Hanging out on the couch.

Beth, Claire.

sitting.

upstairs, Claire and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.

August 18, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

BACKSTORY: Rainbow Party #19: Orange Redux: Trump Sucks: 20 people. Claire & Carolyn, Mark I, Dave N, John K, Meagan, Angel, Vicky(Radha), Katherine G, Javier, Emily & Hector, John F & Erin, Carlos, Jason & Victoria, Beth, Tyanna, Jax. Lots of socializing. No L-C-R game. Claire jammed on the drums. www.facebook.com/events/1969828453336809/

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 1 year on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 46 injections in 7mos], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (4.5mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 23 days(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (dose just halved to 10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--4mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--7mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (11.5mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7.5mos). Completed 2 semesters (16 sessions) of transgender group speech therapy at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (6mos of voice training since 2/2017). Weight down to 146lbs (51 down from 197, but 11 up from 135, uh oh!). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 53 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 35.9 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr4mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs. Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but being done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

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Soon after we arrived at the clinic, Dr. Bart was called back in to do the pre-op appointment that was supposed to have happened hours earlier, but didn't because the train schedule made us so late. He took some "before" pictures and went over the plan for the procedure in more detail. Claire thinks she might have had better results if it wasn't so rushed.

Claire.

pre op pictures, pre operation pictures.

before surgery.

September 3, 2018.

Pic by Bart Van De Ven.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOGOF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse formonths, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead quite as I'd hoped (but still an amazing forehead job!). Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped (and that nerve damage). Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been (it's so saggy now & it has been indicated as something I should do by another FFS surgeon).The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (wow) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a A- or B+ for results, B+ for price, C for choosing the right procedures to perform on me, and a C- for complications endured. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late. But at the same time...no regrets. This surgery was the best thing to ever happen to me. I'm very happy with what 2Pass did for me. I just wish things had gone better.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery **TOMORROW**(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--16 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Soon after we arrived at the clinic, Dr. Bart was called back in to do the pre-op appointment that was supposed to have happened hours earlier, but didn't because the train schedule made us so late. He took some "before" pictures and went over the plan for the procedure in more detail. Claire thinks she might have had better results if it wasn't so rushed.

Claire.

pre op pictures, pre operation pictures.

before surgery.

September 3, 2018.

Pic by Bart Van De Ven.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOGOF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse formonths, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead quite as I'd hoped (but still an amazing forehead job!). Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped (and that nerve damage). Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been (it's so saggy now & it has been indicated as something I should do by another FFS surgeon).The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (wow) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a A- or B+ for results, B+ for price, C for choosing the right procedures to perform on me, and a C- for complications endured. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late. But at the same time...no regrets. This surgery was the best thing to ever happen to me. I'm very happy with what 2Pass did for me. I just wish things had gone better.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery **TOMORROW**(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--16 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Soon after we arrived at the clinic, Dr. Bart was called back in to do the pre-op appointment that was supposed to have happened hours earlier, but didn't because the train schedule made us so late. He took some "before" pictures and went over the plan for the procedure in more detail. Claire thinks she might have had better results if it wasn't so rushed.

Claire.

pre op pictures, pre operation pictures.

before surgery.

September 3, 2018.

Pic by Bart Van De Ven.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOGOF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse formonths, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead quite as I'd hoped (but still an amazing forehead job!). Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped (and that nerve damage). Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been (it's so saggy now & it has been indicated as something I should do by another FFS surgeon).The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (wow) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a A- or B+ for results, B+ for price, C for choosing the right procedures to perform on me, and a C- for complications endured. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late. But at the same time...no regrets. This surgery was the best thing to ever happen to me. I'm very happy with what 2Pass did for me. I just wish things had gone better.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery **TOMORROW**(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--16 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Claire is excited to be at the airport!

Claire.

smiling, standing.

before surgery. trans.

Dulles International airport, Dulles, Virginia.

September 2, 2018.

Pic by Carolyn.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse for months, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead quite as I'd hoped (but still an amazing forehead job!). Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped (and that nerve damage). Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been (it's so saggy now & it has been indicated as something I should do by another FFS surgeon). The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (wow) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a A- or B+ for results, B+ for price, C for choosing the right procedures to perform on me, and a C- for complications endured. We felt like there wasa lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late. But at the same time...no regrets. This surgery was the best thing to ever happen to me. I'm very happy with what 2Pass did for me. I just wish things had gone better.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 2 days(!!!!!!!!!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--17 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Claire is excited to be at the airport!

Claire.

smiling, standing.

before surgery. trans.

Dulles International airport, Dulles, Virginia.

September 2, 2018.

Pic by Carolyn.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse for months, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead quite as I'd hoped (but still an amazing forehead job!). Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped (and that nerve damage). Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been (it's so saggy now & it has been indicated as something I should do by another FFS surgeon). The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (wow) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a A- or B+ for results, B+ for price, C for choosing the right procedures to perform on me, and a C- for complications endured. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late. But at the same time...no regrets. This surgery was the best thing to ever happen to me. I'm very happy with what 2Pass did for me. I just wish things had gone better.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 2 days(!!!!!!!!!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp,Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--17 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Finally in Antwerp (Berchem section), after leaving my wallet, passport, and hotel/car/house keys on the train! The Dutch were nice enough to race to the closing doors and get it to me at the last second.

With the 8 hour flight, train rides, car rides, etc etc, it was almost 24 hours straight of miserable travel!

The city (Antwerp) is RINGS. To thwart off invaders. Addresses include which ring you're in. It's frickin' weird.

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery **TOMORROW**(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--16 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Claire.

train tracks.

before surgery. trans.

Antwerp, Belgium.

September 3, 2018.

Pic by Carolyn.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinicin Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse for months, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead quite as I'd hoped (but still an amazing forehead job!). Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped (and that nerve damage). Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been (it's so saggy now & it has been indicated as something I should do by another FFS surgeon). The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (wow) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a A- or B+ for results, B+ for price, C for choosing the right procedures to perform on me, and a C- for complications endured. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late. But at the same time...no regrets. This surgery was the best thing to ever happen to me. I'm very happy with what 2Pass did for me. I just wish things had gone better.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 2 days(!!!!!!!!!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--17 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Clio & Shasta also tried out some face masks. Beauty will be had!

Clio.

blue hair, face mask.

boomerang. video.

Robert and Shasta Ruble's house, Fort Washington, Maryland.

June 19, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

BACKSTORY: Clio posted on Facebook asking for someone to dye her hair blue. Suddenly, three volunteers appeared. We operated on a first come, first serve basis... And Clio got some blue hair!

