Stay Beautiful

Hormone Replacement Therapy saved my life, but testosterone didn’t do all this by itself. There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears in between these photos. Countless hours in the gym. Working on myself internally even more than externally. Doctors appointments, therapy sessions, deep reflections, making changes. I am so proud of myself and how far I’ve come. Proud but never satisfied. I will never stop growing and striving to be a better man. • PSA: You do not need to take hormones to be trans. Just because HRT was right for me doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone. Testosterone didn’t make me a man. I was just as much a man in the pictures on the left as on the right. I have always been a man. One picture is censored because I was uncomfortable looking at myself then, not because my nipples should be hidden. • • • • • #trans #transisbeautiful #transisstrong #transgender #ftm #ftmtransgender #ftmfitness #fitness #comparison #growth #lgbtq🌈 #5yearsonT #proudofmyself https://www.instagram.com/p/CMBgviRjJWv/?igshid=w22xsohg30l8

Dear Younger Me, I am so proud of you. I could not be here without you. You are so strong and so fucking brave. You are handsome. You are smart. You are capable of anything. You are just as much a man pre-T as I am now 5 years later. Thank you for sticking around even when it felt like the world was crashing down and it’d be easier to give up. Thank you for picking me up off the floor and pushing forward. Thank you for taking me to the doctor and to therapy. Thank you for asking for what you need especially when other people tried to tell you they knew what was best. Thank you for putting that needle to your skin every week, so I can look in the mirror and feel connected to my body. The first thing I notice when I see old pictures is how sad your eyes look, but I promise someday that light will return. You will find and experience true love. You will know what it feels like to be loved for exactly who you are. You will grow and change more than you can imagine, and you’ll never stop. You are now five years on T and still learning every day. Back then it was so hard to picture where your life would go. There’s still so much that’s unknown, but it’s not as scary now. I believe in you. You’re gonna make all our dreams come true. Look at you now! I love you. Love, Shane Qory March 2021 (5 years on T) https://www.instagram.com/p/CL7WuqQjzwU/?igshid=vz78mf2qf4nf

Rest In Peace, my Colby girl. You are the smartest, sweetest, prettiest dog in the world. Thank you for choosing me that day at the pound 13 years ago. I spent half my life with you, and I will carry you with me forever. The best compliment I ever received was when people would tell me you were just like me. You changed me for the better and helped me grow into the man I am today. You helped me meet the love of my life. Thank you for all you taught me. Thank you for your unconditional love and trust. Thank you for being my best friend. Thank you for laying in my lap when we first brought you home and again when we had to say goodbye. I will never forget you. I will love you forever. I miss you so so much. I always will. I see you and hear you everywhere. I know you’re still watching over me. I picture you waiting for me to go outside and backing up through our narrow hallways. I hear your little nails clacking on the tile. I hear your collar and your pants and the little yawns you’d make. I miss your hugs and asking you for a kiss. I miss how you’d poke at me with your paw and ask for pets. I know there will never be another dog like you. You’re one of a kind. I am so lucky I got to love you, Colby cheese. I promise there’s infinite tennis balls and treats and cuddles and tummy rubs in heaven. I’ll see you again, Puppy 💕 I love you forever (at Forever in my heart) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKKJLpPj1tG/?igshid=13pi4lj4io1ej