My Son's Story - Advice to other Parents

[PhillyPUFF]

The psychological impact this 'condition' has on us on a DAILY BASIS is really indescribable.

It's amazing how much grief it can actually cause eh?

GB

Yes. It really is. The simplest of things become tremendously stressful situations. I wouldn't wish gyne on anyone. I'm ready for my surgery. Its time.

[Grandpa Bambu]

I wouldn't wish gyne on anyone.

I would like for those a-holes that ridicule/humiliate the ones who have the misfortune of having the condition, to have it themselves. Sure would teach them a lesson!

GB

[Doolie]

UR the best mom ever.  Wish my parents had done it for me.  CJ

[Jay999]

You're a really good mum. Good luck to you and your son!

[Copespo]

I wish my parents could at least support me in my decision to get surgery BUT nooo I have to do the whole thing in secret...

[cube]

Thats awesome my parents didn't give a darn. LOL! They told me to shut up and go to school.

[tylersmama]

My Son just turned 18. He is graduating and going to college this next June.  We really can't afford the surgery but are having it done anyhow.  He has worn hoodies for the summer, spandex shirts and refuses to play basketball, work out (cuz he heard it makes them push out more) or swim.  Our school has mandatory swim (co-ed) and he has to get an excuse from the doctor from swimming each year.  It has definitely effected his life negatively and I'm eager to see how it changes as he gets the surgery..2009 is the year for him!  Insurance should definitely pay for this surgery.  It is NOT just cosmetic. 

[a7x]

wow,you are understanding lukes mom you understand and you dont have it,

[WiscMom]

I too felt this is a great story.  My 16 year old son had the surgery 2 weeks ago.  His mass was only on one side and started out very small but grew to almost 2.5 inches.  He is 5'11" and only weighs 130 lbs.  He has never been even close to overweight.  He has been a swimmer since he was 10.   He swam with the gyne but like your son was immediately back into a t-shirt between events.  What concerned me was how fast this thing grew.  It went from a small pea sized lump to this huge thing in less than a year.  The doctor's wait and it will go away attitude made me crazy, but I thought "heck, he's the doctor, he should know."  Well, not only did it not go away, it grew.  After 18 months or so, we finally decided to get a second opinion.  The general surgeon we went to said it really did need to come out.  It would not go away and it would eventually get hard and be much more difficult to remove.  We are presently fighting with the insurance company to cover this.  The bill was $10,000 or so of which only $2k was for the doctor.  He's not getting rich of this, he's a general surgeon not a plastic surgeon.  When a surgeon tells me "it must come out" and that it could get even bigger - along with that comment and watching this lump grow on my son, we did the surgery. 

Frankly, I don't understand why the insurance companies fight this.  If he wanted to see a psychiatrist to deal with the "embarrassment" they would pay for that.  Or in the case of your sons underlying depression and mood changes, that they would be okay with.  I don't get it.  I'm only a bit less sure when its a weight loss issue, but that is not the same type of gyne our sons had.   Well anyway, we are going back to see the surgeon for a second post op visit.  I sure hope to get this covered.  The insurance appeal guy told me we may have some success in dealing with this due to the rapid growth of it and the doctors defining it as a medical necessity.  It was painful when touched.  Nothing unbearable but like a chest bruise.   He also told me to identify the time line from when we first noticed it, March 2008 - it was approximately 2 cm.  By the time we saw the surgeon is was 5 cm x 4.7 cm x 3 cm and that was in March of 2009. 

Well anyway, I am glad to have found this site and will keep reading to see what other information I can find on this.

Thanks

[mrpower33]

WiscMom, you should have talked to the insurance company BEFORE the surgery.  I'm sure it would have been covered in the situation you have described.  Additionally, you should have taken your son to see an endocrinologist, in fact, you probably still should.  Men are NOT supposed to grow breasts.  When they do, it means something is hormonally wrong.  Your doctor should not have recommended surgery before figuring out what was wrong.  Most people here have stable cases, meaning no change in the gland for several years.  Most gyne surgeons will not operate on you if it is still growing, that's just plain irresponsible because what do you do when it grows back!?!

What's done is done, but yes, you do need to educate yourself more on this matter, especially when it comes to surgery for your kids. 

[chubbyfats]

this seriously makes me want to cry, being a teenager with gyne is the most hopeless terrible thing in the world. im 19 now and i look back on my life and dont regret a thing but i think about how disadvantaged ive been and how torn away ive been from the average teenage life. Not to say im not fortunate because in the full spectrum of world problems, this isnt even that bad, i still have my health. Outside people just would never be able to understand. It honestly feels like being disfigured and i find myself retreating a lot of the time. Not to mention when i couldnt do anything about my breasts i developed bulimia. Ive been doing intense cardio workouts as often to 5 times a week and am starting to stop. I dunno this comment is not the place. I just wanna say this story made me cry and honestly you did the best thing for your son. No man should every have to deal with breasts its unnatural and probably the worst thing that could ever happen. Its not about sex or girls either, its about feeling comfortable as a male. You did the right thing, i promise you. Sometimes i feel like theres no point in doing productive things because ill never be happy with myself. I can understand your son, you saved him. I promise