“Yes, my girl, with no history of issues with being a girl,”
It’s possible that your son just felt something was wrong, but didn’t know what. Then somehow reading someone else’s account of what they went through, the light went on. “Hey! That’s ME!” We don’t talk about certain issues NEARLY enough as it is, and your state’s making it harder.
Similarly, I knew a girl that read Anne McCaffery’s ‘To Ride Pegasus’ series and came across a lesbian character. “Wait!” she thought. “That’s an OPTION!?!?!”
Or, maybe your kid sat through a hate-filled sermon and noticed you nodding in agreement and decided, “Not going to tell them a fucking THING!”
“and actively badgered her kid until she desisted…would very likely strain our relationship with her.”
Referring to him as ‘her’ is putting a strain on it. Constant badgering is cutting thesuspension cables. And then people wonder why the kid goes no-contact.
“I became overwhelmed with managing my spouse, my younger child and pretending everything was normal to our friends, despite the obvious and sudden change in our daughter's appearance.”
Well, your priorities are clear. Gross, but clear.
“I am just expressing what this experience feels like firsthand, for all of those people who have no idea.”
On PITT… Pretty sure THEY have an idea. You’re definitely playing victim to beef up your cred with the other pittances.
"It feels like she is edging closer to death every day that her 18th birthday draws nearer. Death by Testosterone.”
Which is possible but usually after the words: Hey! Watch what I can do! Doesn’t seem applicable, here.
“Death by double mastectomy.”
Ah. Your internal image of him is what you’re losing. Not deathiness literally.
"Death by self-annihilation.”
More of a commencement, really.
“It is unbearable to think about the future. It turns out that my prayers were ignored.”
Maybe not. Maybe He said, “Shut Up, bitch!”