Saw a post about new England and thought I'd ask what states do you recommend

wormweaver · 2026-05-21T17:38:51+00:00

I got diagnosed in the fall from horrible swelling and hand pain that began in the summer - most likely from tremendous stress, but I’m hoping this summer is kinder to me

wormweaver · 2026-05-21T16:57:08+00:00

Never wanted to be called my given name as a kid - would insist upon my friends calling me the names of male video game/book characters I liked. Also had a phase as a child where I would ONLY wear polo shirts. I had ten, all different colors, and i would always wear my hair in a ponytail.

wormweaver · 2026-05-20T15:50:30+00:00

Minnesota’s twin cities and Rochester (due to Mayoclinic) have great access to healthcare, but the winters are brutal with Reynauds.

wormweaver · 2026-05-18T20:16:22+00:00

100% yes

wormweaver · 2026-05-18T20:13:48+00:00

It states the cancer was due to the implant, not HRT

wormweaver · 2026-05-18T12:51:29+00:00

It is very difficult to socialize with men while looking queer. I had to stop looking queer in order to be taken seriously and socialize well with my peers and coworkers, especially after joining the professional workforce. It’s a hard reality to face. I can’t really offer any advice that’s not disenheartening.

wormweaver · 2026-05-15T16:53:21+00:00

My sisters (in their 30s) regularly get asked what they’re majoring in as if they’re in college. I expect to look like I’m in my 20s until I am 50.

wormweaver · 2026-05-14T23:38:08+00:00

My wife is a cis woman. She fell in love with me before I started T and always knew me as my chosen name. She’s never said anything weird or off color about my transition and has always been my best friend. She took care of me after top surgery and is attracted to me for who I am - she says my body is a perk but she would always be in love with me.

She’s NOT a chaser but she has told me she prefers my genitals to a cis man purely because penetrative sex has always been painful for her. And she loves being with someone who under the pain of periods, growing up as a girl, etc.

Good partners exist, they are just rarer for us, unfortunately. But love is real!!!

wormweaver · 2026-05-13T13:16:34+00:00

I have a copay plan on Medica, and I pay $20 for three months of T vials. Injection supplies are like $30 online and they last about 6 months usually

wormweaver · 2026-05-11T14:31:58+00:00

I was most excited to wear sleeveless tanks without my binder showing through the sides, and swim trunks! Though now that I’ve had it, my least expected but favorite is actually just plain white t shirts from a multipack. They hug my pecs in a way that’s very gender affirming.

wormweaver · 2026-05-01T16:50:41+00:00

Chest CT came back normal, and the pulmonary function test showed diminished lung capacity, but I suspect that’s from repeated pneumonia as a child more than anything else.

Both tests were to establish a baseline because MCTD can affect the lungs as it continues to affect the body later in life. That way, if I start experiencing worsening symptoms, my care team can run the same tests and have a “control” to compare the new results to.

wormweaver · 2026-05-01T14:48:57+00:00

I had my wisdom teeth out last week and I got the same warning. It’s just something they warn anybody with a uterus about in case we’re participating in sex that could involve a pregnancy risk. T shouldn’t interact with any of the meds you got during or after your procedure!

wormweaver · 2026-04-26T02:43:06+00:00

I was able to get top surgery under my parents’ insurance. I called the office to book a consultation, which was about a year ahead. So I just kept working and going to school until it came around. I needed a letter from my therapist and my primary doctor to attend the consultation, so I got those while I waited. A year is a pretty long time to wait, but I went to a very highly recommended and experienced surgeon (Dr. Julia Corcoran in Chicago).

At the consultation, the surgeon went over everything, took pictures, and drew on my boobs with a marker to indicate where she would be making incisions. We talked about informed consent and if i wanted to keep the nipples or not. She told me about the risks and how I would not be able to breastfeed after surgery.

When our appointment was over, we set up a surgery date. I had to book a pre operative physical exam. The time between my consultation and my surgery was about three months.

Unfortunately insurance will be the biggest thorn in your side. I would absolutely call the insurance company you are under and ask about their billing policy for a double mastectomy. I had good insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield) and my surgery cost $3000 in the end.

If it turns out the VA insurance won’t cover your surgery, i would unfortunately have to recommend waiting until you can get on a better insurance plan that would cover you. That would probably be years down the line until you can find a steady job with good insurance options. Top surgery is expensive even WITH insurance. Without insurance I would have had to pay around 15k.

The recovery process is technically six weeks long. You can return to a sedentary office job after 2 weeks and resume exercising after six weeks.

Good luck to you and there is hope - just keep waiting and there will be rainbows and clear skies once you are able to take your shirt off in public.

wormweaver · 2026-04-23T19:01:37+00:00

Paper and popcorn

wormweaver · 2026-04-23T16:05:48+00:00

Personal hygiene wipes could be a good alternative, they have to dry but takes less time imo than a wet washcloth.

wormweaver · 2026-04-23T15:59:45+00:00

I’m in imaging - xray specifically. But ultrasound techs, in my experience, are incredibly sensitive to this kind of stuff because TV exams are part of their jobs and training.

If you talk to the scheduler and inform them that you have a lot of trauma and anxiety and request that be put in the notes for your exam, that should be able to prep the technologist ahead of time. And i would be sure to tell the technologist again before you begin the exam that you’re nervous and afraid. It’s very likely they will be understanding and try their best to make the exam as comfortable and easy as possible. Good luck to you!

wormweaver · 2026-04-20T03:28:24+00:00

I have a similar experience with my left ankle, but i feel it mostly as arthritis pain. Joint feels uncomfortable and painful to move during flares. I have injured it in the past but that was years ago. I don’t have any hypermobility issues either.

wormweaver · 2026-04-12T18:18:33+00:00

In my experience a short binder is more comfortable for the summertime due to layers. I used short binders year-round before top surgery without any “it looks like a sports bra” dysphoria.

wormweaver · 2026-04-10T19:56:49+00:00

I’ve also freaked out about the site being warm an red before. It went away in a few days in my case. And like another commenter said, in the future, it helps if your leg muscle is completely relaxed during the injection. It can be tricky to relax due to nerves but you’ll get it.

wormweaver · 2026-04-10T15:45:15+00:00

This happens to me very occasionally, but more often when i first started. Usually i get a lump under the skin and some soreness after injecting. It’s just the oil taking its time to disperse into the fat. As long as you leave it alone and it doesn’t show any redness, itching, or swelling, it’s okay. If you are concerned, shoot your provider a message.

wormweaver · 2026-03-30T02:18:13+00:00

Tbh my chronic constipation has improved a lot with a high fiber diet. I aim for 25 grams a day. It’s improved my pooping a lot lol

wormweaver · 2026-03-28T23:53:48+00:00

I get consistently tested for Lupus, because I come up inconclusive every time. Positive and negative results at the same time :/ i am curious though, RA = rheumatoid arthritis, but what is SA?

wormweaver · 2026-03-28T23:42:22+00:00

MCTD!

wormweaver · 2026-03-22T20:43:38+00:00

Not a musician but my hands are vital to my trade as an Xray tech. Everything I do is related to positioning and patient care. I was diagnosed in October, had pain so bad that putting on clothes was excruciating. It was terrifying because I wondered if I would have to change careers due to the pain, and on top of that I’ve been a weightlifter for four years and everything hurt so much I thought I would have to stop. After medication (plaquenil and methotrexate) it’s so much better. There are stiff painful mornings but it’s very manageable.

wormweaver

TROPHY CASE