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Great feeling isn't it? I am pleased that my blog has given you encouragement and hope. I have just had a visit to my doorstep of two 'Witnesses' and while I am not into their version of religion, I am a Spiritualist and we had a good conversation about our different views.....they never had an idea I am trans, its something I keep very well under wraps, totally stealth. My voice is indiscernible now from any other woman, eventually they had to go, I had talked them into oblivion. Thats the power of getting the voice correct, great tool to have in your armoury. Any other help I can offer please ask, I have many achievements and adventures and if any of the experience can aid someone I would be delighted to describe how I overcame the problems.

Yes, VERY interesting and useful. I’m very early in my transition (almost 6 months) and well remember my fears of riding the metro train to the downtown area for my weekly voice lessons. It’s no big deal now; I’m grateful for that. Now that I’ve read your thoughts I feel a contentment that my transition is going well too.

Happy birthday Monica! You are a lovely person to chat with, and I hope your birthday is absolutely awesome!

Monica, you are a WONDERFUL person! I'm grateful for your participation here at TGGuide. I hope you had a very happy birthday.

Dear Emma, Lori and Briannah, Thank you for your birthday wishes. Am proudly age 60. Emma, I love the pictures of your cat. Will be writing about this milestone soon. Yours truly, Monica

Dear NotAllowed and Emma, Have noticed that there is a more "rough crowd" riding the bus and subway, as well as visiting the library, As for the bus, I try to ride as close as possible to the driver (in the front). In the subway, I try to ride in the FIRST card (by the conductor) but I notice that there are more "conductor-less" cars, but I would still try to ride in the first car. In the library, I try to use the computer/tables as close to the librarians at the front desk as possible. Always carry a "Five Star Responder," by Great Call (www.greatcall.com) and if I press the "panic button" for 5 seconds or less, I get a trained operator, and if I press it for 6 seconds or more, I get BOTH the operator and police. Also,my exact location shows up on the operator's and police's map. Just before I wrote this, I was harassed by two Latina/Hispanic young women (for what reason, I don't know) and had to report them to the librarian. This is one of the reasons I am saving up to get my own computer, so I don't have to go to the library as often. Hate using the public computer as I feel so vulnerable. The trans- and homophobia here in upstate New York is so oppressive! Yours truly, Monica

Yes, it is a great feeling. I've recently adopted a mantra that helps me a lot: Whenever we feel fear we're up against a kind of wall... on the other side of the wall is a kind of freedom. I feel these fears fairly often and use the freedom I know I'll feel to motivate me to climb the wall and jump to the other side. I have another trans friend (Joanna Santos, Toronto) who also moves about society in complete stealth. Like you, she taught herself about her voice. I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you achieved that. My voice coach is wonderful and I hope to "graduate" within a couple of months. It's pretty expensive and, I believe, I am steadily improving on playing my "instrument" (as she calls it) and will be able to at least join the junior orchestra. That said I'm lucky to live where I am, in Seattle. I dress nicely and appropriately and even though I doubt I pass anyone's scrutiny everyone is very nice to me. My goals for having a truly feminine voice are to remove a cognitive dissonance I feel when I hear myself speak, and to help people I meet more automatically gender me appropriately. And yet, the wall of a passable voice is quite steep and tall for me.

I hope yours turns out as well! And that the getting it ready is as painless as possible! It's the first time I ever sold a house, so... it was a wee bit overwhelming. I don't do well with first time situations. Summer is a great time in my neighborhood too, you get the college kids whose parents realize buying a house for four years is acdtually cheaper than the dorms at the local SERIOUSLY overpriced university.

