Gyne, Androgel, and my situation

[drakeinthe80s]

Hi. I am currently 22 and my problems were finally realized when I was 17. For some reason my pediatrician didn't wish to do anything so my parents took the step to get me an appointment with an endocrinologist after researching the subject. As it turns out I had growth hormone deficiency and delayed puberty.

Treatment went great, finally I wasn't just 5 feet and my voice wasn't in a higher pitch. Unfortunately thanks to apparent dead cells in my pituitary gland making it not function correctly, I do not produce enough testosterone and the treatments didn't kickstart me intro producing enough on my own (my level was <100). I have testicular hyperfunction. So I always have to take testosterone to get my levels up but I no longer have to take growth hormone.

I use to get testerone shots and went to a children's endocrinologist. Recently I switched to an adult endocrinologist and Androgel. I currently take one 5g packet a day. Two visits ago it finally donned on me that I may not be able to have kids (this was never mentioned to me before). The doctor pretty much confirmed that my chances are very slim (and from what I've read on the net most likely there is no chance at all).

To lift my spirits one of the hobbies I took up after that was exercise and weightlifting. I have never been fat, but I've always had a little bit of padding on the stomach area. I use to wear my clothes a bit too big and switched to better sitting clothes.

After about 3 months of working out and feeling great I noticed that one pec was looking a bit bigger than the other. Then boom I realized it -- gynecomastia.

I never really noticed any puffy nipple showing through my shirt before working out. Either this is a new development from the switch to androgel from a shot or from the workout pushing the pecs out (I had no pec definition before this new workout kick).

I can clearly feel something under each nipple area. The right side has a very thin round disc. The left feels like just a small ridge. My nipples puff/point out just ever so slightly. A little bit more if I am very hot and sweating.

In all reality probably no one would really notice. No one has ever said anything to me. But I am an extremely self-concious person and like to look good when in public. If I am wearing a poloshirt I tend to put a sensative bandaid over the nipple area that I have cut to be extremely thin. Then you don't see any nubbin through the fabric. If I wear a button down shirt I don't have to do anything.

I just went to my endo appointment a few weeks back. I expressed my concern and he checked it out. He didn't feel anything on the right. He wasn't pushing hard enough but I didn't feel like saying something. He did feel on the left. And then he said that "There is basically nothing to do about it. They will never look like female breasts since you lack other factors". Something like that. I was like ?!?!. I didn't want to press the issue as he was in a bad mood already since they were running very late with appointments.

I seriously can't take it as it is really screwing me up mentally. I keep feeling all day long to see if they have reduced. And, like I said, they are hardly at all noticable, but it truly, truly bugs me. I probably have OCD with this issue.

So, I think in my next appointment (6 months) I am going to talk to him about surgery. I have a few questions.

Does anyone else currently on androgel? If I get surgery will it just come back eventually since I will be on androgel for the rest of my life? I should probably tell the endo to check my estrogen levels as well.

I am fine with spending the $5k or whatever it is to get this removed but I can't see myself doing this every few years.

Also, something tells me that the endo will be completely against me getting surgery since he made it out like it was no big deal at all. I don't need his referal to get something like this done, correct? And if I go do it against his recommendation do you think I should switch endos?