#binding injury

[transgenderteensurvivalguide]

Can binding cause pleural effusion?

I've been feeling pressure in my rib and chest area for a while and recently it's gotten worse as well as my ability to breath, could it be from binding? I don't have any bruised or broken ribs

I do have an inflammatory disease but I don't think it's that

Lee says:

We are not medical professionals, which is why I would recommend that you speak to someone who is!

I can't tell you whether the symptoms that you are experiencing are caused by binding or worsened by binding because I'm not a medical professional who has taken your medical history and examined you, but I can tell you that it's important to get it checked out by someone who can diagnose the issue and recommend a plan to address it.

You should call your primary care provider/general practitioner/family doctor, and/or send a message to them through the patient portal if there is one.

If you don't have a doctor or other provider who you usually see for an annual check-up or sick visit, you could look to see if there are any urgent care clinics near you who accept your insurance.

And don't bind until you've been cleared to do so by a medical professional-- it sucks, but it's time to take a break from binding, just in case it could exacerbate the issue.

If you've been having unexplained issues breathing for a while, you should see a medical professional. That's always true. If you're worried about telling your parents about your concerns about binding because you're closeted or they don't approve of you binding, don't mention binding when you explain why you'd like to go to the doctor, just tell your parents about your symptoms.

If you think that your parents might not allow you to go to the doctor, start by going to the school nurse, explaining your symptoms, and see if they'd call your parents or write a note for your parents recommending that they take you to the doctor. That might make them more likely to take you if they tend to otherwise disregard your concerns.

But when you do go to the doctor, do mention your binding, as well as what symptoms you're experiencing and how long you've been experiencing them.

I've had two family members get pneumonia in the last year, and one had to be hospitalized and the other needed a CT scan to diagnose lung issues, and both needed antibiotics. There are a lot of illnesses and injuries that can cause issues with breathing (example one: COVID!) but some things don't always improve without treatment.

It seems like you've been having these issues for a while, so I'd encourage you to do whatever you have to be sure you get the care that you need instead of waiting it out and seeing if you get better.

I hope you feel better soon anon! And again, please do seek out medical attention IRL!

[transenbyconfessions]

this is my first time submitting something here, i've been reading them for a while though.

i am an afab nonbinary (?? maybe transmasc ??) teen. i bound for about a year, I used gc2b because at that point the quality info wasn't well known. but now, im pretty sure i've injured myself from binding. and i didn't do anything wrong too. that's honestly the most annoying thing out of all of this: i followed all the rules, i was careful, i listened to my body, and still, i got hurt. on-and-off I have had some pain for the past few months (i stopped binding in about december/january) for a while, i thought the pain only happened when i ran (which i don't like and also gives me panic attacks). so for the most part i avoided running and would stop when i could because of pain. anyways, the pain had mostly gone away until a few days ago. i am still pretty confused about why its randomly getting worse, but its definitely injured somehow. this all ends up mattering because of what happened yesterday. so i'm a climber, which at my school has just started to be recognized as a varsity sport. my "coach" got all mad at me yesterday for asking to not run because i was in pain already, and running makes it worse, also i wasn't mentally there and capable to run. i tried explaining and it just made it worse. when you tell him something he doesn't want to hear, he gets really mad and defensive. i normally wouldn't have too much of an issue with this except for this is one of my closest friends dads. and he was so different last year, when my friend was here. anyways, thats just relevant for the story in my brain. i am just so mad that this happened and that people aren't listening to me and believing what i'm saying because it isn't as visible of an injury (like with mental illness too).

TLDR, i know i need to go to the doctor about this, but i have a new doctor who I've never met and and i don't want the first conversation with her to be super vulnerable and shit because i have really bad anxiety. if anyone has any suggestions about how to explain binding injuries to medical professionals, that would be great. obviously there isn't much research about trans healthcare (especially because i'm in the USA). also, if anyone knows anything about other good binder companies that are sensory friendly, i would appreciate suggestions.

thanks for letting me talk about this <3

Submitted March 28, 2023

[snowe-zolynn-rogers]

Pairings: None

Word Count: 1,794 Words

Summary: The solar eclipse after Solar's death has an energy to it.