Transition Progress at this point: HRT: 10.5mos on estrogen (since 8/2017) [5mos on injections--35 since 1/2018], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (2mos). DHEA (10mg/2d) to raise testosterone to female levels (since 4/2018, reduced 6/2018). 10X Biotin/day for fingernails (since 1/17--5mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery booked at 2Pass Clinic (Belgium, 9/4/2018, 6.5hrs, $26.8K--Hoping for a euro crash) [travel vaccinations begun] !!!!!!!!!!!!! Full-time female since 9/15/2017 (9mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (8mos). Legally female since 12/21 (6mos). 2nd semester (9 sessions so far) of group speech therapy classes at GW Speech Clinic (4.5 mos since 2/2017). Weight down to 141lbs (66 down from 197, but 6 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/17) to 31" (6/18) [now 35-31-35]. Tanner IV Boobs at about 30-60% of A cup. Hair removal: 47 electrolysis sessions totaling 32.4 hours; 37 laser hair removal sessions (54 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears, 6 brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (1yr). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--On anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (2mos since 4/13, 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (14mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, dyed/layered hair (no haircuts for 3.5yrs--since 1/2015), hypertrophic scars removed, Sephora makeup class attended. Body contouring procedures purchased on groupon: 8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring. Wardrobe replacement up to around 1008 items. Total transition expenditures now over $25,000.

Wow, even in Europe, things are Amerocentric! This globe doesn't even show the part of the planet we are on! What gives?! We're in Belgium, not America. Why not show the correct part of the globe? EVEN FACEBOOK CHANGES ITS ICON WHEN YOU CROSS HEMISPHERES. (It's pretty cool that facebook does that actually. I screenshotted it when it happened.)

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery **TOMORROW**(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--16 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purplein front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Claire.

standing.

Technical Systems business, globe, van, world.

before surgery. funny face. trans.

Antwerp, Belgium.

September 3, 2018.

Pic by Carolyn.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse for months, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead quite as I'd hoped (but still an amazing forehead job!). Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped (and that nerve damage). Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been (it's so saggy now & it has been indicated as something I should do by another FFS surgeon). The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (wow) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a A- or B+ for results, B+ for price, C for choosing the right procedures to perform on me, and a C- for complications endured. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late. But at the same time...no regrets. This surgery was the best thing to ever happen to me. I'm very happy with what 2Pass did for me. I just wish things had gone better.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 2 days(!!!!!!!!!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--17 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Hanging out on the couch.

Beth, Claire.

sitting.

upstairs, Claire and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.

August 18, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

BACKSTORY: Rainbow Party #19: Orange Redux: Trump Sucks: 20 people. Claire & Carolyn, Mark I, Dave N, John K, Meagan, Angel, Vicky(Radha), Katherine G, Javier, Emily & Hector, John F & Erin, Carlos, Jason & Victoria, Beth, Tyanna, Jax. Lots of socializing. No L-C-R game. Claire jammed on the drums. www.facebook.com/events/1969828453336809/

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 1 year on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 46 injections in 7mos], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (4.5mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 23 days(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (dose just halved to 10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--4mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--7mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (11.5mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7.5mos). Completed 2 semesters (16 sessions) of transgender group speech therapy at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (6mos of voice training since 2/2017). Weight down to 146lbs (51 down from 197, but 11 up from 135, uh oh!). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 53 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 35.9 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr4mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs. Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but being done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Soon after we arrived at the clinic, Dr. Bart was called back in to do the pre-op appointment that was supposed to have happened hours earlier, but didn't because the train schedule made us so late. He took some "before" pictures and went over the plan for the procedure in more detail. Claire thinks she might have had better results if it wasn't so rushed.

Claire.

pre op pictures, pre operation pictures.

before surgery.

September 3, 2018.

Pic by Bart Van De Ven.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOGOF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse formonths, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead quite as I'd hoped (but still an amazing forehead job!). Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped (and that nerve damage). Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been (it's so saggy now & it has been indicated as something I should do by another FFS surgeon).The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (wow) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a A- or B+ for results, B+ for price, C for choosing the right procedures to perform on me, and a C- for complications endured. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late. But at the same time...no regrets. This surgery was the best thing to ever happen to me. I'm very happy with what 2Pass did for me. I just wish things had gone better.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery **TOMORROW**(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--16 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Soon after we arrived at the clinic, Dr. Bart was called back in to do the pre-op appointment that was supposed to have happened hours earlier, but didn't because the train schedule made us so late. He took some "before" pictures and went over the plan for the procedure in more detail. Claire thinks she might have had better results if it wasn't so rushed.

Claire.

pre op pictures, pre operation pictures.

before surgery.

September 3, 2018.

Pic by Bart Van De Ven.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOGOF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse formonths, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead quite as I'd hoped (but still an amazing forehead job!). Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped (and that nerve damage). Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been (it's so saggy now & it has been indicated as something I should do by another FFS surgeon).The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (wow) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a A- or B+ for results, B+ for price, C for choosing the right procedures to perform on me, and a C- for complications endured. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late. But at the same time...no regrets. This surgery was the best thing to ever happen to me. I'm very happy with what 2Pass did for me. I just wish things had gone better.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery **TOMORROW**(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--16 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Soon after we arrived at the clinic, Dr. Bart was called back in to do the pre-op appointment that was supposed to have happened hours earlier, but didn't because the train schedule made us so late. He took some "before" pictures and went over the plan for the procedure in more detail. Claire thinks she might have had better results if it wasn't so rushed.

Claire.

pre op pictures, pre operation pictures.

before surgery.

September 3, 2018.

Pic by Bart Van De Ven.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOGOF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse formonths, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead quite as I'd hoped (but still an amazing forehead job!). Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped (and that nerve damage). Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been (it's so saggy now & it has been indicated as something I should do by another FFS surgeon).The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (wow) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a A- or B+ for results, B+ for price, C for choosing the right procedures to perform on me, and a C- for complications endured. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late. But at the same time...no regrets. This surgery was the best thing to ever happen to me. I'm very happy with what 2Pass did for me. I just wish things had gone better.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery **TOMORROW**(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--16 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Soon after we arrived at the clinic, Dr. Bart was called back in to do the pre-op appointment that was supposed to have happened hours earlier, but didn't because the train schedule made us so late. He took some "before" pictures and went over the plan for the procedure in more detail. Claire thinks she might have had better results if it wasn't so rushed.

Claire.

pre op pictures, pre operation pictures.

before surgery.

September 3, 2018.

Pic by Bart Van De Ven.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse for months, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead quite as I'd hoped (but still an amazing forehead job!). Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped (and that nerve damage). Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been (it's so saggy now & it has been indicated as something I should do by another FFS surgeon). The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (wow) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a A- or B+ for results, B+ for price, C for choosing the right procedures to perform on me, and a C- for complications endured. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late. But at the same time...no regrets. This surgery was the best thing to ever happen to me. I'm very happy with what 2Pass did for me. I just wish things had gone better.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery **TOMORROW**(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--16 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Soon after we arrived at the clinic, Dr. Bart was called back in to do the pre-op appointment that was supposed to have happened hours earlier, but didn't because the train schedule made us so late. He took some "before" pictures and went over the plan for the procedure in more detail. Claire thinks she might have had better results if it wasn't so rushed.

