Interesting Observation

[phm]

After giving my history of Gynecomastia some thought, I have made an interesting observation.  Every medical professional who has mentioned my gynecomastia has been female.  At age seventeen, 1967,I was a part of an obesity study for teens and young adults at Georgetown University Hospital.  I was referred to as a norm, or base line member of the study.  I did weigh 244 lbs but I had been throwing around 100lb. bags of feed corn  since I was twelve.  Also, I had always been active in sports and hung sheet rock as a summer job.  I was fit. During one of the many physicals, a female doctor made reference to my breast.  I was mortified to say the least. The doctors did all sorts of poking a prodding and a body volume test was ordered.  I never heard another word about my chest.  For a time when I was younger, I thought I could hide my breast with more weight lifting.  Like everyone else in this forum, I tried to hide my chest.  Move forward to 1987.  Now in the twenty years since the initial female mentioning  my breast, I am with a female dermatologist.  She is checking my arms, face, and head for skin cancers.  When she finished, she told me to lay flat.  She starts doing a breast exam on me and I came up off the table.  She told me I had ample breast tissue and needed a breast exam.  Shocker!!!  All sorts of tests were ordered and all bad things which could cause the gynecomastia were ruled out.  1998 I had a heart attack. I had one artery which was partially occluded.  No symptoms no nothing.  It was found in a blood test.  A stint was installed at this time and I now live heart healthy.  after the heart attack, the gynecomastia really took off.  Recently, the issue really started to bother me as my chest was impossible to hide, and the typical pains were driving me nuts.  I the last two months, I have had two female doctors make reference to my chest.  I told my wife about the issue and now things are great.  I have come to accept the problem.  Having said all of this, I find it odd that only female doctors have talked to me about this.  I have fantastic male doctors but none have ever mentioned the gynecomastia too me.  Go figure.  Has anyone else had similar experiences?  In closing, Life is Great!   

[Paa_Paw]

Just as we are often reluctant to speak out or even inquire about the subject of Gynecomastia, I think most of our male Doctors are also a bit shy in this regard.

The females have to contend with breast issues all the time so it is something they are comfortable talking about.

I fail to see anything surprising about this.

[hammer]

My endocrinologist is male and also my primary doctor. It actually works out good, as I go to the university so I go to specialist for everything on just a phone call, and no need to see him first! I call him, tell him what is going on and he sets up the appointment. He has even done breast exams on me, but that I did sense that he might have been uncomfortable a little. He became my doctor when my diabetes was discovered.

I see him this coming Thursday for my 6 month check up, and my wife is planning to come with. I found a lump on the right breast last fall (in fact that is what lead me to this forum is my research on male breast cancer, then male breast enlargement and there was the forum)! Anyway, he was not to concern about it do to the size. He thought it could be an infection, and given the size I knew that I could wait to get in to get it looked at.

Debbie and I want to insist on me getting a mammogram or ultrasound so we have a base line to start from. Hopefully everything is fine now, but as I said we will at least have the base line if anything happens later.

I don't wear a bra when I go to the doctor yet. That is the only time that I don't have one on. I guess if he would ever suggest it I would feel different or we would discuss it, I then would change my that when I visit.

I think female doctors are more willing to be open to discuss the use of bras, or just even talk about the breast.

[phm]

Damn Hammer!  I hope everything works out for you.  Endocinology was a big part of the study I was on way back when.  Not certain what they were looking for.  I do remember they always told me I was abnormally normal.  What the hell does that mean?  I don't wear the bra full time.  Mostly I wait until the pains set in before I put it on.  Been shoveling snow all morning long so now I feel like I could use a lift. Pardon the pun.  Again Man, hope everything works out for you.  Take care.

[hammer]

Thanks phm, I don't know if you have read my story yet (my story after all these years) in stories. I have been through a few things including losing a child so I don't worry to much, beside God always there for me along with family! I will let you know what I find out.

I'm thinking your down south some, and you are getting the snow we up north normally live with! My in-laws didn't go to Texas this year and glad they didn't as we have no snow and not much ice for ice fishing either. All the ice houses had to come off the lakes early this year and cars and trucks were band most of the winter on some lakes. I stopped ice fishing years ago do to, I just don't like driving out on the ice, period! I can't walk much more then 100 feet so I stick to summer fishing off the shore only now, no more boat any more either.

