transing

- Talk to the surgeon about the size you want your new areolas/nipples (don’t be afraid to ask)

- Numbness. No one talks about this for guys who are about to have surgery. You’re going to be numb all in your chest area, especially where the incisions were. They cut nerves as they pass along your chest, and it can take up to a year to regenerate those nerves. Still, feels super foreign for the first two weeks

- Make your bed into a pillow chair, body pillow, two on each side, and two for your head. 

- Sleep alone. I tried to sleep with my girlfriend and it was miserable. You really do need the entire bed for yourself

- Go on Groupon, & get yourself a 10 foot lightning cable iPhone charger, BEST THING EVER, can reach from wherever you are

- Don’t take a week off from work, take two. You will regret the one week, and love the extra time

- When they say “don’t move too much, even after the first week”. LISTEN. I moved way too much and got so sore super quickly. 

- Drink lots of water & eat if your taking the pain medication, otherwise your stomach feels super funky.

- Get stool softeners, & don’t be afraid to take those babies. Don’t wait a week to poop. you’ll surely regret it. 

- The drains are scary & they may hurt while draining or rewrapping your dressings, but once they come out, the second they do, its no more pain, its crazy. 

some thoughts I’ve been having recently

My good friend Noah released his binder drafting and sewing tutorial this week! He doesn’t have a Tumblr, so I said I would post it for him.

“This digital drafting tutorial guides you to create a custom chest binder based on your own measurements. The easy to follow tutorial includes instructions for how to create a crop top length binder with several style and finishing options. The two binder styles addressed in the tutorial are most similar in fit to Underworks and GC2B binders. An add-on for full length binders will become available in the future.”

It’s taken him over a year to design this tutorial, and it’s really thoughtfully written. The tutorial requires some knowledge of sewing stretch knits, but I think it’s doable if you have never drafted before. It’s on sale for the month of April for $10 usd, and then will go up to $15.