Stopping crossdressing due to health issues?

I'm a crossdresser........sort of. I'm not passable, and I don't wear feminine clothes 24/7/365. What wardrobe I have is pretty limited except for the large amount of tights I have. Though I do have a few tops, skirts, shoes and boots, and a few other things. I crossdress, but it's mostly just at home and just for leisure/relaxation like watching tv, working on the comp, etc. while crossdressed.
But this thread isn't about my wardrobe or how often I crossdress. In the last 6 months, I've had some health issues which have made me rethink my life, what I like to do and so forth. I'm in my mid 40's right now. I won't go into details what symptoms I'm having except to say that I go back to the hospital this week for tests to check out my heart. Suffice to say, the last 6 months has made me contemplate purging my entire collection of feminine stuff, stop crossdressing, and start being "normal" again, and get back to living a healthier lifestyle.

Has anyone else ever had a similar situation? Have you ever had to stop crossdressing and/or purge your stuff due to health issues? Or did you continue your crossdressing activities as you normally would?

No experience with health issues but cross dressing and health issues are unrelated.

You mentioned your heart and that you're still in your 40s. No forty year old should have heart issues so... unless you have congenital issues, if you smoke, stop smoking, if you drink, stop drinking, and START exercising. Exercise = elevated heart rate for 30+ minutes continually. Lose weight and get healthy. You can do all of that while cross dressing but if stopping helps you get healthy faster, then by all means stop.

I had to continue crossdressing because of health issues. Since I've found a GF that accepts me the stress levels dropped and we eat a lot healthier and now I do get-ft exercises and yoga. I am 64 this year and life is great right now. I did have heart palpitations and the stress levels were high. But now I fell complete and the crossdressing is the stress reducer. Some of us has dysphoria that raises our stress levels if it is not channeled out.

Zenlady - I am sorry to hear about your health issues. Please take care of your self.

Many people admit to stopping their crossdressing, or other activities, due to injuries and illnesses. Heart issues can happen to anyone at any age so take care of yourself.

Crossdressing issues can also influence health, either negatively or positively. I hope you are OK Zenlady.

Well I'm not going to lie, as much for most crossdressers it is a form of relaxation , it is also very stressful. If someone sees me, If someone finds my things, if a health problem happens and I'm dressed and can't undress myself etc. I'm sure your mind is more at ease not worrying about all of that and it mite be yourself telling yourself it's better without the dressing. Hope your test go good and get well soon. Hope you keep us updated on your health.

That's interesting. I actually started seriously crossdressing AFTER my medical issue (kidney stones - surgeries to remove them etc...). For me it was like a switch had been flipped from curious to GO FOR IT.

@Jennifer: I've never smoked in my life. And I never drink either. As for exercising, I try to get out when I can when the weather is decent. I walk down to the bus depot, walk to the post office, library, and a few other places instead of taking the bus around the city.

@heather: I'm trying to take care of myself as best I can. What did it for me was trying to think I could still eat as if I was a kid again. I can't do that now that I am middle aged. No more greasy, fried, fatty foods. And if I do have them, they have to be less and in smaller portions.

We have no idea what we may encounter down the road of life. You've got to do what will bring peace. Doc told me the other day I was pre-hypertension. Same thing that led to my dads death. So I had to make some changes in diet, exercise.
If I come down with a health issue that might put me in early grave my CD would in all probability ramp up if physically possible.
It's like the old adage if you knew the end was near say 6 months left, what things would you do? Spiritually speaking for me the CD brings me nearer to my source. It brings me more authenticity. I'd be like time is running out, let me get the old proverbial bucket list out.
Not saying you are near the end. By no means.

Health issues never stopped me from CDing.
I was diagnosed with onset of seizure disorder after a seizure.
Due to medication I gained a large amount of weight (over 140 lbs) and that never stopped me.
You do whats right for you to be comfortable is about all I can say about your situation.

Zenlady,
I think you have different issues with dealing with your health and the need to crossdress. If you feel guilty or not comfortable with dressing or it's at a low ebb then don't do it. No one can force you to do , all I can say is I try and work round any health issues because I may have to be in my box before I stop !

I can understand not feeling good health wise may reduce your needs but I would say once a CDer always a CDer , maybe you need to think more about sorting your health out, I do hope it's nothing too serious and it's something you can get over .

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Originally Posted by Jenniferathome

. No forty year old should have heart issues so...

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Really? Do you KNOW how many people have congenital heart issues? Sometimes you are born with it and you don't know. Things like rheumatic fever and other viruses can damage heart tissue. Have you seen how many athletes die suddenly?

External risk factors are common in older people, but young people can and do have other issues.

Hi Zenlady :hugs:, I'm going to crossdress forever I already picked which dress that I want to be laid out in when the time comes...:daydreaming:...

