I had FTM top surgery completed, May 6th, 2005 by Dr. Perry Johnson in Omaha, Nebraska. I chose Dr. Johnson because he was local, had good outcomes, and charged a lot less than other surgeons. He also offers free consultation and revisions (if using a local vs. general anesthetic). I paid out-of-pocket for my surgery, which ended up costing me $5,350 (contact his office for updated pricing).

Waking up and seeing a flat chest, after fifteen years of struggling with breasts, was the most surreal feeling in the world. People ask me if I was nervous before going in for surgery and I can honestly say I wasn’t. I just wanted a flat chest so I didn’t think about anything else. I loved my experience with Dr. Johnson and his staff, and am extremely happy with my results.

Surgery and Recovery:

Operating Room Time: 2 hours
Waking up from anesthesia: 45 minutes
I wore a zip-up sweat shirt, pajama pants, and slippers to surgery (those are the easiest things to slip on after they are done.) I also left all of my jewelry at home, including my watch, rings, earrings and necklace (they don’t allow metal into the operating room). After waking up I was wheeled out to my car and my girlfriend drove me home (you cannot drive yourself, or have a taxi take you somewhere after surgery). Some people get sick from the anesthesia, but I felt pretty comfortable on the way home (Lincoln is 45 minutes away from Omaha). For recovery, I spent a week out on our reclining couch, sleeping, drinking a lot of fluids, and watching a lot of movies. I couldn’t raise my arms, and for the first three days I battled waves of nausea from the anesthesia wearing off…I did not, however, throw up.I became pretty depressed by the third day because I felt lonely and really worthless. This feeling stuck with me up until the next week when I went back to work.I began wearing t-shirts after three weeks and quit wrapping myself with ace bandages after 35 days. I deeply massaged my scars two times a day for 5 minutes each with Cocoa Butter with Vitamin E. After several years my scars are flat and a shade of white or light pink. I began running 36 days after surgery and began lifting again 50 days after surgery.

Items for Recovery:

• 2 pairs of draw-string pajama bottoms
• Mederma Scar Cream
• Cocoa Butter with Vitamin E
• Bendy Straws (trust me)
• Lots of Gatorade
• Jell-O and Pudding
• And a reclining chair

 

Working Out:

I have always been a very athletic person, but in order to get ready for surgery I became more dedicated to the weight room. I focused on lifting heavier weights with the hope of building up my pectoral muscles prior to surgery. I felt the more defined and contoured my muscles were, the easier it would be for the surgeon to sculpt my chest. I wasn’t on testosterone yet, so everything I did in the weight room was ruled by estrogen and hard work. I’ve always cross-trained so my routine was alternating muscle groups:

• Back
• Chest
• Arms
• And legs (I hate legs)

Cardio included alternating:

• Running (4-6 miles)
• Biking (45 minutes)
• Elliptical Machine (45 minutes)

I worked out 6 days a week and rested 1 day out of the week (typically on Sundays).