Being A Woman 24/7

[Martha G]

I thoroughly enjoy dressing and presenting my self as a woman. I actually feel that I am a woman.

However circumstances at this time would prevent me from doing so.

Transitioning would be a long, very costly process. But if I wanted to, I could handle it.

However simply dressing as a woman 24/7 should do the trick.

The older I get the stronger the urge to dress like and be a woman comes on. I cannot seeing this ever going away.

Ladies, what are your thoughts on this matter.

What course would you recommend?

I need to fulfill my destiny to become a woman in one way or another.

Thanks in advance for your advice and encouragement.

[Kate Simmons]

I think being ourselves in either case has a lot to do with it. If I found someone nice to settle with en femme, I could do it 24/7. Either way I'm good really.

[PaulaQ]

Everyone worries about the process of medical transition. Its expensive, and care is often unavailable to those who really need it.

It is also the easiest part of transition, in my opinion, cruel and privileged as it seems.

The hard parts are the social parts. If by living as a woman you mean coming out to people as a woman, conducting all your business as a woman, working as a woman, etc., that is transition. There are a number of problems you'll likely face:
1. Social stigma, both from people in your life, as well as strangers. (Getting called 'he' or 'sir' for example.)
2. Problems with customers or coworkers on the job
3. Conducting business with IDs that don't match how you look can be hard - they may not accept that you are the person on your ID
4. Traffic stops are scary when your ID doesn't match you presentation/ appearance
5. Travel can be difficult for the same reasons
6. Public bathroom usage can be problematical in this day and age.

Unless you are genetically gifted, you will likely discover that you don't pass all the time, and some people will treat you very differently.

Getting people to acknowledge that you are a woman is really the hard part. Actually, often it is hard getting people to acknowledge that you are a human being, much less a woman.

The biggest issue you'll likely face, other than people, is your ID.

I wouldn't bet that simply presenting as a woman is going to fix your gender dyhoria. Lots of us need every medical procedure we have done to feel OK.

What difficulty do you envision with medical or legal transition? Or do you mean "24/7 except for certain situations?" Because seriously, the social issues are BY far the most difficult. You may also find that dressing like a woman, but treated as a man is increasingly uncomfortable over time.

I'm not trying to be negative - if you can be fine on no hormones / non op - more power to you. If you live someplace where ID documents aren't tied to medical stuff, that's one big problem you can avoid.

[RADER]

Being that I am 69 years old, yes OLD is the key word here.
Having a lot of surgery at this age, unless it was necessary,
could cause more harm than good.
So I guess I will just continue with being in the "Closet" and
under dressing, and be happy that I can do that.
Rader

[ClosetED]

Martha - what stops you from presenting 24/7 as Martha?
What advantage do you see from getting hormonal therapy or undergoing surgery (facial feminization or full gender reassignment) - actual transitioning?
If what you do now makes you feel you are a woman, then what more do you need?
You wrote that "simply dressing as a woman 24/7 should do the trick"
Do you need to have driver's license that says F ?
Did you want to no longer see male genitals?
Did you want to block your naturally declining testosterone production?
You could dress as a woman and get a face lift / facial feminization combo and look younger and a bit more feminine, for a few thousand dollars.
Some thoughts...
Hugs, Ellen

[arbon]

Facelift and FFS combo for a few thousand dollars? Sure about that?

[Martha G]

After reading the comments, I certainly do not want to transition

I'll dress at home or go out to different places en femme, but keep my male personna.

Since I live by myself I can dress all of the time at home if I want. I can be a full time woman at home.

No I don't need a female drivers license and had only one ticket in my life.

Maybe a makeover and have myself photographed in all types of beautiful clothes. How lovely and feminine that would be.

The facelift would be $10,000 plus at least but as you can see in my photo, my face does not sag nor does it have wrinkles.
CHECK OUT MY BOY to GIRL photos in that section.

I'd rather take the money and get new clothes as well as two beautiful formal gowns.

I think I have the situation solved thanks to you ladies.

Thanks again

[arbon]

Well that was easy!

[Tracii G]

Just be yourself Martha you don't have to do any more than that.

[Zooey]

I am still on the fence about having it, but my FFS quote was 30k+, and I wasn't even having the "works" done. Bone work on the skull, especially around the sinuses, is a big deal.

[Martha G]

I make an attractive and passable woman, have a good outgoing personality, get along well and have picked up numerous feminine traits and mannerism.

I think I will stop there and enjoy myself dressed and acting like a woman.

Cross dressing for me is the way to go. I thoroughly enjoy it and love to wear beautiful skirts and dresses and other feminine items along with making myself beautiful with makeup.

I look and feel so much younger. I don't look lie myself when dressed. No one would recognize me when "all dolled up"

Being bald, I can enjoy a variety of beautiful wigs as well.

Thanks ladies for your input.

[MissVirginia-Mae]

They say it ranges from $7k to $24k
Im about to transition and its looking in the HIGH range of those numbers if not over
But, its well worth it and im very very excited about it.

