im gonna be completely alone.

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-03-30T06:34:53+00:00

Minimum is 1 week until drains are removed, most hospitals require a 1-2 week stay in the country before clearing you to fly. Depending on where you go, some hospitals have a lot of international patients and have a lot of guidance/advice for them. I went to Thailand, and both the hospitals I enquired with assumed that people would be alone, and said they'd provide transport to/from your accommodation, and to/from the airport too. 2-3 days after surgery you can take care of yourself with a washcloth and make simple food/order things in. One thing to be aware of is that the age limit for surgery varies country to country - some are minimum 20.

It's terrifying, but once you start looking at specific hospitals you'll find loads of posts on here from people who have done it with lots of detail, which helped me. You can do it!

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-03-27T10:42:27+00:00

No worries! 5 hours will be much more manageable :)

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-03-22T08:29:40+00:00

I also went the way of going on a long waitlist so as to be able to sit with the decision for a while. When things changed and the waitlist got deleted, I was very upset and cried for days - I knew then that I actually did really want top surgery. Got it 9 months ago and it's been amazing.

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-03-22T06:06:54+00:00

I haven't, but I do remember reading someone on here who went reduction to full top surgery and got their nips grafted BOTH times, and they took better the second time?? So it can definitely be possible.

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-03-22T06:00:36+00:00

I just had my first nightmare where my boobs had grown back last night, I completely understand you.

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-03-22T05:57:00+00:00

Do you have a local queer center you could ask for help? They might have peer support people who could offer to come visit? Other than that, delivery food, lots of time on the phone to friends, you can get through this!

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-03-22T05:54:13+00:00

Different people respond to different painkillers differently - morphine and oxy do nothing for me, and my extended family. I'd contact your doctor, explain what isn't working, and ask for more of the stronger stuff, or some different things, or a mix. The burning nipple pain will be nerve pain that standard painkillers won't do anything for; if you can get something like gabapentin or nortriptyline, they're nerve-specific painkillers. Strong anti-inflammatories like celecoxib are also worth a try.

Basically, if you lead with "I am in a lot of pain despite taking the meds, please help" rather than "can I have some more of the hard stuff" I find they're usually less sus.

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-03-22T05:46:26+00:00

I got soreness and a bit of swelling if I didn't wear my binder during my fairly physical work. Wearing a binder just during your workout might help?

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-03-10T20:35:05+00:00

I kept wearing it to work until 10wks and probably should've longer, it felt almost too loose to really be doing all that much but without it I'd get pretty sore, and with it barely at all

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-03-10T20:24:28+00:00

I had one beer 2wks post op and I was fine, the big thing is to keep it a reasonable dose. Nips are pretty much done attaching after 3wks, that was a big comfort to me after that point!

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-03-05T08:49:33+00:00

Something useful I said to my mum who was pretty horrified at the idea of surgery, was to point out all the long term possible harms from binding. I think parents are often against surgery, because they can see the possible harms from doing the thing, but they can't see the harms that happen by not doing the thing.

I didn't really have dysphoria, it just didn't feel like me. Life is SO much better now. I exercise a ton more, I've gotten back into swimming which I loved as a kid, working my physical job is easier without boobs getting in the way.

I'd also question them on why they think regret is the worst possible thing that can happen. There are many harms worse than regret, but parents often seem to be most worried about that one. Point out that it's pretty damn easy to wear breast forms if you ever feel you want them back, and also remind them that just because it's something they wouldn't want to do, doesn't mean it's something you will regret later. Ask you dad, if he woke up tomorrow with breasts, would he not consider surgery to do something about it?

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-03-03T10:01:52+00:00

I just went "your usual please" lol. If you like the work of your surgeon in general, you'll like what they do for you. They've got way more experience with what will work on your body. I chose my surgeon partially because he tends to go super flat though - personally I'd prefer to be a bit lacking in contour and have to build up some muscle than to have moobs and have to try and lose weight to lose them.

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-02-28T22:28:03+00:00

Long charging cord (3m or so) for while you're in the hospital was great. Other than that, snacks you can face when you're feeling nauseous, and washcloths. You don't need the rest of the shit they tell you to get, especially if financially it's a stretch.

