Author Topic: Why?  (Read 2930 times)

Offline lookinup

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Why do I still feel so emotional and sad. I'm on my way to gyn recovery and still want to cry often. This should be the best days/months whatever of my life. My gyn doesn't look any different then before I went in but the doc says I just got to wait. Swelling and fluid will do that. I really tough though.... I wonder if I could send my pics to Dr. Jacobs for his opinion?
Gyno surgery 26-JUNE-09

Offline moobydo

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is it the pace of recovery that has you depressed?  from most accounts on this board, it frequently takes many weeks for swelling to settle down. hang in there!

Offline George12

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Just relax, everyone reacts differently to surgery of all kinds. if your surgeon said he removed it, it was removed! if he lied he could be in serious trouble.

Remember, you don't have gyne anymore  ;D !!!

Offline headheldhigh01

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it sounds like your main issue is seeing results, which as exhausted said, takes a while. 

it's possible the emotional side of it is more complex if you're subconsciously grieving the years that gyne has cost you.  that may not have a simple magic solution, but try to live in the present and enjoy the new door that is starting to open for you. 

i don't think losing those f**kers will give you postpartum, however  ;)
* a man is more than a body will ever tell
* if it screws up your life the same, is there really any such thing as "mild" gyne?

Offline PBC

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I remember after my surgery going thru the same thing. After all you just shelled out what probably amounts to your life savings (or a good chunk of what you had saved up to that point) you are emotionally drained from the gyne, and you just want it to be OVER! When the bandages came off of me, my surgeon said "Wow, that really looks good!" All I saw were the same pair of moobs that were always there. When I mentioned this to him, his predictable answer was " It is just swelling and scar tissue...it will gradually resolve, this is nothing to worry about." Of course I thought he was bullshi*ting me. In reality things began to improve slowly, by about three months post op things were much better. In my eyes though, I still saw man boobs, no matter how much I was told the opposite. I still hunched when I walked, still tugged at my shirt, and still went thru most of my gyne rituals. That took a LONG time to go away. Like over a year. The mental effects of this condition aren't to be taken lightly. It really does effect almost every aspect of your life. Hang in there, chances are VERY good your doc did everything correctly and a year from now this whole ordeal will be behind you, and you can get on with the life you envisioned for yourself when you decided to have surgery.

Offline lookinup

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Thanks guys for the encouraging words.    :-\

Offline miklos

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Thanks PBC, that's good to know. I just got my procedure done last week (after coming here initially and getting opinions, I spent a year with a trainer and lost 30 pounds first) but as soon as I was able to take the vest off the first time I was like lookinup and thought, "dammit, I just spent a lot of money and it looks the same!" I am keeping my self positive though and already only 4 days into it I'm noticing changes (albeit small). So yeah.... Thanks to this forum. And keep your head up lookinup, we're at the finish line!

Offline Grandpa Bambu

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I remember after my surgery going thru the same thing. After all you just shelled out what probably amounts to your life savings (or a good chunk of what you had saved up to that point) you are emotionally drained from the gyne, and you just want it to be OVER! When the bandages came off of me, my surgeon said "Wow, that really looks good!" All I saw were the same pair of moobs that were always there. When I mentioned this to him, his predictable answer was " It is just swelling and scar tissue...it will gradually resolve, this is nothing to worry about." Of course I thought he was bullshi*ting me. In reality things began to improve slowly, by about three months post op things were much better. In my eyes though, I still saw man boobs, no matter how much I was told the opposite. I still hunched when I walked, still tugged at my shirt, and still went thru most of my gyne rituals. That took a LONG time to go away. Like over a year. The mental effects of this condition aren't to be taken lightly. It really does effect almost every aspect of your life. Hang in there, chances are VERY good your doc did everything correctly and a year from now this whole ordeal will be behind you, and you can get on with the life you envisioned for yourself when you decided to have surgery.

Awesome post PBC!!!  ;)

GB...
Surgery: February 16, 2005. - Toronto, Ontario Canada.
Surgeon: Dr. John Craig Fielding   M.D.   F.R.C.S. (C) (416.766.8890)
Pre-Op/Post-Op Pics

Offline Paa_Paw

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It should be remembered that the surgery will not change who, or what, you are. If you are timid, shy or reclusive; the surgery will allow those things to slowly pass but the recovery from those things could concieveably take longer than the recovery from the surgery itself.

Recovery is a process rather than an event.
Grandpa Dan

Offline headheldhigh01

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yes and no.  recovery is a process, but i think getting rid of the gyne - including the ballsy steps you have to take to get yourself there - can be a really good confidence booster going forward.  it's neither a magic bullet for everything nor completely ineffective. 

Offline Dr. Elliot Jacobs

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I often tell my patients that when performing gyne surgery, I operate on two separate parts of the body -- the chest and the brain (specifically, the self image or body image contained in the brain).

While I can, within reason, control the outcome of the chest operation, there are really no rules as to how a person will react emotionally to the removal of something that has been a personal stigma for a long time.  Some people react quickly and are extremely grateful -- others take a long time for their self image to adopt to their new physical appearance.  And still others, particularly those with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), may never adapt or be satisfied with the results of surgery, no matter how improved they may be.

Dr Jacobs
Dr. Jacobs 
Certified: American Board of Plastic Surgery
Fellow: American College of Surgeons
Practice sub-specialty in Gynecomastia Surgery
4800 North Federal Highway
Boca Raton, Florida 33431
561  367 9101
Email:  dr.j@elliotjacobsmd.com
Website:  http://www.gynecomastiasurgery.com
Website:  http://www.gynecomastianewyork.c

Offline headheldhigh01

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dr jacobs, you probably recall the bdd discussion surfaces from time to time.  if you see this, would you add an anecdotal ballpark guess as to what percent of those who see you you would seriously consider candidates for a bdd diagnosis?  i can't imagine it would be all that high. 

Offline Dr. Elliot Jacobs

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True BDD probably represents around 1% of the patients I see in consultation.  The real challenge is to be able to discern these individuals during their consultation.  When I truly feel that a patient has BDD, I choose not to operate on him because I know that however good the results, the patient will never be pleased.

I have enough gray hair as it is.

Dr Jacobs

Offline headheldhigh01

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interesting estimate and quite understandable, thanks for the observation. 

 

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