I just decided to change my gender after 60 years of GID.

The first time is always the hardest. I think the worst day for me, was being told by the clinic I was dealing with, that I had to change my name prior to any treatment. WHAT! Are these people mad??
Fortunately, when I changed my name legally, I knew the solicitor I went to see, was one I, as he had done a divorce for an old friend of mine!! We went into this little office and he sat down. I told him I wanted to change my name. He went and got the relevent paperwork, and came back. Pen poised, he asked "What name are you choosing?" I told him. "Oh ok,". Didn't have to say much more after that. I changed my name about 4 weeks prior to getting hormone in April 1998.

-- Sun Nov 20, 2011 10:06 am --

Glenellygirl, you need to research things like are you going to get caught out going into female restrooms.
When you transition my way, it's usually a lot easier to blend in, because, men look less and don't spend as much time in the restroom. Your local council(not sure what the american equivalent is), will be able to tell you. All you need to do is give them a phone call and if you feel too embarrassed, you could say you are asking for a friend.

Trojan and glennellyngirl,

You two are a real inspiration for me, thank you so much for sharing. You have helped me a lot and I am sure many others who read these posts.

Best,
Sam

That's what it's all about. Help and support, and it's a 2-way street!

I am now going through a process of checking myself on the decision to go ahead at this point. I read some stories of transgender MTF cases who recommend not doing it under any circumstances. I looked into what I can expect from hormones alone and found out that the largest breasts I can expect would be a B cup. I was hoping for more than that. I don't think I can arrange funding for surgical breast enhancement. I also looked into the gender reassignment surgery and watched an actual procedure on video. It was sobering to say the least. I will make the decision in steps. For now, I think back to the conversation with the doctor for the first screening and realize just how much more I appreciated him with the eyes of a girl than I ever appreciated professional men as a boy. If I restrict my romantic search to men of high calibre I think I will be greatly rewarded and it will make the transition more palatable. In fact. my whole view of civilization as the work of great men is undergoing renewal.

Glenellygirl, Oestrogen will give you some breast tissue growth, but if you want substantial growth, then you may well have to go for the artificial(my brain has forgotten the word I'm after)ones. The surgeon will assess you according to what looks right, and natural for your build.

Are these artificial breasts resistant to all the wear and tear of active life? My impression is that they seem less structurally sound than a real breast. If it's silicone in a bag then what about the bag? Is it safe from rupture due to wear and tear?

I don't know that much about them. Some are silicon based, others aren't. You could find info about them on the internet??

I'm thinking now in terms of once I get my gender marker changed, I will be at peace and not need to distinguish myself as female by the large breasts.

I have to be careful to distinguish between feelings of no welcome to the presence of men because of their failure to meet my desires as a female and feelings of no welcome because of lingering faithfulness to my former male identity.

That's very insightful glenellyngirl, it is hard sometimes to separate the feelings and know what they mean. It really sounds like you are working through things well.

As for the breast size I think you are right. There are many women with small breasts, and many features of a women that are not breasts and not breast size. If you are talking about breast implants I think they are very stable. But hang on, and see what the hormones bring you. You never know.....it might be enough for you.

Take care,
Sam