#postoptransguyproblems

Two months post-op and I still find myself instinctively crossing my arms to hide my now non-existent chest and disappointed that I don’t have anywhere to rest my arms.

If you get Care Credit, don’t forget that it counts as a credit card, even if you’re only using it to pay for your surgery. This post brought to you by my latest credit check showing that I had a new account created 3 months ago and me temporarily freaking out that someone had stolen my identity...

The first post-surgery poop is the most satisfying thing ever. (Narcotics make you super constipated.) HOWEVER. Top surgery really limits your arm movement, and there are some things you don’t realize are affected until you encounter that situation...like wiping your ass. So make arrangements for that beforehand--either make sure your surgery buddy is OK with dealing with that or do some research and figure out another solution. Otherwise you’ll find yourself on the toilet trying to wipe your ass while not ripping out your drains.

When I’m talking to someone who isn’t familiar with the trans* community/top surgery, I really need to find a better way to describe why I was out of work for two weeks other than “I got my tits chopped off” (no matter how accurate it is).

Make sure you wear a loose button-down to your surgery. Because afterward, you will have a hard time getting it on due to the lack of arm movement. Also, even though you think “My chest will be smaller so it’s OK if the shirt is kind of tight before hand”, there will be about 3 layers of foam on your chest, making it that much more difficult to get a shirt on.

I’m almost 6 weeks post-op, back to work for 3, and it’s still weird to not have to find a binder when I’m getting ready in the morning.

After top surgery, you will of course have a limited range of motion in your arms because of the drains. After the drains are out, don’t be surprised if it still hurts to move your arms, because you might have adhesive stuck in your armpit hair >_>

Wear sweatpants to your top surgery. Don’t wear jeans. You will be too out of it and basically unable to move your arms, which means a nurse and/or your surgery buddy will have to try to get them on you so you can leave and...yeah, just don’t.