Greetings all,
As the title says, i'm new here & so wanted to say hello. I'm not sure what info I should post so unless asked for more info, i'll keep it basic. I am a 6'4, 280lbs, 33 year old male. I live in the central valley of California. I'm married to a woman I love and I have a healthy 10 year old daughter whom I adore. I have had gynecomastia since I was 13 and for those of you here that have had it or worse yet, still do, you can relate when I say that it really sucks. (Unless you like yours, in which case i'm sorry I said it sucks, but for me, it really, really does.)
The lack of self confidence & self esteem due to having this condition has really taken its toll on me. For years I have tried to "ignore" my condition, in the hopes that it would "go away" such as I had read it had been known to do from time to time for some people, but for me, ignoring it did more harm than good. I'm not going to go into detail the psychological impact it had on me, because everyone else here who has told their stories before me, have already said everything I could ever hope to convay to all of you here. How each & everyone one of you here feels about it, that is how I have felt & still do. More strongly now than ever.
Realizing that ignoring it was not the answer, I have begun viewing my condition in a proactive light. That is why I am here.
I browsed many of the pictures that so many of you took of yourself and posted here. You have my deepest respect for having the courage to do so. Your stories really are an inspiration to all of us here that live with this horrible condition. However, I feel compelled to say, that compared to 99% of you, I would look like Dolly Parton, if I were to stand next to you. If you'll excuse my crude attempt at humor & for the comparison to her divine self.
Once I am able to actually get somewhere in my new search for a way to have my conditioned taken care of, only then will I take pictures of myself to show you that I am in fact quite serious as to just how bad I have it.
What really sucks is that no one else in my entire family ever had it. I NEVER did any drugs growing up nor did I drink. I never smoked, other than the 2nd hand I got before smoking was banned everywhere. In fact, none of the reasons why it occures in males applies to me that I am aware of. Other than some genetic condition in my family tree that is unknown. I have had blood work done & was told by more than one doctor that my blood was actually very much on the healthy side of the spectrum with no known diseases or problems. I was never & I mean never overweight when I was younger for I grew up skiing, camping & rock climbing. While I was on the Nordic ski team in High School, my Body Fat Index was taken at a clinic & I was at an extremely low 3%. To give you an idea of how in shape I was. Very slim, but in excellent shape. (Pics avail if proof is needed.)
Now, because being slim and in shape only makes me all the more self aware of my condition, I have over the past 3 years begun to gain weight. In a stupid attempt for my chest to not be so noticeable. That and my wife is a damn fine cook. So like I said. Time to take a proactive stance.
I just realized that I am rambling. I'm sorry. I'm sure this is boring you all.
So before I shut up, I have a couple questions:
1) Does anyone know which of the major medical insurance carriers that DOES cover the procedure?I'm poor. I can't pay out of pocket. A big reason I ignored it for so long.
2) Does anyone here live in Ca and know of a good doctor that performs the surgery? Preferably located in the central valley?
3) How do you advise I go about asking my insurance carrier (Kaiser) if they cover it? Key terms? Is it only considered cosmetic? How about Mental health. It plays a HUGE role on my mental health.
Thanks to everyone here in advance.
-Jeff