Claire.

looking up.

pre op pictures, pre operation pictures.

before surgery.

September 3, 2018.

Pic by Bart Van De Ven.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018.

*****************FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse for months, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead quite as I'd hoped (but still an amazing forehead job!). Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped (and that nerve damage). Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been (it's so saggy now & it has been indicated as something I should do by another FFS surgeon). The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (wow) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a A- or B+ for results, B+ for price, C for choosing the right procedures to perform on me, and a C- for complications endured. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late. But at the same time...no regrets. This surgery was the best thing to ever happen to me. I'm very happy with what 2Pass did for me. I just wish things had gone better.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery **TOMORROW**(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--16 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Claire is happy to be in Paris now. FIRST TIME OUT OF THE COUNTRY!

However: Holy shit is CDG the worst airport in existence. The French are awful. The Dutch are way hotter than them, too. Claire's first conversation in France was telling a man to stop bumping into her repeatedly, with things escalating to the man yelling "You're fucking crazy" and both of us yelling "Fuck you!" "No, fuck you! Stay the fuck away from me!" at each other. Hellooooo, Europe. I can think of two other ways they were shitty, just in that one airport visit. Like pretending not to know English until I laid some French on them (in the form of a pre-translated printout printed in a large font) and then suddenly knowing English and being able to help me. I knew it was good advice to tell Carolyn to turn our travel tote with an American flag inside-out.

Claire.

standing.

before surgery. trans.

Charles De Gaulle airport, Paris, France.

September 3, 2018.

Pic by Carolyn.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018. He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse for months, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which isvery easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead as I'd hoped. Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped. Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been. The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (which I disagree with!) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a B+ for results, and a C- for complications and choosing the right procedures to perform on me. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 2 days(!!!!!!!!!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--17 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacementup to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Soon after we arrived at the clinic, Dr. Bart was called back in to do the pre-op appointment that was supposed to have happened hours earlier, but didn't because the train schedule made us so late. He took some "before" pictures and went over the plan for the procedure in more detail. Claire thinks she might have had better results if it wasn't so rushed.

Claire.

pre op pictures, pre operation pictures.

before surgery.

September 3, 2018.

Pic by Bart Van De Ven.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOGOF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse formonths, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead quite as I'd hoped (but still an amazing forehead job!). Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped (and that nerve damage). Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been (it's so saggy now & it has been indicated as something I should do by another FFS surgeon).The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (wow) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a A- or B+ for results, B+ for price, C for choosing the right procedures to perform on me, and a C- for complications endured. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late. But at the same time...no regrets. This surgery was the best thing to ever happen to me. I'm very happy with what 2Pass did for me. I just wish things had gone better.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery **TOMORROW**(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--16 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Claire organized a Mini-Family Reunion as a way to answer any questions about her transition to any family members who might show up. Also as a last chance to see her face before her FFS (facial feminization surgery) in 30 days. 13 people came: Claire & Carolyn & Beth, Claire's Mom & Dad, Britt & Chris, Anne & Vicky, Jay & Amy, and Marcia & Nathan. The event was fun, though there was no real Q&A session on transgender stuff as originally intended. Claire was really hoping that some relatives that hadn't seen her since her transition would show up, but it was so fun to get everybody together!

Transition Progress at this point: 1 year on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 42 injections in 7mos], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (4mos). DHEA (10mg/2d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--4mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--6mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (11mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery booked and paid for at 2Pass Clinic (Belgium, with a quick visit to Paris before & after, 9/4/2018, 6.5hrs, $26.8K--1 month to go!) !!!!!!!!!!!!! Completed 2 semesters (16 sessions) of transgender group speech therapy at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (6mos of voice training since 2/2017). Weight down to 147lbs (50 down from 197, but 12 up from 135, uh oh!). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/17) to 31" (6/18) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 53 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 35.9 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--On anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (3.5mos since 4/15, 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr4mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed blue [but blue has mostly faded, with the remaining becoming purple]. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs. Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but being booked after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $52,300.

Britt, Carolyn, Claire, Jay, Vicky.

standing.

upstairs, Claire and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.

August 5, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Kitchen party!

Carlos, Carolyn, Clio, Emily, Javier, Katherine.

standing.

red wig.

kitchen, Clio and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.

July 13, 2018.

Pic by Sideshow Bob.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

... View Sideshow Bob's photography repository at SSBproductions.com/

BACKSTORY: Rainbow Party #18: Red #2: Red Redux: Blood Red: The Blood Red Party: 26 people. Clio & Carolyn, AE & Meagan, Puppy, Akira, Sideshow Bob, Javier & Katherine G, Diane & Andrew, Emily, Erica, Liz, Carlos, Olivia, Jen Lee & Atool, Jayce & Max, Tyanna, Jill, Tom & Katie, Lex, Jax. Lots of socializing, and some cuddling. One 13-person L-C-R game (Sideshow Bob won). 3 couples slow-dancing to "Lady In Red" while wearing red was surreal as hell [C&C,Olivia&Max,Jen&Atool]. Max's blood bath -- being covered in blood -- was epic... But we really wish that people had figured out how to turn the hose on BEFORE covering him in blood.... Bringing him into our shower left red stains in our bathroom for a good 6 months. They seemed to have eventually faded. Meanwhile, people were still hanging out at 4:30AM. Liz, Jayce, and Sideshow Bob crashed for the night. For those on the invitation, the Facebook event page is at: www.facebook.com/events/562268484140242/

Clio's Transition Progress at this point: 11mos on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 39 injections in 6mos], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (3mos). DHEA (10mg/2d) to raise testosterone (since 4/2018). Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--5mos--currently taking 10 a day). Full-time female since 9/15/2017 (9.5mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (8.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery booked at 2Pass Clinic (Belgium, 9/4/2018, 6.5hrs, $26.8K--Hoping for a euro crash) !!!!!!!!!!!!! Currently enrolled in 2nd semester (13 sessions so far) of group speech therapy classes at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (5mos of voice training, since 2/2017). Weight down to 149lbs (49 down from 197, but 14 up from 135, uh oh). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/17) to 31" (6/18) [now 35-31-35]. Tanner IV Boobs at about 30-60% of A cup. Hair removal: 50 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 34.2 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions (since 9/2016: 55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (1yr). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--On anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (2.5mos since 4/13, 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (14mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, hair dyed blue (no haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs), Sephora makeup class attended. Body contouring procedures purchased on groupon: 8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring [still need to book]. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures now over $25,300 at this point.

Claire is happy to be in Paris now. FIRST TIME OUT OF THE COUNTRY!

