steps i need to take before dr. fielding

[John1011]

Hey there folks, not a new poster but i've really been procrastinating doing this during school...

now that i'm finally working, i'm finally making some money and can afford surgery..

but some questions:

should i consult a reproductive endocrinologist before getting the consultation?

if so, what do I say...

"uhh..I'd like to get my hormones checked out.."

or "i wanna know if i have gynecomastia or not?"

this has me flummoxed and so i haven't taken any action...



then, i'm guessing the endocrinologist will tell me whether or not i have gynecomastia?
once I find out, I call Dr.Fielding for a consultation, which i guess will take at least a few weeks from when i call?

[3cheers]

It make take a while to see a specialist. I just went to my family doc. He told I had gyne and I got a blood check to make my hormones were ok.

If you think you have gyne then you most likely do

10-4

3cheers

[Manjibear]

Hey John 1011, the questions you quoted are pretty much it, straightforward and truthful.  It's a common male issue and your physician/endocrinologist should be able to confirm your case.

You should consult with your family doctor and an endocrinologist (ask if your family doctor can refer you to one) to see ensure your case of gyne isn't associated with any hormonal imbalances.  If the gyne is a result of hormonal imbalances, then even after having surgery, it may be possible for it to come back.  If your hormones are tested as normal then then you should be a good candidate to have gyne corrective surgery.

Personally, I went to my family physician who ran ran a multitude of blood tests just to rule out hormones.  As well as several years ago I went to see an endocrinologist when I was first interested in getting rid of my gyne case.  The result of that visit was my hormones all checked out as normal as well.

Like you I was interested in finding a solution to this issue when I was in school, but was only financially able to go through with it once I entered the workforce.

Gyne is an elective surgical procedure, but it's still a surgical procedure and carries risks (very small).  But you still want to ensure that you are in tip top shape on your side before you start lining a surgeons pockets with your hard earned money (if you decide to go through with it).

I got my surgery done recently and am currently in recovery wearing a compression vest for 6 weeks.  The good news is I'm flat as an ironing board

If I was to do things again, I would go through everything the same, family GP, endocrinologist, rule out hormones, blood tests, then see a plastic surgeon.  The only thing I would have done different is lose some weight before the actual surgery date as I think that would have produced more greater results (although I think my results are still great, on a 10 pt scale where 10 is like a Men's Health cover model (ie. perfect), I would give my chest between an 8.5-9.  I do feel like a new man and walk straight and shoulders pulled way back boasting my newly constructed flat chest.

Yes I would go topless to the beach no questions asked.
Yes I wouild wear really tight fitting t-shirts with no slouching.

Hope this gives you some insight!

[John1011]

hey! thanks for the helpful advice guys..

Manjibear, do you think then, that I should call up the endocrinologist and say "i have gyne and I want to run some blood tests to rule out that it's caused by hormonal imbalance", or something along those lines?

thing is, aren't reproductive endocrinologists mainly seen by women, not men? did anyone find it kind of embarrasing going into the clinic?

i want to skip going to my family doctor though because i am a bit embarrassed about telling him..

thanks to the help of one of the other posters here i already found the location of a reproductive endocrinologist around me.. they don't charge for you to see them, right? as long as i got OHIP?

and thanks for the advice about losing weight..

i'm quite light-wieght (around 170 and 6 ft) but have a high fat percentage (around 25-30) so although i originally planned to bulk up at the gym as i usually do i'm planning on doing cardio and trying to get that fat percentage to around 20%

[Manjibear]

Hey John1011,

Yeah just be open about it.  Don't be embarassed dude.  This ain't about them, it's about you.  And they are medical specialists, it's their job.  They are obligated to ensure you are in good health and communicate this to you before you go through this elective procedure.  The only thing they will do is probably try and stop you saying you don't need it.

When I go to these medical offices, the only people I see in the waiting room are basically senior citizens.  From what you posted, I assume you are a pretty young guy, so that will  be the only odd thing to them as to why a young healthy guy is in the offce.  Just read a mag or watch TV until they call your name.

