My story after all these years/ update/02/03/18 back surgery yesterday

[Bman41]

You've been thru a lot and still have great spirits about it.  So many people get bitter and just hate life.  Keep your head up! 

Life is too short to live life down all the time.  How you are handling it all is inspirational to many. 

Kudos! 

[hammer]

You've been thru a lot and still have great spirits about it.  So many people get bitter and just hate life.  Keep your head up!  

Life is too short to live life down all the time.  How you are handling it all is inspirational to many.  

Kudos!  

You're inspiring, hammer. I'm only 16, but my gyne has gotten in the way so many times. I don't have the money or the time to get the surgery, so I have to wait. I wish I could have half the strength and patience you've had. Keep it up, and thanks!

Thanks to both of you! When life hands out lemons, you need to make lemon aid!

Mark, do not let your man boobs define who you are! They are flesh, fat and some breast tissue. That is not what makes you or defines the man that you are! There is so much more to a person that defines the man. It is what is in your heart, the why you treat another, the way you help a stranger you meet, the way you assist someone in need, how you treat your Mom and Dad, and how you look at yourself, and still much more. Those boobs don't mean nothing at all, just a stumbling block.

I love the saying "I rather be hated for who I am, then loved for who I'm not".

In my life, these are words that I live by!

[pancakes]

All I can say is: wow...

[hammer]

Now fast forward Feb 2012 I am 54 years old and no longer embarrassed  or ashamed of my breast, maybe shy but that is it. I wear a full support bra for comfort all day from morning to bed time, wish I had started years ago. By doing this it has ended neck, shoulder and upper back pain that I had for the last, God knows how many years.

I never allowed anyone to give me grief all the years growing up with gyne, or through my years in the service, so I will not allow anyone to bother me about the bra either, after all it is about my comfort, so it would be their problem not mine! I have read and been told that the bible says that "man shall not wear the clothing of a woman. nor woman the clothing of a man". I have looked all through the bible and I can't find the instructions or list of what is for man and what is for woman! As far as I can tell, a bra is for supporting breast, right? Does it really matter if the breast is on a man or woman?  It has been said multiple times in this forum that flat chested females are expected to bra up, but large breasted males are not to wear a bra. Woman have been wearing men's clothes for years, so guys, if you need the support, support them things that are just hanging around where they don't belong!

I have always had a great self esteem and self confidence! I know that is what has helped me get through all the years without much trouble. Another thing is not allowing others to make you a victim. Hold your head up high, don't let breast tissue, fat and skin control who you are, or allow others to make you a push over. The first time you put a stop to it, it will be the beginning of the end. Sometimes a good come back line is all it takes. I have several but this one has always been good. "so, you really like men with man boobs, I never knew that about you! I personally prefer women"!

If surgery is right for you, go for it, however, don't think that you are required to or you will lead a sexless life. I am a father of five and two grandsons so far, and by my calculation that is not sexless!

I have had many girl friends my entire life and not one ever had a problem with my man boobs. In fact, the girl that I was first engaged to 35+ years ago is still a friend of the family. I also was one of those guys that had more female friends than guys, and not one ever said anything about the boobs, so if you are having problems with the GF maybe it is time to reevaluate.

I know the gyne is hard to accept and overcome! You can do this though. Just set your mind to doing what needs to be done. If you need to get prepared for surgery or decide that acceptance is the way to go, there are good people here on this forum to help with a host of life experiences to lean on. I for one am here to help, I have lived with this for over 40 years with great success and without being "sexless", you can too.

We are all here to help each other get through this.

Bob aka Hammer

[Bman41]

That is Bob the Hammer eh?  Sounds like a good mob name! 

Now fast forward Feb 2012 I am 54 years old and no longer embarrassed  or ashamed of my breast, maybe shy but that is it. I wear a full support bra for comfort all day from morning to bed time, wish I had started years ago. By doing this it had ended neck, shoulder and upper back pain that I had for the last, God knows how many years.

I never allowed anyone to give me grief all the years growing up with gyne, or through my years in the service, so I will not allow anyone to bother me about the bra either, after all it is about my comfort, so it would be their problem not mine! I have read and been told that the bible says that "man shall not wear the clothing of a woman. nor woman the the clothing of a man". I have looked all through the bible and I can't find the instructions or list of what is for man and what is for woman! As far as I can tell, a bra is for supporting breast, right? Does it really matter if the breast is on a man or woman?  It has been said multiple times in this forum that flat chested females are expected to bra up, but large breasted males are not to wear a bra. Woman have been wearing men's cloths for years, so guys, if you need the support, support them things that are just hanging around were that don't belong!

I have always had a great self esteem and self confidence! I know that is what has help me get through all the years without much trouble. Another thing is not allowing others to make you a victim. Hold your head up high, don't let breast tissue, fat and skin control who you are, or allow others to make you a push over. The first time you put a stop to it, it will be the beginning of the end. Sometimes a good come back line is all it takes. I have several but this one has always been good. "so, you really like men with man boobs, I never know that about you! I personally prefer women"!

