NHS seems more readily available than I first thought....

[JugsyMalone]

Hi all

I had the misfortune of seeing my GP some 10 years ago.  It took an awful lot of courage to take off my shirt in front of her.  She just sat there with a huge grin on her face, and suggested that a little excercise might do the trick.  And that was that!!  I left the surgery feeling totally humiliated, and vowed never to trot down that road again.

Recently, I have had a consultation with Karidis, and am booked in for September.  He requested that I get various blood tests sorted in time for the op, so I had to venture back to my GP again to inititate the tests.  I made sure that I saw a different doctor at the practice, and, of course, he wanted to know exactly what the tests were for.  So I told him.  His reaction?  "Why didn't you come to us first.  We have specialists in breast health-care for both male and female.  We could have helped". 

I was gutted, as I have now paid a deposit for my op, so there is no going back.  I cannot, however, risk waving goodbye to my deposit on the chance that my NHS referral would come to nothing.  I do wish that I had have known, though, as I would have certainly tried the NHS route first as the 4k+ is just about gonna cripple me.

I know that had I have gone down the NHS route, the results would probably have been less impressive than Karidis will achieve, but beggars can't be choosers......  So, if you are at the considering stage, and finance is a concern, then give your GP the benefit of the doubt.....   

All the best, JM

[thetodd]

My GP said this to me

"We can send you to the breast clinic, who will defiantly perform the surgery cause its causing you so much distress"

one month later, in the breast clinic

Doc
"Gynecomastia? you dont have gynecomastia i have 70 year old men in here who have D Cups, thats gynecomastia! I haven't performed an excision gynecomastia operation in 10 years because of men not being happy with the results. For those extreme D cup cases i remove the breast itself"

Me
"Well, im going to a consultation with a surgeon in London .."

Doc
"Well if you want to go private then you can go with one of my colleagues at £...."

Me
"So you wouldn't do the operation, but one of your colleagues would do it at a cost?"

Doc
"Plastic surgery is a cosmetic problem, if we operated on every man with a small Case we'd be wasting the underfunded NHS's money

Me
"o right, think ill go to London then mate bye"

The GP is a nice and friendly first stop, but when you go into the breast clinics you will find that the majority of surgeons are male thingy-ENDS who don't have the same views as your GP. Infact their few is generally that it shouldn't be funded by the NHS. Domt feel to hard on yourself in all likelyhood you would have got blanked by the surgeon!

[kingboob]

Todd, no offense intended AT ALL mate.... but looking at your pictures I can see why you got the reaction you did from the NHS surgeon / breast guy.

I know size doesn't matter and it is how it affects the individual which matters more than anything at all - if you feel unhappy with your own body no one else can tell you different in my experience.

However to me you had a pretty good looking chest before you had the op, so trying to persuade a doctor who gets to see all shapes and sizes day in day out and basically treats breast cancers for a living that you needed surgery was always going to be nearly impossible.

I had huge breasts and lots of excess skin and still very little help was forthcoming, and even after getting to see an NHS surgeon (a miracle in itself)  it was still all 'if, buts and maybes' with no guarantee of funding.

I think Jugsy, having put down your deposit you might as well get the job done properly by Karidis.

[JugsyMalone]

Hi both.

I must confess that my condition is more severe than that of Thetodd's.  In fact if I came out of the Karidis experience looking as good as Theotodd went in, then I will be chuffed to bits.  I'm not trying to belittle Thetodd's original condition, 'cos like KB said, we all have our own ideals.

I do have the nagging doubt though, that the nhs route could have proved fruitless, which is why I've not waved goodbye to my deposit.  My point was more along the lines of "if you're not yet commited, then the NHS MAY be worth considering.  What have you got to lose?"

All the best, Andy

[thetodd]

Nah dont worry about it! My GP was very forthcoming with me in saying that i would pretty much get the operation due to the nature of the things i had done to get rid of the gyne. My GP is actually a really nice girl and to be honest i was going into the clinic with high expectations. Only to come out with my blood boiling!

What irritates me about it is that they will operate, at a cost! So it isnt a problem one minute and its in my head but for 4k it is actually a problem and they will treat it. The NHS is closing the doors on cosmetic surgery, everything cosmetic is going private! I mean do you know they wont even treat Varicose veins anymore on the NHS? This was a treatment readily available on the NHS years ago but now you have to go private for it. I mean since when have cosmetic problems not been serious? my best friend got his nose broke in a fight which was caused by him .... and hes just been given a Nose job on the NHS, wheres the justice there?

You will get swings and roundabouts in the NHS, im not saying my individual case should have been done on the taxpayers money but what your family GP says about surgery. And what the surgeon will say can be complete opposites!


EDIT : Im not trying to dissuade people trying the NHS route! I wouldn't have gone for surgery without seeing them. Im just saying dont feel so hard on yourself going private you would be waiting years on the NHS in all likelihood anyway if you were granted the op.

[BakedBeanz]

im a 17 yr old male and i have bad case and they are doing the surgery on the NHS no questions asked.

[thetodd]

Your a lucky lad! especially at 17

what hospital you at? only to help other gyne sufferers get reff'd there

[kingboob]

im a 17 yr old male and i have bad case and they are doing the surgery on the NHS no questions asked.

You are very fortunate then and I wish you the best of luck with the surgery........  If you could share your experiences of the surgeon & hospital in question that would be a benefit to others here who may wish to try and get treatment via the NHS.

[pr0digy]

im a 17 yr old male and i have bad case and they are doing the surgery on the NHS no questions asked.

Mate, don't get too excited. I had my gyno 'operation' (so they say) on Monday the 20th. Can't really see much of a difference.- The breast tissue and pecs look more pronounced. Now I have to wait for another 12 bloody weeks for another appointment