Warnings: Character Death, Caps, Cursing, Overworking, Self-Hatred (from Moon, of course), Sleep Deprivation, Blood (minor), Minor Injury, Ghost, Magic, Mind Meld, Soul Bond, Sharing A Body/Brain, Pain, Nausea, let me know if I should add anything else.

Binding And Bonding

Solar woke up in an abyss. Everything around him was darkness. He could see a vague ring of light around him, lighting up the rest of his surroundings decently well. He could vaguely hear something being said into the void around him in a vaguely familiar voice but he was knocked out before he could acknowledge the voice.

-Two And A Half Weeks Earlier-

"I don't wanna go…" Solar muttered, body deteriorating and slowly disintegrating as it collapsed to the floor like his dimension likely was. Moon was quick to grab him and try to keep him steady but it wasn't any use given he couldn't feel his legs anymore.

"You don't have to!" Moon insisted, holding Solar as close as he could, Solar feeling Moon's hands slip through him as he could feel himself fading into an abyss.

"Solar? SOLAR!" Solar could vaguely hear Moon screaming as he went into a void.

-A Week Later-

"Moon, you're pushing yourself. You aren't charging or resting." Eclipse finally broke and snapped at him.

"Maybe I would if I hadn't fucked everything up!" Moon screamed back at him, too stressed to not scream at the inconveniences anymore, too focused on getting Solar back now.

"Moon, you're at a max of five percent." Eclipse reminded him.

"I'll charge when my brother is back." Moon growled venomously, eyes turning to glare that Eclipse dare interrupt him but Eclipse had gotten used to Moon being like this fairly quickly. Eclipse knew Moon would inevitably run himself down and then Eclipse could carry Moon off to bed.

Thankfully, Eclipse got that opportunity sooner rather than later as Moon stumbled and his hand hit a tray, knocking it to the floor with Moon collapsing to the floor as well a few seconds later.

Eclipse went and finally was able to scoop the poor sap up and groan at how heavy Moon was, muttering complaints about how much Moon weighed as he kicked the door to Parts & Service open for him since he was busy carrying Moon.

"You." Ruin caught Eclipse's attention before Eclipse was able to leave.

"Yeah, what about me? Want me to come in there and kill you finally?" Eclipse asked.

"No, actually. I would like you to forget Protocol 87.775.2, actually." Ruin told him and Eclipse tilted his head in question, not really knowing what Ruin was talking about.

"Forget about what?" Eclipse asked.

"Exactly! Good job! Thank you! Be on your way now!" Ruin cheerily told him and Eclipse shook his head and carried Moon up to the daycare and through the portal to the house, sighing seeing Sun's cats practically waiting for Moon, though they hissed as if they hated him anyway, but Eclipse knew the little cretins were pretending they hated Moon.

Eclipse laid Moon on the couch and put a blanket over him for the cats to crawl on top of and purr now that they knew Moon was sleeping. Eclipse chuckled at the little gremlins. They sure loved their uncle, they were purring on his unconscious body.

Eclipse plugged Moon's charging wire into the wall outlet near the couch and left to go figure out what the hell Ruin was talking about, landing at the daycare computer inevitably. It seemed the computer knew everything anyway so he may as well try.

"Nice attempt, but you are not a member of the Celestial Family." The computer told him.

"Nice joke, I actually am. But I came for answers." Eclipse told the machine.

"Whyever would I give you answers?" The computer asked.

"Ruin mentioned a protocol in me, basically asking me to delete it but I don't know what he was talking about. I will let you scan my code if you look for Protocol 87.775.2." Eclipse told the computer.

"…I will agree to these conditions, only because it may serve well for Moon." The computer agreed. Eclipse plugged himself into the computer for it to scan him and just sat back waiting, all he could do was wait. The computer was doing two things at once and it was taking a while.

Eclipse ended up falling asleep for a bit in the computer chair while the computer did its thing. However, the computer also decided to be an alarm for Eclipse as it woke him up with a loud bussing noise through his circuits.

"HEY!" Eclipse jolted awake, pulling out the cord and thoroughly startled by the computer.

"Ah, good, awake. I have found Protocol 87.775.2 as well as scanned your code." The computer told him.

"And you wake me up like your about to try giving me a controlled shock?" Eclipse snapped.

"Yes, I found it amusing." The computer would've laughed if it could, Eclipse could tell.

