Trans man felt like he ‘won the lottery’ after having top surgery and getting the ‘dad bod’ he’d always wanted

A chef from Weston-super-Mare has opened up about how top surgery has completely transformed his confidence and outlook on life, helping him finally reach the “bright light” at the end of a long tunnel of darkness.

After years of struggling with gender dysphoria and low confidence, Jay Sumption said that waking up with a flat chest in Pall Mall’s Newton-le-Willows Hospital in Merseyside felt like he had “won the lottery”.

“When I woke up, I touched my chest and it was a big sigh of relief… I thought, finally, they’re gone,” the 24-year-old told PA Real Life.

“It was a crazy feeling when I saw my chest for the first time. I can’t put into words and describe how amazing that felt.

“Since the surgery, my life has changed dramatically. I have gone from being this very shy kid, and now I feel like I could speak for England.

“I was always a little bit conscious about going out because of how large my chest was, but now it’s like a switch has flipped. I feel like I can do what I want.

“My confidence has gone from zero to hero. I’m always checking myself out. I’m literally obsessed with myself and feel like I have won the lottery.”

This newfound confidence and swagger has helped push Jay to live life to the fullest.

“Because of how big and how feminine I looked before, my whole body had a huge impact on my self-confidence,” shared Jay. “I was always worried that people were looking at me and didn’t see me as Jay but as the other person.

“My advice to my younger self would be to just keep going and to remember that there’s a very bright light at the end of the tunnel.

“It was a hard time but now I can go into the gym, and I don’t care. I’m finally me and I’m happy.”

He added: “Also, just little things like walking around the house with no top on and being able to wear a white T-shirt, because it doesn’t show any straps or a binder anymore, is great. I can finally breathe normally without anything restricting me.”

Going through puberty and discovering top surgery videos on social media sparked a “light bulb moment” for Jay as he did not previously know of anyone who had transitioned.

“Growing up I was classed as a tomboy and as soon as I hit puberty, I knew I wasn’t in the right body. Changes were happening and it wasn’t what I wanted,” reflected Jay. “I didn’t like my chest and wanted to be like my brother.

“I watched a lot of YouTube videos of people who had hormones and had gone through top surgery, and it was like a light bulb moment where I was like, yeah that’s what I want. That’s me.”

Although, he struggled to find representation of larger bodies that reflected his own.

“I really struggled to find images of people that had a similar body type to mine. The videos and photos always showed quite skinny or muscular bodies,” said the chef.

“I’ve always had a larger body and would describe my body now as a dad bod. That’s what I asked my surgeon Chloe Wright for, I said can I have a dad bod please. There are not enough dad bods.

“Representation is important because if they’ve got a similar body to you, you can watch their journey and relate to it.”

However, the 24-year-old stressed the importance of viewing what you see on social media with a pinch of salt.

“There’s a lot of videos on TikTok of top surgery, but I feel like majority of them give the wrong idea,” said Jay.

“For example, a lot of the videos say you will 100% get dog ears, which is a lump of fat or skin under the arm or on the sides of the chest at the end of the incision. But Chloe talked me through it all and I don’t have dog ears.

“The best advice is always going to be from your surgeon, not someone on social media.

“Social media is good because you get to see other people’s stories and hear about their experiences but remember that there are thousands of trans people and each experience is different. You’re not going to have exactly the same experience as someone else.”

The most challenging part of the process for Jay was the duration of the recovery.

“I didn’t realise how long it would take to get my arm movement back,” said Jay.

“I went from working 40/50 hours a week as a chef to not being allowed to lift my arms and needing a lot of help and even had to drink through a straw.

“That was irritating because I’m a very active person, but as soon as I could lift my arms, I was happy as Larry.”

This uninterrupted time to rest was pivotal for his mental as well as his physical health.

“In my head, it was a massive gender switch because my chest wasn’t small beforehand. It was very out there in your face,” said Jay.

“I went from being a female to a man in literally in a couple of hours and that was great, but it was also quite scary. You need to take the time to rest and recover for your mental health too.”

His family have been a fundamental part of his support network.

“My mum and my dad were there when I had the surgery. My mum held my hand and walked me halfway through to the theatre,” said Jay.

“They are my biggest supporters, and I’m very, very lucky to have such a brilliant, solid support network.”

Surgeons Chloe Wright and Kate Williams performed the life-changing procedure on Jay in June, but Mamuna Arshad, operational delivery lead at Pall Mall Gender, also played a pivotal role in the process.

“Mamuna was an angel,” said Jay. “The way she spoke to me and handled things was amazing. After just one phone call, she felt like an auntie. She’s just warm and loving, and I was sold straight from that, from her warmness.”

Looking forward, Jay is excited to make the most of his new chest and show it off in the pool on holiday.

“I’m booking a holiday for next year so I can actually experience a holiday with a flat chest,” said Jay.

“I’m excited to go swimming and looking forward to having an excuse to take my top off.

“Bottom surgery is also definitely in my head, but I’m not looking into it that much as I don’t want to rush into anything. I’m just enjoying my flat chest at the moment.”

More information about gender affirmation surgery at Pall Mall Gender can be found on https://www.pallmallmedical.co.uk/gender-affirmation-surgery/