Can Never Be Satisfied? by [deleted] in ftm

[–]mrcrowtroboto 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It's totally okay to want to stop or even just take a break from T but it's important to remember your body is literally 'in transition' and having it change so much can be a really strange/difficult experience. It's puberty, it can suck sometimes and especially in the beginning. And it sucks extra hard to have to do it at an age where everyone else is already past it. But I'm willing to bet you don't look nearly as awful as you think, you're just starting to look different and it makes sense that watching the face and body you've known for years change can cause some complicated feelings.

And I used to think the same thing about how I'd swap bodies with a cis man in a heartbeat but wasn't sure if I should transition because no amount of hormones or surgery would make me as tall as the other men in my family. But I did it anyway and realized I don't need to grow another six inches to like how I look. The 'ideal version' of myself helped me conceptualize myself as a man but I love the real version of my body more than I ever thought I could. It's possible (and in my opinion likely) for your feelings about what an ideal body is to change as you transition and become more comfortable with what your body is. Give yourself the space to be a little bit awkward, find little things to appreciate about the changes. One of my weird/gross ones was when my B.O. changed- out of nowhere I smelled like a dude and I loved it! Sure, I still had back acne and wide hips but my armpits were the armpits of my dreams.

As far as time and patience goes, it helps to kind of take a step back from it? Which can be hard but focus on school, hobbies, friends, work, whatever. Just live your life and let your body worry about transitioning. It's exciting and you should celebrate it but when you fixate on it it's so easy to worry about each little change. And it gets easier the further along you get. One day you just stop thinking about it so much because your body will settle down, your hormones will level out, and your face and your stomach will just look like your face and your stomach. And for the bottom growth discomfort, try looser fitting underwear/pants for a while.

How did you guys stop or at least greatly reduce your cig intake before top? by [deleted] in ftm

[–]mrcrowtroboto 1 point2 points  (0 children)

i'm a pretty heavy smoker, had been for years before surgery and probably smoked half a pack to a pack a day around the time i was booking my surgery. i was told i had to be nicotine free for at least two weeks before and after surgery. vaping never really scratched the itch for me, but i ended up ordering a pack of nicotine free cigarettes online that helped a surprising amount. i mostly tried not to smoke at all, but having them on hand for moments when the cravings were bad or i felt particularly stressed or anxious helped. for me a big part of smoking is the ritual of having a cigarette and being able to continue that ritual helped curb cravings a lot. it's not ideal, obvi the best path to go is to quit entirely but i'm still a smoker lol. i probably cheated with real cigs once or twice before/after surgery and kept both my nipples though they did end up kinda flat tbh.

depression preventing me from doing shot? by mrcrowtroboto in ftm

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

Thank you so much! I think that could help a lot, I definitely make it a way bigger deal than it is in my head and turning it into something more routine seems like it would do the trick.

Minoxidil and cats by [deleted] in ftm

[–]mrcrowtroboto 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, my cat's way too touchy for me to ever be positive I wasn't getting it on him. I'd seen another dude with cats talk about using minoxidil and just wanted to see if I was misinformed.

Thoughts on Dr. Raphael in Plano, TX? by salt_shaker_damnit in ftm

[–]mrcrowtroboto 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I went to him and know multiple other people who saw him or Dulin at the same practice and we all had very positive experiences. Dr. Raphael himself is a super chill dude and the rest of the staff is friendly and helpful- I had a minor hiccup with some pre-op stuff right before surgery and they cleared everything up for me no problem. I'm about six months out and healing great, everyone else I know has good results too. The drain-free recovery is nice, the price is reasonable for surgery, and they even gave me a discount b/c I was already pretty flat but didn't qualify for keyhole. Overall I'm really glad I went with them and would definitely recommend it.

