I forgot to mention Post Mastectomy Pain Syndrome which is common in younger afab folks who get mastectomies. I’ve heard that it is more likely to happen for people who are getting treated for breast cancer, but the tools that you use to treat it are the same! Check out this resource for more tips! tinyurl.com/Postmascpainsynd
For anyone considering top surgery, please consider donating your breast tissue to for those in need. It's something I don't hear enough trans people talk about, but you can organise tissue donation with your surgeon and local tissue bank. We can help with cancer research, burn victims, those in need of transplants, etc. I think it's much more thoughtful than throwing it away :)
I'm so glad you talked about sensory stuff! I have surgery in a bit over a week, and I don't think I've heard/read anything about the sensory issues you mentioned. Being autistic, sensory stuff can be pretty big for me so I'm really glad you shared that so I can kind of prepare or at least be ready for that and not be caught off gaurd. I'm nervous to have too much tissue left, but my surgeon seems like a great guy and a lot of people have told me he's awesome, so fingers crossed! I can't wait to see what I actually look like. Great video Mav, thanks for posting it!
You brought up a ton of things I’ve never heard about before. The discussion of how the scars feel, the underboob overstimulations, super super interesting. Thank you!
my surgery date is at the end of this month and this is the only video that brought up things i haven't heard before!! i feel more prepared than ever :]
@ it's going great! i'm 2 weeks post op now and the pain is incredibly manageable and the swelling has gone down so much! absolutely zero complications and is in fact going easier than expected :D
Thank you for sharing your experiences on top surgery! I am very anxious about having top surgery, but I am most looking forward to getting the opportunity to reconnect with my chest, to have it be a part of my care for myself instead of a 'burden'. Wishing you the best
oh wow! you're the only person i've seen mention the comfort in having something on your chest, sort of "wrapping" around you or putting a weight on you. As silly as it sounds, it's a biggie for me and one of the hardest things to consider giving up.
I have this weird sensory thing where I'm pre-op and I get overwhelmed and super uncomfortable when my underboob touches the skin around my, like, upper rib area? Sensitivity is one of the main reasons I stopped binding and have such a visceral discomfort with my chest I think; so it's kinda funny to think even after sugery that could be a conflict bwahaha
Me too! So much of the discussion around top surgery focuses on how the chest LOOKS, and for me it is totally a sensory basis for wanting top surgery... I wonder if not having nipples might be less sensory adjustment? ...
These are a lot of question's I've had for a bit and I'm so glad for this video showing up in my recommended :] I plan on getting top surgery as soon as I can and had some trouble finding information on all the sensations which is a worry for me
i’m pre-surgery and have definitely thought a lot about the long term care & having too much/little tissue left. funny how life will still surprise you no matter how much you prepare ie. underboob getting extra stimulated lol. happy recovering 🫶🏽
I just booked my TS consultation today, and this popped up in my recommendations. Thank you for making this, I love your energy, and congratulations on your own surgery!💙
I am always grateful to receive a perspective of POC experiences.. I definitely have taken breaks from researching and learning these things because I get overwhelmed with where I am and feel as though I’m so behind . But thank you for sharing your story and helping me to be more understanding and present in my journey. You are amazing Mav and you deserve to continue loving yourself and celebrating each step in your new life . I am so proud of you ! 🫂🫶🏽
Very informative video! Also (because I read the previous comments), I think your audio is fine for now and your speech is clear. As your channel grows, there will be opportunity to upgrade your equipment. People forget there is an algorithm that makes it really hard to get traffic. Anyway, Good luck on your journey!
Yes! I'm pretty sure that once i don't have to bind my chest anymore, i'll almost miss the tightness. It's like a thundershirt for dogs and the tight pressure almost helps me destress (ironically) and feel more present. But like. I'd rather wear a binder just for that reason without breasts than with them. :D i got surgery in a month! it doesn't feel real at all
thanks for the video! i’m looking into top surgery and it would be my first surgery (other than getting my wisdom teeth removed.) I really appreciate your tip to be aware of complications, but to think of ways you would need support in that beforehand, i think that’ll help decrease some of the anxiety if a complication were to come up
This is super validating. I'm still ambivalent about top surgery because I'm nervous about the sensory adjustment, and the loss of nipple sensation. I've heard about folks regaining sensation as long as ten years after surgery, too! Nerve regrowth is apparently very slow going stuff. ❤
The sensory adjustment was tougher than I expected, but I’m almost at 2 years out and it’s pretty much not an issue at all anymore. Take time with the process, it’s a big surgery so be patient!
