I refused to accept normal.

[itsjustabra]

Hi all, new to the forums here. I tend to ramble, but i'll try to keep it short.

A while ago, I discovered I had actual gynecomastia (doctor diagnosed). I went from nothing to a 40A/B very quickly. Suddenly, now I have pain and discomfort in my back and breast area. After numerous tests, and stuff, my doctor could not find anything wrong and told me it's in my head. After talking over my problem with a girl friend (just a friend), she suggested a bra. After much internal debate and struggle, I decided to discussed the idea with my doctor, maybe support is what I needed to relieve the pain and discomfort. Well, it did not go well, my doctor almost freaked out, told me that my chest was not big enough to need support and it was simply "not normal". I was stunned and confused. I decided to go against my doctors wishes and with help of my friend got a bra. I can't expressed in words, how much better I feel and how I'm my "old self" again, even my friend noticed I was alot happier. is a bra, in my case, a placebo? Should I need a bra or not?

Now I'm seriously debating on finding a new doctor, because if normal is living in pain and discomfort, than I refuse to accept it.

[gotgyne]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

At first you should look for a new doctor. The behavior of this - I guess male - 'physician' (I must use quotation marks in this case) is not only unacceptable but a darned cheek.
Second with a cup 40A/B it is a good suggestion of your friend to wear a bra. Even as I had a 40A in the beginning (meanwhile I'm a 40C and the breasts of many men in this forum are much larger) some activities without bra hurt and my nipples became very sensitive. So the bra is no placebo at all.
Third it's your personal triumph that you had the guts to ask your female friend and got over the embarrassment to try a bra. This is a step not all men dare to go.
And what annoys me most is the remark of the 'doctor' that wearing a bra as a man is simply not normal. Maybe he should have checked his brain.
May I ask how old are you?

John

[itsjustabra]

Well, actually the doctor was a female. I don't know if that makes any difference. My doctor insists that I just have surgery to correct this "growth". I chose not to pursue this option for various reasons, money for one and the fact I almost died on the operating table for a "simple surgical procedure" is another. I know this is not a option everyone will choose and agree with, I myself still struggle with this choice, sometimes. However, I have now slowly come to a decision, where I will not let others dictate my choice in this manner. This harms no one and it's just a bra!

I'm 33 years old, why do you ask?

[hammer]

My friend John covered most that needed covering, but I'll add my nickels worth too!

We here on the forum have a saying, " the bra is a garment to support breast and it doesn't mater if the breast are on a man or a woman"!

I'll bet that some "male" doctors wouldn't tell me that I should wear a bra for support and I'm a 46H, but my female primary at the VA hospital not only told me to but said that I need to get a professional fitting! My wife and I went and got it done finally and it went great! I had been trying to wear bras off and on since the late 1990's but never was comfortable in them because they never fit right. And I've had misgivings about it too. However I've always had a great family support over it.

You know the old saying, "until they walk a mile in your moccasins, they don't  know what it's like"!

[hammer]

Surgery is a personal choice! I don't fear it I've had at least 7 others but I don't see this one as needed and being the size I am it would be a hard one!

[igotum]

Hammer got his 0.05 worth. Now my 0.02 worth. Follow your head man. He asked how old you were because older gents like me and a bunch more on the forum opt to let nature take it's course. I am 68 and surgery is not on my screen. I wear a 40C 7 days a week even to the doctor. I wear a front closer on those days. I don't go out of my way to hide the fact I wear a bra nor do I draw attention to it. I got over the "stigma" of wearing one very quick from the relief I got from the contraption. I have never had a comment at all. I don't advocate one way or another.(to have surgery or not to)  That is for the individual to decide.
  I am pretty sure my gyne was caused by prescription drugs. I have ulcerative colitis. If you don't know what that is do a search on it. You don't want it. Gyne is a stroll in the park compared to it. I took high doses of prednisone(60mg/day) for it and think it caused the gyne. I also take 8 prescription drugs for heart related problems and 5 of the 8 say in the side effects that they "could cause gynecomastia" but not "too likely".

[itsjustabra]

I appreciate all your comments. I don't know why I came here and register on these forums, but I'm glad I did. Maybe to find acceptance, or peace.

Hammer: "the bra is a garment to support breast and it doesn't mater if the breast are on a man or a woman". Wow, that's almost exactly what my friend said, she is a very good person, and I'm glad I could "lean" on her in my time of need.

[hammer]

Good for her! We all need friends like that! This is a good forum for guys like us as well!

[Alchemist]

Hi all, new to the forums here. I tend to ramble, but i'll try to keep it short.

A while ago, I discovered I had actual gynecomastia (doctor diagnosed). I went from nothing to a 40A/B very quickly. Suddenly, now I have pain and discomfort in my back and breast area. After numerous tests, and stuff, my doctor could not find anything wrong and told me it's in my head. After talking over my problem with a girl friend (just a friend), she suggested a bra. After much internal debate and struggle, I decided to discussed the idea with my doctor, maybe support is what I needed to relieve the pain and discomfort. Well, it did not go well, my doctor almost freaked out, told me that my chest was not big enough to need support and it was simply "not normal". I was stunned and confused. I decided to go against my doctors wishes and with help of my friend got a bra. I can't expressed in words, how much better I feel and how I'm my "old self" again, even my friend noticed I was alot happier. is a bra, in my case, a placebo? Should I need a bra or not?

Now I'm seriously debating on finding a new doctor, because if normal is living in pain and discomfort, than I refuse to accept it.

HiItsjustabra,

With 50-60% of men eventually ending up with gyne some starting at the first signs of puberty and others later, 3-4 million boys and men in the USA alone each year have onset of growing breasts, it is the definition of normal.  In the USA less than 6,000 per year have surgery in the last year I have numbers for.

So hang in there and don't let anybody determine for you what your body "ought" to be.  There are ways we can affect our bodies and ways we can't.  Eat well, exercise, take your vitamins and so forth.  I get a lot of kidding about wearing my thick padded socks with my Tevas instead of bare feet. I have neuropathic feet and have to take care of them..  It has even become one of those stereotypes, you know, the peculiar old man wearing socks with his sandals.

[gotgyne]

Hammer and Igotum already clarified my question. For a female doctor it is much more uncommon to react in such a way. My female physician knows that I wear bras and has absolutely no problems with it. Male doctors on the contrary either tend to avoid this topic at all (two doctors, a dermatologist and a urologist, denied that I had gyne although it was more than obvious) or they affirm it but recommend surgery (as a surgeon I asked).
And older men more often decide against surgery and live with their gyne. I developed it in my mid-forties.

[aboywithgirls]

I totally relate. I have had my breasts since puberty. I had mine develop like most girls including my sister who is two years older. I got her hand me downs. (My mom's idea). I now wear a 38E and she is in an H cup. I guess you might think it's weird for a guy to discuss bras with his sister but, when it's something you've always done it's just normal for yourself. But my point is that I have breasts, I wear bras, and I talk about bras with my sister. Bras are for breasts. A bra doesn't make you any less of a man. It's just a bra. Most of us here have accepted their breasts and given up confinement for comfort.

[hammer]

I talk bras with my wife and daughters, no big deal! Well, my cups and one of the daughters are a big deal I guess, lol!