bee
Forum Replies Created
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“BTW…how do you find the pain discomfort level?
Cheers
Monique”Everyone is different but these are my experiences…
I had IPL, SIPL, ELOS over a period of a year – some 14 sessions. On a pain level of 0~10 where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain you have ever experienced, mine were as follows…
For me all the light pulse procedures were a pain level of 2 and electrolysis was a 7. I found topical anesthetic products helpful in reducing the pain levels for electrolysis especially after I had stated hormones which made my skin more sensitive to pain. I found EMLA brand products expensive and quite noneffective and I ended up importing a product from Florida USA as it was not a cream that required covering with plastic film (like EMLA) but is a gel.
The electrolysis for me, each individual ‘zapping’ is not particularly painful but with over 2 hour sessions, like I had, the pain tends to build up and that’s where any small amount of pain reduction, like the topical gel did help me.
The gel I imported can be purchased here…
one 120gm bottle would last me about 20 sessions.
The financial pain from electrolysis- I think there is no cure from apart from buying your own machine and paying for the training an assistant, then giving them a machine when completed. Actually am not joking – this would have been a much cheaper option for me. It all depends on how much hair and how stubborn it is… In my case…[Electrolysis blend machine about AU$2,000) vs $2/min at 280 hours (16,800 min) do the math!!! eek!]
~byes~
bambi -
I am not sure of how much more ‘recognition’ an event that was sold out needs actually. I don’t see the need to advertize the event other than really what was done. I feel the event (I am sure I will be corrected if I am mistaken), was primarily targeted at the trans community and of course also non trans people were very welcome to attend.
I think the fact that such an event is actually ‘necessary’ says something about how un accepted trans people are in the community, perhaps. So I am not sure taking a public stand saying “we are holding this event because…” would have much benefit to the wider community or for the trans community.
Would the greater community even care? Do we care, if they care?I feel if members want to hold up a flag and do things in the wider community to assist trans people – they should go for it, but perhaps using Transformal as the flag bearer may not be the the best choice in my opinion.
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The reason I went to the trouble to post this news clip is as follows:
It shows a trend by Countries Governments around the world that are reconising same sex relationships, something that the Australian Government currently does not do. As you know Transgender people can be hetro or gay or bi just like anyone else.
Because of the Australian Governments attitude if an Australian Citizen trans person was married in Australia before transitioning (Sexual Reassignment Surgery) they cannot change their official registered sex if they remain married after surgery – because it would then be a classified a same sex relationship. The only way the registration can be changed for the married trans person is to dissolve the marriage and loose all legal rights that a marriage involves.
For those main points I felt that showing the trend around the world to give a legal status to same sex couples was somewhat relevant to post here.
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As other members have stated – this all comes back to the guidelines set by health professionals for the eventual SRS. (Sex Reassignment Surgery), which Portia has kindly posted earlier.
These guidelines are suggested for people who are considering transitioning and SRS is the only surgery where most surgeons require a letter of recommendation from a Psych or similar person who knows the patient, and again this is usually for a period of 2 years.
I feel these guidelines are not there to punish or exclude people, but rather to just make sure that the patient is making the right decision and can follow the points that Portia noted. In my case I was happy to have the advice of a health professional with all this, and I was happy to pay for this service. All she was concerned with was for me to be able to work and live in the community. These people usually have your best interests at heart.
Transitioning, as others have stated is perhaps one of the biggest life changing things that can happen to a person – so yes it IS a big deal and you defiantly want to get it right. No doubt members have heard of cases where perhaps people didn’t get it ‘right’ and some have ended up killing themselves.
So I feel this ‘living as a woman’ is usually something that a transitioning person would be doing anyway or at least want to do.
As members have stated, with other surgeries the surgeons do not require any letter from a Psych, it is only SRS that requires this. So breast implants and facial surgery can be done at any time. In fact I had some facial surgery before this 2 year period was completed.
To start HRT etc you do not have to ‘live as a woman’ and my Psych told me that many of her trans patients taking HRT did not. However I always felt that presenting as a woman, no matter how good or bad, to health professionals does show a commitment on your part and perhaps makes their decisions a little bit easier.
