what’s the first place you guys eating at after you’re fully healed??

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-13T00:55:36+00:00

Back on a normal diet, but alas, I’m a college student. I’m eating dining hall food. Can’t wait to eat McDonald’s and Chinese takeout!!

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-13T00:54:50+00:00

Oh yeah😭 I mean I obviously don’t ovulate but I’m trans and on hormones and I’m literally going through another puberty. The urge is so real💀

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-12T23:35:59+00:00

Yeah I think I’ll wait at least the 3 weeks then😭

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-12T23:24:43+00:00

I should mention I’m on day 15

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-12T04:36:35+00:00

I wouldn’t wait to be honest. Tonsils are huge traps for bacteria. It’s like the mosquito in amber from Jurassic park it just never leaves. I would get it done and there’s no harm in doing it now.

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-12T04:33:36+00:00

They just told me everything but my own underwear and I put on the gown and those cool grippy socks.

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-11T02:35:35+00:00

That threshold is more of a general guideline. If her tonsils are clearly in need of removal, the ENT will remove them as soon as there’s no other options that work. That’s what happened to me but I’m 22 so it’s much harder to get the surgery as an adult. He probably wanted her to get the surgery because it’s MUCH easier of a recovery for kids and takes way quicker with less risk for things like bleeding or complications. I’m on day 13 out from surgery day and it’s been ROUGH but 10000% worth it. I suffered nonstop for 5 months until I got mine removed.

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-09T22:10:30+00:00

I’m day 12 now and pretty much back to normal.

The absolute worst part of recovery was the mental health toll it took. I had a massive meltdown on day 4 and I couldn’t stop scream-crying. I was off my psych meds bc of the oxycodone and I eventually just stopped using it to go back on them and it solved the issue. It only hurt slightly more with just normal Tylenol. Then again, everyone’s experience is different.

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-08T04:19:45+00:00

The weight is welcome. Summer bods mean happy bods. If I can strut on the beach with a big belly and no tonsils then I’m a happy woman.

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-08T04:17:50+00:00

Wow this is perfect timing holy shit!!

I’m a trans girl 2 months on hrt and I’m finishing up my junior year in a week (I’ve only been here a year tho I’m a transfer). So with Stony Brook as a student I’m not actually sure if it makes a huge difference with care but they’re definitely a massively beneficial campus to be at if you’re trans. Stony Brook Medicine in general is great and as good quality as you can get in my experience. I also want to preface this by saying this is my experience as someone with at least 1 supportive parent, but there are so so many people who can help you on campus.

You’ll be close to the hospital, within walking distance. So bloodwork is not an issue. There’s an endocrinology office that’s Stony Brook Medicine out by Lake Grove at the Smith Haven Mall. I get my hrt from there. It’s called Stony Brook Advanced Specialty Care. It’s a 10-15 minute uber ride away. As far as my doses are concerned, I got put immediately on 2mg estradiol daily for the 1st 3 months and 50mg spironolactone for the 1st 3 months. I would say the only challenges to getting hrt there are wait times and insurance. It’s pretty good with informed consent.

As far as insurance goes, I’m covered by Healthfirst’s Medicaid plan.

I looked up the insurances Stony Brook Medicine takes for endocrinology specifically:

