Top Surgery for Butches: Have you thought about it?

[Kobi]

I am considering breast reduction, (not chest surgery) for neck, shoulder, back issues.

I say breast reduction because I am a female butch who does not have congruency issues between my gender and my body. I like my parts just fine.

Insurance does cover the surgery for medical reasons like the above, or GERD, or familiar breast cancer and such. It is worth investigating your insurance for coverage, but, be sure to focus on medical not body issues.

[Cin]

Originally Posted by Kobi

I am a female butch who does not have congruency issues between my gender and my body. I like my parts just fine.

That must be nice. I have tried not to have congruency issues because it doesn’t match my idea of who I am as a butch lesbian feminist who is, always has been and always will be a woman aligned with other women in struggle against patriarchy and misogyny. But I can’t deny that my vision of who I am when I imagine myself does not have female breasts.

I like the rest of my body parts just fine though. But the breasts just don't cut it for me. And they often spoil my fashion statement. Making myself put up with them is about the best I can do. I will never be happy with them.

The feeling is a little similar to the one I have surrounding Miss Tick, the name I chose when I joined the Planet. I didn’t think I wanted to use darkgazer, the name I used on the dash site and I thought it might be good for my woman aligned feminist conscience to have a clearly female nic. It sounded good on paper, but I cringe every time I see it and realize hey, that’s me. I don’t like that I feel that way. I don’t like the implications because I don’t believe what is indicated by those implications is a reality for me, even if it seems to be implied (I wrote it and even I am having trouble following this sentence.)

Yet, if there are no implied implications then there is no logical reason for those feelings. Yet here they are.

Wishing for congruity but not even getting logic.

I am a woman, a she, a female and happy to be so, but I don’t like my breasts and I’m not crazy about my name on the planet. Feelings don’t have to make sense. But for the foreseeable future I will keep them both. Or should I say keep them all since it’s two breasts and one name?

[macele]

as a child, i didn't want those things at all! i wanted to be shirtless, happy, and playing with boys. i often thought i'd make a better boy than girl. it took me a lot of time to sort it all out. and then i learned that i am my kind of girl/woman. i'm ok with having breasts. just not this size lol. i am for sure having a reduction some time next year. and that will make me happy to have breasts, not just ok.

but i totally understand what you all are saying. i hope that you all can get what you want. truly. from the bottom of my heart and to the top and sides and all the in betweens, i wish you all happiness.

excellent topic. thank you, Miss Tick.

if i may ask, you won't hurt my feelings if it's private, ... why don't you change your nic name?

[Cin]

Originally Posted by macele

if i may ask, you won't hurt my feelings if it's private, ... why don't you change your nic name?

You certainly may ask. Unfortunately I don't think I have an answer that makes sense. It has to do with not feeding into my feelings surrounding a feminine sounding title like Miss for myself. I know I chose it but I didn't expect to feel the way I do. I thought it was a cool name. And I still do, but not for me. Why I won't change it is because I am trying to move past these unfortunate feelings.

Or maybe I'm just crazy and I over think everything.

[CherylNYC]

Originally Posted by Miss Tick

You certainly may ask. Unfortunately I don't think I have an answer that makes sense. It has to do with not feeding into my feelings surrounding a feminine sounding title like Miss for myself. I know I chose it but I didn't expect to feel the way I do. I thought it was a cool name. And I still do, but not for me. Why I won't change it is because I am trying to move past these unfortunate feelings.

Or maybe I'm just crazy and I over think everything.

Miss Tick- I respect your choices. They're yours to make. That said, I'm sorry you don't feel free to choose a name that you feel would suit you better. Butch women can and do honour their femaleness and females/women everywhere in many ways. Butch women have been at the forefront in our feminist struggles. The increases we've had in gender equality, though not nearly large enough, would not have come about at all without the tireless efforts of butch women who are dedicated feminists. That could be considered selfless activism since the benefits of those moves towards equality often don't reach butches who face a higher level of discrimination just because of how they present. Moreover, butches continually find themselves in harm's way simply by walking in the world as unabashed masculine women in a culture where hyper-femininity in women is overvalued, and the mere existence of female masculinity is considered a direct threat to men. By walking out in the world as the masculine woman that you are, you give women everywhere more freedom to present in the ways that feel right for them. Would I be overcooking this if I said that I think your existence is a daily service to women everywhere? I do feel that way, even if it seems corny.