I've finished watching the video I learnt a lot of interesting things about top surgery not sure if I'm going to get top surgery, I think want to work out and get some mussel first before I decide to get or not to get top surgery either way, I still like to watch content about top surgery something about it makes me feel warm and cozy ❤
I def considered shifting dysphoria and it's so annyoign that you just can't catch a break :/ Oh well. One step at a time. I'm just excited to work out and MOVE MY BODY??? without that constant signal my brain gets that my entire chest area is a danger zone and should not be touched, or moved. Really just ignored.
i didnt know about cording but i think i have that going on! i have been afraid to mention it to my surgeon bc im afraid of being told theres nothing they can do about it anyway so why bring it up? but its soooo uncomfortable to touch my chest & feel a corresponding sensation down my arm! heart heart
Thanks for the input! I actually did turn up the audio while editing 🙃. I just need to get a higher quality mic! Hopefully I can in the near future! I have a cheap mic that I can try for the next one but we will see how that goes 🥰🥰
Hi Mav, thank you for all your videos. What I’m wondering, since you talk much about the whole proces of accepting after surgery: did you have any therapy before surgery trying to accept your body as it was? I am a 59 year old mom; my child (23) is also identifying as non binary and considering top surgery and T. But they want to start therapy before that and I am glad about that. I never felt a very female woman (still dressing in flanels 😊) and knowing that there are very few woman happy with their body, I just accepted my chest as it was, because there was no such thing at the time as top surgery. And I am glad that I am not young in this era, because I would probably start feeling that I would have to remove my breasts to make me feel better. But when I think about young people all changing their bodies by surgery to make the body fit to what they feel like instead of to what they are perceived as by society, shouldn’t something in society have to change? It scares me to see how people think everything in life is “makeable”. It scares me to see how many healthy bodies are being cut into… Is this development in the right direction? And what I would also like to ask: with all the post-operation difficulties, do you ever regret the fact that you had the top surgery? Or does it still make you happier and feel more complete or whole as a person? To me it is a complex issue, because where is the line between dysforia and not being happy with your body…. So many thoughts… I hope you (or anyone here who is in the same situation as you) can give me some answers (or more stuff to think about ;-)). Thanks and ❤
Hi there! Great questions! So first off, I’m sooooo happy I got top surgery, the road of recovery is tricky but I’m happy to do it in a body that feels more aligned with your gender. If I had the choice, I would do it again. I might have changed some things like nipple/ scar placement, or the type of surgery but it’s definitely the right thing for me personally. And i was in therapy before I had surgery and had to have a therapist sign off on it before I got The surgery. I do wish I spent more time processing how to deal with post-op depression before I got surgery tho, having more tools and signs to look out for should have helped me figure out what I was dealing with sooner. I was able to differentiate between body dissatisfaction and gender dysphoria. I’ve had some body dissatisfaction for most of my life and was mostly dissociated from my body. Some of that is gender dysphoria, discomfort with some of my curves and chest or more feminine aspects (also part of that is the gender euphoria I have from my body before surgery such as my broad shoulders) The body dissatisfaction often came from my weight/ lack of muscles. I hope that helps you understand the difference between the two. Remember this is my experience your child’s experience might be very different than mine. And the thing is also is that no one can avoid the work of self acceptance. Having surgery doesn’t create body acceptance, but it can make the process more accessible for people. I’d also like to offer a different perspective on healthy bodies just being cut into. Trans people are getting gender affirming surgeries that are often life saving. We don’t say that about people who are having tummy tucks, breast enhancements, face lifts, or anything thing else people do to make themselves feel more at home and more comfortable in their skin. All humans should be able to do that without shame. Keep doing research! It’s good to hear about a parent who is doing the work to understand their kid.