However: Holy shit is CDG the worst airport in existence. The French are awful. The Dutch are way hotter than them, too. Claire's first conversation in France was telling a man to stop bumping into her repeatedly, with things escalating to the man yelling "You're fucking crazy" and both of us yelling "Fuck you!" "No, fuck you! Stay the fuck away from me!" at each other. Hellooooo, Europe. I can think of two other ways they were shitty, just in that one airport visit. Like pretending not to know English until I laid some French on them (in the form of a pre-translated printout printed in a large font) and then suddenly knowing English and being able to help me. I knew it was good advice to tell Carolyn to turn our travel tote with an American flag inside-out.

Claire.

before surgery. trans.

Charles De Gaulle airport, Paris, France.

September 3, 2018.

Pic by Carolyn.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018. He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse for months, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead as I'd hoped. Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped. Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been. The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (which I disagree with!) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a B+ for results, and a C- for complications and choosing the right procedures to perform on me. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 2 days(!!!!!!!!!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--17 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

GIF we generated of us hanging out at the airport. Things to conquer boredom.

Carolyn, Claire.

animated. before surgery. trans.

Charles De Gaulle airport, Paris, France.

September 3, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018. He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse for months, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead as I'd hoped. Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped. Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been. The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (which I disagree with!) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a B+ for results, and a C- for complications and choosing the right procedures to perform on me. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlierand not be late.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 2 days(!!!!!!!!!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--17 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

We went to a DCTransLadies meetup at a hotel rooftop in Bethesda.

Transition Progress at this point: 1 year on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 47 injections in 7.5mos], 4.5mos on progesterone (since 3/25/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 10 days(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (dose just halved to 10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--4mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--7mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (11.5mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7.5mos). Completed 2 semesters (15 sessions) of transgender group speech therapy at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (6mos of voice training since 2/2017). Weight down to 143lbs (54 down from 197, but 8 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 55 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.2 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr4mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs. Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but being done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Claire.

posing, standing.

sunset, yellow dress.

DCTransLadies.

Doubletree, hotel, Bethesda, Maryland.

August 25, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

Kitchen Party!

Carlos, Claire, Katherine.

standing.

smudged.

kitchen, Claire and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.

August 18, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

BACKSTORY: Rainbow Party #19: Orange Redux: Trump Sucks: 20 people. Claire & Carolyn, Mark I, Dave N, John K, Meagan, Angel, Vicky(Radha), Katherine G, Javier, Emily & Hector, John F & Erin, Carlos, Jason & Victoria, Beth, Tyanna, Jax. Lots of socializing. No L-C-R game. Claire jammed on the drums. www.facebook.com/events/1969828453336809/

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 1 year on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 46 injections in 7mos], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (4.5mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 23 days(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (dose just halved to 10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--4mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--7mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (11.5mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7.5mos). Completed 2 semesters (16 sessions) of transgender group speech therapy at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (6mos of voice training since2/2017). Weight down to 146lbs (51 down from 197, but 11 up from 135, uh oh!). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 53 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 35.9 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr4mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs. Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo+ 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but being done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Chilling at the airport. Taking pix with my chromebook.

Claire.

before surgery. trans.

Charles De Gaulle airport, Paris, France.

September 3, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018. He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse for months, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes aresewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead as I'd hoped. Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped. Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been. The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (which I disagree with!) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a B+ for results, and a C- for complications and choosing the right procedures to perform on me. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 2 days(!!!!!!!!!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--17 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Claire doesn't look particularly thrilled after her gallbladder surgery.

...but the self-censorship for this image is hilarious!

[NOTE: Picture censored for Facebook/public consumption. Uncensored versions are on our flickr (friends only).]

Claire.

standing.

The Starry Night painting, bandages, incision marks, incisions.

after surgery. censored. edited.

upstairs, Claire and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.

August 9, 2018.

Art by Vincent Van Gogh.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Transition Progress at this point: 1 year on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 44 injections in 7mos], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (4mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery booked and paid for at 2Pass Clinic (Belgium, with a quick visit to Paris before & after, 9/4/2018, 6.5hrs, $~28K--just 27 days to go!) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (dose just halved to 10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--4mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--6mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (11mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7mos). Completed 2 semesters (16 sessions) of transgender group speech therapy at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (6mos of voice training since 2/2017). Weight down to 146lbs (51 down from 197, but still 9 up from low of 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/17) to 31" (6/18) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 53 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 35.9 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--On anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (3.5mos since 4/15, 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr4mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed blue [but blue has mostly faded, with the remaining becoming purple]. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs. Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but being booked after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Claire and Beth at the social.

Beth, Claire.

kissing.

black dress, goth dress, skull necklace.

diptych.

Brio, restaurant, McLean, Virginia.

August 30, 2018.

Pic by Beth H.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 5 days(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21(8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--17 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Note: As of this event, Clio stopped using the name Clio in social settings, and started introducing herself exclusively using her legal name of Claire. This event was a chance to meet a LOT of new people with the new name, so that was fun.

Hanging out at the effigy.

Claire, Vic.

smiling.

effigy, sticking out tongue.

Marvin's Mountaintop, Cascade, West Virginia.

July 19, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

BACKSTORY: We went to Transformus for the first time, since it moved closer to us. Mostly we wandered and met people. There was ice cream on the burn night!! How crazy is that!?

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 11.6mos on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 40 injections in 6.5mos], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (3.5mos). DHEA (10mg/2d) to raise testosterone (since 4/2018--3.5mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--5mos). Full-time female since 9/15/2017 (10mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (9mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7.5mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery booked and paid for at 2Pass Clinic (Belgium, with a quick visit to Paris before & after, 9/4/2018, 6.5hrs, $26.8K--Less than 2 months to go!) !!!!!!!!!!!!! Currently nearing completion of 2nd semester (14 sessions so far) of group transgender speech therapy classes at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (5.5mos of voice training, since 2/2017). Weight down to 149lbs (48 down from 197, but 14 up from 135, uh oh!). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/17) to 31" (6/18) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 51 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 34.9 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions (since 9/2016: 55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--On anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (3mos since 4/13, 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1.25yrs). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed blue (no haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs), Sephora makeup class attended. Body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but waiting until after FFS surgery to book. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $51,800.

Claire and Beth at the social.

Beth, Claire.

kissing.

black dress, goth dress, skull necklace.

diptych.

Brio, restaurant, McLean, Virginia.

August 30, 2018.

Pic by Beth H.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 5 days(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--17 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Clio's blue shirt matches her blue hair.

We lost the game, but we were really close. With Eric's help, we succeeded at a key objective... so we were set up for success for next time.

Clio.

playing Pandemic Legacy, sitting, standing.

Pandemic Legacy board game, blue hair, braid.

avatar. profile pic.

Eric and Beth H's house, Arlington, Virginia.

June 19, 2018.

