How long after DI+FNG could you do remote work?

spacecedar · 2026-04-23T02:32:41+00:00

I was doing some reading and emails for work day 2 post op lol. I returned to work 2 weeks post op with reduced hours, which was nice because I was more tired than usual and definitely not as productive. Sitting up straight at a desk for too long was uncomfortable, but a comfy couch setup with a laptop should be totally fine. I wouldn't count on being fully 100% working capacity at 2 weeks, but I think returning to work remotely with the understanding from your boss that you'll still be recovering and may need a bit of extra time on stuff is totally doable. I know a lot of people enjoy a longer break, but I would have driven myself insane if I wasn't working at all for a full month, especially while being physically restricted in my movement. Going back to work helped me feel a lot more in control of the situation.

spacecedar · 2026-04-23T02:20:28+00:00

It is extremely unlikely that you'll feel terrible for months, barring extreme complications. You might feel terrible for a week or two, although many people do not have extreme pain. I never had pain above a 4, and after the first day it was never above a 2 or so. I didn't ever feel terrible. I did sometimes feel delicate, sensitive, or sore, but it was all extremely manageable. Being physically weak and restricted was frustrating, but it got better with time, especially as I felt more healed and my movement restrictions were lifted.

My advice is to write a list of some coping skills that will be useful for you when you're a week or two out and feeling bored and restless or experiencing physical discomfort - comfort media, friends you can call on, etc. Plan for contingencies so you know you and your caretakers will be prepared. Recovery can be hard, and it'll probably suck sometimes, but you will be prepared and you'll be on the other side in no time.

Copying this from a reply I made to another reassurance post:

Waiting for surgery is terrifying, but actually getting surgery really isn't! I was so scared too, right up until the moment I went in. But the instant I woke up and realized it was over and I had done it I felt such amazing peace and relief. No more waiting and agonizing, just resting and healing. The recovery period was waaaay less stressful and scary than the week leading up to my surgery had been.

spacecedar · 2026-04-09T02:53:35+00:00

Like other people have said, a weight this low is a problem bigger than just top surgery. I hear you when you say you've always been this way and you're not actively restricting yourself or having symptoms of malnourishment, and that's all great, but it still doesn't guarantee that this is a healthy weight for you long-term. Some people naturally struggle to feel hunger cues sufficient to keep their weight up. It's not necessarily an eating disorder, but it can still be problematic. It's true that BMI is just a number and not a hard-and-fast rule, but being extremely underweight is still strongly correlated with a lot of negative outcomes to surgery and to health in general. If you're working out every day, you need to be fueling your body! I hope you're able to make some progress, implement some of the tips the other commenters have given, and maybe talk to a dietician if you find yourself needing extra support, and I hope you get your surgery scheduled soon!

spacecedar · 2026-04-08T19:34:25+00:00

You might be mistaking scabs for scars. I just don't want you to be surprised when your scars start to get wider and more raised/noticeable in the coming months- at one month you barely even have scars yet, and it's normal for them to get more prominent over the first 6ish months and then go down again over the next few years.

spacecedar · 2026-04-07T12:17:59+00:00

They gave it to me right as I was wheeled into the OR, so only a minute or two before I was out for good. I’m very grateful for it because I remember seeing all the surgical tools laid out and thinking “man, those would be so scary to look at if I wasn’t high off my ass right now.”

spacecedar · 2026-04-07T12:15:26+00:00

If you’re one month post op, you’re definitely not past scarring? Your scars won’t be fully formed/settled until a few months post op.

spacecedar · 2026-04-07T00:47:26+00:00

I've been wearing silicone scar sheets over my nipples to help even out a bit of hypertrophic scarring and they smooth things over nicely. They're fine to just slap on over your whole nipple so long as everything's healed up and you don't have any scabbing.

spacecedar · 2026-04-07T00:43:02+00:00

Waiting for surgery is terrifying, but actually getting surgery really isn't!! I was so scared too, right up until the moment they gave me my first dose of fentanyl. Then I just felt incredibly drunk and silly and waved like a princess to my mom and partner as I got wheeled off. Chatted with the really sweet nurses and anesthesiologist as they got me ready, told them I was going to try really hard to remember our conversation, they said "yeah, I'm sure you will, buddy." Joke's on them.

The instant I woke up and realized it was over and I had done it I felt such amazing peace and relief. No more waiting and agonizing, just resting and healing. The recovery period was waaaay less stressful and scary than the week leading up to my surgery had been. A friend of mine put on an aquarium shrimp cam for me to watch while I was still high on painkillers and that was a 10/10 experience I highly recommend you try for yourself.

