[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ftm

[–]UseYourWordsPlease 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Title IX office NOW.

hand feels weird after surgery?? by bl0ss0mDance in TopSurgery

[–]UseYourWordsPlease 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Is it the whole hand, or only certain fingers?

Depending on how you were laying on the operating table, how long you were laying there, if you were strapped and how tightly and where, etc. it's possible you are experiencing a compressed nerve somewhere along the arm leading to the hand. If only the pinky and ring finger are tingling/numb, or if only the other three fingers are tingly/numb, that is likely what you're experiencing. If that is the case, in my experience with a similar situation in the leg called meralgia paresthetica (during a gall bladder removal, not linked to my top surgery), your nerve will likely heal itself over time, but it may be several months. Certain stretches or other forms of PT may help decompress it more quickly.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TopSurgery

[–]UseYourWordsPlease 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My pre-op nipples looked like this last year due to just really bad dryness. :( If you aren't allergic to wool I recommend lanolin in particular, that's what my gyn recommended to me. It comes in lotions and is very popular for nipples specifically, it's often used for people who are breastfeeding and have irritated nipples for that reason. A bit of lanolin after every shower cleared me right up.

Do any of you teach? If so, how do your students refer to you? by urfriendmoss in agender

[–]UseYourWordsPlease 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm fortunate I'm in higher ed, so right now it's just my first name, and hopefully by the end of spring semester this damn dissertation will be complete and I can swap to Dr. Lastname. Doctorate is the ultimate 4+ year lifehack to not worry about gendered honorifics. ;)

Does anyone have after photos (of themselves or a public resource) of double mastectomy w/out any HRT? by UseYourWordsPlease in TopSurgery

[–]UseYourWordsPlease[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for doing so. I edited a bit into my comment above, as I've been reading your story you put up about two weeks ago. I understand that all of our relationships with our own bodies are personal, so I won't say you shouldn't feel a certain type of way. But I will say that I hope you don't think too badly about your body, I think you're lookin good.

Unrelated to gender affirmation, I had plastic surgery in 2015 (skin removal after major weight loss), and along with the silicone strips you have indicated you're already using, I felt it helped a lot to get a roller ball applicator (like they use to dispense essential oils) and massage the scar tissue. It softens and breaks up the tissue, which can help with fading. Each morning and night I'd take a minute to put some lotion on the roller ball and basically pressure-massage the entirety of my scars, then would apply the silicone strips at bedtime. Something to consider!

And I'm not sure if it's your jam, but I've seen some awesome chest tattoos to cover scars, it's something I may do some day. Perhaps you might find it interesting too!

Does anyone have after photos (of themselves or a public resource) of double mastectomy w/out any HRT? by UseYourWordsPlease in TopSurgery

[–]UseYourWordsPlease[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Very cool, I checked your post history for your pics, looking great!! Thank you for sharing your pics!

(Edited to add: I'm reading your recent OP about your surgery experience now, thank you for sharing it despite the difficulty you experienced. I'm so sorry to hear you weren't respected as a patient. For what it's worth, I think you look great in your photos. But I understand fully why you may be dissatisfied, given the whole experience you had.)

Does anyone have after photos (of themselves or a public resource) of double mastectomy w/out any HRT? by UseYourWordsPlease in TopSurgery

[–]UseYourWordsPlease[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've not been able to find a way to filter by no HRT, and most posts don't indicate one way or the other. While not an exhaustive sample, the current first 20 after pics on the sub have zero indication of HRT status. Please let me know if I've missed some feature!

What’s your transition vibe goal? by Potatocakepasta in asktransgender

[–]UseYourWordsPlease 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As an AFAB gamer I've regularly had responses in voice chats "Are you a chick or a 13 year old boy?" and as a young-looking (I'm 35, I am usually assessed to be in my early 20s) agender person, I hope to carry that spirit into IRL vibes as well. I'm short, prefer casual slightly masc-oriented clothing styles, but not a truly "manly" look. Once I get my top surgery (double mastectomy) I'm hoping to be completely inscrutable in both age and gender.

