Hello ECers! I'm Miles, and I've been gone for... well, for quite a while. I didn't want to post a dramatic "I am leaving EC" thread because that's not really who I am, so I kinda just slipped away. School was busy, life was hectic, so that's what happened. Nothing personal :icon_wink So, what turn of events convinced me to come out of hiding, you ask? Well, as of today, I am officially two days post-op from top surgery! On July 21st I had double-incision mastectomy with Dr. Charles Garramone in Sunrise, Florida. As you can see in the picture I'll attach, I'm completely bandaged up, and will be until this coming Tuesday, when I'll be able to see my new chest for the first time. Also on July 21st, I reached my one year on Testosterone mark. A lot has changed in a year... my voice has dropped and I now sing bass, I've gained a lot of muscle mass, my fat has been redistributing and making my body generally more male-shaped, my face shape has changed, my libido has skyrocketed, a lot more hair everywhere, plus a lot more emotional changes that I can't even begin to explain, but I'll just say that I'm the happiest I've ever been. The issue of "passing", or being read as male by the general public, isn't a worry or concern of mine anymore. When I first started transitioning, I was really concerned that every person I met saw me as male. I thought that if I got "she'd" that some how I had failed; I didn't pass and it invalidated my identity. This issue followed me for about a year and a half, until I was well past three, four and five months on hormones. Sadly, it took me until I passed on a consistent basis that "passing" had very little to do with me and my identity, but with others and their biases. I used to try and "butch it up", but since I'm passing 100% of the time now, I'm feeling more comfortable expressing my faggy-side more, which is just how I see myself. Well, there's just a quick update about my life. If any one has any questions for me about my transition, transgender issues or anything relating to gender, I'd be happy to answer them I'm going to bump the "Transgender Questions" thread so people can ask there if they want to. -Miles (&&&)
I was wondering where you went. It's great to see you back on EC! And congratulations on the surgery; that's awesome! (*hug*)