As for snow removal, I have a 23 horse cub cadet with a 42" blower on the front. I have one driveway 100 feet long and another that is about 30 feet so I need something to take care of it. when I was working, before my health went south I had a bobcat! I sure miss that old bobcat sometimes. But that was also used in my business.

[gotgyne]

I made the observation that many male doctors are not only shy to talk about gynecomastia, but sometimes even deny that there is any gyne at all. My female doc sent me to an urologist to confirm her diagnosis. He did not even palpate my breast, only made an ultrasound and said "no gyne". As I know from the doctors in this forum, an ultrasound is not a good way to detect gyne.

[Paa_Paw]

There is a wide latitude between the different meanings of the work Gynecomastia.

As we use the work here, it refers to any surplus tissue in the breast. Many Doctors accept this explanation as well.

From here it really starts to get crazy.

Some Doctors will only call the condition Gynecomastia if there is contouring of the breast so that it is similar in form to a female breast. This would obviously require a lot of adipose tissue or fat.

Another line of reasoning says that the contour is not the criteria but the glandular breast tissue alone that determines whether a person has "True" Gynecomastia.

The most radical of all to my thinking is the Doctor who is firmly of the belief that gynecomastia does not exist unless there is some kind of pathology present. Large breasts are simply normal on a percentage of men. This Doctor is not alone in thinking that way.

My own definition is that any enlargement of the breast is Gynecomastia. Further that the condition of Gynecomastia is so common that it must be considered statistically normal except in the presence of pathology, as a side effect of a drug, or as a symptom of a disease. On this same line then any lingering Gynecomastia after the pathology has been dealt with, the offending drug withdrawn, or causative disease treated becomes a part of the statistical norm.

I think that any male who goes through life without ever having some breast enlargement Whether it is as an infant, in early puberty, or old age; is probably outside the norm.

[hammer]

I think that any male who goes through life without ever having some breast enlargement Whether it is as an infant, in early puberty, or old age; is probably outside the norm.

That statement is so true!

[youcanrace@yahoo.com]

I'm a vet so go to the VA for my medical treatments, My Estrogen was 130 where it should be around 15 and the GP wouldn't prescribe an Estrogen blocker and I demanded to see a specialist at the hospital, There the junior endrocronologist wouldn't either so I asked for the senior Doc. An obese fellow appeared and after taking a brief feel of my 36-A's denied my having gyno. The significant problem isn't my gyno but all the deleterious affects of high estrogen. An 'outside' doc prescribed anastrozole and topical Testosterone so my T is now 600+/- and E: 18+/- just about where they should be!

[hammer]

I just started going to the VA because my wife lost our insurance. I to am a vet, but I am willing to bet that they would deny my gynecomastia and I have double D's and I have no testicles! I lost mine in 1994-1995!

So far I have found the doctors at the VA are cold and jackasses!

[Paa_Paw]

A good example of what you'll get out of socialized medicine aka Obamacare.

[hammer]

A good example of what you'll get out of socialized medicine aka Obamacare.

I couldn't agree more!


I DID NOT VOTE FOR HIM THE FIRST TIME AND YOU CAN BET I WILL NOT THIS TIME!

[Bman41]

Nor did I this time or the last time! 

A good example of what you'll get out of socialized medicine aka Obamacare.

I couldn't agree more!


I DID NOT VOTE FOR HIM THE FIRST TIME AND YOU CAN BET I WILL NOT THIS TIME!

[phm]

Howdy Folks.  Hope all is well with you.  Been about a year since I started this little thread.  Went back to the same doctor today for skin cancer treatments.  Burning, Acid scrub and the works.  When he finished, he said his associate would be in directly.  Same thing as last year.  Breast exam, measurements and so-on.  She asked if I had been for my mammogram?  I informed that I had.  Here is the good part.  She steps into the hall and at the top of her voice she yells," would someone get me Mr. McGuire's mammogram results"?  I am certain the people in the next building heard her.  Damn sure everyone in the waiting room heard her because all eyes were on me when I went to schedule my surgeries.  I learned from this experience.  Sometimes life hands you stuff you just gotta laugh at.  Y'all have a goodun! 

[hammer]

Mr. McGuire, please keep us up to date on everything! I would like to know the date of surgery so that Debbie and I can include you in our prayers for a good and successful surgery.


Your Yankee friend and brother,

Bob