@@mavmagick thanks, Mav, for your extensive answer, I really appreciate it. It does give me more insight. And I am definitely pro surgery if it can save someone’s life, or make the quality of life so much better. And by the way, I do talk that way about any surgery if it just for the esthetics, such as face lifting etc to get rid of wrinkles. Getting older is a natural proces and wrinkles ls come with that proces. It is society that makes us believe we have to look young. And that’s why I ask myself what the role is of society (and in particular the internet) in the matter of changing your natural body. I get that for trans people it is way more than just for the esthetics. I am happy for you that the surgery made you a happier person. Keep up the good work! 💕 I will continu my research and no matter what, support my child in any decision they make. Thanks again.
@@maartje1138 Hope you don't mind some rando interjecting here, but this conversation was touching and thought provoking. The questions you ask are ones I asked myself extensively when considering gender-affirming surgery, and I don't think I'll stop asking them until the day I die, lol. There's a contradiction in myself that I don't think I'll ever be able to square: I want to change my body to be more free of the box I've lived in that was created and enforced through unspoken rules of society, but to do so I have to acknowledge that the box has the power to define me, whether by being in it or out of it. An answer to that paradox that is becoming more clear to me over time, and that gives me peace, is that the movement, the transition itself is what makes that freedom more accessible. The masks and costumes we put on aren't inherently bad or inauthentic, it's not recognizing them as such, and not being free take them on and off that can become crippling. Unfortunately, in this era, so much of our identity is inextricably linked to our physical, material reality that it seems impossible to disconnect them. For the individual as well as everyone else around them. I think it might've taken me another fifty years to be able to recognize my soul as much as I do now without having gone through these physical changes, and I don't know if I would have survived that long. Conclusion: change is neither good nor bad, it's up to the individual to decide which consequences they think will bring the most healing and joy, despite the negative that can and will come with every decision.
@@rileylovebucket6080 that is so well put! Thank you for your reaction. My thinking also leads to the conclusion: whatever is needed to make you feel whole as a person… but the words healing and joy really touch me, because that is what I wish for my child. ❤️🙏🏼
@@mavmagick HI there first and for most just wanted to thank you for replying I know you didn't have to but I'm thankful you did just want to make sure my understanding is correct. You are someone who has transitioned to the Opper set gender/sex and now identify as non-binary. I hope I got this correct because I would hate to misgender/use the wrong pronouns speaking of pronouns' what are your preferred pronouns'. Also, I'm new to your Channel and can't wait to watch more of your video's❤.
@@mavmagick Hi again love that you have transitioned into a more comfortable body I know I'm just some random on the internet, but I hope you are happy and healthy. And one day I hope to work hard to make my body more comfortable to live in, Also I love your pronouns I think Thay are super awesome and valid. I wish to use they/them pronouns but as of yet I'm an 18yo still living with my parents Thay are Christain and believe that any pronouns/genders that are not cis are not valid however Thay are fine with transsexual people, Hens I am currently using he/she pronouns and identify as Gender-neutral which Thay hate but tolerate. I'm hoping once I move out it will be a little easier and I will fill more comfortable to identify as Agender and use they/them pronouns(:
I forgot to mention Post Mastectomy Pain Syndrome which is common in younger afab folks who get mastectomies. I’ve heard that it is more likely to happen for people who are getting treated for breast cancer, but the tools that you use to treat it are the same! Check out this resource for more tips!
tinyurl.com/Postmascpainsynd
For anyone considering top surgery, please consider donating your breast tissue to for those in need. It's something I don't hear enough trans people talk about, but you can organise tissue donation with your surgeon and local tissue bank. We can help with cancer research, burn victims, those in need of transplants, etc. I think it's much more thoughtful than throwing it away :)
@@Elgatosupremacy wow I wish I knew this!
I didn't know about this! I'm getting surgery in about 2 months so I'll ask if it's something my surgeon can do
I'm so glad you talked about sensory stuff! I have surgery in a bit over a week, and I don't think I've heard/read anything about the sensory issues you mentioned. Being autistic, sensory stuff can be pretty big for me so I'm really glad you shared that so I can kind of prepare or at least be ready for that and not be caught off gaurd. I'm nervous to have too much tissue left, but my surgeon seems like a great guy and a lot of people have told me he's awesome, so fingers crossed! I can't wait to see what I actually look like. Great video Mav, thanks for posting it!
