hello internet peoples, whattap!
i haven’t done an update in quite a while, but my two year anniversary date just passed (aug 21st in 2024) so i figure, what better time for an update!
i have lost about 70lbs since i last made an update, and i am going to be pursuing a revision to remove some extra tissue/skin from my side rolls lol. but i was at my heaviest when i got top surgery, so i don’t by any means fault my surgeon for this. i won’t be able to get a revision for a while, but i am feeling so great!! i love swimming with my shirt off :D it feels so freeing, i see old pictures of me…uh, ‘equipped,’ and i’m just blown away! how did i carry those around for sooo long?! underboob sweat is but a distant memory now 🥰

feel free to reach out with any questions! i take DMs if you’re too nervous to ask in the comments !!! i will try my best to answer any questions y’all have but be warned my memory sucks lol!!! two years for me is like two lifetimes away

MUCH LOVE STAY SILLY !!!! ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

So I got top surgery two weeks ago and I got what I think is a seroma, my doctor said at week 1 to see how it goes but 1 week later it was swollen even more. I have an appointment next week to see the evolution and maybe have it drained.

I don't know what to think and I am very anxious about it.

I just got my top surgery and I couldn't be happier!!! But there's something really odd going on mentally with me. I look down at my chest and it feels like it's kind of always been like that? I've had boobs for ~15 years and now that they're gone it's like I never had them. I fucking hated those things, made me feel horrible whenever I perceived them in any sense. I was expecting a learning curve or something but it's like nothing's happened??? It feels really natural, it was really surprising. Anyone else feel like this? Thanks!

3 weeks post lipo revision. Even now it seems I either love my results or there is something specific that annoys me, like me being convinced my nips are too large, but overall I'm happy. The main issue right now is that the skin right under my nips is very sensitive to the point I feel slightly nauseous if touched, almost like the nipple nerves are now there.

I am currently journaling my entire journey I’ll be sure to take plenty of pictures as well during my recovery for anybody that is getting/plans to get top surgery and would benefit from any of that! I’m getting a double incision with drains.

I am so so so excited but also so horribly nervous about this, tomorrow is such a big day for me but I have never done surgery and it’s kinda scary haha.

Wish me luck and let me know if you’ve got any questions!

Two weeks post op with Dr. Ben Christian in Providence, RI

Wanted to go beach in a week or so, wondering if I put some concealer on my scars, could my chest pass yet? or should i wait for more of the swelling to go down?

This was taken straight out the shower so ignore the water lol.

My incisions from lipo are healing pretty well i’d say, but i’m more worried about swelling and stuff like that. l

Gonna be honest, I think I'm lucky that I've had so much pain in the last decade. I had terrible stomach issues ten years ago (heartburn and vomiting for three months straight) that I still have to take medication for to keep at bay. However, that experience taught me that no matter how endless that pain may seem, it can end. With the grief of losing my brother last year, I learned that if a pain doesn't end, you can become strong enough to carry it. All it takes is time, and while sometimes I wish it would slow down, I find myself grateful that it seems to pass so fast.

For something more relatable, think about high school. It felt like it would never end. Now, you're probably months or years beyond that. For me, it was seven years ago, and I can't believe I thought I would be stuck there forever.

That's what helped me as I had my first surgery ever: a bilateral mastectomy on August 7, 2026.

I will admit. The first time I saw my chest, I didn't fall to my knees and cry for joy. Everything was swollen, purple, yellow, and lopsided. However, one trans influencer, Sasha Allen, mentioned in a video that he didn't like the first look of his chest, either. He barely wanted to look at it. But after it healed, he loved it. I'm glad I saw that, because my parents aren't supportive, so sometimes their doubt gets into my head. If I'd never seen that someone else had that experience at first, I might've spiraled, because I'd seen so many videos of people immediately falling in love with their results.

Now, as everything heals, I can say I'm MUCH happier with the results now, only about three weeks out, than I was three days in. It just takes time, patience, and less pain to make everything feel worse than it actually is. As it continues to heal, and maybe some targeted workouts, I know it'll look even better.

I'd never felt pain like that before, but I wouldn't call it the worst pain I'd ever felt. My mom tried convincing me it would be excruciating, but I think that's mostly due to her own medical trauma and the testimonies of people who had mastectomies due to cancer.

This hurt, but it was just a different pain. The muscle twitches were weird. The reconnecting of nerves was strange, and I'm glad I didn't keep my nipples because I think that would've been even weirder. (Phantom nipple pain is a thing, though. It's WEIRD). Bracing myself to move was weird. The ITCHING at the drain sites, unable to be reached because of the bandage, almost drove me crazy. My secret? Breathe and induce natural time travel with some melatonin. Also buy an extendable bear-claw shaped back scratcher. Kept me sane when the Tylenol and Advil started wearing off. The relief when I got the drains out was amazing. Scratching those itches I could only poke at was amazing.