[MissDanielle]

I'm not sure if I want FFS...I think it's a matter of how things look down the road.

[Rachelakld]

As I don't have the money to transition, or the money to survive outside the work force, also I don't want to lose my fantastic wife, I need to keep a testical in both camps

Sorry, a foot in both camps

[ReineD]

I was going to suggest seeing a gender counselor to investigate taking hormones and beginning to align your body with your inner self, but then I saw this:

Cross dressing for me is the way to go. I thoroughly enjoy it and love to wear beautiful skirts and dresses and other feminine items along with making myself beautiful with makeup.

I look and feel so much younger. I don't look lie myself when dressed. No one would recognize me when "all dolled up"

Being bald, I can enjoy a variety of beautiful wigs as well.

It sounds as if you're happy with the way that things are, and so you can simply carry on with what you're doing.

[Helen_Highwater]

On the few occasions I've been able to be enfemme for 24 hours a day for up to 5 days what I found was it became tiring. As Dolly Parton says, " It takes a lot of work to look this trashy". After 5 days much as I loved being enfemme the effort required to get the makeup done etc, and then cleaned off at night, left me feeling drained. I felt I had literally walked in her shoes and had a much greater affinity with the lives of GG's. OK not every GG has to put on makeup every morning just to go about their daily tasks but for most? of us it's going to be a necessity.

So going fully time is something that requires in my (limited) experience a big commitment and a degree of stamina and fortitude.

[Heidi Stevens]

Martha, may I suggest you look into attending a convention or conference for transgendered people that are held around the country? It will give you a feel for what it is like to live female for more than just a day. You'll also be surrounded by others who have the same feelings. Nearly all of these gatherings have support for those attending for the first time. I've gone to two in the past year and the experience was very educational. I'm now looking for other events to continue to explore my inner woman. The best thing is conventions can be done for a lot less money than having surgeries done. Look at the big events like Keystone or Southern Comfort for ones with an excellent education program. For a smaller gathering there are events all over the country that allow you to be the woman you want to be for a few days. It could help you decide if you want to take things further.

[Barbara Black]

For those who have made the transition from dressing part time to dressing 24/7, is it easier once you do, not having to undo the hair growth after a week, changing from male to female when the need/urge strikes you, etc. It seems to me that some of those things you would no longer have to do would make it more enjoyable for you daily (besides it just being more comfortable and enjoyable). Is this the case?

[Jenniferathome]

I thoroughly enjoy dressing and presenting my self as a woman. I actually feel that I am a woman.

However circumstances at this time would prevent me from doing so.

Transitioning would be a long, very costly process. But if I wanted to, I could handle it.

However simply dressing as a woman 24/7 should do the trick.

...

This strikes me as the perspective of a cross dresser, not that of a trans person. "Take it or leave it" does not seem to fit the trans people here. It's more a "Do it or die" attitude.

Be happy being a cross dresser.

[Ineke Vashon]

Martha, may I suggest you look into attending a convention or conference for transgendered people that are held around the country? Look at the big events like Keystone or Southern Comfort for ones with an excellent education program. For a smaller gathering there are events all over the country that allow you to be the woman you want to be for a few days. It could help you decide if you want to take things further.

I wonder if there is some sort of a list of those events, with dates. I've read about southern comfort and the one in Port Angeles, WA, but somehow I always seem to be on the wrong side of the country. Poor excuse but that's all I have at the moment.

Ineke,
ps: written in the dark side of my closet, wishing to come out.

[Martha G]

I think that I will simply dress as a woman when the urge comes on.

[arbon]

For those who have made the transition from dressing part time to dressing 24/7, is it easier once you do, not having to undo the hair growth after a week, changing from male to female when the need/urge strikes you, etc. It seems to me that some of those things you would no longer have to do would make it more enjoyable for you daily (besides it just being more comfortable and enjoyable). Is this the case?

Not really clear if you are asking full time cross dressers or transitioned women? or maybe you don't think there is a difference?

From my transitioned woman pov it is not about cloths or any of that. I am who I am regardless of how I dress. And most days I just roll out of bed and get on jeans and a top and don't do much at all with makeup. If I wear jeans a tee shirt it is not a male mode, it is just me mode and I still assert my female identity to the world.

[Zooey]

What Arbon said. Women don't "dress 24/7", we just live. The clothes I wear are a consequence of who I am and what I like, not the other way around.

I get the impression that people think I/we are being pedantic when we point these little choices in wording out, but they are often deeply indicative of how someone views something.

[Candice June Lee]

I have to ditto a few of the questions and comments others have made. Personally I was in your shoes. Now I'm transitioning. It's a long process and for me well worth the time. Start seeing a psychologist and go from there. Insurance should pay for that. Then if transitioning is for you you'll be a step ahead. I've been much happier since Imade that decision. It's not only about the clothes.

[MissTee]

I prefer the option to dress male or female when I want and as I want. As with Helen, I find dressing sometimes tiring and don't want to do it. I am content being CD.