Pic by Beth H.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

Transition Progress at this point: 10.5mos on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [on injections for 5mos, 35 injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (2mos). DHEA (10mg/2d) to raise testosterone (since 4/2018). 10X Biotin/day for fingernails (since 1/17--5mos). Full-time femalesince 9/15/2017 (9mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (8mos). Legally female since 12/21 (6mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery booked at 2Pass Clinic (Belgium, 9/4/2018, 6.5hrs, $26.8K--Hoping for a euro crash) [travel vaccinations begun] !!!!!!!!!!!!! Currently enrolled in 2nd semester (9 sessions so far) of group speech therapy classes at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (4.5 mos since 2/2017). Weight down to 146lbs (51 down from 197, but 11 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/17) to 31" (6/18). Now 35-31-35. Tanner IV Boobs at about 30-60% of A cup. Hair removal: 47 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 32.4 hours; 37 laser hair removal sessions (since 9/2016: 54 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears, 6 Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (1yr). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--On anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (2mos, since 4/13, 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (14mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, hair dyed blue (no haircuts for 3.5yrs--since 1/2015), Sephora makeup class attended. Body contouring procedures purchased on groupon: 8 laser lipo (but I ended up giving those to my wife) + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring [still need to book]. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,006 items. Total transition expenditures now over $25,000 at this point.

Claire is excited to be at the airport!

Claire.

smiling, standing.

before surgery.

Dulles International airport, Dulles, Virginia.

September 2, 2018.

Pic by Carolyn.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Claire got her Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart Van De Ven at the 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium on September 4th, 2018. He had a lot of before and after pictures for Claire to look at, and a 6-day stay in their clinic to include food and board was included in the price. It was a really nice facility, and Carolyn was glad that Claire had chosen 2Pass over PriyaMed in India, after seeing CT scans confirming friends had paid for procedures that were never even done (PriyaMed suuuuucks!). Dr. Bart and the entire 2Pass staff, including the resident who lived at the clinic and took care of all the patients, Petra, were very nice and friendly. We absolutely have complaints about the experience -- the implants that made my mouth look worse for months, only to threaten my life, creating two more additional surgeries for me to undergo and recover from. The nerve damage on my chin, which I think could have been avoided if Dr. Bart didn't insist that CT scans are unnecessary while any upscale FFS place does CT scans. The complication under my eye which literally exploded out of my face, but only 14 months later. Letting me leave without my chin strap. Sending me home when I wasn't really fit to fly yet. Having a big wooden table with an irregular shape that people trip over, which is very easy when your eyes are sewn shut. Not shaving as much off my forehead as I'd hoped. Not doing as much jaw work as I'd hoped. Not including a neck lift in my package when it absolutely should have been. The surgery was good -- I've had people tell me in private that my FFS is the best FFS they've ever seen (which i disagree with!) -- but it wasn't A+ for us. It was more like a B+ for results, and a C- for complications and choosing the right procedures to perform on me. We felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in our experience as well. Like they don't say what time of day to arrive, and only let you check into your room a few hours before your appointment. So we ended up being several hours late because of this -- they could simply let people in 6-8 hrs before their appointment, then we would have been able to aim earlier and not be late.

***************** FOR THE FULL LOG OF CLAIRE'S FFS RECOVERY, VISIT HER PAGE AT www.facebook.com/cleo.jane.sawyer/posts/459732837767406 *****************

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 2 days(!!!!!!!!!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--17 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Claire's necklaces. The rainbow skull military-ish style tag signifies her winning her fight against LGBT oppression.

black dress, goth dress, rainbow necklace, skull necklace.

upstairs, Claire and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.

August 30, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 5 days(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--17 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Claire's aunt Marcia sent Claire some gifts for her transition. Specifically, this incredibly butterfly necklace that's been in the family for a few decades. My aunt Marcia's sister Beth gave it to her -- I'd guess in the 1970s or 1980s or maybe even the 1990s. This was definitely sweet, and made me cry. While everybody has been "supportive", my experience has been that the majority of people never go beyond a tacit acknowledgment of my coming out followed by either an increased distance from me, a continued ignoring of me, or a steadily increasing disliking of me after the fact for me somehow being more offensive because I'm open about not respecting those who collectively oppress me (let's just call this the "trans/black/gay women are so loud/angry/militant/feminazi" effect). Most of my extended family never even responded to my coming out post, and, although everybody knows the news, I haven't heard from most of them since. And the time to say something right or supportive has totally passed. That's a good way to permanently lose trust, because saying the right thing 2 years later doesn't really feel much better than never saying it. It's not like ANYONE in my extended family has sent me a gift for my transition, or anything actually celebrating it. That was just my Aunt Marcia. And what a great gift -- butterflies and phoenixes are particularly resonant with me due to my self-transformation. It was really appreciated and it would have been nice if, like, almost anyone else could have been as celebratory, as opposed to just...tolerant. Too bad Aunt Marcia is not on the social networks to read this.

Letter text:

Dear Claire & Carolyn, Hope you are well. I'm enjoying the beautiful weather. I've enclosed a good luck charm, a sparkly sweater, and a butterfly necklace for Claire. Beth gave me the necklace several years ago. Always got compliments when I wore it. Thought it's perfect for your metamorphosis. Love, Marcia."

butterfly necklace, card, miniature My Little Pony Rainbow Dash toy, sparkly sweater.

from Marcia Gravely.

upstairs, Claire and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.

August 28, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 7 days(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--17 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145bs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-inavsive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

The "polka dot stickers" that John R brought really helped bring everyone into compliance with the theme. :D

Carolyn, Clio, John, Shelly.

standing.

polka dots stickers.

upstairs, Clio and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.

June 16, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

BACKSTORY: Rainbow party #17: Polka Dot: 23 people. Clio & Carolyn, Mark, Dave N, Puppy & Stormy, Kier, Svetlana, Sideshow Bob, Cristin, Katherine G, Javier, Beth, John F & Erin, John O, Erica & Scott, Liz, Jayce, Tyanna, John R & Shelly. Lots of socializing. 1 12-person L-C-R game (Cristin won $11 pot), jamming, socializing. People were still hanging out until 4am. Puppy, Stormy, & Beth stayed overnight. Facebook event page: www.facebook.com/events/2034576653464487/

Clio's Transition Progress at this point: 10.5mos on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [5mos, 35 injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (2mos). DHEA (10mg/2d) to raise testosterone (since 4/2018). 10X Biotin/day for fingernails (since 1/17--5mos). Full-time female since 9/15/2017 (9mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (8mos). Legally female since 12/21 (6mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery booked at 2Pass Clinic (Belgium, 9/4/2018, 6.5hrs, $26.8K--Hoping for a euro crash) [travel vaccinations begun] !!!!!!!!!!!!! Currently enrolled in 2nd semester (9 sessionsso far) of group speech therapy classes at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (4.5 mos since 2/2017). Weight down to 143lbs (54 down from 197, but 8 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/17) to 31" (6/18) [now 35-31-35]. Tanner IV Boobs at about 30-60% of A cup. Hair removal: 47 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 32.4 hours; 37 laser hair removal sessions (since 9/2016: 54 area treatments: 17/16/14/13/9 mouth/goatee/face/neck/armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears, 6 Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (1yr). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--On anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (2mos since 4/13, 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (14mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, dyed/layered hair (no haircuts for 3.5yrs--since 1/2015), hypertrophic scars removed, Sephora makeup class attended. Body contouring procedures purchased on groupon: 8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,006 items. Total transition expenditures now over $24,490 at this point.