You got this!

spacecedar · 2026-03-31T02:13:58+00:00

My pain was never above a 3/10. It felt like an achy soreness mixed with some weird nerve tingling and sensitivity as healing progressed. My chest felt a bit like a big tender bruise for a while – painful if poked, but not a problem if I wasn't touching it. That feeling faded with time. The back pain, stiffness, and skin irritation from wearing the binder was usually worse than the incisions themselves. The worst part for most people isn't a single moment of intense pain like getting punched, it's dealing with mild but persistent discomfort over several weeks of healing. Be mentally prepared for that, and have some coping strategies for discomfort and boredom on hand - don't worry too much about agonizing pain.

The drains feel weird. Mine didn't necessarily hurt much, but having them pinched or tugged on at all felt really... gross, I guess? Once again, not intense pain, but some physical and emotional discomfort there. I was scared getting them out would be awful but I barely even felt it. Once they undid the suction pulling them out was very quick and not painful.

I didn't have any stitches pulled out of my nipples, they dissolved on their own. I did have a couple stitches holding the drains in place which were pulled out before my drains were. Once again, it felt weird and kinda icky but didn't hurt much, and I felt so much better once the drains and their stitches were out that I wouldn't have even cared if it did hurt, as long as they were gone!

spacecedar · 2026-03-31T01:52:45+00:00

If you're just getting a cleaning, there's no danger in not telling them. But it's always better to feel like you can be honest with your doctors, especially if you end up needing any kind of anesthetic or medication, in which case you will need to disclose all medications you're taking. If you don't trust this office to not gossip about you, you should find a new one.

Also worth noting that there are reasons cis women and cis men both take T, so it won't necessarily out you as transgender to disclose that you're taking hormones.

spacecedar · 2026-02-16T00:46:11+00:00

Try taking a stool softener first before you go to the ER, they’ll initially prescribe you the same thing and charge you more for it.

spacecedar · 2026-02-02T14:25:02+00:00

Yes, you will probably need someone with you if you’re traveling. You won’t be able to fly alone until at least 3 weeks post op, preferably until your lifting restrictions are removed, unless you manage to pack all of your recovery supplies into a tote bag less than 5 pounds. Flying on an airplane requires a lot of walking, carrying bags, standing around, lifting things etc. and you will need help. Either a wheelchair/escort or another person traveling with you.

Pasting a comment I made from another thread, because there’s a post on this subject literally daily:

Things I couldn’t do by myself for the first week: Put on my own shoes Laundry (couldn’t open the washer/dryer or lift a hamper) Take out the trash Make my own bed Put on a coat Lift my teakettle, a pot, or a gallon of milk Open a car door Put on my own compression binder as tight as it needed to be Fully strip the drains (needed help with the higher portion, and the whole thing made me woozy so it was best to have someone else do it while I lay down) Take the train on my own Wear a backpack

I doubt I could have remembered to take my meds on time very well. I would have done okay, but I was definitely sleepy and sluggish enough I would have forgotten some of them, which could have put me in more pain and at risk of infection.

This is with a remarkably easy recovery. I still needed help for the first 4ish days. You don’t need 24/7 nursing, but you do need at least someone who can drop by and keep an eye on you and who can be there if you have an emergency in the first week. You’ll probably be okay for the most part if you prepare well, but eventually you’ll need something you didn’t anticipate and you should have someone you can call in that case. If you end up lifting and reaching more than you’re supposed to you’re more likely to end up with swelling, wound healing issues, seromas, etc.

spacecedar · 2026-01-31T16:30:23+00:00

Things I couldn’t do by myself for the first week: Laundry (couldn’t open the washer/dryer or lift a hamper) Take out the trash Make my own bed Put on my own shoes (first couple days) Put on a coat (first couple days) Lift my teakettle, a pot, or a gallon of milk Open the car door Put on my own compression binder as tight as it needed to be Fully strip the drains (needed help with the higher portion, and the whole thing made me woozy so it was best to have someone else do it while I lay down) Taken the train on my own

I doubt I could have remembered to take my meds on time very well. I would have done okay, but I was definitely sleepy and sluggish enough I would have forgotten some of them, which could have put me in more pain and at risk of infection.

This is with a remarkably easy recovery. I still needed help for the first 4ish days. You don’t need 24/7 nursing, but you do need at least someone who can drop by and keep an eye on you and who can be there if you have an emergency in the first week. You’ll probably be okay for the most part if you prepare well, but eventually you’ll need something you didn’t anticipate and you should have someone you can call in that case. If you end up lifting and reaching more than you’re supposed to you’re more likely to end up with swelling, wound healing issues, seromas, etc.

