Painful gynecomastia/Successful surgery

[matthewt]

Hello all, I'm compelled to share my story in the hopes that maybe it brings solace and hope to one other person. Particularly, while I was suffering and searching everywhere for answers, I rarely found much mention of/focus on the precise symptoms I was suffering--the deep breast soreness and hyper-sensitive nipples.
My story in brief.  For nearly two years, I had a painful, deep soreness in the breasts, with very sensitive nipples so that, if possible, I would not wear a shirt. The cause of this pain and the "size B" breasts (Tanner scale 3) that I had developed was never really determined, and I saw many gp's and three endocrinologists and took many courses of tamoxifen and arimidex as well as a half dozen, expensive "natural remedies."  All to no avail and leaving me quite despondent.  It was the last endocrinologist who made a compelling case for surgery though I was dead set against it.   If the breast gland is removed, he reasoned, the condition will not return.  A light bulb went off in my head.  Still, he couldn't really make any promises about the pain.  He gave me another great piece of advice.  "Find a plastic surgeon who will not leave a scar."
At my wit's end, I reluctantly visited 2 different surgeons.  The first made no guarantees about reduction of pain and suggested my chest hair would cover the perpendicular scar he would make on each of my breasts.  
The second was my savior!  From the moment I sat across from him, he radiated hope and confidence and observed that the breast tissue is enclosed in a kind of sac, and that, as in my case, if the breast tissue expands within that confined sac, this could very well cause the pain I was experiencing.  From the outset, he repeated again and again that he "had a good feeling" I would see good results from his surgery.  He would, in addition, leave no scar.  This was the first glimmer of hope I had experienced in two years.  Not nearly as confident as the surgeon, but out of any other option, I took the plunge.
Now, close to 18 months after the surgery--months still filled with discomfort and pain, but of a different sort, a pain that I hoped now would lead to a cure.  The mastectomy surgery recovery is a long, long process and nerves grow back exceedingly slowly.  But I am compelled to write that most of the pain has now gone and wearing a shirt is no longer torture.  Every moment of discomfort due to the surgery has been worth it.  And, except for some slight residual discomfort, the surgeon's promises have been borne out.  For me, the pain was the issue.  As a plus, I no longer have breasts, and there is not a hint of a scar.
So, again, have hope!
Matthew

[hammer]

Congrats!

[chifer]

Hi, I am happy to hear that you are no longer experiencing pain, nor embarrassment. Thank you for sharing this uplifting story!