I ORDERED A BINDER!!!! The only downside is I broke a few rules doing so, I got the binder off underworks.com, its the tri-top in a large and in black. To order the binder I saved up my money and begged my parents to order it for me they declined and said it would be unsafe, I replied that I would find away to get it anyway. So while my parents were out I walked to the closest realtor that sells visa gift cards and bought one. I then went ahead and tested it on gummy bears. After that I walked home and ordered it on underworks to be sent to my house in three to six business days. the problem is that it is most likely that my parents will get the package before I do and I don't really want them to take it away. Does anyone have any tips for apologizing?. Also what do I need to know about my first binder? Can I wear it to PE class? Also does anyone know vaguely what the packaging looks like (usps shipping)?:help: I really worried
I'm gonna go ahead and assume that you're going to do this whether or not your parents or anyone else think it's okay. I would rather someone tell you how to do this safely than just say no. I haven't found anything that says you're too young to do this. It could be true though, I honestly don't know. However If you put on that binder and your breathing is inhibited in ANY way, take it off, send it back and get a size up. If you are wearing it and feel lightheaded or in pain, take it off. Do not wear it to PE. Especially not before you break it in. I had trouble going up too many stairs when I first started wearing my binder. And it was properly sized at that. Don't wear it for more than 8 hours at a time, but also you should probably only wear it for a couple hours the first few times you wear it, just to get used to it. Be safe. If you don't feel right, something's probably wrong. Also, these can be pretty difficult to get on and off, try not to let it bunch up because if you do it's really hard to unroll and get off by yourself. You did the right thing by buying a medically safe binder rather than using tape or ace bandages, those things can break your ribs and cause pneumonia...so don't do that stuff, ok? You should probably talk to your parents more about why you feel so strongly about binding. And it couldn't hurt to talk to your doctor about it as well. If your doc gave the ok, your parents would probably be more cool with it. Until then, seriously be careful. (*hug*)
I'm pretty sure the packaging would be very discreet so you don't have to worry about being outed or someone giving you weird looks. As for binding for PE, I don't recommend it since if you're doing strenuous work then you'll have a harder time breathing and I've heard that you can develop fluid in your lungs as well (which is why it's recommended when you take your binder off you do some coughs with your arms up to break up anything that could be there). I don't recommend binding for gym for safety reasons. I started binding at 16, so I'm not sure how different that would be for someone your age. Just be smart with what you're doing. Don't bind for more than 8 hours a day and don't sleep in it. Listen to your body and not ignore what it tells you, since you can risk injury if you don't bind correctly.
As long as you make sure you're binding safely, your age shouldn't be a problem. Just be sure that you can breathe easily at all times, don't wear it for too long (I've heard 8-10 hours is the max but I could be wrong), and don't wear it at night. Really try to emphasize to your parents how important this is for you, and why you need it.