I do know of one case 1st hand where a trans person went in male clothes and actually had a difficult time convincing the health professional about her commitment – that may have been somewhat to do with her clothing choice perhaps…
So I suggest that the transitioning person actually embrace this 2 year period – it does go rather quickly , well it did in my case. I feel it is also about the right length of time as there are so many things to do regarding name change, telling friends, relatives etc. You also have to get your head around so many things and this time lets you do this. I am sure some members will disagree and of course that is their right. And yes I am sure there are ways to get around this 2 year period to have SRS – but my question would be as to why someone would want to do that.
Transitioning is not for everyone, and it is only this (SRS Surgery) that requires the ‘Living as a woman’ period.
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Re Stealth
I guess there are various degrees of stealth. The way I approach things is that I assume everyone knows. But I don’t go out of my way to announce to people about my background – I feel it is irreverent. In fact with my non-trans friends the trans topic has never come up – if it did I would happily discuss it though, but I am just as happy not to. As other members have mentioned there are much more interesting (to me) things to talk to people with. ((is this the correct English? ))
I think it just shows how some parts of society have moved on – I mean if there is someone who is gay or lesbian or has a disability – few people would open a conversation about these things – it just is – and people I feel just want to get to know you as a person.
I do try and keep in contact with TR and am often in the Chat room, however I don’t attend the weekly t-girl café nights here in Brisbane for some years now – as others have mentioned – talking yet again about hormones etc. can become a bit repetitive.
I know some people prefer to go out of their way to announce to others that they are trans – and of course that is their choice. But when I am around such people it does ‘out’ me by association. I’d much be rather known as “Oh that’s bambi – you know she take photos”, , rather than “Oh that’s bambi-the trannie!”.
I was once at the Brisbane t-girl café (my last time there actually) and a woman came up to the table of 5 and said “Oh I just wanted to come up and say how lovely you all look”. The others at the table were very complemented by this – but for me it was as if she was saying “I think you all look lovely – as men trying to be women”, so it was not a complement for me. By association I was ‘outed’.
I have a friend in New Zealand, who is trans, and who is openly trans with her friends. She has told all her friends about me. So I hope readers can understand why I feel reluctant to go and meet them as I have been pre-outed. They know me as a trannie rather than as a person.
So you can see why some people choose to perhaps have more non- trans friends – just so the trans topic doesn’t come up.However talking about one’s life – I was recently in Cairns and I visited a restaurant that I knew the owner for many many years pre transition. He was there again, but I couldn’t say hello, and of course he didn’t recognize me. So not being able to do that was sad for me, it is definitely a transition. Of course it was my choice not to take him aside for 30 minutes and try to explain things. So the choices we choose (mine of not announcing to the world I am trans) sometimes have some not so nice side effects.
We are not trans by choice we just have the ‘incorrect’ bodies which some of us choose to modify. We are who we are.
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I stand corrected, and have amended my previous post. It is good to see this new change
In my case I had a FVP (Issued in 2008, and valid until 2018), however the Passport office would not issue me with a new passport for no fee and I had to pay again. ($226)
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[Note Post content deleted as now irrelevant. For details of Current Australian Passport Policy see the following link]
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As members will know the TR chat room runs on software costing $5 that Amanda has worked hard on and fine tuned for our use.
I am in the chat room a fair bit and usually welcome new members with the infamous ‘welcome drink’. However it is sometimes easy to not see a member enter especially if they don’t make a post, and the chat room is busy and the text scrolls up. Also it takes time to look at the profile of a new member to find out something about them to chat about. I find while I am doing this, often the member will leave, before I can return to the chat page and make a post to them.
The chat room is not real time, and as I understand it, and it updates the posts at a regular interval. So members see posts sometimes at a different time and order from each other.
As regular members of the chat room will know, often a new member joins the room, and says nothing and leaves. It does get a bit tiresome after the 100th time of greeting someone and then they just leave, I am sure members can understand this.
