After years and years of being on this site and wanting this surgery so badly, I finally was able to get it. My mom wanted to help me but financially she couldn't. So now that I have my profession I was able to save up after graduating and God it feels amazing!
Because I'm stealth, I have absolutely no one to talk to from my place of work or anything like that. I have a few close friends but I don't want to annoy them with how happy I am. My chest became such a burden these last 6 months. I wouldn't leave the house unless going to work. I started to double bind (stupid I know) and everything just got bad. The anxiety, the tension, the stress. And now I'm walking around the house shirtless and I can't believe it.
I lost over 12 pounds. So that shows how big my chest was. Weighed myself this morning. I mean you can give or take a few pounds because of food and whatnot but yesterday when I got home I had some decent helpings of potato soup and rice and then I had some cookies cause my grandma made them lol

Biggest shock? No pain. There was the initial pain after surgery but it slowly dissipated and now it's just soreness. The worst part is my throat because of the tube they stuck down it. But other than that, everything went amazing. I'm walking around. Have pretty good use of my arms. And Dr. Garramone is so nice. As soon as he passed by my bed after surgery he just gave me a big smile and a thumbs up. Cant wait to see what it looks like next Monday! I finally feel like me

My grandma and mom have been so amazing to me. Taking care of me, accepting me. I want you guys to know, the waiting sucks. More than any cis person could ever imagine. But I am saying this as someone who has struggled through everything. A DDD chest. Wearing a bra underneath my binder because no matter what it wasn't comfortable for me for my chest to touch my stomach so I needed "support". And I was wearing 4 layers of clothing to work (plus a vest just to try and hide the impossible), I made it. And so can you. Your time will come and when it does, you will be happier than you've ever been.

Congratulations


*hugs*

It's lovely to hear you've come all that way and how overjoyed you are now. Congrats!!!

 androidnick, congratulations are concernedly in order for you; I know this surgery was a big load off you in several ways.  I can't imagine what is like to carry around DDD and havong to bind them flat and wear so many layers on top. You must even be nice to walk without your chest a binder on all the time.  Great you mom and grandma were supportive of you.  I hope your recovery is going great. Can I ask how old you are?

Quote from: mm on June 10, 2015, 07:50:51 AM
androidnick, congratulations are concernedly in order for you; I know this surgery was a big load off you in several ways.  I can't imagine what is like to carry around DDD and havong to bind them flat and wear so many layers on top. You must even be nice to walk without your chest a binder on all the time.  Great you mom and grandma were supportive of you.  I hope your recovery is going great. Can I ask how old you are?

23

Congratulations, and thanks for the encouraging words -- they're much appreciated. I don't know how long I'll have to wait, because some legal things have to happen first, unless I become eligible for Medicare in the meantime. But it could be two or three years, which sucks. (I was listening the other night to a much younger guy talking about how he didn't think he could stand the wait for his surgery -- which is happening in a month! He feels however he feels, of course, but part of me wanted to say "Count your blessings, Bucko. You don't know how lucky you are.")

Quote from: Tysilio on June 10, 2015, 01:34:01 PM
Congratulations, and thanks for the encouraging words -- they're much appreciated. I don't know how long I'll have to wait, because some legal things have to happen first, unless I become eligible for Medicare in the meantime. But it could be two or three years, which sucks. (I was listening the other night to a much younger guy talking about how he didn't think he could stand the wait for his surgery -- which is happening in a month! He feels however he feels, of course, but part of me wanted to say "Count your blessings, Bucko. You don't know how lucky you are.")

I know it can be easy to get upset or feel like people who are that close are complaining but I will say this, the closer I got to surgery, the worse everything became for me. Emotional wise and anxiety wise. To the point that I caused a fight over my sister's friends coming for her birthday. Just because I couldn't handle people coming over the one place I felt "safe" emotionally. I got over it and apologized big time. I used to feel like you when I heard people complaining. But there are two sides to everything and I at least know now

You're absolutely right, Nick -- that's pretty much what I meant by "He feels however he feels..."

And I know a piece of this is that at 63, I have a different perspective on a lot of things from that of many much younger people, who, from my point of view, don't deal very well with delayed gratification of any kind. We live in a world where we're sold a lot of things on the basis that they're instantly available, so people develop a get-it-now, on-demand mentality.  Only, life isn't like that...

Congratulations!   That's so awesome!   

And thanks for the encouragement.   Chest dysphoria has been getting me down this week, and what you said really helped.

Congratulations. 

A big step done.

Jen

androidnick: Congrats!

Must feel amazing!
I'll be having my top surgery soon and man am I chomping at the bit for it!

Congratulations!!!!!!!!! That sounds like the best feeling in the world!

Congrats! That is fabulous. I love that your post sounds so happy/bouncy/free. 

Sounds like you had a great experience with Garramone and the surgery - good to hear! I'll be seeing him next spring, if all goes well. 

Congratulations!  Reading how long you had to hide your chest and what you had to do to hide it has me in awe of you!  I just had my top surgery 11 days ago and man it feels so good! I had a large chest like yourself and to never have to deal with the dysphoria and pain of binding ever again is so freeing!  Again congrats bro! Speedy recovery!

Thats amazing news. Im only just out so it will be a while yet for me, but its great to know some day i will be at this stage. Also happy news is the best news! Thank you for sharing, it does make the day brighter

Sent from my SM-T235 using Tapatalk

I'm so happy for you, man. Nothing's better than feeling like yourself.

Quote from: Tysilio on June 10, 2015, 01:34:01 PM
Congratulations, and thanks for the encouraging words -- they're much appreciated. I don't know how long I'll have to wait, because some legal things have to happen first, unless I become eligible for Medicare in the meantime. But it could be two or three years, which sucks. (I was listening the other night to a much younger guy talking about how he didn't think he could stand the wait for his surgery -- which is happening in a month! He feels however he feels, of course, but part of me wanted to say "Count your blessings, Bucko. You don't know how lucky you are.")

I admit I sometimes wonder if guys have any idea how long it was that people used to have to wait to get this surgery.  Most guys couldn't ever afford it.  It was harder for trans guys to get work "back in the day", due to how hard (impossible?), it was to get your name/gender marker changed.

It was less common for a trans guy to have the surgery, then to have had it.  Most guys were binding 10+ years before getting the surgery.  Although I haven't been living as a FTM publically my entire adult life (was not on T), I bound for the last 15 years.  Those are a lot of hot summers!

With trans health care more available AND with the availability of surgeons, it is just a normal, common stepping stone to transition.  It happened so fast too, once it started rolling!  I'm happy for these guys, but it does make me chuckle when I hear that they have been binding for SO long (two years, for example)..lol   

Sorry you have to wait a few more years.  I think it would have been harder for me to wait if I saw that most FTMs were now getting top surgery.

I'm so happy for you! Congrats man! That sounds like such a relief 

Congratulations!  Awesome to feel like yourself!  Wonderful!   

I have to save money for my own.  It probably will take me forever to save the money.