27 year old Gyne sufferer seeks mates!

[GyneakidUK]

Hi everyone   - I've always wanted to meet other sufferers and become friends with them, because i feel that after everything that i've been through only 2 categories of people that i feel i can trust. One is those with gyne themselves, and the other are people who are understanding, kind, compassionate, considerate, loving and basically special people who will not judge me because of my gyne. I have failed to find anyone (yet) who fits into the second category. Is anybody out there? Please help me!

[headheldhigh01]

it's a good criterion to gauge your friends by, isn't it.  have you discussed this with your parents and/or an md yet?  

[webb1978]

Hi,

I am a 26 year old from Scotland UK. I had surgery back in 1997 to remove my breast. I say breast because it was only my left one that was growing. I played soccer a lot and it was always a problem for me to take my shirt off in front of the other players and would always ware a T-shirt to try and cover it up.

Your not alone!  

G

[siqveland]

Hi web 1978
I am from scotland also and I am thinking of having surgery for my Gyne...
could you please tell me if you had treatment under NHS, private??? and how did it go???

[webb1978]

Hi again,

I had my op done on the NHS when I was 18 years old. I had it done in Monklands hospital and I have been left with terrible disfigurement and a 5 inch scar. Don't let this put you off  :-/ Make sure you speak to your doctor and also the surgeon and make sure he/she explains fully before the op what is happening. I didn't do this and went on the word of my own doctor and the surgeon had different ideas.

I was in hospital for a total of 4 days and now nearly 8 years later you can still see the scar and I have now got no breast at all on the left side. I still have my nipple however my scar comes down from under my arm and round in a kind of half circle.

I don't know what the cost would be to have the op done private however I'm sure everyone doesn't get left with a huge scar.

I hope I'm not putting you off having the op because even though I know have disfigurement is a hell of a lot better than having a boob and also a lot easier to explain a scar than a boob.

Have you spoken to your own doctor yet???

Good Luck  

[quasifictional]

I should hope there are some of us out here in the second category.

I had never heard of gynecomastia until a friend of mine told me he had had it.  Not wanting to bother him with questions, I did a little research to try and understand what he had been through.  I realize that I cannot totally understand, primarily because I am (a) not suffering from such a condition and (b) a girl.

But I am glad to be aware that such a condition exists; I think learning what I have has helped me on my way to being more understanding.  I don't see why it should ever lower my opinion of someone to know they had gynecomastia.  On the contrary, as I've hung around on these forums a bit, what strikes me most is the courage and strength these men show in the face of their various struggles.

So kudos to you all.

[GyneakidUK]

Thanks for the replies

Unfortunately my parents were very unsympathetic towards me about this problem. I only had the courage to tell them once or twice and even then they just said "there's not much i can do". They never arranged for me to see the doctor about it or suggest anything else at all - i basically just kept everything to myself from then on. I only recently had the courage to go to my doctor about it and he got me in touch with a surgeon, but he said that there is minimal Gyne and it wouldn't really be worth the risk (admittedly it is not a severe case, but is still noticeable enough for me to have been ridiculed and you can stilll see it under my t-shirt).

I'm a bit unsure as to whether it's worthwhile having the surgery now. In a way i respect the Gyne a lot more because it is just my body being the way that it is and there is nothing wrong with it - it's only other people's reaction that makes it a problem.

[headheldhigh01]

"minimal" is relative.  if it's visible to you and other people, it's fair for you to make a decision for yourself as to whether you want to live with it or remove it.  the only factor there would be whether you're out of the age where a doc would be less willing to operate too close to unsettled hormones years and how long you've had it if there's a chance it'd remit on its own.  

[westmidsboy]

Get in touch if you fancy a chat.

[Paa_Paw]

[quote author=GyneakidUK  

In a way i respect the Gyne a lot more because it is just my body being the way that it is and there is nothing wrong with it - it's only other people's reaction that makes it a problem.[/quote]

You have hit the nail squarely!

You do not have a problem.

In their ignorance, other people have a problem.

Remember that.

good luck

[Paradox]

you are definitely not alone! But I know all about how that feels. I've felt that way for years. And I know all about the ridicule of the ignorant. I had a friend that used to tell me how I needed to lose weight for my "man boobs" when Im already lean for my height and could not help having gynecomastia. you've got a friend in me pal!

[SvBarber]

 Dude,ive been battling this for 15 years now,its sucks i use tape to flatten em out and the whole bit,it really depresses me day ina nd out,ive already had surgery as well with no results..Feel free to add me on your msn,its yzf426_00@hotmail.com

[SvBarber]

  Hi there DAL,thanks for the boost man,i been down alot lately even had thoughts of suicide there for a bit,ummm,wow,so you do that to huh? Are you married? Like my wife doesnt even know i do the tape thing,im so secretive about it and i hate it but in my mind i think shed feel less of me if she knew.My docs name was Dr.Gerald Sparks in Saint John New Brunswick Canada and nope,nothing changed,the only thing different are the little scars under my pecs.Anyways..thanks again,take care !!!

[whatitis08]

I use tape sometimes or an ace wrap. I find tape(I use masking tape) can be a tad painful to remove and probably isnt good your your skin when worn for long peroids of time. Basically what I do with the tape is just use a piece or 2 across my chest sorta pulling both nipples together slightly, and that hides my chest very well, yet I do alot of incline benching to build my upper pecs and that also has made it look more mascualine. The ace wrap seems to be a more practical soloution for me beacuse their is no ripping off skin on removing, haha(think about pulling a band-aid off xs 10 if not done correctly). I just wrap the ace-wrap around my chest a couple of times, not too tight of course, and again, it hides my chest very well too. It is also  extreamly felxable and doesnt really prohibit movement or stretching in anyway. Sometimes the tape can make certian movements hader or could cause the tape to come off.  Hope that makes sense.

[SvBarber]

Actually for me i use clear packing tape,its the best. I've used duct tape and man that is hell to peel off, it actually leaves glue from the edges on your skin,not good if your pickin up some hot chick,you take em off in the bathroom then you got the old tell tale signs left,not good.Another disadvantage to the duct tape is if you wear a white shirt you will see the tape through the shirt.I use clear packing tape cause the glue doesnt stick to your skin,you dont see it under white clothing and its super easy to peel off,hope that helps!