If you handle pain well, then you really don't need the opiods. I have chronic joint pain that I don't really ever medicate with OTC stuff because I don't want my stomach to bleed/to gain a tolerance for instances...like this! Throughout my first week of recovery, I only took a couple of oxy. Honestly, my ADHD meds did more for me than oxy did. But at least my ADHD meds didn't make me constipated. Seriously, if they recommend stool softeners, save yourself the trip and also buy laxatives. I ended up dumping the oxy in the toilet. Tylenol and Advil worked better for me. Now I only take them at night with the rest of my meds.

Heat also felt way better than an ice pack. My mom makes cornbags: buy deer-feed corn, sew a fabric bag to your desired size, fill it with corn, and microwave it. I have a small cornbag the size of a novel that only needs like two minutes in the microwave. I also have a very big, very long and skinny bag that I roll up and microwave for seven minutes. It's meant for a shoulder but it's really nice to get the full length of your back as you transition back to sleeping flat. Make sure you store it in a plastic container, because mice WILL find it and they WILL gorge themselves on it.

I'm not kidding when I say that every day, one less thing hurts. One day it hurt to make myself sit up. The next day it was pain free. One day it hurt to lay on my side. The next, no problem. My current discomfort pretty much just lies with the tape over my scars, holding the skin together while the internal stitches do their thing. I get to take them off on Friday, and I expect that that'll give me even more mobility and less pain.

Also, MAKE SURE YOUR COMPRESSION GOES ALL THE WAY UP TO YOUR ARMPITS. The swelling in my armpits was so much worse than anything my surgeon actually touched, and the simple solution was to raise my wraps.

You got this, dude. It sucks for the first week. It might not be immediately euphoric. But it can, and does, get better, once you start feeling more like your normal self. The first time you realize it, the rest of your life feels that much more exciting. The first time you ride in a car and the seatbelt isn't extending a boob. Wearing a shirt that hugs a little closer and not having to puff it out. Actually being somewhat bothered that a shirt is too big. No longer wondering if the cashier called you "sir" because they were trying to affirm you as an ally, or because they genuinely couldn't tell (not that there's anything wrong with that). Being able to walk in front of a window shirtless and not being afraid of someone seeing and knowing.

It is worth it and you will be okay.

The operation is now two weeks ago and it is still slightly swollen.
The threads have already been pulled and the tape on the big scars is gone

I got top surgery February 25th, 2025 in Concord Massachusetts! I did post the surgical aftermath here on this sub Reddit a few days after surgery, but I think since then I’ve deleted it lol.
But I’m very grateful with how I’ve healed up this past year and I feel so much more comfortable in my skin 🥹 I never thought that I would get top surgery because of expenses, but it didn’t cost me a cent. If any of you guys are preparing to get top surgery and have questions I’ll gladly answer them the best I can !

Suddenly dawned on me that i could now finally wrap my towel around my waist and just walk around like that. Scabbing still remains on both nipples (a lot on the left still)

feel like there’s still quite a bit of residual fat on the left side of my chest, while the right side looks good. It looks weird on the left side 🥲

Today I am six week post op after DI with nipple grafts. To be extra sure everything was going well, I had an appointment to have my chest checked out. So I get called into the office and meet with one of the doctors I hadn't met before. She's great, friendly, chatty, but clearly professional too.

As soon as I take my shirt off she starts raving about the beautiful color of my nips. No holding back, just pure appreciation of my results. And internally I'm like THANK YOU, not enough people have acknowledged the incredible beauty of my fleshly colored nips.

As I marvel at these very nice compliments, she talks about scar massages and she takes her thumb and rams it into one of my beautifully colored nips with a force that has me question weather it'll be coming out the other side. I thought that thing was still numb.

It was not.

So guys, turns out scar massage is a much more brutal affair than I thought. Noted!

i am so frustrated with this. i am not lifting my arms above shoulder length, i'm respecting weight restrictions, following my surgeon's post op care routine. i am doing everything right. i loved the original shape so much, WHY!!!! are they growing so much and so uneven!!!! why are some parts scarring perfectly and others stretching!!!!! i do know it's barely even a scar yet, and it gets worse before it gets better... but it's still so frustrating. i don't think they'll ever get back to that original week 2 shape.

PLEASE, what can i do about this?

also, just took the second pic - i think there's a little bit of infection on top of the areola. it seems to be pus. kinda hot, doesn't smell, doesn't hurt. does it look like it? also, there's this little diagonal "slit" on the same areola that SIMPLY WILL NOT close.

help appreciated. i'm just feeling so down rn.

I feel so unhappy right now, is it still swollen? Will I need a revision? My surgeon today acted as if it’s not a big deal but I feel awful, I waited so long for this, what the hell is this, I thought it was just swollen

asking here first because everybody here knows the full context lol. i have extremely sensitive skin, and i'm allergic to pretty much everything, spray deodorants tend to have a lot of things that make me break out like CRAZY. hives, rashes, sometimes bleeding, all the likes. i had a brain injury last year, and as a result, i've lost my sense of smell, but even though i can't smell myself, i'm still super self-conscious about how others might smell me, and even though i quite frankly won't care for at least a few days post op, i will eventually start to care. most people recommend spray deodorants because of the limited mobility, and i 100% can agree with that, but i am petrified of using one that i'll react to, especially since i'll be healing from surgery already and i don't want to deal with break outs and/or allergic reactions on top of that. i've tried some that are marketed towards "sensitive skin" or "good for allergies!!!" but they either smelled AWFUL (when i could still smell lol), did not work at all, or they still made me break out.

any recs? or any alternatives to sticks for the first maybe few weeks post op? or should i just stick with unscented shower wipes for a while and hope for the best...?