There have been several threads on the related topic about whether an individual should/should't quit CD'ing when reaching an age or health crisis where they might die suddenly with a trunk full of women's clothing, makeup, et cetera, in the closet. Some of the insights in those threads might be relevant to the OP's query. I don't know how to search for them, but I expect it can be done, right?

Zenlady,
No health issues here but sometimes when I dress, my blood pressure does increase..
When I go out, my blood pressures goes up further.. adrenaline too.
Hope you find out the real issue with your health.

Hugs, Connie Marie

I'm no doctor, but Lorileah's comments were the only sensible points made of medical value in the absence of more information. Too much exercise has been known to cause cardiovascular events, otherwise known as heart attack and stroke, among other things. I wager none of us wants to hear stories of that nature from anyone. None of us knows the situation Zenlady finds herself in.

Zenlady's cardiologist is the only individual best qualified to recommend a treatment for her cardiovascular issues, not anyone else.

And Zenlady, if you feel shortness of breath, chest pain, headache, nausea, or anything else unusual, head for the nearest medical emergency department. If it gets worse in the space of 15 minutes, call the ambulance. If you're nauseous, that calls for the ambulance as that is one of the symptoms of a heart attack. Those services are meant to be used in situations like yours. Time is extremely critical when cardiovascular issues arise.

Zenlady - I too have had health issues over the past 6 months - 3 visits to the hospital - the last for surgery. By chance, the pre-surgical testing discovered that at some time in the past, I've had a heart attack (unrelated to the current problem). So now I have a GI specialist, a surgeon, and a cardiologist. And at no time during my hospital stays or hearing a surprise diagnosis did I think of purging my clothes. This is a part of me - a private part, but a part of me. So, while some jaws may drop if I were to die suddenly, I can't make decisions based on that possibility. I could still have another 10 or 20 years of life experiences ahead of me.

Wendy

I worked in the health care profession, and you are SO lucky to have them discover this (as opposed to not having any heart problems at all of course). I was always in fear of some heart failure from not knowing how my heart was. So when I found out I had no genetic problems, I was very relieved. For you, now that they have you in their scope, you have a good chance of never having an unexpected problem in the future. I certainly hope so!!
I sometimes worry about my dead carcass being found with lacy underwear on, but then I get over it, knowing that it makes absolutely no difference to me by then. LOL

For 10 years, I wore tite laced corsets every time I dressed. I looked incredible and I loved how they felt. Unfortunately, I can't wear them any more because they damaged my sciatic nerves. (Didn't help my hemaroid situation either.):o

On the other hand, when I got serious about my figure, I dropped 20 pounds, quit working out, and started a daily program of crunches, stretching, and floor excersizes that has me in better shape now than I was 15 years ago!:D
And, I discovered I can dance all nite in 4"+ heels. Only about 15 minutes in men's shoes.:sad:

I would like to say, that recently i fell victim to 2nd and 3rd degree burns on both of my hands. Smelling your flesh burning will sicken you no matter how strong you are.

It was extremely painful, the stresses that i live with daily are harder than most injuries, aside from organ and muscle failures inaide the body. Constant nightmares, flashbacks and so forth.

I tried avoiding CD as much as i could and for a time i was fine. I have choked on food, broken my back once, tore my left shoulder and tendons around it, neck muscles and so forth that made me take a long break from CDing. It didnt make me quit, as much as wish it had impacted my life it wasnt enough to force stop crossdressing.

I have found it difficult to purge and not have the desire to repeat, its not impossible to quit, though.

Wish you well, get your heart taken care of, put other stuff out of the way. You need a heart to function, everything else will fall in place. 1 day at a time.

You may eel down at the moment, when you take stock of your situation you may find that dressing still, is interesting.

I say, don't purge, put it all in a bag and store it away until you can see where life is leading you.

Keep well, stay good and may the prognosis have a good outcome.

Zenlady; I can understand but before purging I would everything in storage.
I dislocated my left shoulder about eight weeks ago and I haven't gotten full use of my left arm back as of yet. It has put a damper on my crossdressing.

If your dressing doesn't include anything that might affect your health (such as wearing corsets or girdles), you don't need to stop because of health issues. If you have a fear of having a medical issue that would leave you helpless and someone would find you wearing a dress and fake boobs, you might want to reconsider your "hobby". There's no reason you can't continue to dress and live a healthier lifestyle at the same time.

As for your question on having to stop crossdressing, I suspect most folks who have stopped crossdressing are no longer active members here so you're not going to get a lot of answers to that question.

If you find crossdressing comforting and relaxing, then don't purge. It may help during your medical treatment.