We went to a DCTransLadies meetup at a hotel rooftop in Bethesda.

Transition Progress at this point: 1 year on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 47 injections in 7.5mos], 4.5mos on progesterone (since 3/25/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 10 days(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (dose just halved to 10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--4mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--7mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (11.5mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7.5mos). Completed 2 semesters (15 sessions) of transgender group speech therapy at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (6mos of voice training since 2/2017). Weight down to 143lbs (54 down from 197, but 8 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 55 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.2 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr4mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs. Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but being done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Claire.

posing, standing.

yellow dress.

DCTransLadies.

Doubletree, hotel, Bethesda, Maryland.

August 25, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

We went to a DCTransLadies meetup at a hotel rooftop in Bethesda.

Transition Progress at this point: 1 year on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 47 injections in 7.5mos], 4.5mos on progesterone (since 3/25/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 10 days(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (dose just halved to 10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--4mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--7mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (11.5mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7.5mos). Completed 2 semesters (15 sessions) of transgender group speech therapy at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (6mos of voice training since 2/2017). Weight down to 143lbs (54 down from 197, but 8 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 55 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.2 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr4mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs. Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but being done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Claire.

posing.

sunset, yellow dress.

DCTransLadies.

Doubletree, hotel, Bethesda, Maryland.

August 25, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

...but the self-censorship for this image is hilarious!

Close-up of Claire's gallbladder removal incisions.

[NOTE: Picture censored for Facebook/public consumption. Uncensored versions are on our flickr (friends only).]

Claire.

standing.

bandages, incision marks, incisions.

after surgery. censored. close-up. edited.

upstairs, Claire and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.

August 9, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Transition Progress at this point: 1 year on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 44 injections in 7mos], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (4mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery booked and paid for at 2Pass Clinic (Belgium, with a quick visit to Paris before & after, 9/4/2018, 6.5hrs, $~28K--just 27 days to go!) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (dose just halved to 10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--4mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--6mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (11mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7mos). Completed 2 semesters (16 sessions) of transgender group speech therapy at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (6mos of voice training since 2/2017). Weight down to 146lbs (51 down from 197, but still 9 up from low of 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/17) to 31" (6/18) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 53 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 35.9 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL onarms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--On anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (3.5mos since 4/15, 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr4mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed blue [but blue has mostly faded, with the remaining becoming purple]. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs. Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but being booked after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

We went to a DCTransLadies meetup at a hotel rooftop in Bethesda.

Transition Progress at this point: 1 year on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 47 injections in 7.5mos], 4.5mos on progesterone (since 3/25/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 10 days(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (dose just halved to 10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--4mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--7mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (11.5mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7.5mos). Completed 2 semesters (15 sessions) of transgender group speech therapy at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (6mos of voice training since 2/2017). Weight down to 143lbs (54 down from 197, but 8 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 55 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.2 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr4mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs. Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but being done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Carolyn, Claire, Ivy, Sharon.

standing, talking.

sunset, yellow dress.

DCTransLadies.

Doubletree, hotel, Bethesda, Maryland.

August 25, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Claire decided to have some domly shots taken prior to flogging that awful christian book "Finding God In The Lord Of The Rings". I think this flogger is lost in our camping gear somewhere, haven't seen it in awhile.

Note: As of this event, Clio stopped using the name Clio in social settings, and started introducing herself exclusively using her legal name of Claire. This event was a chance to meet a LOT of new people with the new name, so that was fun.

Claire.

sitting.

camping chair, flogger, fur dress.

sexy.

Marvin's Mountaintop, Cascade, West Virginia.

July 19, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

BACKSTORY: We went to Transformus for the first time, since it moved closer to us. Mostly we wandered and met people. There was ice cream on the burn night!! How crazy is that!?

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 11.6mos on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 40 injections in 6.5mos], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (3.5mos). DHEA (10mg/2d) to raise testosterone (since 4/2018--3.5mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--5mos). Full-time female since 9/15/2017 (10mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (9mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7.5mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery booked and paid for at 2Pass Clinic (Belgium, with a quick visit to Paris before & after, 9/4/2018, 6.5hrs, $26.8K--Less than 2 months to go!) !!!!!!!!!!!!! Currently nearing completion of 2nd semester (14 sessions so far) of group transgender speech therapy classes at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (5.5mos of voice training, since 2/2017). Weight down to 149lbs (48 down from 197, but 14 up from 135, uh oh!). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/17) to 31" (6/18) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 51 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 34.9 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions (since 9/2016: 55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--On anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (3mos since 4/13, 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1.25yrs). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed blue (no haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs), Sephora makeup class attended. Body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but waiting until after FFS surgery to book. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point were over $51,800.

We went to a DCTransLadies meetup at a hotel rooftop in Bethesda.

Transition Progress at this point: 1 year on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 47 injections in 7.5mos], 4.5mos on progesterone (since 3/25/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 10 days(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (dose just halved to 10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--4mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--7mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (11.5mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7.5mos). Completed 2 semesters (15 sessions) of transgender group speech therapy at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (6mos of voice training since 2/2017). Weight down to 143lbs (54 down from 197, but 8 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 55 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.2 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr4mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs. Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but being done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Claire.

posing, standing.

yellow dress.

DCTransLadies.

Doubletree, hotel, Bethesda, Maryland.

August 25, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

Note: As of this event, Clio stopped using the name Clio in social settings, and started introducing herself exclusively using her legal name of Claire. This event was a chance to meet a LOT of new people with the new name, so that was fun.

Claire having fun with the hearts filter.

Claire.

filter, hearts, rose.

self-portrait.

Marvin's Mountaintop, Cascade, West Virginia.

July 19, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

BACKSTORY: We went to Transformus for the first time, since it moved closer to us. Mostly we wandered and met people. There was ice cream on the burn night!! How crazy is that!?

