So, it has been a month a couple of days since I started HRT! Time went by so quickly. Things continue to change although nothing really too drastic, I have been feeling great both physically and mentally. I am still losing weight and there is a lot of body fat redistribution happening and I am not sure whether I am at the point where changes are more subtle, I haven’t noticed much, although friends tell me otherwise. In fact a trans-woman whom I have known for some time, was a bit shocked to see how much my face had changed in such a short period of time. She mentioned it took almost 6 months before she could see any changes.
I got in touch with a couple of the local organizations which offer support groups for trans people. It seems there are two drop-in groups. I decided to go to one of them and it was not really what I was expecting but I am glad I went. I got to meet other trans people at several stages of their transition. It is always interesting to hear how other people cope or deal with things such as fear, transphobia and even shopping!
As strange as it sounds, shopping for clothes as a trans person in early stages of the transition process can be a bit awkward. I personally don’t really give a shit whether people stare at me when I go into a shop and see me choosing or checking out women’s clothes. At the moment, I still use the men’s fitting room. I do wonder what it will be like once I look more androgynous. I have noticed that a lot of places have mixed fitting rooms, which is great.
I guess the same thing applies to public washrooms? I am glad some progress (although not enough) is being made locally. The Vancouver School Board has adopted a policy that will allow students to be addressed by the name that corresponds with their gender identity, which means that these students will also be able to use the washroom that also corresponds with their gender identity and one of the community centres, which coincidentally is near my place is now offering trans-inclusive swims!
Today, I came out to my sister. I had typed up a very long email explaining the situation, and I knew that I would have her support, but coming out to a relative is always difficult. I thought the best thing was to just send her the message and get it over with, so I did. Her response was pretty much what I was expecting. She said she has always supported me and will always do so, she did however, mention that I should start thinking about telling mum. I expect mum will also be supportive, but I am worried that she is still a bit sensitive after dad passed away a year ago.
Either way, it felt good to share this with my sister and have her support as well as my partner’s!
If puppies make you smile, you’ll want to watch this video! See you in the next update!
My Transition Diaries 