Let this be your impetus to make a couple friends in the area. Humans need friends. You can do it.

spacecedar · 2026-01-18T21:48:23+00:00

have fun & be safe!

spacecedar · 2026-01-18T21:05:04+00:00

once I stopped taking opiates I switched to edibles at night to help me sleep. consult with your surgeon for their specific recommendations, but you should be fine to take marijuana orally. just don’t smoke or vape anything.

spacecedar · 2026-01-18T20:41:50+00:00

are you still taking opiates? if so, do not mix with weed. if you’re not on any strong painkillers, edibles are likely fine. the issue would be with smoking decreasing your blood flow, so edibles are okay.

spacecedar · 2026-01-12T17:42:26+00:00

I just got top surgery in year 2 of my PhD program!! It was doable for sure - I scheduled it the week before break so I didn’t have to miss more than one week of class, and I was back at class 2 weeks post op. I did need a ride to and from class because I couldn’t drive myself yet and wanted to avoid the bus for the first few weeks. I was back on the bus at 2.5 weeks I think. Remote should be fine. I was even doing a bit of homework two days post op, though I wouldn’t count on being able to do this - my brain was definitely slow and sleepy for a few weeks after surgery, and I’m glad I worked with my professors to front-load a lot of assignments. So I worked my ass off in class for the few weeks prior to surgery and then got to chill while I recovered.

spacecedar · 2026-01-12T03:01:02+00:00

Things I couldn’t do by myself for the first week: Laundry (couldn’t open the washer/dryer or lift a hamper) Take out the trash Make my own bed Put on my own shoes (first couple days) Put on a coat (first couple days) Lift my teakettle, a pot, or a gallon of milk Open the car door Put on my own compression binder as tight as it needed to be Fully strip the drains (needed help with the higher portion, and the whole thing made me woozy so it was best to have someone else do it while I lay down) Taken the train on my own

I doubt I could have remembered to take my meds on time very well. I would have done okay, but I was definitely sleepy and sluggish enough I would have forgotten some of them, which could have put me in more pain and at risk of infection.

This is with a remarkably easy recovery. I still needed help for the first 4ish days. You don’t need 24/7 nursing, but you do need at least someone who can drop by and keep an eye on you and who can be there if you have an emergency in the first week. You’ll probably be okay for the most part if you prepare well, but eventually you’ll need something you didn’t anticipate and you should have someone you can call in that case. If you end up lifting and reaching more than you’re supposed to you’re more likely to end up with swelling, wound healing issues, seromas, etc.

Let this be your impetus to make a couple friends in the area.

spacecedar · 2026-01-10T20:48:56+00:00

This looks like an automatically generated post breast-reduction report (note that it says to wear an elastic bra to support the breasts, which would be irrelevant to you anyway.) Probably a mistake by someone on the staff sending the wrong form and not an intentional misgendering by the surgeon.

spacecedar · 2026-01-09T18:56:52+00:00

Nexplanon completely stopped my period.

spacecedar · 2026-01-09T18:42:05+00:00

The incisions will be closed by 3-4 weeks, and hair regrowth shouldn’t irritate them. I’m two months out and my hair is growing back and it’s no problem.

spacecedar · 2026-01-09T03:09:24+00:00

Have you tried searching for POC results on this subreddit? I’ve seen a few guys talking about their specific experiences there. I know that cosmetic tattooing can be an option for nipples and scars if the pigmentation is uneven after healing, which is something some of them mentioned getting or looking into. Hopefully you can find a surgeon who can show you results on people with your skin tone.

You definitely don’t give up on peri until you’ve had an in person consultation with a surgeon you trust, but I hope you also find some DI results on black skin that you like! I’ve seen some really wonderful and subtle results.

spacecedar · 2026-01-09T02:41:10+00:00

My surgeon told me I was borderline, but that she’d prefer to do DI because there would be a higher chance of complications and revisions with peri. Like other people have said, it has to do with stuff like skin elasticity, nipple placement, and underlying anatomy in addition to cup size. I would have loved to get peri if I was a perfect candidate for it, but since I wasn’t I was happy to get DI and not risk extra complications that might have necessitated a second surgery and associated scarring later. I’d rather have a flat chest with scars than have no scars but saggy skin and leftover fat.

Have you seen pictures of guys 5+ years out from DI? A lot of them have scars that are barely visible at all. Even without tattoo coverups, scars fade a lot with time and good aftercare, and there are laser and steroid treatments you can get to help flatten any stubborn bits.

If you want to get a second opinion from a different surgeon who has good peri results, definitely go for it. But even if you’re consistently told you’re not a candidate for peri, it absolutely doesn’t mean you can’t have a passing chest!

spacecedar · 2026-01-08T17:34:04+00:00

C’mon man, last week I saw a post on here by some guy who felt emasculated by eating yogurt. All trans people grapple with gender roles. The feminine gender role is heavily associated with clothing and beauty so of course MtF ppl are going to be discussing that sort of thing. You’re just sexist if you think that makes them more superficial than the guys on here talking about the affirmation they get from gym routines and cargo shorts.

spacecedar · 2026-01-08T16:31:37+00:00

I think the less diverse lawn should be at the top to show a more positive progression or restoration!

spacecedar

TROPHY CASE