I GOT TOP SURGERY

I finally did it. Years of working and saving. I did it: I got top surgery. Double incision, no nipple grafts. I'm gonna talk about my experience and hopefully inspire some young trans kids :) 

It has been just over 6 weeks. I had an appointment with my surgeon yesterday and everything is fantastic. Thankfully I haven't had any complications, I got the last of the surgery tape off a few weeks ago and have been using bio oil on my scars. I've been wanting to blog about this for so long now. 

Recovery was kind of crazy, the first few days were nothing but pain. People on reddit and online will say recovery wasn't that bad, it was bad. Maybe my pain meds were just not strong enough, but for the first 2 weeks it really did feel like someone cut me open and removed my organs lol. I went back to work around the 2 week mark, but that was rough. Just standing up for a few hours was hurting me, moving around even if what I was doing wasn't that strenuous was exhausting. I came home hurting so bad on the third night I took one of the oxys to cope. 

After the third week mark tho, it became a lot more manageable. The pain was going down, I could reach further and lift more. I was able to dress in more than just jackets and button downs and wash my own hair. I could really see my scars when the surgical tape came off, and I cannot lie my surgeon did a fantastic job. The scars look awesome, I did not have drains or nips so I didn't have to worry about all that extra stuff. 

At just over 6 weeks, I can sleep on my side, I can lay on my chest, and I can reach all the way above my head. My scars are looking really good, they are thin and healing well. I am so happy I did this, no regrets at all. I did not experience post op depression or regrets at all. It is a little weird to not have nipples anymore but I like that they're gone forever, I can always use nipple pasties or get a tattoo later in life if I want them.

Next, advice to anyone getting top surgery soon or wants to get top surgery.

>HAVE A CARETAKER 24/7. My partner helped me and was with me all day and all night, he helped me get around, cooked for me, all that stuff.

>Get yourself a small water bottle with a straw. You will not be able to lift a big ol cup or want to lift your arms to drink, so get something small WITH A STRAW to drink from. 

>eat foods with laxative properties. The meds your surgeon will prescribe you will back you up bad. You can always take laxatives, but i absolutely encourage you to eat fruits like pears with sorbitol. The sorbitol will soften your stool and make it easier to poop. You will not shit for days if you do not prepare for this. 

>PLAN YOUR DIET to give your body everything it needs to heal. I'm talking High protein, nutrient dense food. If you like seafood, plan for fish a few times a week for the first few weeks; fish is high in Omega fatty acids which is fantastic for anti inflammatory. Eat dark greens. I don't care if you don't eat vegetables, if your body is trying to heal 2 big ol surgery incisions it will need all the nutrition it can get. Cut down or eliminate overly processed foods, fried foods, spicy foods, carbonated beverages, all of that. You will be so swollen and sore, all those things promote inflammation. Consider lowering sodium intake too. I encourage you to do your own research on nutrition to get a deeper understanding to help pick foods that will be best for you. Take care of your body and it will take care of you :)

>Be gentle with yourself fr. For me it was hard to just do nothing all day, I felt like a bum. But even sitting at my desk to do homework hurt me, I really was just in recovery. Do not push yourself, give yourself a minimum of 2 weeks off work/ school but I personally recommend 3 weeks if you can. You will get very exhausted very quick.

This has definitely been a crazy experience for me but I am so so happy I did it. To all the young trans kids out there, it does get better. We do find comfort in our own bodies <3