... update...
 

Congrats, great to hear things went well!

Koop, did i miss it when you said who your doctor was? Curious where you had your surgery done at.

I went to the same one as theo, Voloshin in NewPort Beach. I don't think we was any cheaper then others but just was more convenient, the staff was great, and I was really happy to not have to have drains.

I'll show you mine if you show me yours. :fencing:

Thanks Theo!

Yesterday was rough, but the sheet the dr gave me said the swelling and bruising would probably be the worse 2 or 3 days out. Also was fighting a fever but it so far is gone today. Once I started taking tylenol every 3 hours it seemed to get under my control, for some reason waiting that 4th hour would allow it to take off. I've actually been able to get the shirt on and off myself but if somebody has help I'd take it.

Finally gettin the hang of how to move around in bed and in and out of my chair.

Things I have found helpful have been paper plates and bowls and i bought some of those bath wipes that you heat up in the microwave. They make cleaning up easy.

Also if you have some tight shirts my doctor says those can be used instead of a binder. I"m still using the binder but do have a tight under shirt under it, to help keep the binder clean longer and because the binder is a little bit itchy.

When were people able to start sleeping on their side? That is the part that is killing me the most.

Did anyone using any cold packs at all? I've been putting them on occassionally on the bruising that is under my arms and goes towards the back. Nothing on the front side. Just on the bruising and swelling that is away from the graphs and incisions.

When did you clean up around the incision area? So far I've stayed away from cleaning that area. I know the paperwork says I can get those strips wet but i know they'll stay on longer the longer I stay away from that area.



Dang had a brain fart! I thought of something else but it's gone now :wallbreak:

Gosh I really can't wait till I get to lie on my side ... sleep is getting harder and harder!

One of the more interesting things I have found myself doing is standing on my tip toes. I'm fortunate that i'm fairly tall to begin with and often i just need an extra inch or two to avoid having to reach up, and this is accomplished by standing on my tip toes.

None here. Are you talking about your surgical binders?

I didn't have any from regular pre-surgery binding either. Post-surgery, I used Ace bandage/tensors, not any sort of "official" post-surgical binder. Maybe that was the difference.

That sounds pretty severe though. If you're wearing something that is causing burns like that, how about using something different??? Or going without while you're at home lying down?

On a side note, how are you feeling? Healing?

I have a question for the guys that have had their surgeries a while ago and are healed up. I'm thinking about having top surgery in the future but I'm concerned about losing sensation in the nipples afterwards. What are your experiences with this? Is there good sensation still or is it mostly numb now. I will definitely need double incision as I'm fairly large.

Thanks

i really had no sensation prior and I definitely have sensation now!

that's encouraging to hear.

I am so glad that I read this thread. Through it, I found out that there is an SRS surgeon right here in Texas, and that they are still operating. Thanks, everyone, for posting here.

That's great to hear! Thanks.

a dear friend of mine locally is having top surgery and is funding it thru the sale of his tshirts. they run $10 up to size 2x, $15 for larger sizes. All colors available. To buy one, contact him on FB

https://www.facebook.com/kage.j.coven

or PM me here and I will connect you to him.

I have his permission to post this.

Here is what the shirts look like

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/m...62442641_n.jpg

I'm (finally! I still am having troubles believing that there's an end in sight) getting surgery at the end of the month and have been wondering this as well. I don't know whether to call them binder burns or what, but basically dark seemingly permanent marks a few centimetres out around the bottom of my arms pits and parts of my chest where the outer edge of the binder cuts in. Also just areas of the skin just roughened by the binder edges from wearing it for so long. I've been wondering if those will eventually go away. I figure they'll probably fade with time.

So yeah, I second this, anyone with experience with this would be interesting to hear.

Ender has now officially had top surgery (yay!!!)!!! *exclamationmarkexclamationmark* :p So I'll try to remember to come back here as time goes by to post if the binder burns/scars go away/how long it takes.

P.S. So happy! :D

Congratulations! I bet you are thrilled! Yes, please keep us updated on your healing process!

Thanks! Unbelievably thrilled! :D I'm pretty much permanently insanely happy right now, lol!

Thanks, Theoddz for telling us about this. I was not aware of it, though I am at risk for DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis, i.e. blood clots in the deep veins in my legs, as I understand it.) due to the hormones that I take for my transition.

Congrats, Ender!

@theoddz, wow, I had no idea! I'll look into it, though thankfully won't be binding anymore. Its definitely not so severe looking on me as in a lot of the pictures I saw on google images and when they were doing the pre-op tests potential for clotting in that general area was something they were looking out for...I'm crossing my fingers that all is well. Right now it seems that some of my incisions are covering up the marks themselves, so its hard to tell if there's been any change in that department. How does one generally make sure this sort of thing hasn't already happened? Is it detectable in blood tests and such?

Thanks for sharing the info! Another reason for people to be more cautious when binding!

