So overall I'm pretty happy with my life, happier than I've ever been in fact, but gawd I hate having to bind, and I hate my chest in general with a burning passion xD The day I get top surgery will be the happiest day of my life - sorry kiddo but that includes having you, and sorry future hubby but that will also include getting married! That will truly be the day the rest of my life begins.

My back hurts, my shoulders hurt, my ribs hurt, and I'm frequently getting really scary chest pains lately.

I have a chest infection at the moment, AGAIN, I get them all the time and I'm convinced that binding is the reason. I've been rushed to hospital on several occasions because I'm unable to breath and my asthma inhalers don't work. This never happened before I started binding.

I find it impossible to effectively and consistently exercise because my lungs are just crap now, I was quite fit at one point and I've gained like 5 stone since I started binding all the time. Even walking from college to the bus station (15 minute walk) feels like torture, and I often have to undo the velcro on my binder when I get on the bus because I feel like I'm going to pass out. I can't breath, everything hurts and I'm disgustingly sweaty.

Even when I try and work out without a binder my lungs give out way before my muscles do; and seeing/feeling them bouncing around while I try to do aerobics or go for a run makes me feel physically sick with dysphoria. The best I've managed lately is around 6 months of jogging/walking at least 5k a day, every single day, I really pushed myself hoping increased fitness would ease the breathing problems. I did not see any improvement in my lung capacity - in actual fact it got worse, so did the pain in my back. (I slipped a disk around two years ago) I had to stop because I was in so much pain and I've never found the motivation to start up again. At the minute the only exercise I get is walking between bus stations to and from college, the occasional walk to the next town with classmates on lunch breaks (which I try to avoid) and the 15 minute walk each day between my house and my daughters nursery....and even that, feels like it's killing me.

My health is suffering hugely because of these horrible things on my chest and I don't know what to do about it....other than just wait until surgery; and god knows when that will be, at least a couple more years.

And I swear to god, the next person to tell me they would "kill for my boobs" or some other expression of jealousy about my giant mammaries is going to get a slap upside the head. If I could take them off and throw them at them, I would.

Ah it feels good to get that off my chest

Agreed! Wearing one is almost as dysphoric as not wearing one because it's so uncomfortable and I can't help repeating to myself "If I didn't have these stupid things, I wouldn't have to wear this." But then, of course, when I don't have one on, I can't help but repeat "I wish I didn't have these stupid things."

Quote from: Edge on January 18, 2013, 02:20:26 PM
Wearing one is almost as dysphoric as not wearing one because it's so uncomfortable

Huge plus 1

At least when I'm just sitting around without a binder on I can sort of ignore them and pretend they aren't there. Not a chance of ignoring a binder when you've been wearing it all day

It truly is an every day pain in the butt type of thing. Of course, having a proper binder makes it a bit easier compared to ace bandage (damn that thing is awful stuff) but still it would be so nice to just throw a shirt on and be on my way.

It makes me sweat like a little pig in the summer (but keeps me a bit warmer in the winter, lol), leaves marks on the skin where the seams are and whatnot else. Can't go anywhere public without a binder - except for the closest convience stores just 'cause I'm lazy - and sometimes it feels like it's no use since I don't really pass that well. Confidence-wise, I need my packer more. Winter is a great season since it lets me wear lots of clothes to hide any possible bumps.

Can't wait to have my top surgery either. Luckily, I have the consultation appointment coming up Feb 15th so I suppose it won't be too long till the actual thing. But public surgery policlinics are what they are, crowded and going in the priority order. And I doubt one measily transguy isn't very high in their list.

I hate binding too, although I'm lucky compared to most guys I guess. My chest is a modest b, and since I'm fat the binder I swear by is tight enough to give me "typical guy moobs"-flatness, but unless I wear it for way too long, the discomfort isn't too bad. I do get a stabbing pain in my back on occasion, but not too often. Also, it doesn't seem to affect my asthma much, from what I've noticed. Still, I so look forward to putting them away forever.

Yeah, I've developed a love and hate kind of relationship with my binder, too. Haven't been out of my house once without it after I finally got it in December. Luckily I don't need to bind enough to hurt my lungs, though - sometimes the psychological effect makes it even easier for me to breathe when I do have my binder on... Gives me a sense of owning my body. But it's frustrating to think that I probably will have to wear one for at least one year, and probably even longer.