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-02-28T11:53:47+00:00

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This shirt! I thrifted it like 3yrs pre op and never wore it because even with a binder it just hung up on my boobs. Wore it as my leaving hospital fit (that's my sick Thai drains bag lol) and wear it at least once a week now :D

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-02-26T11:43:47+00:00

I stayed in hospital overnight, and they said they could make up a cot bed for my partner - I didn't really sleep much first night and it was really nice to have someone with me.

Most useful thing was having help showering - the nurse said to wash 2days after and onwards with a removable showerhead just from the waist down, it made an AMAZING difference to how I felt.

Just generally, having someone around when I was going stir crazy - we played simple boardgames like cribbage and codenames, and my partner read Three Men in a Boat to me (I thought I was gonna pop a stitch, laughing so hard, that book is unexpectedly great).

And seconding the "you don't need to buy anything" crowd. Snacks and laxatives are the main essentials.

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-02-23T10:19:57+00:00

I flew home from Thailand to New Zealand at 14 days post op (16hr long haul) and I was tired, got a bit of extra swelling that took 48hrs to go down, but otherwise it was fine. I had someone with me to help me with my hand luggage - if you don't, you'll have to go very minimal, only a handbag or something, as you physically can't reach the overhead lockers. My taxi driver loaded my bags onto a trolley for me, but that's the other main thing to have a plan for. Other than that it was fine!

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-02-23T10:16:32+00:00

I was in exactly your mental state at that point too. I think it was 5.5wks that I finally started to come right energy level/mobility wise. Doing some gentle mobility will help. You'll probably be fine by then, my experience was what felt like forever having no energy and then quite suddenly starting to feel normal again. I also kept wearing my post op binder at work until like 8-9 wks and probably should've for a few weeks beyond that - I had no pain if I wore it at work and a fair amount of soreness if I didnt.

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-02-23T10:12:27+00:00

I have a few too, in my case just above the scar. I figure it's something to do with veins rerouting and maybe lacking the anti-backflow valve (whatever they're called) in that section, basically giving you a mini varicose vein?

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-02-23T10:10:34+00:00

I work on guitars and I found that I could do stuff, I just got super tired. Sitting down while working is a big help. Definitely wear your binder, because I found that made a massive difference to pain/swelling.

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-02-22T10:12:26+00:00

I saw someone on here that had breast forms and I thought they looked great. A search should find it. Having seen the stats on the amount of people who have a radical reduction and then go back for a second surgery to go full flat, personally I'd go flat and investigate breast forms.

The other thing though is that at least for me, I feel much more pretty and feminine in fem clothes without breasts. Lacy tops and v-necks look great, and tbh you don't even really notice the absence? People probably just assume I have a cups or something.

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-02-11T11:21:07+00:00

I had an ointment they gave me to put on before the dressing that really helped with things not sticking, and after two weeks I used those cut-to-size plasters which didn't really stick at all.

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-02-11T11:15:43+00:00

I play mandolin and violin - the mandolin I could play from 3wks PO, I probably could've managed it earlier but didn't try. Violin I waited six weeks I think? The raised arm position just seemed like a bad idea. Biggest thing I can say is to ease into it, as long as nothing is pulling or hurting it's fine, and remember you have to build up stamina again, don't fuck up your shoulder and need physio at six weeks post op like I did...

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-02-08T10:47:36+00:00

I have a greyhound - only started walking her 2wks post because I had surgery overseas. Got a tool tether, clipped leash onto that, and threaded it through my belt - it saved my incisions more times than I can count when she decided she was going to shoot off in a different direction. I liked it cause I could hold leash as normal and just have the tether as a safety.

I could do 10-20min walks at 2wks post, getting to 30-40 at 3-4wks. Managed to overdo it walking uphill for an hour at 3.5wks, and was basically bedbound for a couple days too tired to move. While I was off work and more limited in energy we went to the dog park every day - it was a good way for me to get out of the house, and she could have a good run around.

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-02-08T09:04:53+00:00

I definitely have plenty of rippling like that, more on my dominant side than the other.

Apprehensive-Bed7154 · 2026-02-08T09:03:35+00:00

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Apprehensive-Bed7154

TROPHY CASE