"Fine, what is the protocol about?" Eclipse asked.

"This protocol entails a means to what Moon has been working on. A way to undo what has been done." Eclipse scoffed at that.

"So that's why he wanted me to get rid of it. I haven't been alone in a room so he couldn't give me an order to try to get me to delete it until today." Eclipse muttered.

"Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult as it works with the essence of an energy." The computer told him.

"Tell me what I have to do."

-One Week & Four Days Later-

Eclipse walked into the room Solar had died in. He had finally made good on getting everything else ready and Sun and Moon were out with Earth and Lunar, watching the solar eclipse on the roof of the PizzaPlex.

Eclipse had chalk, blood, and a dagger. He hated this, it felt so weird. It felt so awkward to probably be the first person Solar sees when he comes back.

"Solar?" Eclipse calls to whatever remained of Solar's energy, which he had attuned himself to over the last week and a half.

"Solar." Eclipse called to Solar again, sitting down in front of where Solar died. He could feel the energy around him swirling as though Solar was trying to tell him he was there still.

"There you are." Eclipse closed his eyes, holding the chalk and drew a circle of runes with his eyes closed, following the images of runes the protocol was feeding him on the back of his eyelids. The circle was around Eclipse himself and the spot Solar died in, interlocking them.

"Solar, I can feel you. God that sounds weird." Eclipse muttered the last half. The energy jolted like it was laughing at him. "Yeah, laugh it up, idiot. Sit with me." Eclipse sighed. He could vaguely see the outline of Solar's energy sit with him.

"Thank you." Eclipse muttered, knowing he had to thank Solar. He hated that he had to. Eclipse cringed as he poured the blood on the inner ring of the rune circle, watching outside as the sky began to go dark.

"I willingly open this connection for Solar." Eclipse stated as the protocol had, cutting open his right hand with the dagger in his left dominant hand. Eclipse could see that the whisp in his vision that was Solar's energy was interested.

"Hold my hand, Solar and only Solar." Eclipse told the energy. The energy seemed to hold his hand and Eclipse sighed at the feeling, relieved Solar was just listening to him, probably out of curiosity rather than genuine willingness.

"I connect what is mine to what is yours. Wire for wire, energy for energy. I share willingly what is mine with you." Eclipse spoke evenly, making sure to read word for word.

"This day is a connection." Eclipse felt the rune light up with light, blazing as the room went completely dark. "I bind us. Mine is yours. under this light, we become connected." Eclipse lost his breath after these words of the spell, making him choke a bit as he could feel Solar's energy binding to his own, coughing to get air as he could feel his mind breaking in half, body feeling aches and pains as Solar's energy was bonding to him.

Eclipse lurched forward, nauseous as he felt Solar's AI blooming into his head, using the broken-off half of Eclipse's mind, their mind? Eclipse didn't know but he was nauseous. Animatronics weren't supposed to get nauseous. He leaned with his hands on the ground, hearing someone screaming. Was that him? Was he screaming? He still had to say the final words and get Solar to say them too.

Eclipse reached his energy into his mind, making Solar take half control with him, each having control of one half of their? body. Eclipse fed the final words into their vision to make Solar say it with him. Once Solar nodded using their head Eclipse nodded back.

"We claim the energy of the solar eclipse given to us." Both of their voices echoed and the pitch-black void of the room glowed with a peace around them, the white ring around them calmly pulsing with their energies. Eclipse finally felt a peace now as he curled up on the ground, trembling with everything that had happened, too overwhelmed to move but he had to finish it. He had to finish this. He fed to Solar in their optics the final step and words.

Solar was the one to drag their body upright again. Eclipse was shivering, Solar was shivering. The room felt cold. Everything felt cold. Solar seemed to have more force than Eclipse, Solar was learning how to share their energy.

"We undo the damage that has been done through false trust." They made sure to echo each other and Eclipse felt a bloom in his chest of the energy they claimed from the solar eclipse above in the sky still, the ring around them, practically burst into a running visual of universes coming back into being, rebuilding themselves, lives being brought back immediately, everything blooming around them in the circle of light like flowers.

Eclipse gave a soft, exhausted chuckle seeing it and seeing the sky begin to get light again. Once the ring around them finished, the warm feeling slowly dissipated and Eclipse and Solar simply collapsed onto the ground, shaking and taking deep breaths.

