It's been a long time...

[mb3214]

This seems like a decent forum to talk. I have suffered so long, I guess about 35 years now, that it really seems like always. This is something I never talk about. To no one. Not my wife of 20 years. Not even my doctor.I don't even want my doc listening to my heart, let alone an ekg. I see it every day and hate what it has taken away from me. Not that all is bad, because I am happily married with a family but I hate the fact that I have never been swimming with them. In fact, I haven't been at all in probably 25 years.
The teasing started early. I was overweight, not bad, but chunky. I still remember my mom telling me I need to lose weight as I was going to need a bra. That was a real eye opener for a 14 year old. I was never the same after that. I dressed like a real slouch. No t-shirts, all the baggy, thick material kind of shirts with pockets preferably.
No love life for a long time due to the fear of intimacy and exposing what I worked so hard to try to hide. Thank goodness I finally summoned the courage when I met my wife.
One of my boys suffers with the same thing, and I really can't discuss it with him although I know I should. He is 18 and I know it kills him.
Hopefully someday I'll find a way out. This has had a grip on me for so long, everyday, and I pray for the day it is gone. Hopefully someday I will come into a little cash and surgery will be an option.
I'd really like to feel like a real man for once.

[Cant_Believe_It]

Hey man, I'm glad you feel comfortable enough to share with us.  We are all dealing with the same problems, and can all relate. My case is pretty severe, so i feel your pain.

I'm posting here to let you know there IS hope, though.  Even if you can't afford to pay cash, there are options. If you have decent credit, there's financing.  You could also cash out some ofyour 401k, and you might be able to get it penenalty free because its for medical bills.

And it IS possible to have the surgery covered by insurance. Actually when I did the pre-job physical for my current job, as soon as I took off my shirt the doc yelled "gynecomastia!". I thought he was being a real male thingy, but the reason he brought it up was to tell me that the medical insurance should cover it no problem, if I wanted surgery. So after settling in to my job for 6 months, I decided to move forward and try to get on the path to surgery. It turns out that the Doc at my employer was WRONG. My insurance DENIES almost all gynecomastia claims by default... But because I had already gone to general doc, gotten a referal to a plastic surgeon, and scheduled a consultation, I might as well give it a try...

It turns out that because of what I told the doctors (and it was the truth) , I got approved by insurance the first try. I didn't even have to appeal. My surgery is scheduled for 2 weeks from now. Anyways,  I would love to tell you what I told the doc, but I don't feel comfortable posting it in public until AFTER my surgery... But if you send me a PM asking, I would have no problem tellin ya.

 

[Paa_Paw]

Cant_Believe_It,

Your response was right on the mark. fYou left me with nothing much to say except welcome to you both.