How Do You Cope?

[Guest JCinDenver]

Christine,

I've been on HRT for almost 3 years now.

I can relate to what your saying, with a 6 figure income complete transition isn't in the immediate future.

I'm not ruling it out, but not planing anything soon.

I live in the in between world.

I go to work as male.

I ged mam'd often.

Yes, if I could go back 26 years & have been given the choice, I'm sure I'd have chosen transitioning.

Isn't hindsight wonderful?

But at 46 I'm OK with my current status.

Sometimes it isn't Black or White.

It can be Gray!

Jamie

[Guest Joanna Phipps]

One caveat to those who are contemplating transition.

Once you begin it isnt all thornless roses and smooth sailing. You will have your share of days or even weeks where things seem hopeless (kinda like what I am in now). There will be those times where your emotions get the better of you and all you want to do is hide and cry, you may even have times where it seems nobody cares or where you cant get a Ma'am or Sir (depending which way you are going) to save your life.

This is the part I am having problems with right now, convincing myself that this is only temporary and that things will improve. I know on the surface my transition seems to be going quite well (maybe it is). I live full time and work as a woman, get Ma'am, Miss or as in the case of one incident today when someone with a heck of a load of groceries looked at me (I only had one small bag) and told the cashier let her go ahead. I smiled politely and thanked him, paid for my doughnuts and went home.

My issue seems to be that the further down this trail I walk, the more I allow my emotions to happen and I have some 40 years of them to deal with. Yes there will be other times like this. My body seems to have a mind of its own and I seem to be getting sleepy, weepy and grumpy (yep there's those dwarves again) just about every 28 days. That kind of puts the lie to Transwomen dont have cycles.

Find a therapist, figure out where on the spectrum you fit and begin the journey that's appropriate for you.

[Guest Florida Alex]

What a pleasant surprise to see others my age transitioning. I'm 56 and it's nice to know it's really never too late to start the process. Is there anyone here who is FTM and close to my age?

Thanks to all of you wonderful people for sharing your lives - ups and downs, with all of us.

Alex