I think it's time...!

[gynogoingsoon]

Hi all, new to the forums here but I've read a lot over the last few days and it seems like a good community and a good place for honest advice and support, so here goes! This is kind of long, but bear with me...

I'm a 34 year old guy in the UK, and I've been suffering from gyno for roughly 20 years or so. My feeling is that hormonal imbalances in puberty led to the problem, and it's persisted since. For 20 years, I've been totally afraid of swimming, taking my shirt off at the beach, during sex...anywhere, any time.

I've only even admitted to myself the real nature of the problem in the last 3-4 years. Before that, I just pushed it totally to the back of my mind and not only made excuses, but believed them. Recently, though (3-4 years), I've owned up to it in my head and accepted that the reason I am totally unhappy with my appearance (which, as we all know, can lead to lots of unhappiness in every other of life, too) is the composition of my chest. I've let relationships that I cherished suffer because I couldn't do anything about my chest, and because I couldn't even bear to talk about how I felt about it.

So cut to the last 3 years or so. I've done lots of self improvement: quit drinking (was only a moderate drinker anyway, but still counts!), smoking, started working out and eating healthy, watching weight, etc. While all of those things have felt great and really improved the daily quality of my life, there's still been this massive thing in the back of my head nagging me and making all of the positive things seem so tiny and inconsequential: my chest.

So cut now to 6 months or so ago. I decide to focus on getting rid of the problem. I read all sorts of things about what can help this condition. I read about surgery, and think it's totally cost prohibitive. I read about creams and supplements, and know they are garbage just from the marketing. I read about weight loss, but know that at one point I weighed about 145-150lbs at age 20 or so and still had lots and lots of fat and mass in my chest and bigger-than-they-should-be nipples. Even now, when I lose weight (I'm at 195 now, and I'm 6'2", so I could stand to lose about 25-30 lbs more, but I'm not at all obese), nothing on my chest moves and it just looks worse as the rest of me slims up.

So now, cut to a few days ago. I'm in a rut, and I'm sick of feeling like crap. I feel like I've lost huge parts of what should be the best 20 years in a man's life. I feel isolated and alone, even though I know I'm not. So what do I do? I fire up the computer and commence on my millionth round of obsessive reading about my problem. This time, though, I end up somewhere new, and I end up reading about surgical options again. And suddenly, I realize something: I want surgery. And I can afford surgery, just not in the UK! And there are good--maybe great?--surgeons around the world, that specialize in this, and I CAN AFFORD THEM!!

I start reading about -- and Dr. Clark in Poland, and other similar clinics and surgeons. I realize I have well over £7k in my checking account right now, and suddenly even the costly UK surgeons look like something I could do (although I don't think I'll be using them, because frankly I think that Dr. Clark looks just as good or better and I don't at all want to spend more than I have to while maintaining a balance between cost and quality). Realizing that I was feeling kind of manically excited, I told myself to sleep on it and see if I woke up still feeling like surgery was a good idea.

Woke up today, and the first thing I thought was "yes, it's time to do something". Honestly, just thinking that, and feeling like I could really get this problem solved after so long...well, I feel better than I have in a long long time. The thought that in 5 months, I could be waking up in a recovery room with tubes and stitches in my chest but all of this weight and mass gone already makes me smile ear to ear.

So I emailed Dr. Clark's clinic. I hope to hear back soon, and all good things willing I will be able to schedule the surgery for mid-Autumn, once I have some time free from other obligations.

I have a wonderful and caring partner who I have never talked about this stuff with, and she has been kind enough to never ask. I'm even looking forward to having a conversation with her wherein I tell her about what's been bugging me my whole life, and that I might have a solution.

SO, some questions for you more experienced folks here, followed by a few pics just to confirm what I think I already know:

I don't think my hormones have ever been really balanced. A recent testosterone test has me at the low end, and I was cleared for replacement therapy with gels or injections. I don't want that, though, since the only real problem I have with my body (really, with my LIFE) is my chest. But will low testosterone have any impact on the effects of surgery?

I don't know how to tell if I have (very very) stubborn fat or glandular tissue. I know about the 'pinch test', but I don't know how soft or hard fat or glandular tissue feels, so it's tough to judge. How much does that matter for surgery? I assume that as long as I have excision AND lipo, it will knock it out?

My nipples aren't 'puffy', but the areolae are bigger than most men's and they seem to sit on the far outside of my chest (towards my sides/armpits). To what extent is it likely that surgery will help fix that?

So that's about it! Thanks for reading, and thanks for being a place people can find information and support. If you have any advice, suggestions, input, or anything really, I'd love to hear it!




**Third pic is kind of deceptive, as since my arms were slightly raised it diminished the size of my chest**

[igotum]

Man I feel your pain. There are several guys on this forum including me that have opted to keep our breasts. We are normally over 40. I am 68 and have health issues with gyne being in last place in order of importance to me. We are a good group. Either way you choose you will find a lot of support from the folks on this forum.

Jerry

[Alchemist]

Hi Gynogoingsoon,

I hope everything works out for you.  I am also one of those old guys with sizable breasts (D-DD+) that I've had since they started at 11.  Also because of health concerns breasts are at the far bottom and I have no confidence in being able to heal well and end up as well off as I am now for any surgery.  I became a nudist and got over the whole body shame business. 

I have no idea about how surgery will affect nipple position.  I would post to the doctors and ask that question on ASK A DOCTOR.  They will give you some straight answers.

As far as low testosterone goes, I have it too and am on testosterone replacement.  However, mine appeared to crash at age 39 with everything else due to vitamin deficiencies.  Low levels of hormones, male and female can result from vitamin insufficiencies.

Now to how you feel.  Let's hope that surgery will "fix" all the problems.  I've been chronically ill myself and deal with a lot of such folks.  Changing behaviors and habits and emotions can be difficult.  Low testosterone certainly contributed to my depression. 

And please, one caution, whenever I have heard "My life would be perfect if only I fixed this one thing ..." it has never been so.  Like a jack in the box a new (or old) problem will pop up into your face even before you can get your shirt off at the beach.  Good luck.