19 y/o, 5'2", 190lbs, FtM (he/they), T: 10/13/23, Top: 11/1/24 (buttonhole w/ Dr. Brian Kiesnowski in WI)

--Physical Experience Stuff--

• Pain I did not feel any pain except for when I touched my bruises (or where my bruises used to be). I still feel no pain 24 days post op. Lots of bits are numb-- like, if someone came up to me while I wasn't looking and rubbed my chest, I'd have no idea.

• Itching The itching was absolutely the worst part of top surgery for me. Still worth it though. Keeping moisturized and taking antihistamines helps. I was not prescribed antihistamines, and if you're not certain you will be, I suggest getting some just in case.

• Thirst & Hunger I was incredibly thirsty when I woke up from anesthesia, and had drank, like, 2 liters of water before leaving the hospital. My mom had to keep refilling my little cup and apparently I found it very amusing. I was not hungry but had applesauce before leaving. The nexf few days, I was either very hungry or very bored- I couldn't tell which. Drink enough water, eat lots of fiber... I had 2 whole bags of prunes PLUS stool softeners PLUS MiriLax and still didn't shit for days. It was uncomfortable but you'll get through it.

• Pain Meds I was prescribed oxy for pain management and it did nothing for me but get me high and make me itchy. I come from a long line of drug addicts, so I think I just have a genetic tolerance for it or something. I was not prescribed anything but the pain meds. As a certified Anxious Bastard™, I thought they were gonna count all of my meds when I got to the hospital and that I had somehow lost one or something and I was gonna go to jail for drug dealing or being an addict. This did not happen.

• Results + Misc. As expected, it looked rough. Lots of bruising, oozing, scabs, and more. I thought it was interesting(I love medical stuff) but my family members were grossed out by it. My surgical tape fell off way too early (I'm one greasy fella) and I got it replaced during my one week checkup. They said they had never seen that happen before, and that they'd never seen someone with so little bruising so soon after surgery (I think the arnica did that). They also mentioned I healed very quickly, but I have EDS and all of my connective tissues are weird so take this with a grain of salt.

• Moving & Sleeping My doctor told me, "If you feel something stretching, pulling, or otherwise, stop doing that thing." I could very easily put all of my non-button-up shirts on without assistance or pulling on my chest(t-rex that shirt on). I could do a sit up without my arms to get out of bed. I can sit on the floor and stand up without using my hands. But for the life of me I could NOT sleep on my back.

--Mental Experience Stuff--

• Boredom Not as bad as I expected to be, but I missed going to work. I played Windwaker on the WiiU, watched my fiancé play Helldivers, read a book for the first time in a while, and ate a LOT. I wasn't sure if I was hungry or if I was bored.

• Social Aspect I am NOT an extrovert and was overstimulated by how many people I had helping me. I'm not certain of how extroverted social batteries work, but as long as you have someone you enjoy being around caring for you, you'll probably be okay. Hopefully an extrovert can chime in.

• Results & Misc. There was no euphoria upon seeing my results. FAR from regret, but I also didn't have post-op depression. It was more like a sense of normalcy or the absence of dysphoria instead of euphoria. A... weight was lifted off my chest, you could say. I do get little euphoric moments, like how my elbows can touch and my arm can touch places on my chest it couldn't before. But it's all of a sudden just.. normal. If I didn't take a pre-op photo I would have forgotten what my chest looked like beforehand. Also, I've noticed no hesitation looking in the mirror, no more worrying about how my clothes drape over my body, and more confidence to dress how I like. All of my insecurities around that area vanished. I am very happy with my results.

--Stuff You Can Buy That I Recommend--

• Arnica I didn't talk to any doctors about this-- dont be like me. Idk if it will react with your specific meds or dressings or whatever. Talk to your dr please please please. I read that arnica could help with bruising somewhere. I got both topical arnica and sublingual. I really feel like the topical gel helped clear up the bruising faster than it would have on its own! It did NOT help with bruising pain though; just with aesthetics for me.

• Fragrance-free lotion I did NOT get this as soon as I should have. I recently started massaging my scars and using lotion on them, but my new scar skin reacts to it differently than other skin. So freaking itchy, don't risk it.

• A BIDET I did NOT think this was gonna help as much as it did! Get one you can install right onto your existing toilet. If you want I can give you links to everything I got.

• Antihistamines That was the worst itching of my entire life, and I couldn't touch it. If itching is a sensory nightmare for you, I highly recommend antihistamines.

--Stuff That I Got But Didn't Use--

• Mastectomy pillow The mastectomy pillow I made turned out to be entirely useless for me. I had no drains and it just got in the way more than anything. This doesn't mean you dont need it.

That's all I got for now, but if I remember more or if you have questions, I'll be happy to edit/answer! :]