I think you have enough trouble. This environment at bfp is supposed to be fun and welcoming. Please consider making yourself more comfortable. No one will judge you for it.

Unless you start calling yourself Dudley Do-Right. Then we'll all laugh.

[BullDog]

I am happy femmes are participating in here as well. I would also love to have any trans guys or anyone else here who wants to share their experiences, info or insights with butches considering top surgery.

[girl_dee]

as a femme i would be completely supportive if my partner chose to have top surgery.. also if she does not.

[Cin]

Originally Posted by CherylNYC

Unless you start calling yourself Dudley Do-Right. Then we'll all laugh.

Thank you for everything you said. i really appreciate it.

You're right it is supposed to be fun and welcoming. I should allow myself to be more comfortable. I'll probably go back to darkgazer. Or maybe I'll come up with something new.

But Dudley Do-Right is off the table.

[CherylNYC]

Originally Posted by Miss Tick

But Dudley Do-Right is off the table.

Well, I'm glad that's settled.

[macele]

Originally Posted by Miss Tick

You certainly may ask. Unfortunately I don't think I have an answer that makes sense. It has to do with not feeding into my feelings surrounding a feminine sounding title like Miss for myself. I know I chose it but I didn't expect to feel the way I do. I thought it was a cool name. And I still do, but not for me. Why I won't change it is because I am trying to move past these unfortunate feelings.

Or maybe I'm just crazy and I over think everything.

i like Boston. i'm going to start calling you Boston. yeah, and you better answer! LOL

[Cin]

Originally Posted by macele

i like Boston. i'm going to start calling you Boston. yeah, and you better answer! LOL

LOL! That's funny cause years ago when I first posted on the dash site, like 1999 I think it was, I had the nic boston butch. I wandered away and when I came back somebody else had it. I live in Canada now, but Montreal Butch just doesn't have the same ring to it. I'm thinking maybe Titty Baby.

Sorry for the derail.

[TruTexan]

I'm with Kobi, I don't have any issues with my breasts either. The only thing that bothers me about them at times is they tend to get in the way when I am doing things like working on my truck. LOL
But, if they get any larger from weight gain, now that would make me want to consider losing more weight or getting a size reduction to take the pain off my back, I already have back issues and don't need anymore. Otherwise, I'm alright with them.
I think Ms.Tick is a cute name for a butch woman. ....just sayin.

[Loren_Q]

I'm small breasted, and glad for it. My size doesn't effect how I view myself, but I do think if I were larger breasted it might.

My spouse (also butch) did have issues with her breast size so opted for breast reduction surgery in the 90s. It was covered under insurance because there was a record of back and shoulder pain. The surgeon didn't have an issue going down to an A cup (from a triple D) and that's what she did.

Funny story: Spouse and I were at a conference a couple of weeks before her surgery. I knew 2 of the women there had recently gotten breast reductions and I asked if they would speak to my spouse about their experiences. So the four of us got together, the women explaining their experiences and one said "removed 5 lbs from one and 5-1/2 from the other".

I looked down at my chest thinking "Pounds of breast? 10.5 pounds removed? Crap, I bowl that weight". I've not been able to go bowling since.

[apollo]

i've definitely considered top surgery. since i've only been butch a short amount of time i don't have binders or boxers and whatnot, and i haven't talked about with my doctor about hormones let alone surgery lol. i've done some looking into it and from what i've found getting the surgery is not easy (i'm not sure what i was expecting, it's surgery after all ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). it's expensive if your insurance doesn't cover it (in the realm of 10k), the larger your breasts are the more sensation you'll lose (i have DD's lmao), and i think you need a letter from a doctor saying you're not having a nervous breakdown and spontaneously chopping your tits off. that being said i look forward to the possibility of being flat chested

[imperfect_cupcake]

About half of my partners - who were absolutely fine with being female - thought about it. usually reduction and not removal. just going down to an A cup. Very small. I said "well, I had mine lifted when I was 25 and felt *way* better for it. I'd do it again if I could..."

people get tattoos and bolts put through their penises, so I told them to get the reduction to as small as they wanted. I got mine fixed and tightened up 20 years ago. why shouldn't it be ok to do it the way they want, aesthetically?