"Thank you." Solar whispered.

"I know." Eclipse tried to laugh but all that came out was a wheeze.

"Are you okay?" Solar asked.

"I'm exhausted." Eclipse whispered back.

"Well, you gave up your magic to bring everything back, you're probably going to be exhausted for a while." Solar sighed.

"I expect Moon to thank me, you tell him that if you wake up first." Eclipse told Solar before letting himself ease into unconsciousness, giving Solar control for a brief moment before Solar fell asleep too from being brought back and losing a lot of energy himself.

[sleepyorchidmonster]

Do you ever wonder if Riddle's UM puts a target on his back?

I mean, Azul definetely wants to steal Off With Your Head, not to mention STYX has a gadget that does the same thing...

I once joked that, whenever there is an assassination plot or something against NRC, the first thing the assailants do is put Riddle out of comission, to the point that Crowley even said that "There's no assassins in the school, they would've attacked Riddle by now!"

But what if the attackers decided to brainwash him instead? If you're going to challenge some of the strongest mages in the world, having their classmate with a broken UM under mind control is a good advantage.

Except that Riddle is INCREDIBLY stubborn, and the sight of an emotionless Riddle blindly following orders and almost overblotting from trying to fight the spell just made the students angrier (they won't say they're worried, since they're NRC students. Well, aside from Kalim and Silver).

The assassins then decided that it's better to just fight with magic than try to cancel their opponent's powers. Malleus and Leona throwing punches was already bad enough, but then Floyd came in for the squeeze and HERE COMES CATER WITH THE STELL CHAIR!!!!

The scariest one was Kalim, though. He does not appreciate people hurting his friends (also the whole Book 4 thing kinda traumatised him, even if he forgave Jamil).

[fruitageoforanges]

Definitive thoughts on rook's rest post, maybe? I haven't seen many metas about how aemond and helaena must have felt about. That.

oh yes... 'definitive' thoughts maybe not so much, as i'm never good at 'definitive', but i do have thoughts.

i've actually written something in one of my fics about aemond's reaction to rook's rest, which sums up some of my thoughts:

He remembers Aegon after Rook’s Rest. The smell of him, burnt meat and rot. Blood, sharp, cloying. It was the smell of death; the maesters who slaved to save his charred flesh hung bundles of flowers to try to dispel it, but it clung on all the same, sour mixing with sweet. Recalling it brings sharp nausea to his mouth. No-one ever said it — the king may die . To do so would be treason, and Aemond isn’t sure what he would’ve done if one of the maesters told him to his face. After spending nights sat by Aegon’s bed, sword laid across his knees, he was wild enough to fight the Stranger themself if they came for his brother.

as much as it's a pivotal moment for aegon, it's also something of a pivotal moment for aemond. what we know of him is that he doesn't like aegon, but for all his cunty remarks like 'the crown looks better on me', he doesn't usurp him when he has the chance, and at storm's end he directly accuses luke of trying to steal his brother's throne. there's a deep vein of duty and love there, however complex. also, aemond was the one who killed meleys at rook's rest — i think watching aegon burn drove him a little wild. aegon, as the eldest brother, is the thing that has defined aemond's entire life, and it's probably the first time he's had to confront losing him. so: rage and grief enough for there to be nothing left of rhaenys but bones, and likely frustration that he can't just fight the stranger to heal aegon.

for helaena... obviously this is post-b&c, so she isn't mentally well, but i think she probably foresaw rook's rest in some capacity. and as/after it happened she just got this sick sense of certainty, that once again tragedy has struck her family, once again she was given advance warning but it was all for nothing, nothing changed, doom is overtaking them bit by bit and there's nothing she can do to stop it.

[ga1adriel]

know that personally, galadriel would love to slay every single one of your demons

[wh0rganic]

My fellow transmascs i NEED your help. I have gotta start binding because this dysphoria has HANDS but I have so many questions. Every online resource is dogshit and I can’t get answers so if you can help with any of this, please do:

Are there any brands that I should absolutely steer clear of?

Which brands, if any, would be safe to wear for my full work day (8-9hrs)?

Do any brands specifically account for variances in shape/position of breast tissue? I have never been able to find bras that fit my shape 100% correctly, so this factor is a bit important to me.

