Lori

You are very brave. I hid from myself all through school and well into my adult life. People are becoming more open minded, but there is obviously still a lot of progress that needs to be made. We're here for you. Sounds like you're taking advantage of school resources too. I think you're amazing! :)

eBooks have definitely caught on. You can publish an eBook and have it carried on Amazon. You can also sell it on your own website, using PayPal for credit card processing. You could even set it up on an affiliate program and let others sell it for you and split the profits.

Best of luck to you! Please let us know how things are going with your career. :)

I guess I need to catch the show sometime. I'm more interested now, after reading your review. I'm so glad it was a balanced program. :)

No worries about procrastination around here. Thanks for posting your blog. :)

I think it is helpful to think of gender identity as a continuum with extremely male and extremely female on each end. Most of us find that we fit in somewhere in between. Dr Cerise Richards spoke about the transgender continuum during her keynote speech at the 2010 Fantasia Fair: http://web.me.com/ceriserichards/TRANSGENDER_CONTINUUM/FANTASIA_FAIR_KEYNOTE.html

We're all unique and have to determine where we fit in on the transgender continuum. An experienced therapist can help with this.

I recall having sleep problems as I wrestled with all the gender issues back in transition. I still have sleep problems but for different reasons these days. I find that if I take a Melatonin (a natural compound found in the market's vitamin section) that I am usually able to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Sending you hugs with best wishes for strength, happiness and success. :)

Wishing you the best of luck with your transition. Looking forward to photos to document your progress. Hugs, ~ Lori

Stephani,

I'm glad you have the support of your therapist. Hopefully you have some local friends who are supportive as well, and of course we love you and support you here at TGGuide.

We all have different experiences of course, but I was able to make a sudden transition, literally overnight. I walked away from the old me (figuratively speaking) and emerged as the new me. It took awhile but I sort of merged my life history and worked things out the best I could. I made a conscious decision to just enjoy the process of transition and for the most part, I did. Sure, there were ups and downs and struggles along the way, but that helped me stay the course without losing my mind.

This might be a good topic for a post in the forums -- to see how everybody else deals with the emotional turmoil of transition, or just being transgendered.

Sending love and hugs.

~ Lori

Welcome Dan! Thanks for the glimpse into your life and development as a man. You're among friends here. :)

Hi Vicki! Thank you for sharing your story. I hope you will make some nice friends around here and enjoy our support as you continue to explore your femme self. ~ Lori

Makes me wonder... if you have their name, address and phone number please send them in a private message and I'll look into it for you to see if they are legit. Glad you stayed safe. :)

I'm very happy for you. It feels good to surround yourself with kind, caring people who understand. It's so nice that they noticed you were withdrawn and they pulled you out of your shell. You sound like a new woman and check this out... you even referred to yourself as Tristina! :)

I'm so VERY proud of you Plague.

It's scary walking into a support group meeting for the first time, but I suspect you'll be right at home and you may wonder what you were so worried about in the first place. Over time you may become very close with them. No need to freak out cause everybody in the group has felt just like you at some point. (((hugs!)))

Sounds like you have the right attitude and you're doing all the right things. Hang in there girl! And be sure to let us know how things are going for you. It gets better!

The nurturing part of me surfaces... If you were my child I would hug you and let you know it's ok. It's ok to be different. It's ok to be special.

Wish I could make the "ugly" people shut the hell up. They say mean, hurtful things. Some of them just don't know any better. I don't know what to do about them. I do know what to say to you. Remember that you are special. Avoid the negative self talk and love yourself for being you.

Even though it's hard sometimes, you're not alone.

This is an awesome story! Of course you shouldn't have to explain yourself at all, but you just helped change the perception of two people who were ignorant about what transgender is. :)

Good for you! Glad to hear you turned things around. (((hugs)))

Thank you for bringing up this important topic Plague.

It's always best to avoid situations where you will be at risk. I'm a big believer in risk avoidance and risk management. You make a good point. Sometimes we should be careful about the situations we put ourselves in.

For example, I know a very attractive, young transgender woman locally. She is totally passable - virtually flawless in appearance, voice and demeanor. She enjoys the nightclub scene. To be blunt, she drinks excessively and hooks up with men she meets there. It's all great fun to her but it exposes her to far too much risk.

I advised my friend not to drink to the point of being intoxicated and out of control, not to go to the nightclubs alone and never, ever leave the club with someone she just met. We also discussed the fact that she doesn't always use protection when she engages in sex with the men she meets at the bars.

This example is played out on a nightly basis all over the world. I think we have to be very cautious and be sure we're safe. I know we should all have the right to do what we want as long as it doesn't harm anyone and I'm all about having fun. We should certainly never blame the victim for criminal actions of another person, but we have to be responsible also given the realities of the world we live in.

There are people out there who will target us for whatever their reasons might be. We must be aware of the potential risks and seek to minimize them so we can be safe. Don't be shy to ask for help if you feel threatened. Tell someone if you think you're being followed or if something doesn't feel right. Call the police if you need to. Just stay safe.

Hope and a little optimism can make all the difference for those of us in the transgender community.

Being transgender is about a life of difficult choices. You're among people who will support you, and who care. Only you can figure out how Plague fits into your life but we're here to lend an ear and give you a little feedback now and then.... and to give you big hugs! ((((HUG))))

I clicked the "Like This" button but only because there isn't a "Love This" button.

It's so great to have you here. We've come a long way actually as we've been finding our way over the years. I'm glad to hear you feel a sense of belonging here. We try to be inclusive, rather than an exclusive group that's only designed for one certain type of transgender people.

All we ask is that everybody get involved and help us help each other.

Lots of (((hugs)))

Lori

The past doesn't equal the present or the future. Stay strong friend and others will learn by your example. :)

Thanks for sharing your story. We can all relate to elements of your experiences so you're among friends here. May you find your place on the transgender spectrum, along with happiness and fulfillment in life. :)