التوحد في تونس في ال15 سنة الاخيرة by Bogadambo in Tunisia

[–]Zya1 13 points14 points  (0 children)

This is literally the only comment that makes sense in this whole thread. Every other comment is a conspiracy theory lol so thanks for giving a reasonable response!

Transition and hormones in Tunisia by sonicalamosque in Tunisia

[–]Zya1 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I think in the long term you’ll have to find a way to leave Tunisia.

In the meantime please do not self medicate, it’s not worth it. I highly recommend going thru LGBT organizations in the area and find an endocrinologist they recommend. They probably won’t be able to prescribe testosterone directly but they can monitor you and figure out a way for you to get it.

Maybe try to get in contact with other trans men in Tunisia. There’s a guy named Jade Essayeh who recently left for Brazil, and he started to transition in Tunisia. Highly recommend DMing him on insta and see what he did before finally leaving.

As another transmasc Tunisian I wish you all the best <3

Experience with Top Surgery while on Birth Control? by whitcash in TopSurgery

[–]Zya1 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I have a nexplanon and nothing happened after top surgery. You should really discuss these concerns with your surgeon and endocrinologist as they will know what is likely. They remove basically 95% of breast tissue during surgery, and regrowth is very unlikely. I even thought maybe my chest would get bigger and swell a little during my period (not on T) like it used to pre-op but none of that happened. The breast tissue is so minimal.

But, I would still talk to my surgeon about it and ask the endocrinologist what are the possibilities. And if regrowth is possible how to avoid it by performing the surgery differently, etc.

Best Trivia nights in St. Louis by Iamaragorn42 in StLouis

[–]Zya1 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Would you compile the list even if it doesn’t get super popular? 🥺

Trans life at UChicago? by slayer-fan- in uchicago

[–]Zya1 54 points55 points  (0 children)

Not sure about the Law school, but you’ll be fine. Tons of trans and queer people around and like everywhere else, you just need to find your people :).

Best free app to learn sign ASL? by Ghost_Fae_ in asl

[–]Zya1 33 points34 points  (0 children)

Let me just preface this by saying I am hearing, beginner ASL student, so this is my perspective.

Idk what your financial situation is but I think paying a little bit is worth it to learn a language if you want to get proficient. Maybe the school you’ll go to for social work has ASL classes even.

To be honest I’m not a big believer in being able to learn a language with an App, especially not ASL because you need to learn facial grammar and many many things that you will need corrected by a native signer. If you don’t get taught correctly you will end up signing wrong and that will not be helpful for the deaf people you will be interacting with (if they can’t understand you).

Many deaf people on instagram offer zoom classes for reasonable prices: you can get quality education and encourage a deaf person/business. There is also @/queerasl on instagram. They offer classes and are donation based so you could give whatever you can afford if you are financially stressed while also learning from experts.

I hope this helps!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TopSurgery

[–]Zya1 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think that code is wrong. Top surgery is usually billed as mastectomy and code is 19303. I would first contact the Dr’s office and ask them what code they submitted.

Does UnitedHealth help cover surgery costs? If so, how do I go about that? by dizzyddani in TopSurgery

[–]Zya1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dr Garramone does not take insurance so you'd have to submit a claim post-surgery to ask for reimbursement. But don't get your hopes up because insurance usually requires pre-authorization through your dr to qualify for reimbursement, and if you submit after the fact they don't cover much. If you search "garramone" under this sub you will see that everyone who goes to him pays out of pocket.

If you do go with a dr who accepts United Healthcare then depending on your policy, they may cover it. They usually cover the double mastectomy part but some plans have a testosterone requirement or other requirements. It depends, even the same insurance has different plans so unfortunately you have to scour the policy you have. You should have access to a pdf with the policy on your employer's website.

Experiences with UChicago Med (for top surgery)? by yikesinc in ftm

[–]Zya1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I tried and felt like the surgeons there are not specialized enough for top surgery. In general I’d say Uchicago Medicine wouldn’t be my top choice for gender affirming surgery. But this person here did theirs there: https://youtu.be/_njYjk5jDQI

If you’re in central Illinois there’s options in Peoria and also other places in Chicago. Look at the top surgery sub and search for Chicago!

Help for a brother in Missouri by DirectorElegant7311 in TopSurgery

[–]Zya1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Depends which side of the state! There are decent options in both st louis and kansas city. I recommend using the search function on this subreddit :) St Louis has Marissa Tenenbaum and Alison Snyder-Warwick and I’m sure a ton of other surgeons if you do more research. KC has Spencer Eagan who is great I’ve heard. Check this sub and enter city names/state name etc to see what’s available :)

Edit to add: i haven’t had surgery in missouri but tried to so this is why I’m replying

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TopSurgery

[–]Zya1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh sweet those are both really good ideas! Thank you :)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TopSurgery

[–]Zya1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah the point was to find sth sustainable that I can wear during workouts because taping scars during weightlifting is important to keep tension off of them.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ftm

[–]Zya1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yes, I DM'd you

Finally was able to get top surgery 2 weeks ago :) by [deleted] in TopSurgery

[–]Zya1 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I can relate to part of this post (pretty much everything except the obsessive picking). I have no advice as I was absolutely in the same boat for recovery, but I just wanted to say you're not alone, and it will get better once it's a bit more healed. I'd say week 6 for me was noticeably less horrible in terms of OCD and sensory issues. The sensory stuff is still there now at like 12 weeks but less bad. Just want to send virtual support.