Same here! I am still very nervous about how it'll feel physically when I am finally able to get it
You brought up a ton of things I’ve never heard about before. The discussion of how the scars feel, the underboob overstimulations, super super interesting. Thank you!
It’s crazy how much things have changed since this video. I’ll have to do another update:)
my surgery date is at the end of this month and this is the only video that brought up things i haven't heard before!! i feel more prepared than ever :]
@@turntechpothead that was my hope!! Good luck!
hows it going now?
@ it's going great! i'm 2 weeks post op now and the pain is incredibly manageable and the swelling has gone down so much! absolutely zero complications and is in fact going easier than expected :D
I havent heard anyone else talk abt these topics in other top surgery videos, so this was very helpful to hear! ❤
Thank you for sharing your experiences on top surgery! I am very anxious about having top surgery, but I am most looking forward to getting the opportunity to reconnect with my chest, to have it be a part of my care for myself instead of a 'burden'. Wishing you the best
It’s very exciting! Good luck to you!
oh wow! you're the only person i've seen mention the comfort in having something on your chest, sort of "wrapping" around you or putting a weight on you. As silly as it sounds, it's a biggie for me and one of the hardest things to consider giving up.
I have this weird sensory thing where I'm pre-op and I get overwhelmed and super uncomfortable when my underboob touches the skin around my, like, upper rib area? Sensitivity is one of the main reasons I stopped binding and have such a visceral discomfort with my chest I think; so it's kinda funny to think even after sugery that could be a conflict bwahaha
Yeah it’s pretty annoying. It’s been even longer and the sensitivity continues to go down for me which is nice!
Me too! So much of the discussion around top surgery focuses on how the chest LOOKS, and for me it is totally a sensory basis for wanting top surgery... I wonder if not having nipples might be less sensory adjustment? ...
These are a lot of question's I've had for a bit and I'm so glad for this video showing up in my recommended :] I plan on getting top surgery as soon as I can and had some trouble finding information on all the sensations which is a worry for me
i’m pre-surgery and have definitely thought a lot about the long term care & having too much/little tissue left. funny how life will still surprise you no matter how much you prepare ie. underboob getting extra stimulated lol. happy recovering 🫶🏽
Thanks!! Yeah you think about so much but there is just a lot of unexpected shit! Such is life!
I just booked my TS consultation today, and this popped up in my recommendations. Thank you for making this, I love your energy, and congratulations on your own surgery!💙
I've had a reduction before and going to have my top surgery next month! Some of these I know but some new information too, thanks 🙏🏻
Great video! I wish everyone on here were as articulate as you.
I am always grateful to receive a perspective of POC experiences.. I definitely have taken breaks from researching and learning these things because I get overwhelmed with where I am and feel as though I’m so behind . But thank you for sharing your story and helping me to be more understanding and present in my journey. You are amazing Mav and you deserve to continue loving yourself and celebrating each step in your new life . I am so proud of you ! 🫂🫶🏽
@@aydanc8827 it’s never too late my friend! Take your time and have fun:)
Two weeks out from my surgery -- thanks for the notes on the sensory stuff!
Very informative video! Also (because I read the previous comments), I think your audio is fine for now and your speech is clear. As your channel grows, there will be opportunity to upgrade your equipment. People forget there is an algorithm that makes it really hard to get traffic. Anyway, Good luck on your journey!
Thanks so much!
I just booked a top surgery consultation and somehow TH-cam was the first to know xD
Yes! I'm pretty sure that once i don't have to bind my chest anymore, i'll almost miss the tightness. It's like a thundershirt for dogs and the tight pressure almost helps me destress (ironically) and feel more present. But like. I'd rather wear a binder just for that reason without breasts than with them. :D i got surgery in a month! it doesn't feel real at all
thanks for the video! i’m looking into top surgery and it would be my first surgery (other than getting my wisdom teeth removed.) I really appreciate your tip to be aware of complications, but to think of ways you would need support in that beforehand, i think that’ll help decrease some of the anxiety if a complication were to come up
Yes! Coming up with a plan in case things go wrong is a great idea!
Thank you Mav!! I am definitely grateful for all that you shared! Also your backdrop is heals satisfying and I love the lighting haha
Thank you!!!! Ive wanted to make it look cooler so I'm playing around with lighting! Glad you liked it!
