What is something you learned or experienced from being trans that you wish you knew pre-transition, or that you wish cis people knew?
I’ll go first: the temperature differences when going from testosterone-dominance to estrogen-dominance is not just real but significant, my body just puts out less heat and I feel colder much easier now even when otherwise maintaining a high metabolism, eating in excess, etc.
It may have just been my trans denial before, but I really wanted to believe that the difference was not that great and I was wrong.
What’s something you wish people knew?
I do just feel more comfortable, estrogen seemed to “fix” my temperature - no more sweating through my sheets and leaving a yellow stain on my bed 🤢 As I first started estrogen, I was shocked at how animal-like it seemed like I was on testosterone, the way my body stank, the excessive sweating, and so on. Becoming a woman was like becoming human, is the way it felt to me.
100% get it. Linen sheets were a godsend when i learned about them but its still a lot. Zero tolerance for the sun as well (all aspects of it, no heat tolerance and bad light sensitivity and i can sunburn to blisters easily)
sigh need a job so i can have stable(remote) employment, so i can get the hell out of ohio, so i can even start…
Come to your neighbor in the north! We’re pretty trans friendly up here in SE Michigan and job opportunities are pretty good.
Illinois and Minnesota would be even better states for trans people (at least based on the laws, rural southern IL is obviously not going to be the best), but Michigan is much better than Ohio, it’s just purple-ish politically and it’s not clear how that situation will go as the anti-trans backlash builds. For example, the Michigan House passed an anti-trans sports bill, but it failed to become a law.
Oh, for sure. Fortunately, we do have laws protecting GAH and LGBTQ+ non-discrimination, albeit unfortunately only for adults at this time. Still, medical providers have emphasized their commitment to providing care for trans kids too, even if it’s not enshrined in law yet.
just one step at a time, and just keep in the right direction - with persistent effort and action you will get there, in the meantime hang in there 🫂
Ohio isn’t ideal, but it’s totally possible to get on estrogen with DIY vials, and the right hormones can really make everything else easier, but I understand if it’s complicated 😅
Yep, less about the estrogen itself as it is the complete incapability to have a private life away from my family if I stay here 😬 everyone knows everyone and it comes out of nowhere at the weirdest times
But Ohio being ohio is also pretty awful.
yeah, I get that. Taking estrogen will change the way you look - one neighbor of mine told me he thought I looked 20 years younger, this was after taking estrogen for 6 - 8 months, lol. So cis people may be more clueless than you think, but at some point it will be an issue - and it definitely would be best to trust your family and be able to transition openly with them.
Though I just realized - family could mean you are married and have kids, or it could mean you’re young and haven’t left home yet - and those are two different situations, much easier to leave your family if you’re not the parent 😅