Damn, can't believe how many views this thread has had! Cheers all
I hope everyone that may still be around from back when I was posting is doing well and to anyone I've never had the pleasure of speaking to, well met!
So sorry I haven't been back on but one aspect of trying to forget about the gyno completely includes all references to it, including this site. Which is a bit contrary, seeing as at one point in my life it was such an important touchstone to me, not to mention many others.
I've been a bit reluctant to update my progress and a while ago I thought this site had been pulled as whenever I attempted to log in, I was met with error after error. Glad to see it's still thriving, providing the all important help and advice that it gave to me, giving me the push I so desperately needed to go through with surgery.
I think the last time I posted I was concerned about one side of my chest, with what I believed to be fluid and or swelling present. Well today I will recount the details of my follow up with Karidis. And they go as follows.
It had been almost 2 years since I last saw Karidis as I wanted to be absolutely sure that all swelling had gone. Initially I thought I had some lingering scar tissue which was still giving my right hand side a slight mooby appearance. After my first follow up, which was literally 5 mins in the office after travelling all the way to London. I found out that Karidis has a place in Liverpool so decided to see him there, didn't really make much difference as the stupid Trans Pennine system takes just as long to get there by train!! But it was a bit less hassle making my way to the office, which is just in the middle of the city, above Harvey Nics, so not having to negotiate the big smoke was a bit of a bonus.
So, my second follow up kinda went like this -
I go into to see the doctor, I tell him I've some concerns over my right side and think I have a small bit of scar tissue, maybe an inch or less which is causing my nipple to point out considerably more than my left side, which by the way is almost perfect in an un tensed state.
He asks me to take my shirt off, raise my arms, lower them back to my side. At first he says it's because I'm right handed then proceeds to check the tissue underneath. "No, that's not scar, it's gland" I was like WTF?....It was mid July and I was already hot as a mofo and this news just exacerbated things. He then matter of factly states "Seems like some gland slipped under your pec" ....And I was like "And?" .....I pointed out to him that this slipped gland was giving my right side an altogether unsatisfactory appearance. It's not major, major, but it's asymmetrical plus I can feel it most of the time rubbing against my garments, the right nipple is almost in a constant state of arousal because of this.
Karidis then kinda winced, the kind of wince you get from a garage mechanic that's giving you some news you don't want to hear about your motor. "Well" he says...."We're our own worst critic"...."You've got about a 90% success there".....I thought... "How about I give you a 90% power punch in the face pal" Honestly, I was expecting a little more of a sympathetic reply. At the time I was almost two years post op, I didn't go into great length about how the appearance is still all denty looking when I tense, folds of skin appear, the left over gland distorts the look of my right side quite significantly and there is the tell tale "oval" slight gyno contour in certain light situations.
Now, I get that we are indeed super critical of this condition, having been lumbered with it all our lives. And the thought of having surgery again so soon after and all it entails was just out of the question then I guess. To which Karidis concurred, stating he didn;t think it warranted opening me back up. But of course he would say that. Call me picky but I think such an oversight from someone regarded as one of the best in their field a little lackadaisical to say the least. I was miffed and still am to this day that some skilled surgeon can't get within 1 or 2% tolerance and thinks that 10% is acceptable.
It still bothers me I guess, I'm always checking it out and partly because I can feel it most of the time. Don't get me wrong, it's a marked improvement to my original condition and has helped with all aspects of my confidence etc. It's almost unnoticeable clothed, but when naked upon inspection, more importantly "my" inspection. It's left over gland at the end of the day, from an op I payed a premium for. And looks significantly worse, on both sides when tensed up. Not that I plan to enter Mr Universe or anything.
I know our expectations are high, we want a perfect chest after hearing the trademark words "I'll make you flat" from the man himself......Bollocks, he's prone to mistakes and obviously can;t guarantee you a perfect outcome, not even in the 95%+ range. I know plenty of guys have been happy with him and that genetically, age wise, personal after care...all our cases differ. But if I had to be blunt, I'd say....he just cares about making the money, much the same as the garage mechanic....and doesn't want to hear your complaints when you come back raising a concern.
Maybe If I'd pushed a bit more he would have offered me a revision deal, something I may well enquire about as I still feel I never received a satisfactory result. But then the thought of going through all that palava springs to mind, and anyone who's done it knows, it's no walk in the park. And he obviously knows this too. I really didn't want to come back on here with a case of sour grapes as I know you guys looks to this forum for positive stories which help in the process. Although mine is in no way a nightmare scenario, and I've seen worse cases not to mention I could end up with something altogether worse. I feel like he should have done a bit of a better job in the first place, not to mention been a little less dismissive in my second follow up. Too busy looking good for tv if you ask me.