top-surgery

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Masculinising top surgery preparation guide

Pre surgery preparation

• Build muscle, focusing on chest, shoulders, and core.
  • My recommendations:
    • Fitness FAQ - Beginning Bodyweight course
    • Hybrid Callisthenics
• Move essential supplies to worktop height
  • Food
  • Cutlery
  • Crockery
  • Toothbrush and toiletries
  • Medications
• Prunes / fibre pills / anti-constipation medication
  • Start these pre-surgery as opiates can cause your digestion to shut down
• Put together a hospital bag containing:
  • Important documents
  • Entertainment - you could be waiting for hours after arrival
  • Everything you need for the trip home
  • List of emergency contacts
• Optional: advanced directive (“living will”)

Post surgery supplies

Supplied by surgeon/hospital

• Post-surgical vest
• Compression socks
• Painkillers
• Fit note

  Trip home

• Slip-on shoes
• Button-up shirt
• Trousers with an elasticated-waistband
  • Stiff material and button-up trousers, like jeans, may present issues early on
• Zip-up hoodie
• Anti-nausea medication
• Pillow or stuffed toy for protecting you chest, if travelling by car

  Bedtime

• Bulky pillows to help you sleep upright
  • ‘armchair’ or ‘boyfriend’ style pillow
  • wedge pillow
  • V-shaped nursing pillow
• Button-up pyjamas

  Bath time

• Sponge onna stick
• Waterproof poncho / plastic wrap (for showering/hair washing without getting the bandages wet)
• Wet wipes (for washing without washing)
• Intimate/’feminine’ wipes (different formula for your bits)
• Spray/dry shampoo
• Spray deodorant (assume maximum limits on arm mobility)
• Electric toothbrush

  Day time

• Entertainment
  • Expect two weeks of recovery
  • Assume low concentration / easily tired / poor coordination
    • ie: select turn-based RPGs over twitch-shooters
• Pillow / stuffed toy
  • Holding something keeps your arms occupied so you don’t automatically use them to help yourself stand up
  • It’s also good for hugging when/if you need to sneeze
• Extra blankets and pillows
  • Shivering with chest wounds is An Experience; try to avoid it
• Extra painkillers
• Flight socks to prevent DVT
• Slippers (having cold feet sucks)

  Food and drink

• Lap tray
• Water bottle / thermos flask
  • Hydration helps you heal faster and reduces the chance of a DVT
• Healthy snacks
  • all calories are good calories while you’re healing, but you’re going to need extra nutrients
• Pre-cut fruit/veggies in the freezer for if you want/have to cook
• 1-2 weeks’ worth of microwavable meals in the freezer
  • Try to choose softer food for the first week or so - avoid things that require cutting (eg: steak) unless someone else can cut it for you
  • Focus on including veggies and fibre to help prevent constipation

Exercises and physiotherapy

• Start walking about as soon as possible
• Look for yoga, stretches, etc for mastectomy/breast surgery, eg:
  • Mastectomy Recovery Yoga Week 1
    • https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ppZhCKE7A5I
  • Mastectomy Recovery Yoga Week 2 & 3
    • https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hoD8Ily_8eE
  • Mastectomy Recovery Week 4-6
    • https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QaDVWaR1qfw
  • Breast cancer exercises (top 8 stretches)
    • https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wRd_FtQvoiM
  • Gentle Mobility Flow Exercises After Breast Cancer Surgery or Radiation: For Tightness and Pain
    • https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FP-NnyJ4DIA
  • Post Breast Surgery Yoga with Dr. Rashmi Vaidya
    • https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GmpmOTBzxxA

Further down the line (6 weeks+)

• Bio-oil or silicone strips
• Scar massage
  • https://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Scar-scar-massage.pdf
• Couch to 5k (recover your physical fitness and muscle condition)
• Massage gun (to help break down large areas of subdermal scar tissue)