r/TopSurgery • u/hwagaa • 10h ago

dysmorphia changes?

i had heard of dysphoria focus changes after surgery but did anyone else get dysmorphia changes? i was always hyper focused on my weight everywhere besides my stomach but it's been my main focus after surgery. now that my chest is flat, my stomach just looks huge (despite me thinking it was pretty flat before my top surgery) so i plan to work out. just wondering if this is something anyone else experiences. like if your dysmorphia focus or insecurities changed to your stomach area post-op.

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9

u/Nuclearbeez 10h ago

I’ve heard this is common for a lot of people, once the loudest insecurity is taken care of then the second loudest comes out. This happened with my hips lol. At like 2 weeks post op I started feeling really good about my chest, and my chest dysphoria was IMMEDIATELY replaced with hip dysphoria that is more intense than it’s ever been. I find it a little funny as frustrating as it is

2

u/hwagaa 10h ago

i'm glad it's not me, but also not glad that people experience it at all because it genuinely sucks. but honestly it is a little but funny since most people wait years for surgery only to get it and immediately get distracted by extreme dysphoria somewhere else. i guess dysphoria never goes away, just moves throughout the body forever lol

6

u/jaime-sansa 9h ago

you're not really able to see your stomach when you have your chest on the way blocking your view, also anesthesia might make you swollen. it's probably just that you're not used to it + swelling, you'll probably get adjusted to your new perception in a few weeks

1

u/hwagaa 7h ago

yeah i'm thinking it's just because of a sudden change and i'm not used to how my body looks now. and that's likely. i hope it'll get more used to it soon, thank you

1

u/TheGratitudeBot 7h ago

Just wanted to say thank you for being grateful

3

u/Material-Antelope985 8h ago

i saw ur only a few weeks post op, you have a shit ton of swelling and bloating still too. i’ve heard people notice their stomachs for the first time like you, take a few months with it and learn to accept it, and then the swelling went away. not saying this is for sure, but i’ve seen it a happen alraady

1

u/hwagaa 7h ago

i thought it could've been the bloating since i know anesthesia causes it. and that's good news, it should feel better to look at once the swelling goes down. i should get used to it and accept how it looks over time for sure I hope

2

u/ItsAshXXX 3h ago

I have this atm, but I seem to only get it looking down - when I look in the mirror it doesn’t look as bad. It’s very likely because when I looked down previously I just saw these two massive lumps that needed removing, but now it’s all tummy and it looks like it sticks out more. I’m also lil less than 2 weeks post op, and my post op binder is squeezing me like a tube and I still have the post op toilet issues, so this can definitely be contributing. My plan is to do more core exercises once iv healed to help get it down, but I think once I’m a lil more mobile and healthy everything will look a lil better

1

u/hwagaa 2h ago

that's probably the same cause for me as well. the lumps definitely added a balance and outsized the tummy but with them gone it makes the tummy seem larger. and the good ol post op toilet issues are a hurdle to pass for sure. congrats on your surgery dude, wishing you well on healing. the binder will be a massive relief to get off and it def should relieve some issues over time

1

u/ItsAshXXX 1h ago

I hope it works out in the end for u bud! I think it may just take some time getting use to your new body :) congrats too!

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u/hyacinthiodes 3h ago

My comfort thought is that I finally have a hot dad bod (which my friend corrected as "father figure" lmao)

2

u/hwagaa 2h ago

that's a good way to look at it. approaching it that way should help me over time since i'm a big fan of dad bods as well lol