My turn to ask...

[inquestion]

I went to my doctor the other day for this. I have had it since about the age of 15...I am now 30.
I personally dont think it is ultra bad, because I think it looks a bit more like pecs than gyne... but he wanted me to get it checked by a surgeon. I dont know whether he was putting me on, or trying to see if I was serious when I was asking, but he jumped to that. I said it bothered me, he said to go get it checked. unfortunately the photo is not the best. Since the right side is slightly obscured by a shadow, it is also the worse side. It really fluctuates... and seems to get bigger and recede. anyway. is this worthy of surgical intervention? my body fat is much higher lately, I have slacked a bit with my excercise. This was taken 2 months ago.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e104/Solitude9/21519-613fccbbblrj2t_l.jpg

Since it is kind of variable. I will try turmeric, and cutting soy, no coffee, and reduce my phyto estrogen intake by what I can.
What do you think?

Thanks.

[gabbyhey]

Getting surgery for you would be a mistake.  I don't see anything wrong.  Your chest looks better now than 99% of guys on this board after  surgery. 

[headheldhigh01]

soy won't be a problem, it might actually act as an e-blocker instead, but i think it's too late in the game for all that.  i think i see something there that might have been more obvious in a side profile, just a little more pointy than normal.  do you have a disk mass underneath at all. 

mild cases are tough, and comparisons to after ops on more serious cases i think is apples and oranges.  the question is, does it bother you enough or not. 

[inquestion]

to headheldhigh01...

yes in a side profile it is a bit more pointy than usual.
I didnt know that soy could actually do that, I had heard it was all pytho-e. I do have a disk mass, but only on the right side, and fortunately it seems to be dispersed in such a way that when it does go down it can blend in... of course the one that is obscured by the shadow. I just havent had a time where I could take another photo. But I think one important point is that, for the last few years, aside from brief 2-3 months peroids where I would work out consistently (then after that let it slide terribly) I havent really been in shape. I have also been extremely carelsss with my diet and nutrition. So as far as nutrition, I have probably seen the worse days. I m becoming alot more conscious now. So I figure if I keep in shape and actually let my body reset itself, I could stop it from getting worse. I originally started seeing a nodule around age 15, then during the two following years, I worked a job that for some reason saw me drinking about a pot and a half of coffee a day. And when I finally saw someone about it, he did a biopsy and told me that was possibly the reason for the inflammation ( the excessive coffee at an age that where it may not be advisable). So now I have seen the disk mass disperse and grow, but not really sag and round out the bottom too much. I had talked to my current doctor about it before. Then when I went to see him Monday, he was more eager than normal to have me go see someone. Which got me thinking that maybe I was underestimating it. It does bother me. But I cant say that surgery is very tempting to me. I just havent ever been truly active in finding way to fight against it. And at this stage, I will probably just continue on my quest to trim all the body fat I can (which I would want to do anyway) and build up the other muscle groups in my upper body (and be careful to avoid the chest) to compensate for the slightly fuller look that I have there.
Thank you for the input.
-mike

[headheldhigh01]

interesting about the coffee, i wonder if hypo's run into anything about caffeine and hormones ever.  and surgery is not tempting by its nature, it's just that if you decide you're unwilling to go on with this for the rest of your life it's the lesser of the evils, a short term negative for a long-term positive.  but sounds like you have a good handle on this. 

[**Gynefor**]

Personnally, I can't see gyne on THAT photo...

[headheldhigh01]

he says he's got disk, but he's lucky it hides better than the worse cases. 

[inquestion]

what is weird, is that after looking at a TON of before and after photos. I see really bad cases, and cases that are so mild that I just cannot imagine someone forking out more than $5000 for a surgery. Yet they did.
And it is THAT that seems to be making me more self conscious about it...kind of like society trying to convince me that it is NOT ok, my body.

I was kind going with the flow. Now for some reason, it is really starting to bother me. I havent even had anyone mention it to me before. I never kept my shirt on at pools, or beaches. Still dont by the way.
I am seeing someone here in Montreal on March 13th. His name is Dr.Wexler. he is based out of the oncology department at a Hospital here. I am sure this will be an assesment to see if there is any possible malignancy going on.
I must say also, that I have been a pretty regular Marijuana smoker / and legal fighter for the past 7-8 years or so.
I am taking a break from that too AGAIN in order to see if it is promoting it. Although, I have taken looooong breaks before, and havent never seen any difference at all. And if it was really that causing it, seems to me that with all the consumption I have done, to only have it as bad as I do, it is kind of questionable.