If surgery is right for you, go for it, however, don't think that you are required to or you will lead a sexless life. I am a father of five and two grandsons so far, and by my calculation that is not sexless!
I have had many girl friends my entire life and not one ever had a problem with my man boobs. In fact, the girl that I was first engaged to 35+ years ago is still a friend of the family. I also was one of those guys that had more female friends then guys, and not one ever said anything about the boobs, so if you are having problems with the GF maybe it is time to reevaluate.

I know the gyne is hard to accept and overcome! You can do this though. Just set your mind to doing what needs to be done. If you need to get prepared for surgery or decide that acceptance is the way to go, there are good people here on this forum to help with a host life experiences to lean on. I for one am here to help, I have lived with this for over 40 years with great success and without being "sexless", you can too.
We are all here to help each other get through this.

Bob aka Hammer

[hammer]

No, not mob! I used to use a 22oz hammer as a trim hammer! You can imagine what I used as a framing hammer!

That was the one way I got the name, the other was take no crap, get the job done, lead me, follow, or get the hell out of the way, we got a mission to do, and it will get done!

[Bman41]

22 oz as a trim hammer?  Sheesh!  I use a 28 Oz as a framing hammer/roofing hammer.  My neighbor who was a carpenter said a big hammer only wears you out faster.

This one, yes it does!  But boy does it build up the forearms!

Since I hurt my shoulder (rotator cuff bad tear and a dislocation in the Army) I haven't hardly used it at all.  It is hard to stay active in stuff like that when you do some bad injuries.  Protect your rotator cuffs guys!  That is an ugly one to hurt badly like I did (catching a falling ladder to keep from hitting my son)

[hammer]

I do remember being told as a kid "hard work never killed anyone"! They failed to mention that it wears out the body!

I built my body up working on farms as a kid in the summers, and as a young man I had 22" biceps, and you are right about the forearms, mine where hug! As my health went to hell, so did everything else. I had to start using air nailers and all the other fancy tools to make the job easier and still stop working all together at one point, age 40. That sucked!

It was hard to watch myself go from a guy that could pick up the back end of a pickup truck to a guy who sometimes need help taking a bottle cap off a beer bottle.

[Bman41]

I know that feeling.  I am having pretty bad carpol tunnel problems now and I know how hard it is to open stuff, and working on my 3/4t big block truck putting a wheel on I tore a tendon (Tennis Elbow) and that is VERY painful doing certain things.

Yet when I was in the Army I was running 12's in the 2 mile and 70 pushups/situps in 2 min.  Things have changed.... 

[hammer]

Pain sucks, and it is hell to get old! Monday, I'm going for another injection for my SI joint. The doc debated about more surgery as I'm having trouble in other areas of the back too, but I said I would be willing to cope with that yet for awhile as I'm not excited about more surgeries yet. I figure by having the injection in the SI joint, I will be able to handle to rest of the pain better.

He said with the arthritis in the back I can look forward to pain forever. That is what took 9 hours of surgery in 09, not only did they fuse part of the back, but scraped the arthritis. You know those Ritis brothers, Arther is the worse!

[hammer]

When all this that I have written seems to be a big deal, or a lot to deal with, one needs to read the story that I wrote in "acceptance" titled "PUTTING THINGS INTO PROSPECTIVE, A MUST READ FOR ALL WITH GYNECOMASTIA". The story that I wrote there is very true, and there is no way that I would trade gyne for that problem or for many others to tell the truth!

If we with the problem of "man boobs" really think about it, could things be really a lot worse off, with many other problems that we could have, but don't?

[phm]

Yankee Hammer.  You ain't nothing but the Man!!!  You may still be the Yankee, but you're  still the man!  22 and 28oz framing hammers. Ouch!   How about a little tennis elbow to go along with the Moobs.  On a serious note Hammer.  Have you done any research on the possible relationship between Dairy Farming and Gynecomastia?  I think I have read that someplace.  Hope you are having a great day. 

[hammer]

Nobody else that I knew of in dairy farming, or any farming has gyne that I can think of! Mine went why out of control when I lost the testicles, of course! I no longer had any hope after that, oh well.

The day wasn't the greatest, my wife's truck is in getting some work done, so I had to give her a ride to work this morning. I still drive my old 1995 Dodge 3/4 ton van that was my last work truck. It only has 115,500 miles on it, I've made the back into a camper, and remove any rust, weld in new metal as needed to keep up the body. I also have a great mechanic that takes care of the mechanical parts.

It has never been in an accident nor have I had one for about 20 years! That was until this morning! No big deal, about 2 hours worth of my time to fix. Another truck and I side swiped each other. Thank God for all the skills he gave me, and most of all, it is minor and no one was hurt!

[Whatcha]

You're great man Hammer. I read your story and my problems seems so tiny compared to yours. You are blessed with great family as well. God bless you sir. I wish you a great life.

[hammer]

Well, thank you very much! My problems are minute, compared to others, however, yes I have been blessed as you say!

God bless you as well my friend and do not let this gyne get the best of you as we are all, bigger and better then it.