Hi, Kelly,
I'm a 70 year old transgender woman, in a committed relationship with my wife (23 years together, 15 years married and renewed our vows last year). I've known since I was in second grade that I was "different" from all the other boys I knew. I was totally in the closet until two years ago, when my egg cracked and I explained to my spouse the nature of my situation. I was diagnosed as "gender non-conforming (old school diagnosis)" in 1997 when I was being treated for severe depression and alcoholism. My response to the diagnosis was to immediately grow a beard and hide deeper in my misery.
Today, I live 100% as a lesbian woman. I began HRT 22 months ago and after leaving two different endocrinologists who were completely unqualified to treat me. I'm finally on track hormonally after meeting with a WPATH-certified physician.
Understand going in, that transitioning late in life has inherent risks.
There is virtually zero research on geriatric transgender care. I know because I've been researching this topic diligently for five years and my best friend from high school (also Best Man at our weddings) is a recently retired Endocrinologist who concurs with my findings (or lack there of). My recommendation is to work only with WPATH-certified medical professionals. Based on my experience, they are the ONLY people qualified to treat us. Good luck on your transition, dear.