should i get surgery??

[whoarollins]

 sorry for such a long message but i have a lot to say and i would appreciate it if you spent the time to read this.

im 16 and ive had some moderate-severe gyne for two and a half years.  im 6' 3" and i weigh 177 lbs.  so, im not fat, not skinny. pretty much average.  i have pretty low self-esteem because of my gyne and i haven't taken my shirt of in public for 2 and a half years.  if i absolutely had to take my shirt off (once in a lifetime vacation in the bahamas), i wore a rash guard which is like a spandex protective vest for watersports because it somewhat hid the gyne.  its really awkward wearing a rashguard when ur in the jacuzzi w/ some girls u knowHuh so, instead of going in the jacuzzi w/ girls and to avoid the annoying and uncomfortable questions like "why are u wearing a rashguard", i decide not to go in at all and go home and cry...yes, cry...before i had gyne, i had a ton of friends.  i had some girlfriends too.  but the reason i don't have a ton of friends/girlfriends anymore is because i have such low self-esteem. i cower my shoulders everywhere i go. i wehre jackets/sweatshirts to hide it even when it is 85 degrees out. (i live in california).  the majority of my friends are ripped, w/ toned muscle/chest.  and i have to think of lame excuses why i cant take my shirt off like "i forgot my sunscreen" or "nah, its too cold" or even taking out my cell phone when no one is calling me and saying "<excrement>, i have to take this call" while i sit there pretending to talk to someone so i dont have to go into the water.  it is utterly sad, depressing, and embarrassing.  the worst part about it is that sometimes i see myself putting down others to make myself look good because of my insecurity. i put down my friends by commenting on how they are dressed or what they did with their hair to attract attention toward them and not me.  i feel like such an not a very nice person and such a loser when i used to be very sincere, kind, and understanding.  when i was 15 and a half, i went to see an endrocrinologist and this not a very nice person, omg...what a douchebag.  first i have to wait in a waiting room for like 2 hrs and then i finally get to meet w/ him and he asks me to take my shirt off. he then asks me if i smoke marijuana and of course i said no because that was the truth. then he asked me again like i was lying to him, and i said no a little louder.  then he's like well, this kinda thing usually goes away...uve had it for a year and a half and it should go away pretty soon.  so i was like wow, what a waste of time.  he said that i should check back w/ him in a few months.  since that appt w/ him the gyne has grown to twice the size, about 4-5 cm in diameter and its been a year longer with no sign of it decreasing.  ive done cardio workouts for the past 3 months and ive lost 10 lbs yet it becomes even more noticeable and even more embarrassing because my nipples are really puffy and from a side view my breast really protrudes. im just tired of waiting and i want to take action.  im sorry this message is so long but i needed to vent and i needed to know if it is reasonable to resort to surgery.  i think i will post pictures of my gyne in my next post but i dont have my camera w/ me right now.

if surgery is the best option, i live in the ventura/ los angeles county area in california. i would appreciate it very much if someone recommended a board certified doctor so i can set up a consultation.

thanks a lot.

[flex1appeal]

Believe me, I know how you feel about embarrassment. I had it for 7 years before getting surgery and had to go thru all the same excuses you did. I haven't been in a pool for nearly 7 years or water park because of the gyne. It sucks. But you are young and it may go away sinc eyou probably have puberty caused gyne. It may take a bit longer than you hope for but really, if it hasn;t gone away by the time you are 18 or 19 it probably won't. At that point, I'd recommend seeking surgery for it. Good luck

[Hypo-is-here]

whoarollins,

I don't think anyone can answer that question for you.

Some people choose to live with gynecomastia others opt for surgery or hormonal treatments.

Only you know what is right for you.

Whatever you choose to do make sure you check out all your options.

In the meantime you can get vests that can help hide the problem....just look around the site or make a post with that in the title and someone will help you out.

It would be worth seeing a decent endocrinologist (the one you saw sounded awful) to get your hormones checked out just to make sure all is well.  This is even more relevant if you are thinking of surgery.

[Paa_Paw]

Hypo's response was so good that he left me little to add.

There are a few things that do need to be said, however.

If your breasts have increased in size within the last two to three years, it is clear evidence that your hormones have not completely settled down to what they should be and that would need to be corrected prior to surgery.

Look for another endocrinologist (as Hypo suggested) and before you go there, put on paper the things that you have said here. It would not be surprizing for you to get somewhat tongue tied as soon as the Doctor entered the room-- and you would not get all the details out. In this way, When the Doctor enters the room and asks what your problem is, you would only need to hand over the paper.

Low self esteem and even Depression are common among those of us with Gynecomastia. A good Psychologist could be of great help in dealing with those issues. Be aware though, that not all are equally adept, you may need to shop around until you find someone you are comfortable with.

Welcome to these pages. You are among friends here. In my case, the condition is a family trait and I have grandsons who are your age. We know very well what you are going through because we have had the same experiences.

Good Luck!

[tsjas]

I totally understand what you are going through in your life as I have personally went through the same thing. I think that Dr.Delgado is an excellent doctor in the California area but he is little more expensive than other surgeons. I know that you are eager to get a surgery. But I would recommend that you do research and find out more information before you have a surgery.