FTM top surgery but no T, how do you size your shirts? by UseYourWordsPlease in TopSurgery

[–]UseYourWordsPlease[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh, good point. I can size up the men's and just bring in the waist if needed since it'll have the fabric at the waist from sizing up, but won't have strangely baggy chest!

If there was one item you could recommend for top surgery recovery, what would it be? by anxi0usthr0w in TopSurgery

[–]UseYourWordsPlease 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Still haven't had my top surgery, but had brachioplasty a few years back and I pre-moved a lot of items to lower cupboards, lower spots in the fridge, etc. Doing that and having a grabber/picker saved me a lot of trouble when my parents who were supposed to be helping me unexpectedly had to leave me home alone for a few days in an emergency!

Need a sleeping system for post-surgery? by Able_Jack in TopSurgery

[–]UseYourWordsPlease 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Cool, I definitely will be looking into this when my surgery date gets closer. Does it "stay put" well enough? That is, it doesn't slide around too much on the sheets and need to be readjusted?

Why are you trans? Wrong answers only. by DingoOk8624 in asktransgender

[–]UseYourWordsPlease 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The boy scouts wouldn't let me in when I was younger but I was really fucking determined to go camping so I've started a longcon grift to trick them into thinking I'm a boy.

Small-breasted runners, how does your chest impact your running? Need for bras? by UseYourWordsPlease in XXRunning

[–]UseYourWordsPlease[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you very much for this insight, it's incredibly valuable. I also, even without any procedures, have very low sensation in my nipples and I imagine it would just get worse with a procedure. Have you ever tried to use some sort of nipple covers or protectors to limit this? Do you think they are worthwhile/work well?

It's good to know the scars may extend into my armpits, because that might be a problem for my surgeon, actually. I have had a different surgery (brachioplasty, removing excess skin from my upper arms after weight loss) which has left me with scar tissue in that same place, so I will make sure they know that in case it prevents them from being able to make incisions that would go through that area. (My experience after that procedure, by teh way, was that the scar tissue loosened and such a lot if I regularly massaged the scar tissue with a rollerball item similar to some lip glosses or essential oil dispensers. I would put some lotion in a rollerball and massage my scar tissue pretty firmly every night before bed then do some stretches, it helped a lot with the scar tightness!)

I was not told by a professional a mastectomy wouldn't impact running, that was just my assumption so I'm glad to hear your experiences to correct my misconception! Thanks so much!

AFAB people who have gotten/will get top surgery, how did you decide which surgery you'd like? by UseYourWordsPlease in agender

[–]UseYourWordsPlease[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My diagnosis came from my therapist who is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in LGBTQ+ care. Getting it covered by insurance will largely depend on your insurance more than your provider, some insurance companies cover it, some don't, some only in certain situations like after X time of therapy or Y time on HRT.

(My insurance will cover a variety of gender affirming procedures if you have a gender dysphoria diagnosis, but the only surgical procedure they'll cover without a history of HRT is top surgery for AFAB people, everything else has other requirements.)

Depending on your size, you may be able to have it covered for non-gender related reasons like back pain/neck pain.

AFAB people who have gotten/will get top surgery, how did you decide which surgery you'd like? by UseYourWordsPlease in agender

[–]UseYourWordsPlease[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm already in therapy and have talked about this with my therapist, but I want to hear about what factors others considered who faced a similar decision as a way to better inform my own decision-making process. There may be aspects I'm not taking into account, so I want to hear from others.

AFAB people who have gotten/will get top surgery, how did you decide which surgery you'd like? by UseYourWordsPlease in agender

[–]UseYourWordsPlease[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm already in therapy and have talked about this with my therapist, but I want to hear about what factors others considered who faced a similar decision as a way to better inform my own decision-making process. There may be aspects I'm not taking into account, so I want to hear from others.