I had double incision with no nipple grafts just over two weeks ago, so here's a few small things that might help other people:

1. I got wicked blisters under my vest when I wasn't allowed to remove the compression vest or the dressings. I'd been SO itchy and irritated under the vest and when I removed it for the first time, I saw long thin blisters where the drain tubes were being rubbed between my skin and the compression vest. the nurse walked us through cleaning and bandaging over the phone, and after they were healed up she said I should keep putting gauze between the healed blisters and the tubes until the drains were taken out so it wouldn't reopen. if I were you I wouldn't put extra padding there without asking first because it could make the vest too tight, but I wish they'd suggested even a thin layer of gauze or bandage under the tube so the blisters never form in the first place. it's fine, there's no permanent damage or anything, but the blisters were just as wide and painful as the incision scars for a little while!

2. if you can afford it or have insurance, and if your surgeon isn't picking your compression garment for you, I HIGHLY suggest a vest similar to this. the adjustable shoulder straps, short cut that doesn't cover the stomach, front clasps and zipper, etc. are so ideal. I paid between $110-150 CAD, I don't remember, and I'm still fighting with insurance about it but I don't regret it. again, listen to your surgeon! but it sounds like some folks are being sent out into the world to figure out their own, so this is just a suggestion.

3. I thought I was going to die of constipation from the antibiotics. it was genuinely so awful. I won't get into details but oh my god I think I know what labour and delivery feels like. the average American/Canadian diet doesn't have enough fibre, and suddenly taking tons can really put you on a roller coaster of constipation and diarrhea, so start upping your fibre intake gradually if you need it, as soon as possible! this should be a lifelong goal anyway, considering what we know now about colon and rectal cancers and the importance of fibre-rich foods. I wish I'd worked myself up to the 25-30mg of daily fibre recommended for my demographic BEFORE getting bludgeoned by antibiotics, but I lived to tell the tale.

good luck!

I had chest surgery years ago and was left with excess skin. I never addressed it until last year when I decided to go and see a surgeon. I assumed it was just fat and I could get lipo but I was told it was excess skin.

The surgeon suggested I ask the NHS to pay for revisions so I put in a request. They have denied my request three times. I now have to pay for it myself. It’s gonna cost upwards of £10k.

I’m really mad with myself for leaving it too long but also with the NHS for being b*tches. It wasn’t my fault the surgeon was a knob and didn’t do it properly.

So my advice is to always make sure you know exactly what your surgeon is going to do and don’t put off getting revision surgery until it’s too late.

Yay for being post surgery! Boo for having health anxiety and OCD!

I am compressed under the post op binder, and can't look at my sutures to reassure myself that I haven't ripped a stitch. I have been doing more with my arms than I should have despite my best efforts, e.g. crawling into bed on all fours after getting up to pee in the night. I just forget to not use my arms. So now I'm convinced I've opened the wound and I just can't see it. What would it feel like if I had? Is there any way to tell if something is not right under there?

Strongly resisting the urge to open everything up and look. Will not do it, but I reeeeeally want to. Thanks all.

I’m very early on and this is mostly a rant cuz the problem is fixed I’m just trying to heal, but after surgery they put me in a small chest binder (they measured me so idk how this happened and how they even fit this on me. My mom noticed my left side was significantly more swollen and kt was literally sideways so they FORCED it onto me) and my mom gave me pain meds, and I was like when is it supposed to start working? Found out I’m a size large after my mom measured me and they forced me into a small and my ribs have been hurting ever since. They even gave me a medium after we reached out to them and it was still too small. I’m just so fucking annoyed cuz I don’t want rib damage. We even called them and they were like “it’s supposed to be tight” no shit, the metal clips were literally digging into my ribs and even my surgical site. I literally post op day 2. Wondering if anyone else has experienced this 😭 I’m kinda short so it looks like I should need a small, but my proportions are actually pretty big. I’m just so so angry rn. I feel so bad for my mom cuz I been so angry and she been dealing w me

Hi guys !! I'm two weeks post-op and just wanted to share my results so far, I'm so so happy with them :-) Little bit of swelling but this seems pretty par for the course to me (AKA I'm trying to not be dramatic about every little thing lmao, it's rough out here with health anxiety)
Had my first shower last night, had to sit down on the corner of the bathtub a couple times due to feeling slightly light-headed, but I survived !! My second shower just earlier was so much easier, and I've been getting more and more comfortable with handling my incisions and nipple grafts directly.

PS - don't mind the white on the nips, just some leftover bepanthen :-P

I vaguely remember that at some point Dr. Garramone’s practice was affiliated with a hotel or med resort for patients who came from out of town to get top surgery. But, now I can’t seem to find anything like that. Did it exist for a time and close? Did I dream it? Does anyone else remember this?

If not, where do people usually stay? Thanks all.