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 11.6mos on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 40 injections in 6.5mos], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (3.5mos). DHEA (10mg/2d) to raise testosterone (since 4/2018--3.5mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since1/17--5mos). Full-time female since 9/15/2017 (10mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (9mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7.5mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery booked and paid for at 2Pass Clinic (Belgium, with a quick visit to Paris before & after, 9/4/2018, 6.5hrs, $26.8K--Less than 2 months to go!) !!!!!!!!!!!!! Currently nearing completion of 2nd semester (14 sessions so far) of group transgender speech therapy classes at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (5.5mos of voice training, since 2/2017). Weight down to 149lbs (48 down from 197, but 14 up from 135, uh oh!). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/17) to 31" (6/18) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 51 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 34.9 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions (since 9/2016: 55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--On anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (3mos since 4/13, 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1.25yrs). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed blue (no haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs), Sephora makeup class attended. Body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but waiting until after FFS surgery to book. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point were over $51,800.

Note: As of this event, Clio stopped using the name Clio in social settings, and started introducing herself exclusively using her legal name of Claire. This event was a chance to meet a LOT of new people with the new name, so that was fun.

Hanging out on the tower.

Claire.

standing.

tents, tower.

Marvin's Mountaintop, Cascade, West Virginia.

July 19, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

BACKSTORY: We went to Transformus for the first time, since it moved closer to us. Mostly we wandered and met people. There was ice cream on the burn night!! How crazy is that!?

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 11.6mos on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 40 injections in 6.5mos], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (3.5mos). DHEA (10mg/2d) to raise testosterone (since 4/2018--3.5mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--5mos). Full-time female since 9/15/2017 (10mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (9mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7.5mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery booked and paid for at 2Pass Clinic (Belgium, with a quick visit to Paris before & after, 9/4/2018, 6.5hrs, $26.8K--Less than 2 months to go!) !!!!!!!!!!!!! Currently nearing completion of 2nd semester (14 sessions so far) of group transgender speech therapy classes at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (5.5mos of voice training, since 2/2017). Weight down to 149lbs (48 down from 197, but 14 up from 135, uh oh!). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/17) to 31" (6/18) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 51 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 34.9 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions (since 9/2016: 55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--On anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (3mos since 4/13, 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1.25yrs). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed blue (no haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs), Sephora makeup class attended. Body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but waiting until after FFS surgery to book. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point were over $51,800.

We went to a DCTransLadies meetup at a hotel rooftop in Bethesda.

Transition Progress at this point: 1 year on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 47 injections in 7.5mos], 4.5mos on progesterone (since 3/25/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 10 days(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (dose just halved to 10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--4mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--7mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (11.5mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7.5mos). Completed 2 semesters (15 sessions) of transgender group speech therapy at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (6mos of voice training since 2/2017). Weight down to 143lbs (54 down from 197, but 8 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 55 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.2 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr4mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs. Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but being done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Claire.

posing, standing.

yellow dress.

DCTransLadies.

Doubletree, hotel, Bethesda, Maryland.

August 25, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

Claire and Beth at the social.

Beth, Carolyn, Claire, Isabella, Tiffany.

black dress, goth dress.

Brio, restaurant, McLean, Virginia.

August 30, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 5 days(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--17 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Claire decided to have some domly shots taken prior to flogging that awful christian book "Finding God In The Lord Of The Rings". I think this flogger is lost in our camping gear somewhere, haven't seen it in awhile.

Note: As of this event, Clio stopped using the name Clio in social settings, and started introducing herself exclusively using her legal name of Claire. This event was a chance to meet a LOT of new people with the new name, so that was fun.

Claire.

sitting.

camping chair, flogger, fur dress.

sexy.

Marvin's Mountaintop, Cascade, West Virginia.

July 19, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

BACKSTORY: We went to Transformus for the first time, since it moved closer to us. Mostly we wandered and met people. There was ice cream on the burn night!! How crazy is that!?

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 11.6mos on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 40 injections in 6.5mos], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (3.5mos). DHEA (10mg/2d) to raise testosterone (since 4/2018--3.5mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--5mos). Full-time female since 9/15/2017 (10mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (9mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7.5mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery booked and paid for at 2Pass Clinic (Belgium, with a quick visit to Paris before & after, 9/4/2018, 6.5hrs, $26.8K--Less than 2 months to go!) !!!!!!!!!!!!! Currently nearing completion of 2nd semester (14 sessions so far) of group transgender speech therapy classes at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (5.5mos of voice training, since 2/2017). Weight down to 149lbs (48 down from 197, but 14 up from 135, uh oh!). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/17) to 31" (6/18) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 51 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 34.9 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions (since 9/2016: 55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--On anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (3mos since 4/13, 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1.25yrs). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed blue (no haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs), Sephora makeup class attended. Body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but waiting until after FFS surgery to book. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point were over $51,800.

Claire decided to have some domly shots taken prior to flogging that awful christian book "Finding God In The Lord Of The Rings". I think this flogger is lost in our camping gear somewhere, haven't seen it in awhile.

Note: As of this event, Clio stopped using the name Clio in social settings, and started introducing herself exclusively using her legal name of Claire. This event was a chance to meet a LOT of new people with the new name, so that was fun.

Claire.

sitting.

camping chair, flogger, fur dress.

sexy.

Marvin's Mountaintop, Cascade, West Virginia.

July 19, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

BACKSTORY: We went to Transformus for the first time, since it moved closer to us. Mostly we wandered and met people. There was ice cream on the burn night!! How crazy is that!?

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 11.6mos on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 40 injections in 6.5mos], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (3.5mos). DHEA (10mg/2d) to raise testosterone (since 4/2018--3.5mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--5mos). Full-time female since 9/15/2017 (10mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (9mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7.5mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery booked and paid for at 2Pass Clinic (Belgium, with a quick visit to Paris before & after, 9/4/2018, 6.5hrs, $26.8K--Less than 2 months to go!) !!!!!!!!!!!!! Currently nearing completion of 2nd semester (14 sessions so far) of group transgender speech therapy classes at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (5.5mos of voice training, since 2/2017). Weight down to 149lbs (48 down from 197, but 14 up from 135, uh oh!). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/17) to 31" (6/18) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 51 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 34.9 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions (since 9/2016: 55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--On anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (3mos since 4/13, 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1.25yrs). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed blue (no haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs), Sephora makeup class attended. Body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but waiting until after FFS surgery to book. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point were over $51,800.

Beth gloating that her facial polka dots don't fade every hour.

Left-Center-Right game!

Beth, Clio.

playing Left Center Right.

braids, polka dots stickers.

blurry.

downstairs, Clio and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.

