I hope the numbers are low enough today, it would stink to have the drain in for that long. If you got your surgery on August 11, that is 11 days already.

One of mine was painful. Well, it isn't the tubing that is painful, but the effect of having the drain flattened against the body (pulling up skin) by the ace bandage. Also, they are just annoying to have hanging around!

update 3
 

Drain free....as free as the wind blows, as free as the grass grows, drain free, to follow my heart. :)

haha Awesome! Congrats!

update 4
 

Everything is healing up nicely, and I can now take a modified shower - yay! My surgeon is being adamant about no heavy lifting for six weeks, which makes me feel anxious, because I need to pay my rent in October. I'm glad that my boss is being understanding and supportive.

No heavy lifting until 6 weeks is standard after top surgery. I am trying to remember how they define "heavy lifting". Is it 50lbs? How much do you need to lift?

I need to be able to lift 50 lbs and push 150 lbs.

Yikes. I really hope you give yourself those full 6 weeks if financially possible. Is your boss open to you doing lighter duty work?

My Boss wants me to follow my surgeon's instructions, and she wants me to come back to work, when I can do so, without any restrictions or limitations. I am no longer freaking out about money, everything else about this part of my adventure has worked out well, why would this be any different?

Great attitude!

update 5
 

I get to return to work in two weeks, without any restrictions! I no longer have to deal with daily dressings, just one dry band aid on that stubborn drain hole. I also am free of the surgical compression vest, and at last, I am binder-free!! I will see my surgeon in October, and she is very pleased with how everything looks. I am too; now I need to work on my posture, and walk as tall, as a short guy can. :)

Excellent! Congrats! My mom kept telling me I was hunched over after my surgery. This isn't something I did pre surgery (I never attempted to be "read" as male), so I think my hunching over post surgery was an unconscious need to protect my "wound". I did something similar after having a colon resection; I was very conscious (but unconscious), of protecting my stomach, and would hunch over a bit.

Anyway, stand tall and walk proud! Yippee! :hangloose:

final update
 

I am so happy that my six weeks are coming to an end, and that I get to return to work on Monday. My homework from my last appointment with my surgeon, was to massage my scars and refrain from lifting anything heavy. I was skeptical about massaging the scars, but they seem to have disappeared for the most part. I've been stretching and doing light isometric exercises to prepare for work; hopefully I will be cleared on the 7th to start working out. I am very pleased with my chest, and I am very grateful that I was finally able to get my top surgery done.

Without or without a therapist letter?

ETA: Meaning, do you have a therapist to write a letter saying you have gender identity disorder? If not, are you on testosterone or are legally male?

No, you don't. I just wanted to point you in the right direction.


Surgeons who don't require letters from mental health professionals is as follows:
1. Dr. Steinwald of Illinois
2. Dr. Lawton of Texas
3. Dr. Mangubat of Washington
4. Dr. Garramone of Florida (will accept letter from your Primary Care Physician)

I got my surgery done from Dr. Garramone, so I am biased in thinking he is the bomb. If you want to see some of his work, on youtube you can type in "FTM top surgery reveal with Garramone" and a crapload of videos will come up. His "letter" is now only a check off list. You only need to get your primary care physician to check off a box that says that your top surgery would be "the next step in the transition process". Meaning, he is open to working on genderqueer individuals.

Check out transbucket.com and sign up to see pictures of other people's work.

You mentioned San Francisco. Brownstein is no longer in business. Curtis Crane took over his practice. I am not in love with Crane's work, but it is ok.

I can't remember ever seeing a picture of Lawton's work, but if you want I can ask around about it. His name is familiar and I have never heard anything bad about him.

If you find a surgeon that you like that needs a "letter", let me know and I can give you the number of a guy who will Skype (or maybe it is just online), with you for 3 sessions and give you a letter at the end. Not really the way things should be done, but if you want a for sure letter in 3 sessions and are clear in wanting this surgery, that is one way to go.

Good luck and let me know if I can be of any help.

Thank you very much Dapper, I appreciate your time, information and knowledge.

Hi, nhplowboi.

I didn't consider Melissa Johnson because I knew that I wanted Garramone.

This youtube video is from a guy who went to Melissa Johnson. He is the only person I know that has had surgery with her. He is a very known youtube FTM and is very friendly. I am confident that he would be open to a dialogue about this experience. Additionally, he knows a lot of people as he does speaking and such. He would certainly know of others who have used her and could give you their thoughts. [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD6wgua2lR8"]FTM Top Surgery - 3.5 Years post-op showing! - YouTube[/nomedia]

I can tell you that I haven't heard anything bad about her, but I don't think that she is used very often. I believe that Skylar (the guy in the video), went to her because she was close to his home. He was in college at the time and parents helped him with his transition (he got it done when he was on a school break).