"Six" Equals One?

Difficult to believe, it has been 6 months since I started my HRT journey.
Just as a bit of history, I started on a minimum dosage along with "Spiro" which is a Testosterone blocker.
In February the dosage was doubled with the understanding I still had a lot of "dosage" room to play with.
It's time to "play" again.
You regulars here at Crysti's Condo most likely recall I'm trying to get the Veteran's Administration to completely take care of my needs.  The VA where I live will fill my prescriptions if I have them prescribed by an outside physician. That's my problem.
Initially, I went to the outside doc with two ideas. I knew initial consultation was costly but follow ups weren't. The drugs themselves were not an issue because both are inexpensive.  OK, so far I'm living with this until my prescribing doc decides he is leaving his practice to another physician. Very quickly I'm thinking I will be starting all over again cost wise and not amused.
So-what's a transgender vet to do? Read advice from other trans vets.  I happened along a post advising another vet to contact the closest center and try to find out who the "transgender specialist" is in the facility.
For a fact I know there wasn't one in my facility last fall. I started with four visits to an in house VA psychologist who approved my request for hormones but was clueless how I could get them there.
For once I took some advice and called the clinic today and asked for their "transgender specialist". I was pleasantly surprised to find out the "specialist" was now the very same person I saw before and could get an appointment next week.
I was equally impressed with the guy on the phone who suggested she refer me to a VA psychiatrist who could prescribe. To increase your confusion, my "primary physician" has no problem filling the "scripts" and monitoring my overall health (which is what he is supposed to do anyhow).
It will be interesting to see how things have changed in the system. I was such a shock to their system-hopefully a positive one.  I can say I was impressed with the no hesitation response I received today.
At the least, both of us are much more experienced this time around and I have a clear path of where I want to go.
I have totally loved the changes so far and want to double the dosage I am on which I understand is totally possible with no toxic results. (One of the benefits of having a physician which I totally recommend).
Stay tuned on this one. The process should heat up hotter than this summer very soon.

Horror Scope!

Libra (September 23- October 22)
You can be as cool as a cucumber, but it won’t stop others from acting a fool. Yes, agreements you’ve signed and sealed will fall apart now, as another will choose to rebel and challenge you. Expect shade to get thrown, and be ready to stay classy despite it all. You know it, seems your devastatingly good looks are just too intimidating for that other.

Well, let's see...cool as a cucumber is tough for me as a person and really tough in this killer heat we have been having here  One hundred degree plus heat index for the last week! We have the humidity to go with it too. Staying classy is different and those devastatingly good looks...what the hell. I will take it :).
Go here to get yours. "Horror Scope" that is!
As an extra this month are the best pick up lines for your sign:
Libra:
"I love your shoes. And your dress. And your necklace. And your hair. And your eyes.”
That's original!

Trans Labels

A friend passed this look along to me. It's a breakdown of labels in our community from transsexual to cross dresser to transvestite.
For the sake of reference, I will pass along this is a long time friend who used to participate in the cross dresser arena and now observes.
Take a look.

Opinions, like ass holes, are everywhere.  Here's another one:

Who/What are you?  I don't believe the community is as tight knit as one would think.  Seems to me that the only thing they have in common is a need to be respected.

--TS' seem to think they are sitting on top of the mountain, absolved of all previous "sins".  They could care less what others think  

--TG's sometimes want to be TS and sometimes think that would be going too far.  They worry about how they present and really don't care to be outed as a guy.

--CD's love to transform but can break down into drab without too much of an emotional issue.  There could be a sexual component but it tends to be "bi" rather than "self".  

--TV's may look good or not so good.  They're in it to stimulate Mr. Winkie and not much more.

--DQ's are theatrical.  And it could be serious theater, comedy or song and dance.  There's no issue when they return to drab and I don't believe dressing has a great deal to do with sex.

Of course I don't want to forget "DQ" Drag Queens! How could I?

