Dee’s Top Surgery Recovery

I have an opportunity through the end of this year that I will be taking, which is a chance I’ve been pushing away for years out of fear of not being accepted and convincing myself that the timing was never right. I will be taking a step to becoming more comfortable in my own skin and appreciating my time here on this earth with the ones that I love and that love me for who I am. I am saying goodbye to two things this year, my twenties and my titties. Take your best guess as to which one of those I’ll miss the most!

Top surgery, for anyone who might not be familiar with the term, is the surgical removal of chest tissue to create a more flat and less feminine appearance commonly used by transgender men and non binary people in order to feel more aligned with their gender identity and outward presentation apart from their assigned gender at birth. The procedure involves a few hours of surgery, a few weeks of solid recuperating, a few months of more long term healing, and a lifetime of self love for those individuals that seek out this operation. I’ll be in the care of a great surgeon that I’ve met with and discussed all of my options and care plans, and have the support of my mental and physical health providers as well as my wife and cats to care for me through this process.

Top surgery specifically is a lifelong dream that I haven’t been able to fully realize and feel could actually happen for me until the last decade of my life, and during that time I’ve been too preoccupied with what people would think of me, how society will view me, and lately I have been trying to care less and less about that and prioritizing my own feelings.

Ending my twenties and beginning my thirties fully as me and how I feel inwardly is the best present I could ever give myself, but also loving myself and living life to the fullest is a perpetual gift for myself, my wife, and our future family.

My beautiful wife has kindly volunteered to be my patient and loving caretaker during my recovery, listening to all of my whining and helping me in the T. rex arms phase (no lifting arms above a 90 degree angle, no lifting things heavier than 5 lbs) so she will be taking off work a few weeks as well. My biggest concern is that with the two of us both being out of work for some time in addition to the stress of recovery from surgery, I don’t want the monetary stress to make this time harder on the two of us than it already would be.

Recovery from top surgery can be complicated, take time and materials in order to be comfortable and heal properly, that along with being unable to work while healing, and in addition to also being in school will prove to make the rest of this year a difficult time financially.

I am going to be paying out of pocket for the surgery, which is quite expensive, even compared to just a few years ago when I first started seriously looking into this. I am not the type to jump to asking for handouts and I don’t like the idea in the slightest, but with the cost of this procedure being so daunting and the recovery time meaning I won’t be able to work for a few weeks to months, I am asking any family or friends that might think of me around this time of year or any who might want to be a part of my journey, I would greatly appreciate if you might consider helping me and my wife during this process.

I don’t expect anyone to give much or anything at all, but I would appreciate from the bottom of my heart if I could get a few shares out of this post just in case. Anything that is raised that I don’t utilize for the recovery of the surgery I will be donating to the National Center for Transgender Equality in support of other trans folx and all the various needs and work that goes into fighting for transgender rights and amplifying their voices.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, thank you for sharing, and if you do happen to give anything towards the cause, I am more thankful than you’ll ever know. If you happen to contribute please dm me an address where I can send you a thank you card and handmade gift to show my appreciation for your kindness and generosity.