Plastic suregeon's office is a different story.  You see normal, everyday people, if the guy does boob jobs you may see some nice chicks.  I went through Lista, I give his new office an A-Class rating and his staff are exceptional.  Price wise, gyne correction was $5400 at the time of my booking.  (Taxes and consultation fee all included)

As for a reproductive endocrinologist, and endocrinologist, im not sure if they are the same thing or not.  Endocrinologist is basically a  doctor who specializes in hormones.  Maybe someone else on the forums can provide more insight into this.

The reason I say go through your family doctor is because they can refer you to someone who they may know and trust.  My family doctor and endocrinologist were medical schoolmates.  And my family doctor is going to give it to me straight,  he knows my parents, and its all OHIP covered so he has nothing to gain from promtoing or discouraging the procedure.  Endocrinologist is also OHIP covered and if they confirm gyne they will most likely tell you that surgery is the only way to correct it.  That's what my guy told me, that my hormones were perfectly normal and that if I wanted to have the issue corrected, cosmetic surgery was the only option.

Be like Nike and Just Do It.

[State_Property]

and thanks for the advice about losing weight..

i'm quite light-wieght (around 170 and 6 ft) but have a high fat percentage (around 25-30) so although i originally planned to bulk up at the gym as i usually do i'm planning on doing cardio and trying to get that fat percentage to around 20%

umm no offence but i did lol, i hope u overestimated ur body fat % otherwise u wouldn't have an ounce of muscle on ur body, but if that is the case hit the weights boy.

[brebguy]

do you think then, that I should call up the endocrinologist and say "i have gyne and I want to run some blood tests to rule out that it's caused by hormonal imbalance", or something along those lines?
...

i want to skip going to my family doctor though because i am a bit embarrassed about telling him..

well unless you know an endocrinologist personnaly you wont be able to go see one without having a "prescription" or a reference by a doctor you cant go to specialist like this directly. if you dont wanna see you family doctor, you can go to any clinic (like i did) talk about your case, and their first reaction should be to make some blood tests and send you to an endocrinologist. it seems pretty standard...

[John1011]

and thanks for the advice about losing weight..

i'm quite light-wieght (around 170 and 6 ft) but have a high fat percentage (around 25-30) so although i originally planned to bulk up at the gym as i usually do i'm planning on doing cardio and trying to get that fat percentage to around 20%

umm no offence but i did lol, i hope u overestimated ur body fat % otherwise u wouldn't have an ounce of muscle on ur body, but if that is the case hit the weights boy.

yea i couldn't believe it either but it was a DEXA scan which is supposedly the most accurate way to measure body fat..


and funny thing is I had been goin to the gym for the past few years...

my max bench is about 200 pounds... i normally bench maybe 145 on a regular day...

and for squats I usually do a 45 ibs plate and a 25 ibs plate on either side..

not a whole lot but better than the average I guess...

and if you look at me you certainly wouldn't say i'm obese, or even chubby..the most fat I have is in my chest..

I guess they may have made a mistake or something..

[John1011]

do you think then, that I should call up the endocrinologist and say "i have gyne and I want to run some blood tests to rule out that it's caused by hormonal imbalance", or something along those lines?
...

i want to skip going to my family doctor though because i am a bit embarrassed about telling him..

well unless you know an endocrinologist personnaly you wont be able to go see one without having a "prescription" or a reference by a doctor you cant go to specialist like this directly. if you dont wanna see you family doctor, you can go to any clinic (like i did) talk about your case, and their first reaction should be to make some blood tests and send you to an endocrinologist. it seems pretty standard...

oh alright..that's what I thought..

So you just called up a clinic and told them that you had gyno and that you wanted blood tests to confirm that it was hormonal?

[brebguy]

yup pretty much... i did not have to tell the doctor i wanted to have blood test, its the first thing she said i should do... so its just as smooth. in my case, everything (appointment, tests and results) was pretty quick.

[John1011]

anyone know of a blood clinic in oakville or mississauga?