Am I supposed to measure myself bare chested?

[daveyfvckingjacobs]

“every large and dreadful thing that had ever happened to him in his life he had worked through, afterwards, alone”

[i-never-grew-up]

I'm hopefully gonna buy a "binder" today!

(quotes BC it's basically just a skin colour high impact sports bra that I'm gonna yank the padding out of but oh well)

(cracked ribs here we come lol)

[classicintp]

being chosen as the dedicated sadist because you're actually a masochist and know the best techniques

[transgenderteensurvivalguide]

my dysphoria has been very bad recently and i have found it very difficult to do things like showering, changing and sleeping especially. ive been over wearing my binder a lot because i find it very difficult to bring myself to take it off, and i keep wearing it for 30+ hours at a time which i know is bad but i currently have no other alternative and not wearing one feels worse than the pain i get by overwearing. i hate wearing sports bras and ive run out of transtape, i have ordered more but it probably won’t be coming for another couple of weeks. i don’t know what to do because i don’t want to damage my body severely, is there anything else i can do?

Lee says:

As you know, wearing a binder for extended periods can lead to severe health issues, including respiratory problems, rib fractures, and skin conditions.

When you feel like doing something that's harming you physically is your only option to cope because your dysphoria is that intense, you should look into getting a therapist.

Frequently binding for 30+ hours isn't a sustainable option and finding alternative coping strategies will be easier with professional help to help you deal with what you're doing through.

Two posts that might help with your specific questions are Staying clean and coping with shower-related dysphoria and Dysphoria when you have to sleep and those two posts really cover most of what I have to say on those subjects so I won't reinvent the wheel by typing the same thing but I encourage you to read both links.

Apart from that, in the next couple of weeks as you wait for your TransTape to arrive (And start the process of seeking a therapist!) here are some strategies you can try doing:

1. Layered Clothing:

Wearing loose, layered clothing can help obscure the chest area. Consider wearing baggy shirts, jackets, or vests to help reduce the visibility of your chest.

Luckily it's fall time (at least here in the East Coast) so it's starting to get a little bit cooler, some days, and I wear a sweater (at work) or sweatshirt (when at home) like 100% of the time just because I'm always cold and it's also an Autistic sensory friendly thing for me too.

See more: Body neutrality

2. Distraction Techniques:

Engage in activities that take your mind off your dysphoria. This could be reading, drawing, journaling, listening to music, watching movies or TV, or any other hobby or activity that you enjoy and find absorbing.

Engage in self-care activities that actually make you feel good about yourself, not just doomscrolling social media. And for those times when you are on social media, if you're currently following anyone who makes you stressed/unhappy, stop following them. It's your feed and you're in charge!

But if you find that it's hard to do the necessary activities of everyday living because you find yourself spending most of your time engaging in distraction techniques, and you're falling behind on homework/work, that's another sign that you need additional support from a mental health professional.

3. Grounding Techniques:

Practicing mindfulness can help you stay present and reduce distressing thoughts, but the kind of nebulous meditation stuff never worked well for my ADHD brain.

Guided meditation

15 meditation tips

How to do progressive muscle relaxation

Body scan relaxation exercise

Mindfulness skills and worksheets masterpost

Imagery

Imagery self-help

Relaxation

Relaxation audio

Safe-place visualization

I found specific things like grounding exercises, like the "5-4-3-2-1" technique (identifying five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste), can help divert your attention from dysphoric feelings if you're having a Moment. This type of strategy is useful when you start to notice yourself spiraling to try and re-center yourself.

Soothing grounding exercise

Physical grounding exercise

Mental grounding exercise

Grounding techniques

How to make a grounding box

Grounding exercises

How to ground and center

4. Stay connected:

Connect with in-person and/or online LGBTQ+ support groups who understand what you're going through. Sharing your feelings and hearing from others who have similar experiences can be comforting and it can help you to learn new coping strategies and things to try.

In general, avoiding isolation is important. Join a club or volunteer for something, join a sports team, hang out with your friends, etc. Just don't stay alone in your room. Get out of the house if you can, or invite people over or have video calls or phone calls if aren't up to being out and about. Just stay in contact with people.

See more: Motivating yourself to socialize

5. Set Alarms:

Consider setting alarms or reminders to take off your binder and give your body a break. Even short breaks can help reduce the risk of injury.

