New to the boards - obligatory post and pictures

[BP_Saladin]

Hi y'all.  My name is Matt.  I'm 20 years old, around 170lbs. and I'm pretty sure I have gynecomastia in my right breast.  Here are some crappy cellie-phone pics (a right-side profile, a left-side profile, and a full on chest shot):





The things, as you might be able to tell from the pictures, in addition to the gyne, I also suffer from muscular dystrophy (FSH MD to be exact).  For the longest time I thought that it might just be a side effect for my gyne because my right side is dominant; maybe the atrophy from using my right side more had built up fat cells there.  But the lumps I've found and the constant soreness suggested otherwise, which is how I found out about gyne.  For me, the gyne is like sour icing on the already bitter cake of how the MD makes me feel about my body.

My father apparently had either really low testosterone or abnormally high estrogen, which may be where it's coming from, but of course that's just speculation.

I guess the most emotionally difficult experience I've had due to my (suspected) gyne is going to the mall and noticing people looking at me funny, or snickering at me.  At first I figured I was just being paranoid about my MD (I find it strange that no one ever really suspects until I tell them about it; I worry myself sick about it when no one actually cares or even notices), but I acutally heard snippets of their conversations.  Things like "boob" or "it's only on one side."  Now whenever I go outside, my gyne is never not on my mind.  I've avoided socializing and basically doing anything but work and grocery shopping outside since then.  It makes for a very lonely life. . .

Anywhoo, now that I'm here, I'd read up on the topic, and I am very converned that I might have Klinefelter's syndrome.  I have a very large varicose vein in my scrotum, and may in fact be shooting blanks.  Of course, without a PCP or any medical coverage, all I can do is worry

There it is.  See y'all 'round, I suppose.

[gabbyhey]

Ok, first thing is first.  Welcome!

Have you looked into compression vests?  They are vests that you put on that kinda even things out until surgery is possible.  Something to consider.  It would be a way to ease the stress of going out.  I'm sure everyone can relate about how it feels to always have this problem on your mind.  It's a daily stress.  It does look like you have a case of gyne in your right breast.  Have you raised this question with a doctor yet?  I didn't have medical coverage for any of my expenses.  I used a credit card for all of my consultations and surgery.  Consultations with a plastic surgeon usually aren't that much. anywhere between 50-200 bucks usually.  Good luck and stick around!

[BP_Saladin]

I recently made a trip to the emergency room for some back problems.  While I was there, I posed a hypothetical to the attending physician. "For example, if a guy was experiencing swelling and soreness in the right breast, what might that be?"  The doctor said he had no clue.

Right now I've got about $1.5k credit debt, so a consultation on the card wouldn't be the best of ideas, but worth a try.

It's nice to know that I'm not just horribly vain not a nice person to be bothered by my condition, and that I'm not the only one.  I had figured that I was just some sort of freak.

No, I've never heard of these compression vests, at least until today.  I saw that video "Me vs. My Breast." Is that the vest that the doctor was showing in the video?

[gabbyhey]

Compressions vests or sometimes shirts come in different ways.  You can order them online.  I think there is a link on the main page of gynecomasti.org  otherwise you can just google it and find something.

[BP_Saladin]

"one-sided gyne has a much better chance of being covered under insurance than 2-sided"

Really?  That's wierd.  Why is that?

I figured my first course of action would be to find a free clinic in my area and head down there, just to confirm that it's gyne.  I just called them but they're full up until mid-Feb, so I'm oh-so looking forward to spending my Friday in their waiting room.  Would they be able o reccomend me to an endicrinologist, or am I better off just bypassing the clinic idea alltogether?

[BP_Saladin]

So I managed to get into a clinic by appointment today.  It wasn't very fulfilling.  The doctor told me that if it was male breast cancer, I'd probably be dead by now, and that if it were some sort of hormonal imbalance, it shouldn't be just on one side.  I'm going to have to go back in a month so he can have time to research some things (he'd also had little to no experience with my muscular dystrophy, so he had to research that too).  There were some tests that he said he could run, but without a better idea of what he was looking for and medical coverage on my behalf, all they'd be good for would be wasting my money.  Also, I brought my varicose veins to his attention, but he pretty much ignored it.  I think that when I go back in a month and he's had some time to research things, I'll ask him if the two might be indicative of Klinefelter's syndrome.