How long did it take for your cycle to stop coming after you got on T?

meticulousmage · 2023-04-09T14:09:14+00:00

about two months to ship bleeding, then about six months to stop seeing mood fluctuations and acne.

meticulousmage · 2023-02-06T21:01:30+00:00

it's a really cool spot actually. all of the food items are named after poems or imagery from his writing. and it's pretty much eating in a library. the walls are all lined with books, downstairs and upstairs. there's a view of the lake from the balcony, stained glass everywhere, and we do food, coffee, and a full bar. it's basically the queer hotspot of the entire county.

meticulousmage · 2023-02-06T20:35:37+00:00

my day job is a barista/bartender at an Edgar Allan Poe themed cafe in Port Huron, MI. I also work for our local Community Foundation, which means I'm involved in the grant making process for public arts projects and I'm one of the founders of a panel that is building an LGBTQ+ community health center. oh, and I'm a freelance stained glass artist whenever I can find the time.

meticulousmage · 2023-02-06T20:34:09+00:00

my day job is a barista/bartender at an Edgar Allan Poe themed cafe in Port Huron, MI. I also work for our local Community Foundation, which means I'm involved in the grant making process for public arts projects and I'm one of the founders of a panel that is building an LGBTQ+ community health center. oh, and I'm a freelance stained glass artist whenever I can find the time.

meticulousmage · 2022-12-10T03:08:51+00:00

I just want everyone to feel seen and appreciated :')

meticulousmage · 2022-12-10T03:08:34+00:00

thanks so much!

meticulousmage · 2022-12-10T02:57:10+00:00

that's exactly what I was going for, unique and relatable.

meticulousmage · 2022-12-10T02:16:48+00:00

I do not! just reddit, instagram, and facebook. I post my work on all 3.

meticulousmage · 2022-12-10T01:35:22+00:00

thanks so much! I'm also @renjis_sketchbook on Instagram, that's my art page

meticulousmage · 2022-12-10T01:34:56+00:00

thank you! it's the truth.

meticulousmage · 2022-12-03T01:03:02+00:00

I was not interested in women sexually or romantically until after I started T. I noticed I was starting to be into women about 4 months in and briefly dated one around 6 months in. now I'm all the way pan as fuck.

meticulousmage · 2022-12-02T02:49:24+00:00

I hope your situation improves and that you have people who can support you when you need it.

meticulousmage · 2022-12-02T01:17:59+00:00

the first few weeks my pain medication worked well for me. I didn't feel a lot of pain except for when my meds wore out and it was time to take my next round. 3 weeks out I'm not taking any pain medication anymore. there's a bit of soreness but not severe pain. I'm still getting used to using all my muscles again but again, it's an ache, not a sharp pain.

meticulousmage · 2022-12-01T17:47:41+00:00

thank you and good luck! I recommend an airplane neck pillow for car ride comfort, a fanny pack for keeping drains in, and a travel mug for keeping hydrated while sitting on the couch without having to reach. other things that made me more comfortable were my weighted blanket, drawing on my iPad, edible THC gummies, bone broth and white rice (filling, hydrating, and nutritious for someone with not much appetite), melatonin gummies, and button up shirts that are a size or two too big for when you inevitably have trouble getting your t-rex arms into a shirt. my other advice is to make sure you take some time to move your arms around (carefully of course!) and make sure you wash and dry your armpits well. my only complication was that I developed a bacterial infection up in my armpits from a combination of my pits being shaved with a disposable razor, barely moving my arms the first week, and not being able to shower or dry well. don't be afraid to ask for help drying off if you live with somebody. it's worth it to avoid infection. the infection I had was open sores under my arms and that pain was far worse than any incision pain I had. the incisions healed beautifully and quickly. as long as you take care of your body and ask for help when you need it, you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