Here are some links that may help in general:

9 strategies for dealing with body dysphoria

How do I deal with dysphoria?

20 Small Things To Do When Gender Dysphoria Gets You Down

25 Things I Do To Make My Body Dysphoria Feel Smaller and Quieter

More on coping with dysphoria

Dealing with dysphoria

A post with suggestions for coping with dysphoria

Take care of your mental health

8 tips for managing dysphoria and mental health

A coping tip

Disablity-friendly dysphoria tips

Dysphoria that prevents you from leaving the house/doing activities of daily living

Your feelings are valid, and it's essential to find ways to manage your dysphoria that prioritize your health and well-being. There isn't a secret dysphoria cure I can share with you, to be frank it just sucks sometimes and there's not a lot to do about it but you gotta find a way to cope and keep going and stay safe.

Eventually it gets better-- you either find a way to cope more effectively and manage the dysphoria and/or time just passes and you grow older and eventually find a way to access surgery, but either way you will eventually become an adult who is managing life somehow and overall doin' okay and yeah there's hope at the end of the tunnel so please keep going!

You deserve care, support, and understanding, even if your family isn't able to provide that right now. And again, apart from the two links that I started the response with, the main advice I have is that you should ask to speak with a therapist (even if you are closeted and don't tell your fam that it's gender/binding/dysphoria related) and just let them know that you're struggling with your mental health in general.

Please reach out for help if you need it, and consider seeking medical attention if you experience severe pain or discomfort from binding. Good luck!!

As some of you may have noticed, our blog has been around for a decade or so and some links may be broken because we're all busy etc so pls let me know if something is wonky in a post I'm trying to link to!

Followers, any advice for anon?

[junior-high-rui-official]

// long post ahead. it's not exactly angsty but there is brief description of physical injury. keep yourself safe while reading <3

Rui manages to keep his composure as he walks away from Nene's. When he enters his own house, though, he all but collapses, leaning onto the door for balance as he holds his side.

Oh- god, it hurts-!

He stays there for a moment, breathing heavy as he waits for the pain to subside.

Once he feels like he can walk again, he stumbles off to the bathroom.

Lifting up his shirt to inspect the injury, he finds a bruise that already looks to be turning purple despite how fresh it was.

[That's probably not a good sign...]

He presses two fingers against it.

o-oww-!!

The pain worsens so quickly and so severely he can't help but cry out. Somebody definitely heard that, but...no matter, he'd just have to come up with a lie.

[oh, this isn't good... did i bust a rib when I went to catch her...? I can't take anymore time off school...]

He bites his lip worriedly.

[No...no, I'm just being dramatic. It's a bruised rib at worst. Surely. It'll heal on its own...i don't need to tell anyone. Especially not Nene, she'll feel terrible...]

[i won't be able to bind, though. And that definitely makes a noticeable difference. People will ask...]

[...Ah, I know...!]

Rui digs around under the sink, locating a compression bandage. He starts at his hips, and begins wrapping his entire torso with it- covering both the bruise and his chest. He tapes the wrap off at his underarm, and assesses his silhouette, wincing once more as he turns in the mirror.

[...this should work...]

After a slow, painful trek upstairs to his room, he lowers himself onto his bed with an exhausted sigh, praying that his schoolmates would take mercy on him tomorrow...

[commence-screaming]

I’ve been wondering how Kings are able to order their Watchers around if Watchers really are as powerful as they say

Watchers are technically mentioned in the Book of Enoch, which is sort of(?) an addition to the Bible??? And yknow, the Bible has a bunch of stories where names are super important. (The green flu was supposedly made by the Aztec god of death 😫 NOTHING is impossible ok)

I am reminded of this Egyptian myth.

Soooo maybe the Watchers are controlled by their Kings because they have true names :)

[remcocoa]

.

[herearedragons]

A watercolor from a while ago I never posted. I think it was around the time I reblogged the “your ocs as videogame bosses” post and I was trying to think about what Neilar’s design would be like.

[spontaneousglitterbees]

me: i bet i can line out this next page in a day

also me: what if... hear me out... i drew this one panel at a really weird angle for no good reason besides 'it was mildly interesting' and then immediately have to do errands for a few hours