Good luck Briannah! I'm preparing to place a house on the market. I'd rather wait for summer but a life situation is pushing for a faster sale. It is a rental property, so nobody worry about me being homeless. Hope all turns out well for your sale. ​

The younger set wear a lot of padded and shaping bras. You don't see very many of this demographic using forms, as most of them can't afford the really good cosmetic ones (and I have seen REALLY GOOD ones, but they cost nearly a thousand: there is dissention here, Nikki says apiece I thought it was for the set) and tend to wear clothing that would show it a little on the top and sometimes sides. One that spans all age demographics that I know of is the chicken cutlets, those little silicone pad things that even you out. One of the many things they don't tell us about our physical development, very few women are actually truly symmetrical(although I think most are close enough it's not an issue). Quite a few are so asymmetrical that we have two separate cup sizes, and it can be awkward since for whatever reason the manufacturing industry of bras refuses to deal with this reality. Jerks. You'd think it wouldn't be that hard to make ribcage sized harnesses with eyelet hooks and separate cups so each woman can get what's needed. I vary with c and d, but I know one woman who has a b and d, and due to other medical issues is not a candidate for either implant or reduction surgery. So I learned that it could be worse, don't complain. LOL I imagine this would also be a thing for some transwomen as genetics does their unpredictable things.​ However, my understanding of the breast forms origin is for the ugly issue of breast cancer and removal of one or both breasts. And quite a few people of all genders fall prone to that ugly disease. And society unfortunately judges women by the size of our chests still, and removing them entirely was socially traumatic on top of the physical and emotional trauma. So there are unfortunately MANY cisgender women sport them for that purpose. The numbers are slowly going down thankfully, as early detection, advances in medication, and lumpectomy surgeries become reliable alternatives to mastectomy surgery with equal survival rates, at least among those with breasts, as those without often don't detect it early enough. Some find emotional comfort in not seeing a reminder in the mirror, others find social relief by not looking dramatically different in public. Although several do the cloth forms for the same reason Emma spoke of, either early after the surgery during the healing process, or permanently if the scars are sensitive. There are a scattered few I know of that use the forms that give you one extra size and fit over your breast, but without exception the ones I know are extremely vain and unable to afford implants, as it's quite hot and uncomfortable to wear them around the breast. I have to wrap my equalizer cutlet in cloth, or I get a nasty skin rash from it personally. Nikki once asked if I'd be willing to play around with them for fun time, and I was like NOPE, not getting massive rashes for that. Wisely dropped the issue. Nikki is fortunate that the irritation and heat doesn't do much to his skin beyond somewhat irritating sweat that can just be wiped away as needed, and can use them for long periods when girl mode lasts a while. If he had my skin, it would be truly ugly. He prefers the forms for the sense of weight in addition to the shape I believe. And I think he likes that i can use them to prop my head up when we're watching a movie, more realistic feel than a cloth set that would just sorta go down like pillows if I tried that. When he's in girl mode I still go outta my way to physically interact like I did when I was dating women for the small moments, and I don't think that would work with cloth, so another reason I'm glad he can use forms, he gets more outta it. Sometimes I think I go overboard trying to hard, but he says it makes him happy, so I'm not gonna get an Emmy, but I have a happy spouse. I wonder if some of the cancer victims also find that comforting? I'm not sure how I would feel about it if I ever pop a positive on that and it becomes an issue. I suspect it would be cloth forms for me due to my overly irritable skin. I'm also not sure how well I would adjust to a massive physical change like that, I'm clumsy. Even being on crutches when I twisted my knee and bound around my waist so I couldn't bend after abdominal was dramatically crazy for me until I healed, I injured myself and Nikki in the goofiest ways trying to adapt. I do know a girl who had a double, and she loves it(had massive back issues, and was considering reduction once she'd saved enough), but she did tell me there was a balance learning curve after the surgery.

Dear Michelle Lea, In the future, you may want to consider I.V. sedation. It costs a little more, but it is worth it. Luckily, it is included in my dental insurance. Proud of your excellent progress on the job! Sounds like your boss really believes in you! Good for you for taking such good care of you and your "furry children"! Hope you get them microchips. My nephew and his wife refused to microchip their dog (even though it costs only 25 dollars) and last Christmas their dog got away from us and I almost slipped on some black ice trying to catch it! LOL! Your friend, Monica