Anyhoo, one week post-op and things still looking good :D Almost completely off pain killers and pretty mobile. Yesterday I was out all day trying to sort a bunch of school related stuff out and walking around a lot. I didn't seem to have too much trouble with that other than some occasional pain around the incisions. The surgeon was suggesting moving around if possible since apparently it helps reduce the chances of blood clotting (since we're on the topic of clots). Only thing is I can't wait to take a proper shower, lol!

Just thought I'd check back about the binder burn stuff. Last week I had my third post-op appointment at the 3 1/2 week mark and they seemed super happy with how I was healing and took a bunch of pictures. They said I don't have to go back until January now since everything is healing perfectly according to them. Generally I feel pretty good right now physically and today I even got to toss around a frisbee without any discomfort though I was careful not to overstretch. Scabs on the nipples are gone, one is a bit puffy/raised but apparently that's normal. Incision looks good expect for some puckering near the centre but they said it'll go away over time. There's still a bit of swelling under my armpits but they also said that it's normal up to even 6 months to have some swelling.

The marks from the binder that we've been discussing here is something the surgeon said wasn't anything to worry about in my case (meaning no blood clots! yay! :D ) and seemed to be just from the friction against the skin. So far the marks are still pretty visible and I'll be about 5 weeks post-op tomorrow. I'll see if I can borrow a camera to show what they look like (they aren't on my chest but under my armpits so hopefully that won't be against the TOS).

I've also been using an anti-scar gel called New Skin that was available at the drugstore for $10 the last few days. Have been putting it on parts of the incision that puckered as well as the binder marks. Maybe I'm too optimistic but seems to be very slight change even in a matter of days. I'll let you guys know if it continues to work or if its just my imagination lol

Hey ender

I'm not sure when my marks went away but It's been two years and they are gone now. I know they didn't leave immediately but it didn't take the whole two years either

I have been planning on getting Top Surgery for a few years now and finally started really saving for it. I am stuck though-- on 2 MDs. Dr. Peter Raphael (Texas) or Dr. G (Florida) -- I guess my issue is really about the distance -- how did you figure out which MD you went with?

Thanks in advance.

Thank you guys for sharing..
 

Thanks to all the guys who have posted here in this thread and the other trans threads for being brave and sharing your information and experiences. You are appreciated more than you know.

I have a consultation with Dr. Peter Raphael next week. I'm so happy that I can't even begin to describe this happiness to you. :fishing:

Have you seen the work of either of them? I have seen the chest of two guys from Dr. Garramone and they were done really well. He also has that body masculinization procedure that you could do at the same time. Personally, he would be my choice.

For some reason I am blanking on the name of that website that used to be transster. There you can see pictures of top surgeries from different docs.

Could you afford to have a consult with both of them? Travel and lodging costs may also play into it for you, assuming the top surgeries are around the same price.

Here is a flip book that has 126 or so before and after photos of Dr. Garramone's chest work. Below that link is his web page with contact info.

http://drgarramone.com/transgenderfl...yflipbook.html

http://www.drgarramone.com/transgenderflorida/

I initially went to the Dr. that did my surgery, Dr. Voloshin, just for a consultation. It was free so I thought I would just go and see what was up. I was so pleased with the visit that I didn't go see anyone else. I was open to it but for me he was the only person local that I was interested in and I have/had health issues that made staying near home a plus. I had also seen pictures and knew some people that had gone to him. One of those friends is in the medical field and the fact he was very well pleased with my dr and staff also sealed the deal. He was about the same amount as berstein however I didn't have as much in travel costs for either that visit or follow up visits and the next day I was able to be home in the comfort of my house.

To me this is different then buying a car, a house, etc., or changing ones hair color. Although revisions can be made to me it's something I wanted done once and wanted to be pleased with the results. So first I would settle on drs that you feel you will get what you want from. Then I would start to factor in the other things. I wouldn't settle just because someone is cheaper, closer, can get you in sooner, etc. This is your body and you've been unhappy with it for a long time, so don't cut corners. (my 2 cents)

Hi ahk. I went with Dr. Raphael. I saw his work. I called around and spoke with the Doctors and also their staff that were recommended. I couldn't meet them in person because of distance. I was in Denver, CO at the time. So I did phone screens. I would say list out every single question you can think of; no matter how silly or lame you may feel they are. And then ask each one those questions. Then choose from there. In other words, do your homework and interview them.

Hope that helps.

Hey Kent-- Why are you choosing Dr. Raphael? and have you had any other consultations with other MDs?

Thanks in advance.

Most consults are free these days, or seems to be. Yeah travel to Florida is a bit further for me, but I am not concerned about this to much, I am more concerned on the quality of results.

Thanks Jesse, for the links, I had not seen the photogallery, but have seen his webpage and youtube.

I have been asking -- and asking, just really can't make up my mind. So I was asking others for their ops. Thanks for your words, much appreciated.

^ I couldn't agree with you more (stated above) -- Thank you. I think you may of just helped me make a concrete answer. Best.