Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Huge difference ;D I can actually work without worrying if anyone can see my moobs. I felt awkward before, and I know I looked awkward, especially during the summer with all my layers. I didn't bind. Instead I wore a tight sports bra with a tee shirt over that. Then my work shirt. And then I had a hoodie I almost always never took off. I used the excuse that I was constantly in and out of freezers and coolers all day, and it did not make sense to take off the hoodie only to put it back on. Plus some people in other departments wore hoodies too that they never seemed to take off.

But now, now I don't need the hoodie. I still bring it to work and put it on when I go into the freezer. But it's just my work shirt usually, and it's great. A girl at my work did try to put a sticker on my name badge which hangs over where the left moob would have been, and I stepped backwards out of reach, only to realize, "Hey, what am I doing?" I laughed at myself a little and let her put the sticker on me.

As for the stocking. It's not so bad. I'm not doing anything I don't feel comfortable with, and it gets easier every day. Before I went on leave, stocking was a nightmare. But for some reason when I am not at work, crap hits the fan. My manager took over my job while I was gone, and he realized just how hard it is. He eased up on the ordering by A LOT. I stock the Deli in a Walmart super center, and often on top of my normal stocking duties, I had to stop what I was doing to help out in the Deli because we were so short staffed. Moral was low, and we had twenty million call ins a week. When I left, they started pulling people in the office and writing them up for all the stuff they had been getting away with for so long. My store went on a hiring craze, and hired six people for the Deli, and a bunch of others all throughout. Now we are on a hiring freeze. HA HA. My stocking gets done so early, I can actually help out in the deli without worrying about all the things I am not getting done. And I can do all the extra stuff I am supposed to do but never had the time for, like clean the cases. It is so weird and great, and sometimes even a little boring! I hope it lasts.

As for any pain, if I feel even a little bit, I stop what I am doing and go do something else and come back later. Or I will try to do it a different way. Reaching up high is still difficult sometimes. Like today, we were trying to hang a sign up, and normally I could reach it, but it did not feel too comfortable. I told my manager I could not reach, and he said, "Wow. Really? But you are taller than me." Then he got a ladder. Only one person knows what my surgery was for, and it is not him. People are starting to ask now, and I just tell them it's personal, and they leave it at that.     

It really is a great feeling, mate!  You'll find so many new little victories the further in you get.  Not only just the physical comfort, but the emotional comfort will also be miles high.  Good to hear that your boss can appreciate all the hard work you were doing and hopefully things will be easier for you from now on.  Keep us updated.  ;D

Oh the joy of walmart. I stock there overnight and noticed a big difference too. It is just easier and I feel like I can move where as before I was like this little cramped turtle that didn't want to come out of the shell.

FTMKyle, glad you are back to work and doing great. How long post-op are you?  Did you have a DI procedure?  Take it easy for awhile and don't over do the reaching. I am like you and wear a tight sport bra vest and with a lose shirt.  It is hot here in the summer and I get so wet with a binder on.

Thanks guys. I am almost 8 weeks post op. Yes, I had the DI procedure. I am trying not to overdo anything. I am taking a lesson from the girls actually. There is a guy at work who enjoys showing off his "manliness" to me, so whenever I find something is putting too much stress on my chest, I make him do it. I have to suffer through some metaphorical grunting, but, hey, I don't have to put away 50 pound boxes of chicken. This same guy has been trying to get me to go to the gym with him for nearly three years. Maybe now that my chest can't betray me, I might take him up on that offer. But not too soon.

I did almost manage to get myself locked in the frozen department's freezer. The door is heavy, and it used to have a lever that would help pull it open, but it's been broken for over a year now, so now we have to yank it open. I was able to wedge it open far enough to fit my arm through which gave me the leverage I needed to open it all the way without hurting myself. I'm glad too because I don't know how I would explain getting myself locked in the freezer. I'd never hear the end of it ::)