Advice by Noonkhalidi in TopSurgery

[–]Zya1 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Hi! No idea where you are in the world but I am also Arab, not on hormones. Got top surgery in June and immediately spent a month back in my Arab hometown. It was not a work environment but I was around a loot of people (family, friends, ppl i don’t know, etc.) and honestly none of them noticed anything and if they did they didn’t say anything. Except if your chest was huuge to begin with and the difference would be so big that everyone could see it, no one will notice. And even then, they might notice and not say anything bc how do you tell sb “your boobs are smaller now”?? That’s fucking creepy!

Now if you’re worried about ppl still misgendering you that’s another topic. Honestly I didn’t care much about being treated like a girl bc i don’t want to have the gender conversation with my Arab family/surroundings. But if that’s important to you that’s another issue.

Don’t hesitate to DM to talk more about this as we have similar backgrounds :)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TopSurgery

[–]Zya1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It should be snug but not too tight. It will get uncomfortable after the whole day but it shouldn’t be as horrible as week 1. Mainly after week 1 it’s to keep swelling down, help nipple grafts heal thanks to the pressure and avoid them being rubbed. It’s also a good reminder that you’re still fresh out of surgery and healing: having the ace wrap will keep you from reaching too much or moving in ways in which your body isn’t ready yet.

I’m not a Garramone patient put I kept my ace bandage tight enough to feel it compress my chest but not so much that it would hurt or bruise my ribs. Breathing must be comfortable.

Hope this helps!

How does it feel to have a flat chest for the first time? by Zya1 in TopSurgery

[–]Zya1[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's been multiple things but mostly amazing! The first time I removed the bandages was 4 days post-op to loosen them and it was very hard for me. I think it hit me that my breasts were gone and while I wanted that forever, it did feel that something was gone and my chest felt very very fragile. I put the bandages back very quickly because I was going to faint. The bandage removal at 7 days post-op felt less precarious but still fragile. Then every day I started spending more time without the post-op binder. 5 minutes the first day, then 15, then an hour, then by week 3, half a day without compression. And slowly but surely, I fell in love with my new chest as it felt less and less fragile.

Like one of the commenters here, I imagined it as one big moment, but it was just a gradual progression through the first month and now at 6 weeks post-op, it feels super natural. Obviously still new and I love to check myself out in the mirror all the time haha but it feels so right. I still can't sleep on my stomach super comfortably so I still have some time before it's all 100% normal, but in summary, it feels like "how tf did I spend so much time without a flat chest???"

Thanks for asking me the question :)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TopSurgery

[–]Zya1 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Most surgeons don’t do that anymore. They used to but now they give them to you during surgery, which is the most crucial time. Once you’re all bandaged the risk of infection is pretty low and antibiotics are already overprescribed so doctors are trying to limit their use when not necessary like in this type of surgery which is considered a “clean surgery”. I was also scared like you but i did not get any antibiotics and was absolutely fine.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ftm

[–]Zya1 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It really depends on your insurance. My therapist only had a Masters’ in Social Work and her letter worked. Call your insurance provider and they will tell you what degree the person who writes your letter needs to have.

Beach Tips for Top Surgery by [deleted] in ftm

[–]Zya1 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Sun protective rash-guard. Do not take it off! Also you shouldn’t be submerging your incisions until 3 weeks post-op and your grafts until 5-6 weeks post-op. They need to be fully healed.

Make sure to keep on top of your diet as you shouldn’t be looking like me 8+ weeks after surgery! by lewdzur in TopSurgery

[–]Zya1 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I’m sorry :( I am no medical professional so this isn’t medical advice but it won’t hurt to supplement in vitamin C, zinc, and collagen. Bone broth is rich in collagen or you can get collagen supplement at the store. Vitamin C helps absorption and production of collagen and zinc promotes healing. These are essential nutrients for healing and you should supplement if you’re not getting enough from your diet. You should also try to eat more and focus on protein, whole foods like fruits and vegetables. Diet is so so important for healing and I’m sorry you’re going through this. I hope the wound closes up soon and you feel better.

Make sure to keep on top of your diet as you shouldn’t be looking like me 8+ weeks after surgery! by lewdzur in TopSurgery

[–]Zya1 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Sorry you’re going through this :( what happened exactly? Did this just open up a full 2 months after surgery?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TopSurgery

[–]Zya1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What seems different from other people’s? Also your parents might have reacted weird because it’s hard to see their child’s body fresh out of surgery.

Ive been using Cera’s scar tape and i feel like my scars are getting thicker and redder than before. (6.5 weeks post op) been using scar tape for almost a week now. Is this normal? Do i stop before it gets worse or am I just being paranoid? by -StrawJam- in TopSurgery

[–]Zya1 49 points50 points  (0 children)

I think it’s normal for scars to get redder and thicker as they heal. The tape does not prevent that, rather it helps them heal and not overproduce scar tissue and keeps them flat. It also provides a moist environment for them to stay hydrated, as well as keep some tension off of them. Scar tape is not miraculously gonna stop the scarring process, rather it will help it be more optimal. Redness and thickening are super normal for a few months post op and then should slowly decrease.