I am a 25 year old suffering from a medical condition called transsexualism. I started hormone replacement therapy in December of 2009. I am pre-op. I do not identify myself as a transgender individual. I live my life being stealth. I'm just a normal guy trying to get by. New friends are always welcome.

I can relate, I identify simply as a man, and while I have no opportunity to be 100% stealth because of the small size of my community (think Cheers, where everybody knows your name) I do get that chance when I go elsewhere and it's great.

It took me some time to arrive at the conclusion that I have a medical condition. I really did not like that distinction earlier on. I didn't like feeling like there was something "wrong" or "disordered" about me. But I need medication for life and have had and will have surgeries, so I have accepted this as a medical condition (while acknowledging that not every trans person feels this way.)

Anyway, welcome!