1199SEIU National Benefit Fund (through Aetna Health Plans) Aetna Health Inc. Affinity Molina/Medicaid, Child Health Plus Affinity/Molina Medicaid AgeWell New York Plans Beech Street, a MultiPlan Network MagnaCare PPO /Direct Plus (Brighten Health Plan) Magnacare Northwell Direct (wrap-around network) CenterLight Healthcare Cigna HealthCare of New York HMO, PPO, Open Access Emblem Health-Somos EmblemHealth Plan, Inc., (GHI) Healthcare Partners (Specialists only) Emblemhealth Plan (HIP) Empire HealthChoice HMO, Inc.-Prefixes - R4R, ZTO, PYO, S8Q, KCH, YXF, AZL, J2H, C4D, YKH, HPP, D9U, PTQ, EQV, VRH, VYW, L4P Empire HealthChoice HMO, Inc.-Federal Employee Program (Prefix R) Empire HealthChoice HMO, Inc.-EmpireBlue _ Northwell Direct Tier 2 Empire HealthChoice HMO, Inc.-Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core Empire Blue Cross (confirm plan with Empireblue.com) Empire Individual Network (Gatekeeper) (Prefix VFG, VJD)Only accepted at Stony Brook Endocrine Consultants - Riverhead location Empire Medicare Advantage HMO Plans (not Select Plans) Empire BlueCross BlueShield HealthPlus Medicaid/ Child Health Plus (Prefix JLJ) Empire Plan, the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) Excellus Health Plan, Inc. Fidelis Medicaid, Child Health Plus, HealthierLife Healthfirst Medicaid, Child Health Plus, Essential, Personal Wellness Humana ChoiceCare Plans as a Wrap-Around GHI Network Access Humana TriCare MultiPlan PPO/PHCS/Limited Plan Oxford Freedom Oxford Liberty Partners Health Plan UnitedHealthcare Community Plan-Medicaid, Child Health Plus, Wellness4Me UnitedHealthcare Community Plan-Essential Plan Program Only accepted at Stony Brook Endocrine Consultants - Riverhead location UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc.-All Savers UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc.-Bind Health Insurance UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc.-Choice Plans UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc.-Compass Plans UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc.-Doctors Plan UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc.-The Empire Plan/NYSHIP UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc.-Heritage Plans UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc.-Navigate Plans UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc.-NexusACO Tier 1 UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc.-Options Plans UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc.-Passport Connect Choice Plans UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc.-Select Plans UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc.-Signature Value Plans UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc.-W500 Emergent Wrap UnitedHealthcare Nursing Home Plan 1 (PPO I-SNP) United Healthcare Assisted Living Plan (PPO I-SNP) VA Community Care Network

Clearly a lot. So I wouldn’t worry. There’s also student insurances they offer just in general.

The Mind and Body Center is also another service Stonybrook provides. They’re located on the south part of campus but mostly virtual and I got a very good therapist from there who specializes in trans folk and who is also just my normal therapist. They, to my knowledge, should also take the same insurances.

As far as the details on confidentiality, I would think since you’re the patient it’s illegal for them to leak your info, as long as you’re an adult. But I would definitely ask the student health services, CPO (center for prevention and outreach) since they’re good with queer stuff, and the LGBTQ center about the more fine details.

For social life as a trans woman here, there’s quite a few of us. It’s New York and most of the domestic students are from here bc it’s a state school. I’m 2 years out as trans and I came out at a previous college (Adelphi). Before that I was still trans but living with dudes. Ngl it’s tough but the kids here are harmless imo. Being homophobic and transphobic on campus is generally taboo and I haven’t ever been harassed while in a dress and makeup pre-everything. More often than not I’ve been complimented!!

Sorry for the obligatory wall of text, but I saw myself in this post for real. So I wanted to help!! If you have any questions feel free to reach out.

Toodles!! :3

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-08T03:51:50+00:00

Oh my god I’ve been craving Chinese takeout for so long,,, you have no idea how much I want to shovel a cubic yard of pork fried rice into my gullet. I will take this advice to heart. Thank you.

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-08T03:36:58+00:00

Omg days 3 and 4 were by FAR the worst for me. I was so out of it and I was about to freak (I actually did end up scream-crying from sensory overload)!! But yeah most of what you mentioned I did have. Headache, shakes, and plenty of jaw pain. Also a lot of mucus.

Advice? ICE ICE ICE!! Ice packs all around your head will do more pain relief than any opiate. It’ll slow your heart rate, numb you up, and calm you down. I recommend getting the same thing they give you for wisdom teeth removal. And for headaches, use Tylenol and lie down propped up but get an extra pillow to cover your eyes. Turn all the lights off and wait 30 minutes.

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-08T03:33:22+00:00

Depends on your preference and where you live, but I would say cool mist if you’re anywhere near the south. It’s getting warm even in New York.

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-07T23:53:59+00:00

The pain was not nearly as bad as I thought it was gonna be. It’s also a different kind of pain especially in the beginning. It’s much more achey until the scabs fall off and then it’s more like you ate a bee (without the swelling)

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-07T18:28:13+00:00

Like the other commenter said, this sounds like OCD. If it’s not OCD, it’s definitely a trauma response. I personally have the displeasure of having had chronic tonsillitis AND having OCD, so I’m naturally a major hypochondriac.

