NHS

[britoz]

Hi guys,

I'm 33 and I'm sick to death of my man boobs. The general public think it's fine to poke fun at them (so to speak) and friends and work colegues just don't let up..

I cant do the private thing because I'm broke - but I've avoided my GP like the plague because I think he's going to tell me to get lost and then start banging on about NHS funds being abused. He's one of those GP's that's so over worked -that you almost want to ask him if he needs some help before he has a break down him self.

I live in London - so I imagine that the procedure is available here

Can any body shine some light on this for me?

Cheers, Adrian...    

[Daytona_Dude]

You need to make it very clear to your GP that your Gyne is making your life hell. I'm half way through my six month wait for surgery on the NHS. I plucked up the courage to see my GP and told him my Gyne had dominated my life for years, can't swim, sun bathe, wrecked confidence, all the reasons everyone posts on these boards.

Tell your GP it is wrecking your confidence and really getting you down, as it obviously is. My GP had no problem with referring me to a plastic surgeon, (Col N Bennett - Royal Haslar Hospital Hants), who simply told me, "lets get you in for surgery for glad and fat removal"

I must admit though, from reading these boards regularly, there are plenty of people who haven't been so lucky with pursuing the NHS route, and it's all down to your GP, and his/her opinion.

Get you story straight and go see the GP. Really lay it on, how much it's affecting you, even resort to a Gwenyth Paltrow oscar type speech complete with tears if necessary, and hopefully you'll get referred to a specialist.

[RRB]

As above and if he doesnt refer you then change your doctor and try again.

[IT100]

Plus, tell him they hurt.... a bit of phisical pain always helps tip the balance.

Ian

[Worrier]

Yeah I second that, tell him they hurt physically and psychologically. To be honest I think if the NHS does it it will depend on a lot of things. See my earlier post .

It varies apparently between health authorties. Where I live they have slashed the cosmetic budget and it is very difficult to get anything done. My GP was great , not a problem getting a referral.
          You then have to see what the surgeon says. It depends what kind of gyne you have . mine is mainly fat so that is judged as cosmetic . I have been told it will be very difficult to get it done by my PS even though I have proven psychological problems.Iam now going through the appeals procedure.
But good luck your experence may be better than mine. Plus my PS did not know very much about gyno at all and I got more info from this site so Iam not hugely confident even if they do do it that it will be a great success.
But have a go as your may have more luck than Iam having.

[IT100]

I live in Surrey and actually found it really easy, I saw my GP, he refered me to specialist of some type or other, who referred me a a breast cancer surgeon with a special interest in gyne. He basically gave me two courses of drugs, which did stop it hurting, but didn't reduce it. So he said he would operate. The only problem was he was gonna put a 3 inch scar across my chest and said there might be a 'crater' effect at the end of it. So I went private.

Ian

[ruggedtoast]

My GP was very helpful and referred me to an endo, he says that if the endo doesnt sort it out then ill have to see a ps.

Course I dont know how itll go or how long this will take but there is a chance I wont have to fork out thousands to go private.

I dont think you need to be too worried about seeing your gp, I was but it was fine. I didnt even need to say it was upsetting me as most people unless they really are very insensitive can work out for themselves that being a man with breasts isnt a lot of fun, though I agree that saying it was painful seemed to concern him.

Remember also that your gp is paid, partly through your taxes, to cure what ails you, and anything that takes you to  the surgery is a legitimate problem that they have to help you with, along with a million other people they see each week; so dont sweat it!

There is another good reason to tell your gp. When I did I felt like the weight of the world had gone from my shoulders. Instead of being this guy trying to hide my gyne and worrying about it all the time I was a guy on the way to solving my gyne problem - and thats worth 30 minutes of anyones time!

[Pferdestärken]

Instead of being this guy trying to hide my gyne and worrying about it all the time I was a guy on the way to solving my gyne problem - and thats worth 30 minutes of anyones time!

Its really amazing how much weight is lifted after the consultation. Your outlook just changes like someone turned on a light.

It may be laying it on too thick, but I'd be tempted to throw in that you are worried about the possibilities of breast cancer. The fact that 1 in 100 breast cancer cases, and rising, is now in males might go some way towards persuading your GP that you'd be better off without them. Lets face it, some women get mastectomies if there is a strong family history of breast cancer. Sauce for the goose - or is that gander?

[siqveland]

I agree  Pferdestärken.. the initial visit to my GP was the hardest for me.... I almost didnt go!! but after that it gets a LOT easier

[idClarky]

I second that!  Seeing the GP can be a big worry, sitting in the waiting room with the feeling that everyone's there looking at you thinking "what are YOU here for" and the like.
To hell with that though, getting it off your chest (no pun intended) and getting the ball rolling feels like you're making progress, which is always good.
If it's purely cosmetic from a medical standpoint, you really need to drive the point that it's psychologically destroying (whether it is or not isn't the relevent point, as pointed out above, the Gwyneth Paltrow effect is always good for proving a point).  If it's purely cosmetic and you don't let on that it bothers you, you can imagine you'll be prioritised significantly lower than anyone else.
If you're worried about your GP telling you you're wasting his time, DON'T.  Go in there, shed all the tears you've got (which, if it's bothering you like you say, that won't be much of a problem), bang on the desk and throw a tantrum if you have to.
It's kinda normal to feel like we don't get taken seriously, which is why you have to be very serious indeed.
I've been through the NHS process and had the surgery, so if you've got any questions or want any advice, or just want to talk, i'm here for any of you guys.
Pete.

[bedders]

I didnt have a problem with the GP, they were more than happy to refer me. Mine came when I met the consultant - "we wont do that, its something you just need to learn to live with" is exactly what the bitch said. Got a consultation with Levik on the 19th September

[Worrier]

I didnt have a problem with the GP, they were more than happy to refer me. Mine came when I met the consultant - "we wont do that, its something you just need to learn to live with" is exactly what the bitch said. Got a consultation with Levik on the 19th September

 

Yep that sounds right.. although I have 'psychological issues' so they    are just stringing me along and have not told me they will not do it....The 'bitch 'did not work in an ESSEX NHS hospital did she?Just interested.

[bedders]

Broomfield hospital - which is Essex. Dont tell me you've had an encounter??

[idClarky]

Another idea is to not wait for things to happen...
Seems the official standpoint is that if you can wait, it can't be that important to you.
So make calls.
Call every department in the hospital who's had dealings with you and ask when things are happening.
On top of this, see your GP (yes, again) and ask them what's happening and why things aren't happening as soon as you need them to (yes, use words like "need" instead of "want").
If your GP's good at influencing the right people, you can get yourself prioritised.  I did this a few times, and when i got an appointment with the GP at my surgery who has a degree of influence, he got me an appointment for consultation within a week.
Don't be afraid of pleading your case too much, because nobody else will do it for you.  There are far too many in the medical field who are less than sympathetic about us guys, so you really HAVE to make yourself heard.
Unless your condition is physically painful or detrimental to your physical health, you gotta stand up and be heard.
Pete