u/Improper_Noun_2268

Personally I'm not, that's how. I just can't imagine there's anyone on the apps around here (the woods, northeast US) because there's nobody around here IRL... unless there's like a vast population of gay forest yetis that I haven't noticed yet.

Are there any apps worth trying? Are you traveling to queer events/spaces in larger cities? Were you actually able to meet people in your area organically/offline?

And no, I am not going to *move* to a city, I'd rather die. Alone! This gay forest yeti is in it to win it!

I PUT ON A T-SHIRT AND THE FRONT GRAPHIC ISN'T UNRECOGNIZABLY WARPED BY A GIANT PAIR OF TITS.

CHAMPAGNE!!!

For the last few days, wearing my compression vest has made my chest have that buzzy, tingly, crawly "foot falling asleep" feeling constantly and it's SUPER annoying. The vest isnt actually tight enough to cut off my circulation, so I assume this is just a nerve regrowth thing, hopefully? Did anyone else have this and how long did it last for?

I was in the best shape of my life going into top surgery and now I look like Wacky Waving Inflatable Tube Man, minus the waving part. I know, I know, this too shall pass - it's just kind of shocking to witness. Can't wait to get back to biking/running/crossfit/taking things off of high shelves/lifting objects heavier than five pounds.

My incisions don't quite meet in the middle but the post op binder is so tight it's squishing them together as if they do, which is making them ooze and itch and sting and generally feel horrible. I have a hematoma on one side so unfortunately the binder needs to be as tight as I can stand...but I'm not sure I can stand this. 1 week post op. Anyone else experience this and find any relief?

I can feel the tubes under my skin, which is gross, and my binder is squashing them into presumably the muscles of my chest, which is gross AND really hurts. And the exit sites itch like crazy. I cannot wait to be rid of these hideous things forever. But I'm also kind of dreading the removal because holy shit, there is a lot of tube in there. 🤢

Anyway yeah 0/5⭐ for drains.

Mine are supposed to stay in for a week and be removed at my post-op appointment. Were yours still collecting fluid when you got them out or are they basically supposed to dry up by then?

Really happy with my cheap Tifosis except I just got a new helmet and it squishes the arms, which are kinda bulky and triangular, against my head. Any recs for MTB shades, ideally photochromic, that have slimmer arms and don't slide down your face while riding?

getting this surgery has been the most colossal administrative PITA of my life and it hasn't even *happened* yet. Have you any idea how many goddamn emails and forms and phone calls and appointments and reservations and purchases I have had to remember to send and fill and make and return?! Of course you do, or you will, because you are in this sub! If I make it to the surgery center and emerge titless and financially solvent it will be a certifiable Christmas miracle.

So I have my pre-op virtual visit with my surgeon tomorrow and my mother thinks she should be on the call with me. I feel like it's just going to be me talking to the surgeon about the results I want and having ol Mom sitting there is gonna be super awkward? She thinks she's going to learn something relevant about how to keep me alive post op, which might be valid... Thoughts? I am, for the record, 37 and of sound mind and body, so it's not like she legally needs to be there. She's just nosy. 😂

My shoulders hurt all the time anyway, I dunno how I'm gonna survive 4-6 weeks of immobility! Anyone want to recommend a comfy sleeping setup, or a good pre-op yoga routine, or post-op mobility exercises, or... anything that you think helped yer ole bones get through this?

Will you die? Will your nipple grafts pop off like bottle caps?!? I ask because my lifting restriction is 5lbs for the first 4 weeks. That's like... a large water bottle. And just passively flexing my pecs or shrugging my shoulders a bit would change the contours of my chest and put more tension on my incisions than picking up a water bottle, wouldn't it? I am not sure what the restriction is really trying to prevent, I guess.

I have just ordered and returned my FOURTH ski pack. I am 5'3", 14" from neck to top of hip bones, and built like 145lb brick. Nothing (that has the features and capacity that I want) fits.

Of the four options I've tried, I hate the Deuter Freerider SL the least and it *almost* fits - the shoulder straps are just way too close together. Are there, like, outdoor gear repair shops out there that could move them? Or, maybe more sensibly - do you have any suggestions for packs for short people that don't suck? Here's my increasingly irate review for everything I've tried so far:

* Deuter Freerider Pro SL 30+10 - Expandable design is cool. Comfortable fit except the shoulder straps. Seems like it will survive about one hour of ski carry before being sliced to ribbons, but at least it has a lifetime warranty.

* Osprey Sopris 40 - Mind-bogglingly uncomfortable (which is particularly annoying as I'm trying to replace an ancient XS Osprey Kresta 30, which fit me perfectly). I really like back panel access packs, but the zipper on this one digs into my shoulder blades. Also, the hip belt only seems adequate for the book bag of a 6 year old who doesn't know how to read yet.

* Patagonia PowSlayer 38 - The back panel has zero structure so you'd have to be real careful how you packed it and it seems like it would trap sweat. It also doesn't use its 38L very efficiently - a lot of it is taken up by a top pocket that hangs down into the avy tools pocket, so if you put much of anything in it, it would get in their way. Why didn't they make that pocket share space with the main compartment instead and leave the avy pocket as a basically 2D sleeve, like it is in every other pack? On the bright side, the materials seem sturdy and the helmet net technically supports both back and top carry - although it is impossible to attach to its anchor points with or without gloves on, and it's only big enough to fit a yarmulke. Maybe a small fez. And the axe carry is less than an afterthought.

* Ortovox Haute Route 38S - The back panel is too long for me. Game over. Also, it has back panel access, but they didn't extend the zippers all the way down to the bottom of the panel, so it doesn't (willingly) stay open if you flop it down on its front. Weird choice.

Yeah, so that's what I've done with my credit card bill this month. Any other suggestions?

Okay, so I actually tour a lot, technically - I live in the northeast US where we have small mountains all over the place and it's easy to get in an uphill lap at a local ski hill or do some r/XCDownhill type exploring in the woods before work. What's harder for me is finding the time to do big days or multi-day trips anywhere else. Those of you who manage to "seasonally retire" or take multiple ski trips a season, what do you for work in that gives you that flexibility AND pays well enough that you can afford ski gear, plane tickets etc?