June 16, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

BACKSTORY: Rainbow party #17: Polka Dot: 23 people. Clio & Carolyn, Mark, Dave N, Puppy & Stormy, Kier, Svetlana, Sideshow Bob, Cristin, Katherine G, Javier, Beth, John F & Erin, John O, Erica & Scott, Liz, Jayce, Tyanna, John R & Shelly. Lots of socializing. 1 12-person L-C-R game (Cristin won $11 pot), jamming, socializing. People were still hanging out until 4am. Puppy, Stormy, & Beth stayed overnight. Facebook event page: www.facebook.com/events/2034576653464487/

Clio's Transition Progress at this point: 10.5mos on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [5mos, 35 injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (2mos). DHEA (10mg/2d) to raise testosterone (since 4/2018). 10X Biotin/day for fingernails (since 1/17--5mos). Full-time female since 9/15/2017 (9mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (8mos). Legally female since 12/21 (6mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery booked at 2Pass Clinic (Belgium, 9/4/2018, 6.5hrs, $26.8K--Hoping for a euro crash) [travel vaccinations begun] !!!!!!!!!!!!! Currently enrolled in 2nd semester (9 sessions so far) of group speech therapy classes at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center di(4.5 mos since 2/2017). Weight down to 143lbs (54 down from 197, but 8 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/17) to 31" (6/18) [now 35-31-35]. Tanner IV Boobs at about 30-60% of A cup. Hair removal: 47 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 32.4 hours; 37 laser hair removal sessions (since 9/2016: 54 area treatments: 17/16/14/13/9 mouth/goatee/face/neck/armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears, 6 Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (1yr). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--On anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (2mos since 4/13, 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (14mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, dyed/layered hair (no haircuts for 3.5yrs--since 1/2015), hypertrophic scars removed, Sephora makeup class attended. Body contouring procedures purchased on groupon: 8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,006 items. Total transition expenditures now over $24,490 at this point.

Claire looked especially cute posing for her 1-Year-On-Hormones fashion show.

Where the hell is that dress? Haven't seen it in a year! Must be hiding.

leaning, standing.

black and white dress, black and white leggings, leggings.

hallway, Claire and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.

August 4, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Transition Progress at this point: 1 year on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 42 injections in 7mos], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (4mos). DHEA (10mg/2d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--4mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--6mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (11mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery booked and paid for at 2Pass Clinic (Belgium, with a quick visit to Paris before & after, 9/4/2018, 6.5hrs, $26.8K--1 month to go!) !!!!!!!!!!!!! Completed 2 semesters (16 sessions) of transgender group speech therapy at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (6mos of voice training since 2/2017). Weight down to 147lbs (50 down from 197, but 12 up from 135, uh oh!). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/17) to 31" (6/18) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 53 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 35.9 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--On anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (3.5mos since 4/15, 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr4mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed blue [but blue has mostly faded, with the remaining becoming purple]. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs. Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but being booked after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $52,300.

Beth and Claire having a moment in the bedroom, before Claire goes off to Europe to get her skull carved for 6 hours. LAST PICTURES OF CLAIRE'S "OLD FACE" IN AMERICA. Next photo set, we're going to Europe!

Beth, Claire.

smiling.

bedroom, Claire and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.

September 1, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL at wordpress dot com

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 13 months on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injections (and no spiro) since 1/2018: 48 injections in 8mos], 5mos on progesterone (since 4/2018). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery in 3 days(!!)--Going to 2Pass Clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, on 9/4/2018, to spend ~$28K having 6.5hrs of surgery performed by Dr. Bart Van De Ven) !!!!!!!!!!!!! DHEA (10mg/4d) to raise testosterone a bit (since 4/2018--5mos). 10X/d Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--8mos). Full-time female since 9/2017 (1 year). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (10.5mos). Legally female since 12/21 (8mos). 7mos of voice training (since 2/2017)--17 speech therapy sessions (2 GWU semesters + 4-clinician session at UDC). Hair removal: 56 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 37.5 hours; 34 laser hair removal sessions [since 9/2016] (55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Weight down to 145lbs (52 down from 197, but 10 up from 135). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/2017) to 31" (6/2018) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--Currently on anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (4.5mos since 4/15; 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1yr,5mos). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed with a bit of purple in front. No haircuts since 1/2015--3.7yrs. Useless Sephora makeup class attended. Minor body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), to be done after FFS. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,140+ items. Total transition expenditures at this point are now over $53,000.

Note: As of this event, Clio stopped using the name Clio in social settings, and started introducing herself exclusively using her legal name of Claire. This event was a chance to meet a LOT of new people with the new name, so that was fun.

Claire hanging out in our tent.

Claire.

standing.

tent.

diptych.

Marvin's Mountaintop, Cascade, West Virginia.

July 19, 2018.

... Read my blog at clintjcl at wordpress dot com

BACKSTORY: We went to Transformus for the first time, since it moved closer to us. Mostly we wandered and met people. There was ice cream on the burn night!! How crazy is that!?

Claire's Transition Progress at this point: 11.6mos on estrogen HRT (since 8/2017) [injectable since 1/2018: 40 injections in 6.5mos], progesterone since 3/25/2018 (3.5mos). DHEA (10mg/2d) to raise testosterone (since 4/2018--3.5mos). 10X Biotin for fingernails (since 1/17--5mos). Full-time female since 9/15/2017 (10mos). Publicly out as trans since 10/11/2017 (9mos). Legally female since 12/21 (7.5mos). !!!!!!!!! Facial Feminization Surgery booked and paid for at 2Pass Clinic (Belgium, with a quick visit to Paris before & after, 9/4/2018, 6.5hrs, $26.8K--Less than 2 months to go!) !!!!!!!!!!!!! Currently nearing completion of 2nd semester (14 sessions so far) of group transgender speech therapy classes at GWU's Speech & Hearing Center (5.5mos of voice training, since 2/2017). Weight down to 149lbs (48 down from 197, but 14 up from 135, uh oh!). Same-weight waist measurement has dropped from 32" (12/17) to 31" (6/18) [now 35-31-35]. Boobs (Tanner IV) filling a 34A bra, but unsure of real cup size. Hair removal: 51 electrolysis sessions [since 4/2017] totaling 34.9 hours; 38 laser hair removal sessions (since 9/2016: 55 area treatments: 17/16/14/13 mouth/goatee/face/neck, 9 armpits, 7 legs/chest/ears/Brazilian); and bi-weekly at-home IPL on arms since 6/17 (over a year). Have seen endo/primary therapist 7X [bloodwork 6X], and 4 other therapists 13X--On anticonvulsant mood stabilizer Lamictal (3mos since 4/13, 200mg/day). Latisse for eyelash lengthening since 4/17 (1.25yrs). 2 dental implants, Zoom teeth whitening, pierced ears, star cold-brand on ass (7/14/2018), hair dyed blue (no haircuts since 1/2015--3.5yrs), Sephora makeup class attended. Body contouring procedures purchased on groupon (8 laser lipo + 4 ultrasonic liposculpture + 3 non-invasive buttlift sessions + permanent lip coloring), but waiting until after FFS surgery to book. Wardrobe replacement up to 1,129 items. Total transition expenditures at this point were over $51,800.