Wow, that was such a great video! Very helpful and informational as a lot of guys don’t talk about after care and such.
Thank you for making this!! So helpful! ❤
You’re welcome! I’m very glad it was helpful!
Omg thanks! I’m experimenting with it now! It’s a bit patchy but we’re working on it lol!
This is super validating. I'm still ambivalent about top surgery because I'm nervous about the sensory adjustment, and the loss of nipple sensation. I've heard about folks regaining sensation as long as ten years after surgery, too! Nerve regrowth is apparently very slow going stuff. ❤
The sensory adjustment was tougher than I expected, but I’m almost at 2 years out and it’s pretty much not an issue at all anymore. Take time with the process, it’s a big surgery so be patient!
I've finished watching the video I learnt a lot of interesting things about top surgery not sure if I'm going to get top surgery, I think want to work out and get some mussel first before I decide to get or not to get top surgery either way, I still like to watch content about top surgery something about it makes me feel warm and cozy ❤
Thank you! Lots of things I hadn't heard mentioned before :)
I def considered shifting dysphoria and it's so annyoign that you just can't catch a break :/ Oh well. One step at a time. I'm just excited to work out and MOVE MY BODY??? without that constant signal my brain gets that my entire chest area is a danger zone and should not be touched, or moved. Really just ignored.
Thank you for this video 🙌
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i didnt know about cording but i think i have that going on! i have been afraid to mention it to my surgeon bc im afraid of being told theres nothing they can do about it anyway so why bring it up? but its soooo uncomfortable to touch my chest & feel a corresponding sensation down my arm! heart heart
I was mainly considering keyhole surgery. Since I only feel pain from that part of my body, I don't think I'd mind losing some sensation.
Today marks 10 months!
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100 views and only 2 comments...
the video is alright tough
also, try editing your audio to make it easier to hear next time!
Thanks for the input! I actually did turn up the audio while editing 🙃. I just need to get a higher quality mic! Hopefully I can in the near future! I have a cheap mic that I can try for the next one but we will see how that goes 🥰🥰
Hi Mav, thank you for all your videos. What I’m wondering, since you talk much about the whole proces of accepting after surgery: did you have any therapy before surgery trying to accept your body as it was? I am a 59 year old mom; my child (23) is also identifying as non binary and considering top surgery and T. But they want to start therapy before that and I am glad about that. I never felt a very female woman (still dressing in flanels 😊) and knowing that there are very few woman happy with their body, I just accepted my chest as it was, because there was no such thing at the time as top surgery. And I am glad that I am not young in this era, because I would probably start feeling that I would have to remove my breasts to make me feel better. But when I think about young people all changing their bodies by surgery to make the body fit to what they feel like instead of to what they are perceived as by society, shouldn’t something in society have to change? It scares me to see how people think everything in life is “makeable”. It scares me to see how many healthy bodies are being cut into… Is this development in the right direction? And what I would also like to ask: with all the post-operation difficulties, do you ever regret the fact that you had the top surgery? Or does it still make you happier and feel more complete or whole as a person? To me it is a complex issue, because where is the line between dysforia and not being happy with your body…. So many thoughts… I hope you (or anyone here who is in the same situation as you) can give me some answers (or more stuff to think about ;-)). Thanks and ❤
Hi there! Great questions! So first off, I’m sooooo happy I got top surgery, the road of recovery is tricky but I’m happy to do it in a body that feels more aligned with your gender.
If I had the choice, I would do it again. I might have changed some things like nipple/ scar placement, or the type of surgery but it’s definitely the right thing for me personally.
And i was in therapy before I had surgery and had to have a therapist sign off on it before I got The surgery.
I do wish I spent more time processing how to deal with post-op depression before I got surgery tho, having more tools and signs to look out for should have helped me figure out what I was dealing with sooner.
I was able to differentiate between body dissatisfaction and gender dysphoria.
I’ve had some body dissatisfaction for most of my life and was mostly dissociated from my body.
Some of that is gender dysphoria, discomfort with some of my curves and chest or more feminine aspects (also part of that is the gender euphoria I have from my body before surgery such as my broad shoulders)
The body dissatisfaction often came from my weight/ lack of muscles.
