MY STORY: Hoody

[socorock]

Hey, my name is Ben. I'm 18 years old and about 5'10". To most people i just seem like a regular guy, nothing different or unusual about me. Except I have gynecomastia. Although i keep this a secret, only my parents, sisters and girlfriend know about it. The way i have kept my gyne a secret is by wearing the same black hoody for the past 2 years. My gyneocomastia started at around the same sort of age as most people, about 12 or 13, but at first i didnt really take much notice of it as they werent as big, and i wasnt too self concious of it. Then they started to become bigger as i was getting older and i started to become extremely self concious, I started wearing more layers of clothes and i was rarely seen wearing only a tshirt. After more time had past, i NEVER took off my black hoody in public, as i was too scared of what people would say or think. In 2005 i got my first real girlfriend, i was with her for 6 months and this was when it got really bad, as i was scared of her finding out about it and she never saw me without my hoody on thoughout the WHOLE relationship. I've actually had 3 of the same black hoodies over a 2 year period, and these are the only ones i will wear. In my eyes they're the only ones that seem to hide it. I've even learned ways to stand and walk and sit that hide my man boobs the best. I thought that keeping them a secret would be better, but infact i dont reccomend it. Life isnt easy when you're constantly trying to hide something thats permanantly there. I've had so many people say "howcome you never take your hoody off Ben?", "why do you always where the same clothes", etc and as always i never know what to say so i just reply by saying "i dunno, i just do". In 2006 i got my second girlfriend, who is still my girlfriend, we've been together almost a year now and she still hasnt seen me without my black hoody on. For the first 6 months of our relationship she often got angry and frustrated with me because she had no idea why i didnt take it off, she thought that i just liked to wear it, or that i didnt like my arms. I was scared to tell her the reason why incase she broke up with me. Eventually things got too bad to carry on hiding it from her, so i decided to tell her. To my surprise she took it really well and was completely understanding. She still hasnt seen me in just a tshirt though. I even have sex with her wearing it. I read alot of peoples stories that say they never take their shirt off in public and avoid it at all costs. But i would love to be able to even be happy and comfortable to go out in public in just a tshirt.

Wow, i just realised, ive pretty much wrote an auto-biography haha. Sorry it was so long.

Anyway, the good news is that today i have a consultation with a plastic surgeon booked   So hopefully he'll say i can have the surgery and i'll finally feel comfortable enough to wear whatever i want, for the first time in years!  

Thank you for reading, please post your veiws/comments or your stories that are similar to mine.

Ben

[weareinittogether]

Hi i can relate to most of that but not as severe as know one ever seeing me without a shirt, how severe is your gyne? are you overweight? do you have any pictures? it helps to have opinions on the pics from fellow gyne sufferers.

[socorock]

Hey, thanks for your reply. I just got back from seeing the surgeon about an hour ago, he told me i had a moderate case of gynecomastia. No i'm not overweight, although i would like to lose a abit of weight, but my family and girlfriend say im normal. No i dont have any pictures, but i might put some before and after pictures up once i've had the surgery. The surgeon said i'll be able to have it done in about 3-4 weeks, so thats pretty awesome. How old are you? and how severe is your gyne? do you have any pictures?

Ben

[MRD]

Socorock, congratulations on taking the first steps    I also had gynecomastia through my teen years and i am now 19 years old and 3 weeks post-op. I am very pleased with the results. Here are some pictures http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php/topic,9516.0.htmlFeel free to ask any questions.

[socorock]

Hey, Thanks for replying. Im from the UK so travelling all the way to the US would cost alot of money and i can't afford it and my parents wouldnt pay for it. I would like to go to a Gynecomastia specialist but i dont of any near by. The Doctor who is doing my surgery specialises in a number of things, although i'm not sure how experienced he is at this particular operation, although it does say it on his list of things he specialises in, so hopefully i wont be dissapointed. Yeah i can understand about people saying its in your head and that theres nothing there, but its about how it makes you feel, not how bad your gynecomastia is. Someone with even a very mild case of gynecomastia could be just as self concious as someone with severe gynecomastia. Don't listen to those people, if it bothers you it's up to you wether you want to do something about it or not. My parents have said that its not that bad but it still make me feel like shit.

do you have any pictures?

[Grandpa Bambu]

The Doctor who is doing my surgery specialises in a number of things, although i'm not sure how experienced he is at this particular operation, although it does say it on his list of things he specialises in.

Does your Doc have a Website?

GB

[weareinittogether]

Hey, thanks for your reply. I just got back from seeing the surgeon about an hour ago, he told me i had a moderate case of gynecomastia. No i'm not overweight, although i would like to lose a abit of weight, but my family and girlfriend say im normal. No i dont have any pictures, but i might put some before and after pictures up once i've had the surgery. The surgeon said i'll be able to have it done in about 3-4 weeks, so thats pretty awesome. How old are you? and how severe is your gyne? do you have any pictures?

Ben

http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php/topic,9490.msg67362.html#msg67362

[pauly1984]

Hi Ben
Being close to my age I can relate. I know what you are going through. Good luck with the surgery, I hope it all goes well. And yes.... to go out in just a t-shirt- I crave that too.

Paul