Lori

You ladies might inspire me to go get my hair done or something.

I'm glad you found your way out of the bad relationship. Been there, done that! I'm sure you have grown wiser from the experience. I usually find that there is something to take away from every relationship, no matter how painful. Bipolar disorder is a complex disease. I've seen people try self medication through marijuana or other drugs. I've also seen them quit taking their prescribed medication without medical supervision. Both have always been a disaster. Somehow I've known quite a few people with the disorder. Properly supervised they seem to lead reasonably normal lives but I've never seen alternative treatments work. I may be wrong, but I've never seen it. Wishing you the best as you move forward with your life. Hugs, Lori

Yeah, perfectly passable in my opinion but I agree with Karen. All a person would see is a man and a woman.

You are beautiful

It is interesting how perspectives vary on this. My thought was that Caitlyn probably suffered even more than me for a number of reasons. 1. She is older. She grew up before there was the Internet or much reliable information about transgender issues. I remember believing I was the "only one" in the world who felt this way. Caitlyn came up at a time when there was even less information and much less tolerance. 2. She became famous. Bruce Jenner was an American icon and was a hero to many. Bruce received endorsements such as Wheaties and became instantly recognizable in virtually every household in America. I can relate from being fairly well known in my home town and how scary it is that your "secret" might get out. Remember this was in an era when most of America was very intolerant. 3. Caitlyn probably realized she could never just disappear and then reappear as her female self. At the time of my transition (over 20 years ago) that is exactly what I did. I disappeared and reemerged as a female. Fortunately for me I passed pretty near flawlessly so I pretty much just got on with my life. Caitlyn probably didn't have that opportunity with Paparazzi hounding her. I believe Caitlyn's coming out will signal a turning point in how America views and treats transgender people. Or course there will still be ignorance and bigotry, but Caitlyn has people talking. Now, everybody knows somebody who is transgender -- or at least they feel like they do. I have never seen the outpouring of support that I am for Caitlyn. I do believe we're at a cross roads. Let's hope this will be the shift we've been hoping for.

Thank you for your thoughtful observation Brigsby. I agree there isn't as much conversation about trans men. I suspect that is because the men are less visible, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't talk about FtM issues. It reinforces in my mind that we were right, during the early development of TGGuide, when we decided to be open to all transgender people including FtM. In fact, during our recent upgrades, I am attempting to make the site more neutral so it feels welcoming for both the guys and gals regardless of where they fit on the transgender continuum.

We all come from different backgrounds. Absolutely no disrespect intended for anyone... I believe the LGBT community should be armed and well trained to defend themselves in so far as they are able to do so legally, are mentally capable and are willing to accept the responsibilities of doing so. Great to see you getting back into training Karen! I have a feeling you're going to find that you're more successful now than ever before! I really like Monica's suggestion about the self defense training DVD set. Perhaps we should talk about that sometime Karen. I have facilities and video equipment.

Does my heart good to hear this because it wasn't always clear what direction to go. Like the greater society, I believe our diversity is our strength. I am so happy that some find something meaningful here. Thank you for the kind words Karen. :)

You have handled things very well in my opinion. I think you will continue to get a good reception based on your approach. A person would have to be an ass to respond unkindly. I think this is where you will find out who your friends really are. Based on my own experience, I suspect you will see that some old friends simply drift away. Others will become closer because of this experience. You may also be pleasantly surprised to see some people, who had seemed indifferent, step up to support you.

Welcome home Karen :)

I'll do an update of the site in the near future. That might resolve some issues if they are server side or software based problems.

That is wonderful news. Thank you for sharing your success story! :)

Looks like things are going very well for you! I enjoy your blog entries. Sharing your journey helps others so thank you for posting your experiences. Sorry you're having problems posting images. I just tested and it seems to be working properly. The images have to published to your gallery first and they can then be published in your blog by click "My Media" and selecting the image(s) you wish to add. Otherwise, you can click the image icon and add the URL to an existing image on the Internet. If you're still having problems or if things aren't working that way from your computer I will be happy to help.

Best of luck for a fast recovery. It might take awhile and some days may be better than others. If I recall correctly, the 3rd and 4th days were a bit more painful. Hopefully you will be comfortable but some rougher days are probably the norm. It will all be over soon and it will be worth it so stay focused on the goal. :)

Everybody has their own story to tell, and you never know when your story will be the one that makes a profound difference in the life of someone searching for answers.

Appreciate your heartfelt response to Leelah. The transgender community needs to stop the self-destructiveness. Suicide is NOT the answer.

I always felt like an alien with my right wing fundamentalist (conspiracy theory loving) family. How the hell could I possibly be related to those people? And, that's before I even begin discussing the alienation of my gender identity crisis back in the day. Wishing the best for you Emma, always. Can't want to hear how the support group goes. Meeting others like me was the most important step for me as I began my gender journey.

Agreed. A complete transition will probably take 5 years or so beyond surgery. There will still be issues that need to be worked out. In my own experience, they are easier to handle than the raging conflict pre-transition but everyone will be a bit different. It sounds like you are on the right track and we're always here if you need us.

Happy Holidays Karen :)

Wishing you the best Lisa, as you explore your own place on the gender continuum. Take your time because only you can determine what is right for you. Happy holidays to you. (((HUGS)))

Sounds great! I'm still friends with my brother's ex. We visited recently and picked up where we left off 25 years ago. My transition was a minor topic of discussion. We were just happy to see each other again.

You've got this!

I don't believe in a one size fits all prescription for transition. I was never a fan of the Benjamin Standards of Care. I recall flipping back and forth between male and female in my early transition stages. Like you, eventually I was passing as female even when I was trying to pass as male. One day I made the decision to transition completely and I never looked back. My life has been more fulfilling and successful since my transition than it ever was prior. I believe one of the keys is acceptance of responsibility for my own happiness and success. It's been a matter of doing what I need to do. Being female hasn't always been a perfect fit for me, and my transition certainly wasn't perfect -- but I have worked it out and life is pretty darn near perfect now. :)