May I suggest to Lisa_W that anyone can greet anyone. Rather than complaining that others did not greet a new member, perhaps taking the step and doing it herself might have been one outcome.
The chat room is not divided onto ‘senior or junior” members. The only difference is the amount of logins a member has had. The more logins allow a member to Private Message a member one on one. This is stated in the welcome text when a member joins the chat.
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Attn: Gwendoline:
Read this on the Australian Passports Site… -
1. “Perhaps someone could enlighten me on some aspects of the legal requirements. For m2f, it is still required that you are either single or divorced (same thing, I know) before surgery can be commenced.”
Most SRS surgeons require a Spouse signed consent form before surgery, and of course as you know 2 letters from psychs who have been seeing you for 2 years are also required.
If you are born in Australia and you are married and have SRS you cannot change your birth register details until you are divorced, as far as I understand. Why? Well currently the Australian Government does not allow same sex marriages, and even though at the time of marriage the sexes were different that is not the case after SRS. Australian passport details CAN however now be changed (July 2011).
2. Regarding orchiectomy (the removal of the testes) prior to SRS surgery – Members should be very careful with this as most surgeons who use the non-penile inversion technique for SRS use the scrotal skin to form the lining of the vagina. If the scrotal skin has been removed or damaged (scaring) then SRS with this technique can be challenging. Perhaps it is best to consult with the SRS surgeon before considering orchiectomy so it can be performed in a way that retains the scrotal skin and in a non damaged way. Many SRS surgeons do not recommend having orchiectomy before SRS.
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Yes this was a continuing story in the papers while I was in Bangkok.
Actually the Government of Thailand does have some fairly strict conservative regulations:
for example on free to air TV no one can even be shown kissing, and of course there are NO bedroom scenes. Even drinking alcohol (filmed in foreign made programing) is blurred out so you cant see what the actor is drinking. Its a fairly conservative place as there is little (I saw none) showing of affection in public (by Thai people). As far as I know there is no legal, er adult material available. (Gee it sounds like Australia in the 1950’s *smiles*).
Of course there are always places where ‘adult’ entertainment is available whether this is legal or not I have no idea, and it mainly seems targeted at foreigners (think Pattaya and Patpong Road in Bangkok). -
Well I think one of the best reasons to have SRS is to make your tight fitting jeans look better!
That’s why I had it, er well amongst other things. *smiles*Yes it’s a cosmetic procedure. Yes no one knows unless you tell them. It is just one thing that some people do to add to the many that assist you in making your body more feminine.
As members may know I chose to have SRS as the last surgery. The surgeries that the results were on public show, I chose to have first.
For me SRS was not a life changing nor spiritual event. I know it does seem to be for some people. For me it was just another surgery. I didn’t overate it in my mind, it was just something that I had chosen to do.
Having said that, some 15 days after surgery, putting on panties for the first time and looking in the mirror did being a smile to my face.
For me life after SRS I guess it is a feeling of having a body that matches my mindset. I know some consider it wrong but many people define ones gender by what is between the legs. Having that area ‘right’ for me does allow for perhaps a bit more relaxation.
So for me the SRS was not a HUGE event, it didn’t change me much as a person, I think. Of course the social consequences of SRS with living in society can be large; an average of 18% less pay, the ‘glass ceiling’, security and safety issues are just some things that have to be considered.
So perhaps of all the things a transitioning person does SRS can seem the defining event to some I guess but I didn’t find it like that.
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“The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder in 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a San Francisco [USA] candlelight vigil in 1999. Since then, the event has grown to encompass memorials in dozens of cities across the world. 2010 is the 9th year of this event.”
Members should keep in mind this is not a day to honor trans people who have killed themselves or died of natural causes. (In my opinion)
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As this linked website and the term used applies to people residing in the US, I am not sure that votes from people in another country would actually help…. Maybe I am missing something?
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My Kitty was purchased from the RSPCAQ and came as 600g, She is now 6kg. Her name “Hime” is Japanese and means Princess. Of course she is the Mistress of the house and I am her staff.