Quote from: Tossu-sama on January 18, 2013, 03:00:36 PM
sometimes it feels like it's no use since I don't really pass that well

Another huge plus one to this. There's nothing worse than going to all the effort of flattening everything out and being horribly uncomfortable only to hear "she" ... it's like, why do I bother ;__;

I don't even want to think about summer. I hate the heat at the best of times.

I started wearing a binder as soon as I came out at work, and started T a couple of months later. I think I started passing 6 months after starting T. Annoying indeed.

I'm always wearing a cotton tank top under my binder. Another layer to endure in the summer, but it was more comfortable than just the binder when I got sweaty.

I can't wear mine anymore because of the pain it causes me. I figure emotional pain is better than having to miss one day of school/work for every day I wear the binder (it actually hurts for two days afterwards, but the second day I can at least do stuff and not just lie in bed). So yeah, it sucks. But I sometimes wear it for short periods of time (couple hours) just to feel a bit better about myself.

Quote from: Jeatyn on January 18, 2013, 03:17:17 PM
Another huge plus one to this. There's nothing worse than going to all the effort of flattening everything out and being horribly uncomfortable only to hear "she" ... it's like, why do I bother ;__;

I don't even want to think about summer. I hate the heat at the best of times.

Same here. Both the passing and the heat. My binders don't make me flat enough to pass and too much heat makes me physically sick.

Sitting through a lecture for three hours straight with a chest bound with ace bandages and unable to fix them because you don't know which bathroom you should use.
Ive been there so many times.
I've had some pretty scary marks on my sides and chest from it when I take them off, crazy dents in the skin and once a bruise. Unfortunately I cant acquire a binder at the moment so that's the best I've got.

My binder luckily doesn't hurt me, it's just stretched to the point of I wonder how people continually miss the misshapen chest. 
I realized I can't wait to get rid of the fat lumps when I went to a concert and literally thought I was going to die. The air had gotten hot and stale, and the binder made it impossible to get any fresh molecules at all.

Ugh, agree agree agree.

I'm thin but have a fairly large chest. No matter what, I always feel that I look kind of 'top heavy.' Coupled with the discomfort, I do feel that binding adds a dysphoric element all on its own. I'm thinking of trying a few other styles...surely something out there looks ok and feels ok...right? I've got an Underworks one right now, not sure which style.

*joins in on the moaning* I hate how I sweat in them most of all...but I hate trying to move around and go about day to day life in them. It really stinks.

I feel like a fraud because I rarely wear a binder.  I'm very small chested and can pass without it as long as I'm wearing something over the top of my shirt.  When I'm feeling really dysphoric I do put one on and find that the most annoying thing is itching (I don't get to wash them enough because I'm not out at home).  Come next September I will be binding at least 5 days a week though because I'm hoping to go to school as male so maybe then I'll feel like I have a right to complain about being trans.

My binders don't hurt me but they make me dread the hot humid Southern USA Summers.

I think the reason I hate binding so much is because of the things having to wear a binder keeps me from doing. I used to love going outside, swimming, etc and now I don't want to do those things anymore. I know that a day at the lake fishing means I'll be uncomfortable, sweaty, and unable to take a swim to cool off if I need to.

I bind as little as possible. Most of the time I don't bind when I am home. Then there is that. It keeps me from opening the blinds to let the sun in.

At the doctor (I get check ups and scans every 3 to 6 months) it's a constant question from doctors. I refuse to take it off if at all possible. After a surgery when I should be resting I'm up trying to get a binder on. Sitting around the hospital uncomfortable isn't right.

Looks like it will be two years before I can get my top surgery but I can deal until then. I've dealt with them this long. I just know the moobs have gotta go.

God, I miss swimming...

I should be getting my top surgery in 2013, maybe I will dare hit the pool again in 2014.

Well don't pass one way or another so I feel less pressure to bind. I try to layer stuff and am lucky I can do this and feel at least semi- happy with it (I wouldn't say happy). Hate the binders so much and haven't found one I really thought was "comfortable". Of course it does have the word "binder" in the title, so what about that sounds comfortable?!

--Jay

all i want is to go out with just a t-shirt on. to feel the soft fabric against my chest. binders are so irritating, i want top surgery sooooo freaking badly.

I feel the same way. Binders suck.
Once my pecs and shoulders started to get too big, my binder actually didn't even want to fit right anymore.
I had top surgery just today, so I'm only going to have to wear a binder for a little longer though, and even then, it's going to be a surgical one - not the one I was wearing previously.