I'm not sure what crossdressing and your health have to do with each other. If it is causing you stress, then consider counselling rather than purging. There is nothing wrong with crossdressing. It can cause issues when interacting with those that do not approve, but that's just something you have to work around. It's been found by most that repressing it isn't going to help. If you're worried about being scooped up by an ambulance and found with frilly knickers on at the emergency room, they probably wouldn't even blink. I had to go to the emergency room unexpectedly a few years back, and found an excuse to hit the washroom and change my underwear. This Saturday had to go for something else, and just went wearing what I had on, T shirt, skirt, stay ups and plain women's briefs. Didn't even worry about it.

Fatty foods are getting a bad rap these days, low fat foods are usually garbage. Total calorie intake, when compared to physical exercise is what matters. As far as which foods, fresh, home prepared stuff is best, and avoiding processed stuff as much as possible. Sugars in all their hidden forms are a much bigger culprit in most health issues.

I guess what's mainly making me think of stopping crossdressing and purging is the fact that what if something were to happen to me where I'd be incapacitated in some way and couldn't take care of myself and/or I died. Then as my mother is going through all my home furnishings and possessions, she finds all my crossdressing stuff. Not exactly a pretty picture, know what I mean? :( Nobody knows I crossdress, not even my mother. I worry about what she'd think and do if she found out if something were to happen to me later in life.

Zen lady I understand now after reading your last post. When I was a teen aged boy growing I was shocked when I found some playboy magazines under my dads pickup seat. I now understand him better. A rugged army vet reading a playboy, I don't think any less of him and when he died I felt I knew him better than my sisters ever did. My mom used to dress me in dresses and let me play in her makeup when I was very young. She wanted a daughter. I understand your feelings as I have four adult kids of my own and ten grandkids I would be horrified if they knew their grandpa enjoyed wearing ladies clothes and makeup. I want them to know me as their manly grandpa and the kids as the shinning example of a very male dad. I have wondered about what they would think if I died dressed. I realize it wouldn't make any difference to me but don't want to leave the wrong impression and crush them. After saying all this I figure as long as I'm healthy I am going to enjoy this and when I get old I'll quit. I'm 66 now and stay in very good shape and try to eat healthy. We never know when we'll be called home as they say but I hope it's not when I'm dressed up. By the way I'm not passable either but it's an activity I enjoy.

Hi Zen. Be honest with yourself on both counts.

If you're experiencing guilt anxiety stress from enjoying women's clothes then pack it all up and store it away for six months.

But I doubt that your CDing is the great issue. You need to be in full control of your heath without giving in to childish taste based nutrition.
It's really simple. No sugar, salt, etc.. Exercise. And avoid all stress.

I'm at the age that I'm watching my generation getting older and dying.
And I just don't think crosdressing is the grim reaper.

Your comment at #25 answers my question. You're afraid your secret would be revealed if you keeled over and died of a heart attack. What if you were walking to the library tomorrow and a car went out of control and slammed into you and killed you? Two things.

First, get a good physical workup and try to correct any medical issues. And, adopt with the approval of your doctor a good exercise routine. See a dietician.

Second, if you cannot tell your mother, then leave her a letter to be read upon your demise. Of course, what happens if she predeceases you?

I often wonder what will happen if my wife predeceases me. Or, if my wife and I are both taken at the same time? What will my son and daughter think? I know I won't be around to hear their conversations.....maybe I will? I just hope my little 'quirk' will not negate the positive image of myself over these years.

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Originally Posted by ZenladyCD5

I guess what's mainly making me think of stopping crossdressing and purging is the fact that what if something were to happen to me where I'd be incapacitated in some way and couldn't take care of myself and/or I died. Then as my mother is going through all my home furnishings and possessions, she finds all my crossdressing stuff. Not exactly a pretty picture, know what I mean? :( Nobody knows I crossdress, not even my mother. I worry about what she'd think and do if she found out if something were to happen to me later in life.

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Zenlady, see "Death, Unexpectedly" in this forum. Lots of advice given.

Interesting timing for me to read this thread. I am 72 and at 8 AM tomorrow a heart monitor will be put on me. I guess it will be a little troublesome but I never thought of it being in the way of my panties. Hehe
And if I do die I probably won't get embarrassed. ����

I haven't been here for a few months. One of the last times I was here I was excited about being able to dress while my wife was going to be gone for nine days. I was going to live as a woman for that many days. The day before her departure I almost died due to a massive blood clot in my leg. My wife still went on her trip after I was stabilized and hospitalized for four days. After I was brought home I had absolutely no energy to dress. I was extremely discouraged about that. After my wife came home we found out that she had brought some 'bugs' home from where she had been. We decided to call an exterminator and I thought for sure he would be treating my closet where I kept all my feminine stuff. I bagged everything up and moved it to our garage. I figured I had well over 800 pounds of stuff. I eventually moved everything back but except for panties every day and a bra every once in awhile I haven't really dressed at all. That episode has really gotten me to think about my mortality. I'm near 70 and I really don't know what to do about everything at this time at this time. I sure don't want to give up CDing but I certainly don't want my wife discovering all my stuff and having the burden to dispose of everything.