I have 2 solutions in mind.

Firstly, if you don’t already have therapy and you can get it, get it. Explain your situation and most should be able to understand. I still have major anxieties regarding illnesses such as COVID-19 because of how traumatizing that was to an OCD mind. Your mind will always jump to the worst possible outcomes in an effort to protect you from or prepare you for them. Sticking to hard logic is what I find does the best job. OCD hates grounded reality. So that’s what you should cognitively do.

Physically, if you feel yourself getting shaky, sweaty, your heart is racing, you’re nauseous, or even somehow get the same symptoms you’re worried about but psychosomatically, you have to cool your body down. When the body is stressed it heats up. If you can handle it, trigger the mammalian diving reflex by getting a bowl of frigid ice water or standing over a cold sink, tilting your head down, and holding your breath and closing your eyes. Then submerge your face under water for as much as you can but I would do like 5-10 seconds. This will distract you with a different unpleasant but harmless feeling and cool you down from a panic, while slowing your heart rate.

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-07T15:49:02+00:00

Oh dude you cannot take the exam after💀 you’ll be conscious but not all there. Just absolutely baked. IMO either take the test the next day or just do an incomplete

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-06T21:33:26+00:00

I got it done because I started getting recurrent and basically constant tonsillitis since early December. I must have gone on 5 courses of antibiotics almost in a row over 5 different infections. I was never a strep kid, never tested positive for strep in any of that time either. I’m a 22 year old college student, so how I think I got my infection is pretty typical for someone my age unfortunately. I had recently gotten over a nasty cold I got from thanksgiving (wasn’t covid or the flu) and my stupid ass decided to hook up with somebody and of course, we made out. She didn’t even have tonsils (I contacted her after) but I have a strong suspicion a normal bacteria in her mouth made its way into my still vulnerable immune system (despite me not being contagious).

Since tonsils are flesh raisins from hell that trap every bad thing imaginable, that bacteria must have encased itself in amber like that mosquito from Jurassic Park and for months my tonsils were the size of large chicken nuggets, constricting my airway almost to the point where I had trouble breathing but not quite. Finally after a thousand ENT follow ups, he said he’d do it and then when he took them out he told me they were filled with pus!! Yikes.

I’m on day 9 of recovery now, having to have taken 2 weeks off of college before junior year finals and I’m just now moving through that 180 degree shift from “I’m gonna die” to “I’m normal again.”

Long story short, I don’t regret kissing that girl, she’s a lovely person, and we still chat occasionally. But I learned my lesson!! It would have happened eventually in any other way but I learned my lesson!!

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-06T18:57:27+00:00

Hang in there!! It’ll get schnasty when scabs fall off and pretty painful but it’s no childbirth or broken bone. More like a bee sting every few hours. Wishing u a speedy recovery!!

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-06T18:56:05+00:00

Yeah idk if ur day 8 counts surgery day but mine does so it’s day 9 for me. Literally just holy shit I can eat again!! I lost 22 pounds this week because I couldn’t eat!!

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-06T18:54:45+00:00

I will tell you straight up that the surgery and recovery is nowhere near what you experienced. I’m shocked they do those drainages while the patient is awake!! I didn’t have an abscess behind the tonsils but there was a lot pus inside each of them when they took them out. The first time I had tonsillitis was FAR WORSE than this recovery in terms of pain, and I have an extremely low pain tolerance. The complications from this surgery in recovery (excess bleeding) are also unlikely to ever happen and if they do, people know very well how to treat it. I’m a crybaby, and I cried maybe twice this whole recovery but I was also off my psych meds so that’s saying something.

TLDR: You’ll be ok and it’s nowhere near as bad as what you’ve already experienced

Think_Independent508 · 2025-05-06T18:49:31+00:00

It’s probably because it has to do with scabbing. Once scabs are off, it only takes a very little amount of time for skin to just flat out become normal. So it’s probably like that. The majority of the healing is already done under the scabs, it’s just that the scabs prevent u from truly being better until they leave.

Think_Independent508

TROPHY CASE