?  From your earlier description it sounded like you only worked when there was a test that required a proctor.  Or did I get that wrong?  Get your engine for your Buick yet?  Is this a restore and sell, race or a just to drive to car shows restoration?   We got rain lastnight but not the severe storms others have been getting.  We are actually in a drought.  I’m hoping nature’s idea of fixing that isn’t a hurricane.  We don’t need that.

Welcome to Trans Pulse, @Wisp!  You made a good choice by joining us, and I hope you find the forums helpful and our members friendly.  Please look around and post wherever you like.  If you need support, we'll be there for you.   HUGS   Carolyn Marie

i did my name change a couple days ago :) very happy about that. it was a very busy day and i also had to work yesterday, but today i'm off work. im glad i finally got around to it. my friend went along with me since i was nervous which meant a lot to me, i haven't had anyone do something for me like that before

Mr. Trump has been a godsend for liberal parties and politicians all over the world, except those already under the totalitarian thumb.  I think it may even affect Germany, where backlash against the AfD is growing, in part based on support for the AfD from Vance and Trump.   Carolyn Marie

So, I'm still kind of in the closet it. I've come out to my best friend, and she was super supportive, as I knew she would be. I've learned that coming out can be 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳 stressful! I'd heard that it is, but I'd never thought I'd go through it myself. But here we are. I've of course gotten my friend's full support, but that's now's the bigger challenge: coming out to my family. I only plan to come out to my closer family members, at least until I start feeling more confident 'n stuff, but it's less of that I'm going to do it and more of 𝘩𝘰𝘸 I'm going to do it. I'll probably write letters. I live with my parents, but I have bad anxiety, and I don't think I'd be able to do it in person. But I also don't think I'm gonna come out to my parents first, I'm going to come out to my older brother first. I'm going to tell him over text, on his day off of work (Tuesday). I already have something written out. I wish I could see the future and automatically know how he's going to react, but I can't, so really I can only hope it goes well. We have a decently good relationship, so I hope he'll be at the very least open minded.   I don't think I need tips, though if anyone thinks they have any useful advice, I wouldn't mind taking it. I guess I just needed a place to rant. Document my progress. I'll update on how it goes when I tell him. Have a good day/night.

Good afternoon, morning thread!   My local library did their annual fundraiser which included a 'silent auction'. One of the items was a spray tan/makeover/photoshoot. I bid once, then twice, and won. (I usually donate to the library since I used it so much, but hadn't for a while, so nice little bonus).    I've actually done the spray tan at the same establishment as the one that was won, and was glad to see that the photographer's portfolio categories included one called "Pride". No idea when it will happen, but should be fun.