I hope that helps you understand the difference between the two.
Remember this is my experience your child’s experience might be very different than mine.
And the thing is also is that no one can avoid the work of self acceptance. Having surgery doesn’t create body acceptance, but it can make the process more accessible for people.
I’d also like to offer a different perspective on healthy bodies just being cut into. Trans people are getting gender affirming surgeries that are often life saving. We don’t say that about people who are having tummy tucks, breast enhancements, face lifts, or anything thing else people do to make themselves feel more at home and more comfortable in their skin. All humans should be able to do that without shame.
Keep doing research! It’s good to hear about a parent who is doing the work to understand their kid.
@@mavmagick thanks, Mav, for your extensive answer, I really appreciate it. It does give me more insight. And I am definitely pro surgery if it can save someone’s life, or make the quality of life so much better. And by the way, I do talk that way about any surgery if it just for the esthetics, such as face lifting etc to get rid of wrinkles. Getting older is a natural proces and wrinkles ls come with that proces. It is society that makes us believe we have to look young. And that’s why I ask myself what the role is of society (and in particular the internet) in the matter of changing your natural body. I get that for trans people it is way more than just for the esthetics. I am happy for you that the surgery made you a happier person. Keep up the good work! 💕 I will continu my research and no matter what, support my child in any decision they make. Thanks again.
@@maartje1138 Hope you don't mind some rando interjecting here, but this conversation was touching and thought provoking. The questions you ask are ones I asked myself extensively when considering gender-affirming surgery, and I don't think I'll stop asking them until the day I die, lol. There's a contradiction in myself that I don't think I'll ever be able to square: I want to change my body to be more free of the box I've lived in that was created and enforced through unspoken rules of society, but to do so I have to acknowledge that the box has the power to define me, whether by being in it or out of it. An answer to that paradox that is becoming more clear to me over time, and that gives me peace, is that the movement, the transition itself is what makes that freedom more accessible. The masks and costumes we put on aren't inherently bad or inauthentic, it's not recognizing them as such, and not being free take them on and off that can become crippling. Unfortunately, in this era, so much of our identity is inextricably linked to our physical, material reality that it seems impossible to disconnect them. For the individual as well as everyone else around them. I think it might've taken me another fifty years to be able to recognize my soul as much as I do now without having gone through these physical changes, and I don't know if I would have survived that long.
Conclusion: change is neither good nor bad, it's up to the individual to decide which consequences they think will bring the most healing and joy, despite the negative that can and will come with every decision.
@@rileylovebucket6080 that is so well put! Thank you for your reaction. My thinking also leads to the conclusion: whatever is needed to make you feel whole as a person… but the words healing and joy really touch me, because that is what I wish for my child. ❤️🙏🏼
hi there not trying to be rude but just wondering how can someone be trans and non-binary at the same time can someone please explain
I’m medically transexual as I have transitioned medically and surgically and my gender is nonbinary does that make sense?
@@mavmagick HI there first and for most just wanted to thank you for replying I know you didn't have to but I'm thankful you did just want to make sure my understanding is correct.
You are someone who has transitioned to the Opper set gender/sex and now identify as non-binary.
I hope I got this correct because I would hate to misgender/use the wrong pronouns speaking of pronouns' what are your preferred pronouns'.
Also, I'm new to your Channel and can't wait to watch more of your video's❤.
@@Just_Jadeprideforever-uq7qo I’ve transitioned to be comfortable in my body, and I use they/them pronouns:)
@@mavmagick Hi again love that you have transitioned into a more comfortable body I know I'm just some random on the internet, but I hope you are happy and healthy.
And one day I hope to work hard to make my body more comfortable to live in, Also I love your pronouns I think Thay are super awesome and valid. I wish to use they/them pronouns but as of yet I'm an 18yo still living with my parents Thay are Christain and believe that any pronouns/genders that are not cis are not valid however Thay are fine with transsexual people, Hens I am currently using he/she pronouns and identify as Gender-neutral which Thay hate but tolerate. I'm hoping once I move out it will be a little easier and I will fill more comfortable to identify as Agender and use they/them pronouns(:
Trump stopping this crap 😅😂
how much hate can you have in your heart to come to a video from over 2 years ago to comment this. what a loser
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