had the 5-week follow up appointment today. everything is, in fact, healing as well as I thought it was. doctor estimated a week or two before the nipple grafts stop oozing. lines up with the pace they've been healing so far. honestly can't wait for that part.
heads up, fellow enbys and gents and anyone else getting nipple grafts for whatever reason: that healing process is both kind of amazing and extremely gross. like. week 2-3, the scabby old dead skin will come off but weeks 4-5 are when the new tissue starts to really get down to the task of making itself water tight. and that takes a while. and the under layers of skin are gonna ooze. look up "serous" and "serosanguinous" fluids if you want more details. it's normal. but kinda gross. and I am tired of it.
great news is that I don't have any more follow up appointments unless I notice something weird and wrong, which seems unlikely. the scars are gonna be pretty gnarly looking for a while because I am pale and my skin is stupidly sensitive to everything from mild amounts of sun to clean shirts to my own sweat. but I do have permission to officially start putting scar cream or strips or whatever on them. which I have done some anyways but it'll be a lot easier once the nipple grafts stop oozing.
if anyone is in north carolina and is looking for top surgeon recommendations, let me know. I have a lot of medical trauma but that wasn't their fault. they did a good job, everything looks like it'll heal pretty neatly and my chest looks and basically feels about as good as I could possibly have expected.
now I need to learn how to stand without slouching to spare my lower back. I'm no longer trying to hide my chest. I can wear spaghetti straps and tank tops without wanting to walk into the ocean. hopefully I can wear a bathing suit once it warms up without wanting to die. I haven't done that since I was like. 16. And I had a panic attack and literally ran away from the swimming pool.
