Wow! Jess. You are making great strides. It all sounds so exciting, and it also sounds like you are in a good place with good providers. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.

Well, the pace is continuing and seems to be just falling into my lap since I have shed any fears (no, that is the wrong word)...reservations,  about getting out there.  I went to the same church this past Sunday that I found 2 weeks ago.  They all were so happy to see me; and I was happy to see them.  Stayed again an hour after for coffee fellowship and had some real good conversations with more people, much less inhibited and guarded in divulging who I was, where I came from and where I'm going.  So nice to be who you are and not put on a façade.  Ran into Amy, talked to her at length.  She is an absolutely beautiful person; very soft-spoken.  I noticed her skin, hair, facial features, her manner, her speech, her hair, her hands, and you just know she has worked on it and succeeded in portraying how she feels.  Anyway, just so has it, this Friday is the regional annual LGBTQ dinner; Amy told me about it, and I booked my reservation and am going. 

Yesterday, I had my first of 6 face and neck hair laser treatments, (every 4 weeks) for my beard and neck. Did a pretty good job, I think. You could feel it but not too bad overall. Had to grit my teeth a little doing above my lip and under my nose.  Afterwards felt sunburned for about 5 hours.  Got the moisturizers she suggested and have been using them often since. Haven't shaven since then and don't seem to be any black hairs or shadow a day later. Normally it would be real heavy by now, black stubble everywhere. There are a few dark hairs, but she explained they where "zapped" and would work their way out of my pores.  There where quite a few last night, but hardly any now. The only thing left are the light hairs which I think was probably 20 % of my beard growth.  So I called my electrologist and she's going do a full hour treatment next week, instead of just an "introduction".  

Therapist today had to cancel for tonight; another snowstorm expecting 15 inches and already coming down heavy. Was looking forward to it; I'm really getting to like her.  She's pretty sharp. Let me in on a regional insurance company that they've worked with that covers just about everything, even cosmetic procedures.  Mine covers next to nothing. I just successfully signed up tp switch effective March 1, so the pace is sure to pick up soon after that. 😃

Jessica

First electrolysis session tonight!  Well, had my first laser session last Monday and tonight my electrolysis for beard and neck hair.  Christina, of Saratoga Electrolysis, worth mentioning because she was so sweet and welcoming to me!😘  I felt so out of my skin having to present as male due to the need for facial stubble, but she was so kind and really tried to make me feel comfortable, which I eventually was.  Was an hour session which she added another 15 min au gratis.  We booked 2 more sessions for late next week when I return from my trip.  Can already tell I'm gonna have another friend🙋‍♀️.  

Dear MichelleLea, Jessica and Christy,

We all should be striving to have many LAYERS of support. It felt great when a well meaning friend recently recommended a church that was not good for me.  After I looked into it, and then I returned his call, I could honestly thank him for reaching out to me but was able to tell him, no thanks, I have MANY layers of support!

Can't emphasize enough about doing your research and NETWORKING with others to both give and receive resources and information. 

Thank you all for being wonderful, supportive friends!  😊

Yours truly,

Monica

My therapist signed off on HRT letter tonight😍🙋‍♀️❤️😲😊!  I will be changing my primary care doctor to a transgender specialist tomorrow and scheduling my first appointment. Only my fourth session and would have done it sooner, but she had to complete all the assessment and paperwork required.😎

Wow! That is amazing news! yay!!!!

I went to my first support group session tonight.  The group. meets once a month and is moderated by my therapist.  Approximately 15 people attended and was highly relevant to the issues I'm most concerned with and many other issues important to the others.  All were MTF, and some were post surgery. Met several girls with very similar backgrounds as myself and made a few friends that I look forward to getting to know better, too.  I think on all accounts, for myself and the others it was very productive and informative.  I am looking forward to the next one.☺️

Funny thing I overlooked!  2 weeks ago, I headed down to Florida with a U-Haul and my car in tow to close on a house there.  Purged all my "boy clothes" except for the set I was wearing for my trip down.  After the closing, the day after I arrived, I started unpacking and have lived authentically since, setting everything up that I needed to do.  Last Tuesday, headed back to NY with a planned 4 day "pitstop" at the Keystone Transgender Conference in Pennsylvania on my way.  Just got back to NY and have several things to attend to before I head back down, some of which will require boy mode presentation.  UGH!!!!!!!!!!. Forgot to bring my set of boy clothes, including my shoes! HAHA.  Well gonna have to go to Walmart sometime today and buy a new set. 😜  Before I head to Florida again, I'll be sure to leave them here.

Picking Up the Pace a Bit!

Entry posted by Jessicatoyou · February 8

Oh gosh, I just reread this blog and I can't believe how everything has changed so much in just four months.   I will add more blogs about some of the more significant events, accomplishments and simple thoughts that would take up to much now.    A couple of notes though, since March,

1.  My final laser hair removal of beard.is next month.   Targeting only the dark hairs on my face and neck, the process being used is supposed to be permanent.  As no dark hairs seem to be growing back now, I'll be curious how effect it is over the long run.  Have also had about 30+ hours of electrolysis and most hair is gone from my face, but still mich more to do around the neck area.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          2. I'm 4 months into HRT and some significant body and emotional changes are underway.  While I'm not settling for just that in my transition I tend to think at this point I  would be just as happy even if facial procedures and GRS were not future possibilities.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       3.  Have legally changed my name and all gender markers to female and updated all records including licenses, Social Security, Medical, Birth Certificate and, one of the first things I did, my VOTER REGISTRATION.  The neat thing is, in NYS it can be done with having the records sealed, which was important for me as my son was a junior.                                                                           4. There is not a person on the planet who I need not be authentic with now.  I relied heavily on Dana Hoffman Fox's advice on coming out and my therapist gave me some additional good pointers when the time came.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              5. I have connected with most of my extended family using Facebook.  I never was into Facebook before and just started a page solely for the purpose of not allowing any to "hide me".  This worked,  and the funny thing is once one of my siblings "friended" me the rest of my cousins, aunts, uncles, nephews. nieces are reaching out to me!                                                                            6. I have established my presence and am becoming more involved in my two communities, both in NY and Florida.  I think this is extremely important as it is an opportunity for me to help "normalize" Transgender in society.  I often start out my day asking myself, "What can I do today???" with respect to that.                                                                                                                             7. I have met some really, really, really good people as Jessica, both transgender and cis.  I absolutely would do anything for them I could; I really love them all!                                                           8. Had some facial feminization procedures.  First, some fillers in lower and upper cheeks.  I didn't really notice much improvement and have decided since that was a waste out of my budget.  I am still recovering from a  "limited" Facial Surgery procedure (12 days ago) and while it is too early to tell, I should have gone this route or not at all. I would have loved to do more but had some tough budget constraints.  

I will try to give more details in these and some others through blogs in the coming weeks.