For the rare sake of simplicity, I'm keeping my words shut...no editorial comments! Aren't you lucky?

Cosmo Missed One!

Cosmopolitan came up with this top ten list of the "Top 10 Lies Men Tell Women" because:
The average dude fabricates something six times a day-that's twice as often as women-and with #LiesMenTellWomen trending on Twitter right now, some dudes are being called out.
All the normal ones are on it like "I'm stuck in traffic" and "This will be my last beer."
The one they missed?
"I just tried on your clothes once honey. I hated it and will never do it again!"

New Video's

Downloaded a couple of video's to "Cyrsti's Condo". One here and one in the "Entertainment Center"

The Power of One Three Letter Word

Not long ago I became embroiled in a sports conversation with two genetic female friends.
I happen to believe some of us are genetically predispositioned to dislike certain opposing sports teams as much as we are to be transgender. (Well, not really but it sounds good!)
In this case both of them are Pittsburgh Steelers  fans and if you must know I have felt the pain and abuse of rooting for the Cincinnati Bengals since they were founded in the 1960's. Of course (as I would have done to them) they were blasting me the same way the Steelers have blasted the Bengals over the years.
The problem? None, because they had to have used the "she" word in reference to my poor choice of teams at least 4 or 5 times in five minutes. "She" doesn't know football, "she" is the only Bengals fan left etc...(hey, I live an hour from "Cinci"...can't fool me. I know there are a couple more of us out there!)
Of course I knew it was in good fun and no matter how passionate women think they are about sports, rarely can they bring the pain like a man.
I'm fairly jaded and secure about my little place in the world but little did they know how much their acceptance of me and the use of the "she" word meant to me. They don't read this so it's very difficult to express my gratitude to them BUT there are more than a couple more of you who I know read "Cyrsti's Condo" who are in the same boat.
I can only say you make my soul sing with your unconditional acceptance of me and I thank you!!!
On the negative side, if my soul sings the same as the rest of me-maybe I should find some other way to express it!

1969

For many of us who lived through the 1960's (and remember it) 1968 and 1969 were especially exciting years.
All different genres of music were bursting onto the scene and were showcased in the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival in upstate New York.
The previous year Martin Luther King Jr.  and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated in 1968. Nothing was for certain except we were stuck in a lose/lose non war in Vietnam which was drafting and killing friends. D.M - R.I.P.
In the midst of all of this came the Stonewall Riots in late June of 1969.
Of course Stonewall is widely regarded as the beginning of the gay rights movement long before the "T" words were widely recognized. (transgender, transsexual excepting transvestite) Don't hold me to dates and people here, my point is looking back Stonewall was huge for me as a transgendered person. Let's remember even the gay community had nowhere to go easily or even legally before it.
As gay venues became more accessible they were a wonderful starting point for me to take steps out of my gender closet.
Being the historian that I am (amateur with a degree=dangerous) I decided to pass along another article before July settles in tomorrow:
Take a look here for the original "Advocate" article from 1969!

Transgender "Stylin and Profilin"!

If you are an in the closet cross dresser, transgender or transsexual woman your personal image matters. It just does. Let me take it a step further and point out the transsexual women that I know or have seen whose personal image is never going to propel them to any pageant finals but who look exceeding at home in their chosen gender.
I'm guessing the great majority of my trans sisters however do care very deeply about their personal image.
Of course genetic women do too and one of the sites I subscribe (free)  to is Total Image Consultants. It's a great place for image tips and ideas from the genetic female world...Such as this:

" Does how we look matter above all else? Do clothing, makeup and hair choices have that much influence? Or, should our personality and inner essence be the primary focus with no attachment to how we look on the outside?
Unless you've been living in a cave, you know that our society is obsessed with image. Not only that but the image they revere is young, thin and white. It's no wonder so many women feel excluded! The key is to match your outer appearance with appreciation and expression of who you are on the inside.
How do you do that?"