So now I find myself, more self-conscious, and my body image is seeming to erode.
 

argh...

Has anyone ever heard of ps 's in Canada and or price?
Same as US?

[Wayne1985]

I think there is some abnormal fat or something in there, so you've got a minor case.

Have you tried getting in the best shape possible to see what you look like?  I ask because I was a little out of shape like you, and I confirmed my gynecomastia by getting in great shape.  I got in great shape and I still looked the same.

[inquestion]

I think there is some abnormal fat or something in there, so you've got a minor case.

Have you tried getting in the best shape possible to see what you look like?  I ask because I was a little out of shape like you, and I confirmed my gynecomastia by getting in great shape.  I got in great shape and I still looked the same.

Oh, I am sure I have it. Ever since had a biopsy done of the first node I had when I was 17. I am currently in the process of getting into shape. It is helping by trimming some of the fat. I hadn't really done ANYTHING along the lines of sports for a loooong time, and my body seems to be responding quite positively to a 3 day a week regime of:
30 min swimming
10 min cardio warm up
1 1/2 hr weights / stretch / other
20 min cardio
and starting to watch my diet.
My entire reason for going on about this is a self-questioning one. I have had this since 15. It has slowly progressed, and I have some extra fat in the chest and the gland on the right side (which is unfortunately obscured by the shadow is much more obvious) I worked on a farm all of my youth, and in a warehouse for 5 years, when I flex and touch my chest, there is some fat, but it is very solid underneath, so definitely the fat needs to be burnt, which is going pretty well.
But I haven't really EVER had comments made about it. I had lived with this completely normally. I have been married for 7 years now, and my wife and I are pretty free spirited exhibitionist people (although I will not say more). But for the last, almost 2 years, I have now worked in an office had seen a change for the worse because I was really getting out of shape.
So I went to the doctor and he was seemingly very willing for me to fix it. And through all of this, NOT ONE PERSON ever cared, mentioned it or whatever.
But then I found this site, and started reading the cases of alot of the members.
And I started looking around the net, and I saw people at whom I was just astounded that they would dedicate that amount of money for a change that I could barely see what was wrong. I see people like them all the time at the pool or gym. So it got me wondering "should I be really concerned about this?" I mean I had a friend with a deformed arm that was overweight and he did great with the ladies, and didnt seem to have a care in the world. I keep trying to put things into perspective. This does bother me (moreso since I have been visiting this site paradoxically), it has always bothered me. But I also sometimes wonder that if I get this done, would I be letting the modern standards of what "normal" and "handsome" overtake my self-confidence?
My wife for instance, has one breast noticeably larger than the other. She says "well, I am made like that, if people cant handle it f... them" 
So hence my nickname "inquestion", and my seemingly contradictory statements about wanting surgery  ... it is a constant questioning if it is really worth me having surgery or not. I guess if I had $5000 right now to spend on it, I would. But I dont. I dont have anywhere near that amount of money. I guess I could finance it though.

[Hux]

It looks like all chest muscle to me..


you also look like you're in very solid shape..

I dono.. maybe I'm just retarded lol

[inquestion]

ha, well, my chest is kind of developed in certain ways... When I flex it is pretty solid. With a fat layer of course.
Like I posted in the "acceptance" thread. There is alot less actual gland tissue than I had thought, after a solid, thourough exam. This could probably explain why it can change look so rapidly with my body fat / general shape. So, I am pretty much happy about that. A larger / puffier areola on my right side is not going to stop my life.... especially since I know that I can change it to a degree. I just recently stopped eating hormone filled commercial meat, and milk. It has been almost 2 weeks. I do, for real, notice a difference. My wife even commented that she noticed a difference, and I hadnt told her of my diet change... so. that is that.

[MRD]

Your case doesnt look bad at all, but if it is bothering you a lot then i guess you can look into surgery as an option. You were asking about PS's in Canada? I am getting mine done in Toronto by Dr. Fielding. Insurance is paying for the excision and i am paying for the lipo part, so price was just a little over 1500 CND$