YEARS LATER AND STILL HAPPY TO BE FLAT! :)

Earth Sky, I had a BMX on March 18, flat with nipple grafts. I remember wondering if I would cry or get emotional when I saw my scars for the first time. (Not that this is wrong or bad, but it’s not how I tend to react and I was concerned that my normally “put together” mindset would suddenly fall apart and leave me stranded without a rescue ladder.) For me, it wasn’t worth the worry. I’m not mourning like I thought I might. Instead, I’ve found that I can embrace this “new me”. I hope tomorrow ends up being like that for you as well.

I would have loved to keep my breasts (even though I was not blessed with pretty skin or a large "handful" LOL). Despite their flaws, I liked having breasts. Now, I see that my scars have a kind of symmetrical beauty and I can embrace my “athletic breast”. (If only I could get rid of my lymphedema and nerve damage I could actual BE athletic!)

Onething that helped me was seeing a video of scar progression over time from an FTM surgery. I was prepared for what the scar might look like early on versus what it will look like a year from now. It prepared me to anticipate how I will look then rather than focusing on the detail of how the scars look now. I’m thinking the way that an artist might see a rough hewn block of marble or wood, where their mind’s eye is already able to see the transformed piece of art that it will become.

The video may not be helpful for everyone, but here’s a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3QqVEcSs1c

Each person is sailing through their own uncharted waters. We each may face different rocky shoals, lack of wind, or temporary storms. There is no right or wrong way to go, but reading about the voyages that others have taken gives us courage to continue our journey.

PerAngusta, thanks for starting this with your fantastic post. Thanks to everyone else for posting as well.