[theoddz]

Okay, I'm just about as uncomfortable discussing this stuff as any other guy would be, but let me tell you, Snow's right about even men get breast cancer.
I want to say here to butches and transguys alike, who don't know this yet, because it's hard for us to even want to wrap our minds around, BUT.....

Even though we may have had "top surgery", the chance does remain that we can still get breast cancer. And yes, men get it too. When I had my top surgery a few years back, I asked my surgeon about what I had to do to take care of myself, meaning the "new chest". Specifically, I wanted to know about self tests for breast cancer and such. In my mind, "they" were gone now and I was hoping that that little risk would be gone, too. The doc told me that, even though my risk was now substantially smaller, compared to before, I STILL needed to keep an eye on things and do regular self tests. This surprised the hell out of me and taught me something I didn't know. I guess this is because I've never heard, or thought, that men were ever warned, specifically, about things like breast cancer.

My surgeon went on to explain that, in the breast, you have milk ducts and milk glands. Men usually have few, if any, milk glands, but they do have milk ducts. Breast cancer, by and large, he said, usually occurs in the milk glands. Hence, men shouldn't have the high incidence that women have, but they still CAN and DO get it!!

So, to my family out there who may or may not have had top surgery.....you're still in this, too!!! Don't think that, just because you have that new chest that you get a free pass on this stuff......you don't. Do your self exams!!!! Be safe. I'm super dysphoric about this stuff, too, but I keep an eye on things because I don't want the alternative. Colonoscopies are the other unpleasant thing....get those too!!!! Start at age 50 or before, if you show symptoms, or have a higher risk in your family for that stuff, but GET 'EM!!!



~Theo~