This post is written by Ginger and it's uncanny how much of it reads as true or truer for a transgender woman attempting to find her way in the world. As I have always said females don't have to be women. We do to survive. Here are a couple points:
Be True to Yourself: Do you feel good about how you look? The biggest question is “do you know how you want to look and how to make that happen?”
Know the Rules! (OMG how many times do we go over that?) If you understand the rules about dress then you are well equipped to make choices that serve you. Knowing the expectations, you can then make a conscious decision to disregard them (if you choose to) and are better prepared to deal with (or circumvent) the consequences.
Show Respect: Take pride in how you look. Good grooming habits are essential and have nothing to do with where you shop or how big or fancy your wardrobe is or isn't. Others notice when you take good care of your body and your clothes…and when you don’t!
Dress With Intention: Many women have fallen into a state of unconsciousness about how they look. Is it any surprise when you consider the factors working against us (e.g., body image issues, social pressure, compromised self-esteem, disinterest in fashion...)?
Finally:
How you dress gives people visual cues about who you are. True or not, they will make assumptions about you based on what they see. While it is not possible to meet everyone’s expectations, you can meet your own. Dress with authenticity, respect and intention, and you will feel good about how you look everyday. "

As I normally do, I have edited part of this post. For the entire read, please go here it's worth it!

OutServe Magazine

Of course I'm biased towards any info concerning transgender vets in this country and anywhere. Outserve Magazine 
recently added Brynn Tannehill as a contributor.


 

Brynn Tannehill is a 1997 U.S. Naval Academy graduate, former Lieutenant Commander helicopter pilot, and a fully transitioned transgender woman. She has a wife and two loving children.

She just posted a very enlightened look into her visit to this summer's Columbus, Ohio's Pride visit. (In my part of the world). Here's an excerpt in which she very adeptly covers many segments of the transgender community and the "Holy Grail" of presenting as a female (in this instance).

" I didn’t come to pride events until I finished
transitioning and felt I had some ability to blend. Even at a pride
event, I didn’t want the trans label by not passing. After two years
of hormones, three years of electrolysis, and $35,000 worth of surgery
I thought I could avoid most stereotypes and blend in. Only then did I
feel comfortable going to my first pride event this year in Columbus,
Ohio.

I didn’t know what to expect. Most of the people seemed very ordinary.
The drunken frat boys overindulging at the beer trucks weren’t very
novel. The small but memorable assorted mix of people making a point
by being over the top either by the clothes they wore, or what they
chose not to, stood out. Some of them were very visibly under the
transgender umbrella as drag queens, female impersonators, or cross
dressers. Others were making a point of being overtly gay or lesbian.
Again, not unexpected. I wasn’t sure how I would explain to my kids
about the folks who looked like extras from “Avatar”: well toned,
wearing almost nothing, and brilliant blue from head to toe, though.

What did come as a surprise was what a surprise I was. When I
introduced myself to an online friend with the HRC in person for the
first time she exclaimed “Oh, wow, somehow I thought you were taller!”
At the OutServe booth I had to mention that I was trans before anyone
caught on why I would be writing for the magazine without being in the
military anymore. Same deal with the National Organization of Gay and
Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals. When I asked if
transgender people were part of their charter, the woman at the booth
replied “Why, do you have transgender friends?”

Everywhere I turned, I passed.  The fact that I didn’t look like all
the other visibly trans people at Columbus pride really did challenge
their notions of what trans is. Both of these gave me a bit of a warm
and fuzzy. What made it even better was the extremely positive
response I got from some of the younger people I met who found out I
was trans. As one 20-ish woman put it, “You’re trans? Really!? I’d
never guess. That so totally rocks.”

While these experiences were self affirming, they were also
instructional. It is only the outlandish examples that people
perceive. You notice the people trying to stand out, not the ones
trying to blend. I hear it so often that “I’ve never met a trans
person”, or “I don’t know anyone who really looked like <their target
gender>.”

Follow the link for more!