pmcohen
10-05-2010, 10:35 PM
Greetings everyone.
I've been watching this board for a little while and think its time to introduce myself.
I have been wanting to be a woman for around 15 years or so, ever since I found out such a thing was possible. But I had a career and couldn't even imagine trying to transition at work. But the desire continued to grow.
The past year my career was up-ended by a corporate ladder-climber that liked to
leave lots of road kill behind him on his way up. I have also been on two
bouts of short term disability due to a dizziness problem compounded with my
crohn's disease. During the past summer, it became apparent that I wasn't going
to be returning to work. By that point the desire to become a woman was just
about all I could think about every minute I was awake and I finally got the
guts to call a shrink. At the beginning of September, I went to
a makeup artist friendly to the transgender crowd to see what I would look like as a
woman. I believe I've posted the photo I took home from that session in my profile.
I looked at that photo every day and knew I was doing the right thing. I
finally met with my shrink on 9/15 and met with her support group the following
Sunday.
That meeting was my first encounter with other transgenders and things have been
moving very quickly since then. Nine days ago I went shopping with one of the girls I met at the meeting and bought my first outfits. I spent the next few days dressed and I felt wonderful. The days just felt absolutely magical (I even treated myself to my first mani/pedi). I also started voice therapy.
I had to spend two days in "boy-mode" as I was meeting with people who didn't know. I "de-girled" the public areas of my apartment and found the whole thing very depressing. I decided that it was the last time I was going to go through that.
This past Sunday I came out to my family. I sent them a very detailed message explaining my feelings and asked them to call me after reading it. They accepted me completely. I went to see them on Monday to introduce them to the new me and it was a wonderful experience. I went shopping with my mother and got my ears pierced.
At that moment I decided I was now full time. With my family's support it didn't matter what anybody else thought. I can't describe how happy I am right now. I keep pinching myself to see if I am dreaming. Tomorrow I start on hormones. The times ahead may not always be this smooth, but right now I feel like the luckiest person on Earth.
Paula Cohen
I've been watching this board for a little while and think its time to introduce myself.
I have been wanting to be a woman for around 15 years or so, ever since I found out such a thing was possible. But I had a career and couldn't even imagine trying to transition at work. But the desire continued to grow.
The past year my career was up-ended by a corporate ladder-climber that liked to
leave lots of road kill behind him on his way up. I have also been on two
bouts of short term disability due to a dizziness problem compounded with my
crohn's disease. During the past summer, it became apparent that I wasn't going
to be returning to work. By that point the desire to become a woman was just
about all I could think about every minute I was awake and I finally got the
guts to call a shrink. At the beginning of September, I went to
a makeup artist friendly to the transgender crowd to see what I would look like as a
woman. I believe I've posted the photo I took home from that session in my profile.
I looked at that photo every day and knew I was doing the right thing. I
finally met with my shrink on 9/15 and met with her support group the following
Sunday.
That meeting was my first encounter with other transgenders and things have been
moving very quickly since then. Nine days ago I went shopping with one of the girls I met at the meeting and bought my first outfits. I spent the next few days dressed and I felt wonderful. The days just felt absolutely magical (I even treated myself to my first mani/pedi). I also started voice therapy.
I had to spend two days in "boy-mode" as I was meeting with people who didn't know. I "de-girled" the public areas of my apartment and found the whole thing very depressing. I decided that it was the last time I was going to go through that.
This past Sunday I came out to my family. I sent them a very detailed message explaining my feelings and asked them to call me after reading it. They accepted me completely. I went to see them on Monday to introduce them to the new me and it was a wonderful experience. I went shopping with my mother and got my ears pierced.
At that moment I decided I was now full time. With my family's support it didn't matter what anybody else thought. I can't describe how happy I am right now. I keep pinching myself to see if I am dreaming. Tomorrow I start on hormones. The times ahead may not always be this smooth, but right now I feel like the luckiest person on Earth.
Paula Cohen