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There is a BBC Magazine article about the issues of Transitioning late in life.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34454576
Some of the points discussed will be familiar to many here.
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Late Life Transition
Around 1980, I was 33, a counselor told my wife and I that I was suffering from GID. I had no idea what that was at the time. By 1990 I was wearing all women's clothing, but no one knew. By 1995 I was taking birth control pills once in awhile.
The fact that I still had children at home was stopping me. At the same time, my deepening faith was causing me to abhore the distraction of sexual urges. In the late 90's my then wife began a series of perilous overseas medical missions, leaving the family home.
In 2001 we both went to Kenya and Israel for 4 weeks as Christian Missionaries. In September, after we got home, 9/11 happened. I had been thinking of castration before then. With my wife gone a lot, I would be done with the oppression of sexual desire. I was planning to stay with the family as a man (eunuch) at the time.
After the attack, up to 1/3 of non military government workers, were on antidepressants. I've heard varying numbers. The drugs made me highly suggestible, and counselors increasingly began to talk to me about GID. In late 2004, with depression deepening, I began thinking of suicide. Now we know that the drugs were likely the cause of the suicidal ideation. Dec 18th, 2004 I was hospitalized and kept for a week, where it was strongly suggested that I transition. When I got home from the hospital the family thought I was gay and moved me into my own apartment, the church threw me out.
A week later, I decided that since the family had disowned me, I may as well give living as a woman a try. In april 2005, I was castrated. By June 2006 I began making arrangements for SRS and that was completed in August in Thailand. I was 59.
Transition, that late in life was foolish and self destructive for me. Idealy I would have transitioned or begun living as a female by age 4, but that would have been impossible since it was 1951. If my mother had her way I would have grown up as a female, but she was married to a homophobic asshole.
It is my fervent desire that increasingly, GID sufferers will be identified early and be living as female before it is too late.
Late Transitioning Woman Ruined by Gutter Press
I too read about this BBC prog. on Transitioning Late In Life. Of course it is preferable that those with gender identity confusion be helped to transition if they so desire as early as possible, but these days if we are careful most of us can live for far longer than earlier generations, so at 60 or 70 we can still look forward to at least another 30 years. I am now 78 but am healthy and fit and active physically and mentally - no wrinkles, hair still thick and original colour, naturally, and long down to my nipples I have far more energy than my grandchildren, all three of whom are now adults.
The bit that made me really angry was the account about a lady who ran a motor car service and repair business, who transitioned and then dressed as a woman in her business, until one of these comedians we mistakenly identify as "journalists" wrote in his "News"-paper about her with a headline "Garage Owner Loses Nuts and Customer Bolts", after which most customers left using her firm and she was made bankrupt.
I suggest that one of the charitable organizations that help the transgendered should take up her case and sue that paper for compensation. That such scum can get away with doing such harm is unacceptable.
Briar
You want to live 20 years longer?
All things being equal, a post op transgender woman lives around 20 years longer. That means I'll likely be up in my 90's, which is fine if I can be useful.
There are around 60,000 castrated males in America who lost their junk because of Prostate Cancer. I do not know how many of them take replacement Testosterone. I know of at least one that takes Estrogen and is not TG. :) Perhaps most take Estrogen because Testosterone aggravates prostate cancer?