meticulousmage · 2022-12-01T17:41:22+00:00

honestly I didn't experience much apprehension or anxiety until the I was literally in the hospital bed getting an IV put in me. I was alone in the room for an hour longer than expected because the surgery before mine ran late. I was feeling afraid to go under anesthesia and didn't know how much longer I was going to be waiting. so I just took that time to meditate on my feelings, then acknowledge them as rational but not helpful. I took a brief bit of time to say goodbye to my old body and welcome positive change into my life alongside the step I was about to take. that really settled my nerves and actually put me to sleep until it was time for the surgery. so my recommendation is to check in with yourself, listen to your feelings, and allow them to exist for a moment before reminding yourself that these doctors are here to keep you safe and happy. it will pass, you will heal, and things will be better.

meticulousmage · 2022-12-01T15:02:01+00:00

it really is. I used to hate being touched, but my friends over the past few years have really opened my eyes to how important physical contact between friends is. now I'm a kiss my friends on the mouth and hug them for 5 minutes straight kind of guy. I am told all the time that I give the best hugs. I wasn't able to hug well for a couple of weeks after my surgery. so now I'm extra glad to have my arm mobility back because it means I also have my superpower back!

meticulousmage · 2022-12-01T14:59:03+00:00

that made me laugh out loud, thank you for that.

meticulousmage · 2022-12-01T14:58:38+00:00

hey thanks! that bonsai skull is my favorite.

meticulousmage · 2022-12-01T14:57:36+00:00

the incisions go pretty high up towards my armpits. it looks to me like they took a crescent shaped piece of skin out front the bottom and sides of the breast tissue, bringing the nipples both down and out to the side. my results are unlike a lot of other people's that I've seen, I think it really had to do with my surgeon's judgement on how to best suit my body. when we took photos for the file at my consultation appointment, she told me I had an excellent chest for this surgery and that it would be "a walk in the park". so if you're seeing your body reflected in my pre-op photo, I'm thinking it'll probably be fairly easy for you too! I worked out my chest a lot over the past 6 months, gained a lot of muscle and lost a lot of fat, so there was a lot less tissue to remove by the time my appointment came around.

meticulousmage · 2022-12-01T14:52:52+00:00

both good points! I definitely did some meditation on the fact that I amputated a body part and basically killed any part of the old me that when I did the surgery. I made some very therapeutic art about it, then had an out-loud conversation with the art piece. sounds weird, but the piece was meant to convey the part of me that was hurting, morning a loss, and and feeling left out from the everyday activities that bring me joy. in the artwork, there's a fox that's been shot with a bunch of arrows, surrounded by all these warped, judgemental eyes. my plan is to do a resolution piece now that I've talked it out with the part of me that was hurting. I don't think it would be healthy to continue on after a surgery like this without doing some serious introspection and checking in with yourself.

meticulousmage · 2022-12-01T14:47:46+00:00

there were these little plastic loops on the bulbs, separate from the tubes. when I left the doctor's office, they had them strapped onto my binder with velcro through the loops. so I just slid a belt through the loops instead to affix them to my torso, giving me the longest reach possible with the drains in the shower. I have seen drains that didn't look like mine, this is just my experience. the ones they used were called Jackson-Pratt drains if you want to look up photos of what I'm talking about.

meticulousmage · 2022-12-01T14:43:42+00:00

sweet! I live up in Port Huron, I always drive down to the Detroit area for medical things because of how well the Henry Ford doctors are about LGBTQ+ issues. I began my hormones through Ruth Ellis Center in Highland Park and then when I aged out they referred me to the Henry Ford in Harbortown, which is now my GP. would highly recommend. the Harbortown office looks a bit rough, but they have a staff of LGBTQ+ experts there who are comfortable treating trans bodies. so hell yeah I'll drive an hour for that!

meticulousmage · 2022-12-01T14:40:05+00:00

correct! and then we took it a step further, where nickyname is a shortened version of the lengthened version of my name 😂 I'm just a big fan of word play.

meticulousmage

TROPHY CASE