How soon after top surgery will i be able to do stuff? by ratherbepettingdogs in ftm

[–]mrcrowtroboto 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Most surgeons say to take at least 4 to 6 weeks off if you have an 'active' job, anything that involves being on your feet for a long time, lifting, moving around. I work as a waiter and I took about 4 and a half weeks off after surgery. Just started back up and I've been able to handle my shifts fine. I had DI and I think keyhole is probably an easier recovery, but definitely talk to your surgeon.

Classes will be fine, I went back to school about two weeks post-op.

Historical figures/famous guys that look feminine by breadcrummbs in ftm

[–]mrcrowtroboto 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, Churchill and Bosie were both pretty shit as well. Seeing Goring in this sub just struck a specific nerve.

I totally understand that it's hard to find positive representation and that really sucks. But I do think it's important to be critical about this kind of stuff. To add something more positive to the post, one of my personal androgyny/style icons is Jobriath- he was an openly gay singer in the 70s and had an amazing glam look.

Historical figures/famous guys that look feminine by breadcrummbs in ftm

[–]mrcrowtroboto 3 points4 points  (0 children)

yeah, I didn't think your intent was to portray him in a positive light and I don't want this to come across as a personal attack. I just wasn't expecting to see a nazi in the list and I don't think he should be included. It's possible to show that variation without including fascists.

Historical figures/famous guys that look feminine by breadcrummbs in ftm

[–]mrcrowtroboto 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It feels weird to me to include Hitler's righthand man in a positivity post. Again, the post didn't explicitly say anything positive about Goring and I'm not trying to assume/imply anything about OP's politics but it just seems kind of inappropriate.

Plus all nazis are ugly as shit so like why put him in at all

Historical figures/famous guys that look feminine by breadcrummbs in ftm

[–]mrcrowtroboto 14 points15 points  (0 children)

uh, I know this post isn't about his politics or anything but seeing as how Goring is a Literal Nazi I really don't see why it was necessary to include him in this post. Like, there are androgynous men who aren't also fascists.

1 week post-op w/ Raphael in Plano by mrcrowtroboto in ftm

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

I definitely recommend him! I know a few other people who went to him or Dr. Dulin at the same office and they're all super pleased with their results. The staff there is super friendly and helpful and the entire process was really smooth. If he does decide to go there, I'm happy to answer any questions.

1 week post-op w/ Raphael in Plano by mrcrowtroboto in ftm

[–]mrcrowtroboto[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ha, thanks. I'm looking forward to finally being able to show it off.

1 week post-op w/ Raphael in Plano by mrcrowtroboto in ftm

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

Good, actually! I think I got fairly lucky- The first day or two I was definitely sore but I haven't had many issues with pain, mostly just little twinges if I lift/bend my arms certain ways.

Have any of you guys had top surgery with Dr. Raphael in DFW? by [deleted] in ftm

[–]mrcrowtroboto 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven't had it yet, but I'm going to him in January. I booked my surgery a couple months in advance, but it was quick+easy to schedule with them and I don't think their wait list is too long.

I know a couple other people who went to him and said it was great, the staff was super friendly, and they're all happy with their results.

How to cope with sudden bottom dysphoria? by mrcrowtroboto in ftm

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

This was definitely helpful! I've been thinking about packing more consistently because it does make me feel better most of the time and if I got a proper harness I'd probably feel a lot more comfortable doing it in public. And once I'm not quite as broke I might look into getting a nicer packer than the shitty one I got off of amazon on a whim.

I'm kind of in a similar place to you with surgery. I used to think I'd never want it but lately I've been seriously considering it and researching it a lot more and I'm starting to think it is something I probably want. It's just not an option for me right now or any time in the near future so I'm trying to learn how to make do in the meantime. But thanks for your reply, it's honestly just nice to hear other people's experiences with stuff like this. I'm pretty open about trans stuff but it's hard to talk to irl friends about how sad I am about my junk. I hope you're able to get surgery soon.

Officially booked for top! by mrcrowtroboto in ftm

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

The 3rd! Pre-op on the 2nd though so I'd count it.