Hi everyone! The next few pages are a record of my experiences after I decided to undergo surgery to treat my gynaecomastia. Throughout the years that I lived (lived -see, I don't have it now!) with gynaecomastia, this forum was an invaluable source of information, support and guidance to me. It was absolutely essential in supporting me to undergo surgery and I am permanently indebted to its contributors for the wonderful choice I made in my life to take action on this condition.
I hope to keep this updated as long as I have relevant things to add, but please let me know if there's anything you want to hear. Are you reading? Tell me! I'd love to hear from you and I would be happy to share anything that could help others on their journey.
THE PREFACE
I've had gynaecomastia for as long as I can remember.
Like many on this forum, my gynaecomastia has had a serious impact on my physical and mental health, my body image, my confidence, my relationships and has reached into almost every corner of my life. It has prevented me from exercising, enjoying the outdoors, wearing what I want to wear and inhibited my intimate relations. For most of my life, I have concealed it through a mix of clever clothing (camouflage) and avoiding exposing situations. I've never, for example, been shirtless at the beach.
How did this all happen?
When I was younger, I was overweight. During puberty, I probably weighed around 95kg at my heaviest and have since lost a good deal and come down to around 70 (I'm 1.75m tall) depending on which side of Christmas I weigh in on. I lost the weight through diet first and then, once I felt comfortable enough, through more vigorous exercise. I always hated the idea of wearing gym clothes and the idea of having my chest bounce around during aerobic activity terrified me.
However, no matter how much weight I lost, it never really seemed to have an impact on the 'fat' that I carried on my chest: my breasts. This, I have since learnt, is because there are things at play more complex and sinister than fat. Gland.
I have felt a sense of shame about my gynaecomastia. I have managed to overcome this, in part. I do not feel ashamed anymore, but I still regard them as aesthetically undesirable.
I held a sense that it is un-masculine' and unnatural to have gynaecomastia. This is not the case.
I want to stop briefly here to say that the community established by this forum has been a great comfort to me over several years when I have come here for information or simply to read a story of support. It's that appreciation which has motivated me to record my story in this forum.
I chose to have surgery to correct my gynaecomastia because it is pathological. It represents a problem in my life and I can now afford the time and money to address it. There is absolutely no shame in living with gynaecomastia for those who have chosen not to undergo surgery, or who are unable to do so for medical or financial reasons.
I'm 28 now and after a lifetime (though I know many suffer for longer) of living with gynaecomastia, I've decided to take action. I went to my GP who I have to say was really excellent and she assessed me as a probable candidate for surgery. She only knew one plastic surgeon (to whom she had never referred a man) and he specialised in breast augmentation, but she only knew that he worked with women. Can I stress how important it is that you have a sense of which surgeon you want to see before you go to the GP?
Based on reccomendations on this forum, I booked my first consultation with Dr Ben Norris at Form and Face in Sydney's Bondi Junction. Dr Norris assessed me as a candidate for surgery and, after some reflection, I have booked in for surgery in a couple of weeks. I'm keen to share my experiences here but want to know:
- Is anyone listening? Would it be useful to record the experience? What would you like to know?, and
- Has anyone had any experience with Dr Norris? Any advice on questions to ask?
Do I have any readers? I want to hear from you if you're reading this... What do you want to know about? Is this useful? It was so useful to me to read other people's accounts, but I would be so happy to share anything extra that would help anyone else on this little journey we are all on.
FIRST WEEK POST-OP CONSULTATION
Today I went back for my one week (8 days, actually) review with Dr Norris. I have been really looking forward to my review as my surgery was the last one on Dr Norris' list last week and I didn't get to see him after the surgery. Of course, if it was anything other than a success, I would have known, but I was looking forward to hearing about it.
To begin with, I saw Dr Norris' nurse (Julie, I think), who I have to say was absolutely lovely. Everyone at Dr Norris' surgery has been absolutely exemplary in terms of professionalism and politeness. She took me through to a room I hadn't been to before and asked me to take off my shirt and vest and lie on a chair (like a dentist's chair).
She chatted away and begin taking off the dressings. It was surprisingly not very painful, really. The ones under my armpit hurt a little more because of the hair there, but she took them off very gently and then cut out the sutures from the lipo 'hole' (not sure what this is called). There were two in each arm. Then she took away the large waterproof pad that covers the nipple. This is probably about 7cm or so square. It was a very curious tickling feeling. She didn't take the stitches out (these are naturally dissolving) but she trimmed them and put some new and much smaller waterproof bandages on.
I was terrified about this. My inner anxieties told me that as soon as the waterproof seals came off I would have horrible deformed nipples, that they'd be puffy and weird or that something, somehow, would otherwise be horribly wrong.
Of course, it was all great. I was really impressed with how much my nipples have shrunk. I'm used to having large nipples because of my gyne, but mine are now already well-and-truly within the 'average' range. And, of course, they sit perfectly on my absolutely flat chest.
Then Dr Norris came in and got me to stand up and perform a bunch of range of motion exercises to check on my mobility and also to look at how my chest looked. He was very happy with the result.
I also asked Dr Norris to show (and send) me a picture of my glands. They were huge - and revolting. One of them was over 7cm in size. I couldn't believe I had been carrying around something of that size in my chest for all these years. For me, it completely affirmed and justified my surgery. What's the key message from this?
Gynaecomastia is pathological. It is a medical problem that affects men and nothing you can do, diet or exercise, can reduce it. Surgery by an experienced and accredited specialist plastic surgeon is the only safe option for treating gynaecomastia.
Perhaps the biggest relief was that Dr Norris told me I can take out those stupid pads! I know they were necessary, but man did they ever bug me! Now I can see my flat chest every day through the compression garment.
I am also beginning massage which I will probably write about later... But in case I don't, it's five minutes of light pressure surgical motion every night with the nipple in the centre of the palm. Bit of a pain, but it has to be done.
About those dents I was worried about...
The question burning on my mind was: what are these dents on the outside of my nipples? Well, the answer was so embarrassing. Dr Norris said, in a rather matter-of-fact way: that's the outline of your pectoral muscle.
Well, you can imagine my embarrassment and surprise. It never occurred to me that I HAD a pectoral muscle! I had boobs! The majority of the swelling is on my sides - I can feel the painful lumps on the side of my ribs, and this is making my torso wider than it usually is and, combined with the new contour of my pectoral muscle, giving the illusion of the dent. Dr Norris said it would go away and, looking at my chest tonight without the pads in - I have to agree with him!
The whole consultation was over in about 20 minutes and I was off for the day.
Then on the way home...
I plan to keep this up-to-date with my experiences up to and including my surgery, but I just wanted to share a mini success story (again, not wanting to tempt fate...).
As I was walking up the street towards the train station I suddenly felt this cheeky smile creep across my face. I didn't notice it in my mouth, I noticed it in my eyes. They drifted towards the sky and I felt kind of cheerful for no reason. Then I realised it was because I was happy with my body.
I'm still swollen and bruised. I have sutures in my chest, my sides are lumpy and painful, I can't feel my nipples and I'm wearing this horrible vest. But for the first time in my life and for absolutely no reason at all, my mind just sent a little free smile and jolt of cheer because I felt happy with my body.