My story.. I'm sure you all can relate!

[gynoguy25]

Hi all! I'm a long time reader of the forum and have commented and posted quite a bit under a different name. This is my first post from my new account. I have never told my story before and would like to share it for some encouragement and support. I want this chapter of my life to be OVER and become the new and improved version of myself! I have started a new blog to share my gynecomastia story, health and fitness, and my surgery status and updates, and most of all, to help other people suffering with Gynecomastia. My goal is to eventually be able to help other people to be able to afford the surgery and none of this will be possible without support from other guys like me! This will be long because it is a copy and paste of my first blog post. With that being said, I started a new facebook account with my new "alias" because I'm still not comfortable telling people who I am and I don't yet have any friends on there. If anyone is willing to send me a friend request I would be very grateful to have you all as friends, especially since I will have friends who are like myself. My new facebook account is http://www.facebook.com/gynoguy25 and my blog is http://www.gynoguy.wordpress.com.
Now for my story! Sorry it's so long, I guess I had a lot to say. Pictures to come for those who are interested and want to follow.
I’m sitting here staring at the screen trying to think of the words to say. I’ve never blogged or shared my story with anyone, so I guess this is my introduction post! Today is my 25th birthday, and what an eye opener it has been. Realizing that I have likely lived a third of my life already and have what to show for it? Sure, I have a lot of ‘stuff’, but what accomplishments have I made? Not a whole lot. This is what it is like to live with gynecomastia. Today I have taken a deep look at myself and realize that I need to change my life. It is hard as a man to talk about these issues, but here I am opening up for the first time.
I first remember noticing that I looked different from other guys when I was in elementary school. I was probably 11 at the time, but that I can’t say for sure. I remember being teased by the other children at school. Although I knew that I looked different, at the time I didn’t know there was a name for it. I just thought I was fat. One of the worst parts was getting made fun of by my own father. I would regularly get teased by boys, but occasionally even by girls. It really hurts a boy’s self esteem when you can’t approach girls without worrying that your boobs are bigger than hers. Children are mean, and unfortunately some don’t outgrow their meanness as and adult. I am now 25 years old, and to this day the relentless teasing hasn’t stopped.
As a young teenager, I would hear people say as I walked by “was that a boy or a girl?” As I got older and started growing a little facial hair, I didn’t hear that as often, but the first place anyone, including family, looks when I’m around is my chest. I have never been really overweight, but I’ve never been in shape either. At my highest weight, I weighed 206 lbs, but that isn’t my norm. I have improved my diet and lost weight down to around 170 lbs, but sadly, the more weight I lose, the more prominent my breasts are. Now, like other gynecomastia sufferers, I have intentionally put on a little more weight to try and hide my breasts. My current weight is 190 lbs, which for my age and height is only 10-15 lbs over the ideal weight. This has held me down mentally for a long time. High school was bad enough, but college was worse. Unfortunately, I was unable to cope with the stress and being made fun of by other students so I dropped out. That was over 6 years ago, and I have made virtually no progress in life since then. No pity party here, I now realize I should have just dealt with it and finished college, but at that time and up until this point I have had no motivation to get my life back on track and do something about my gynecomastia so I can move forward with a happy and productive life.
I’m assuming most people reading this know what gynecomastia is, but for those that don’t know, it isn’t just fat in the chest. It is actual breast tissue, a gland, just like a female’s breasts. The only way to get rid of gynecomastia is through surgery. Unfortunately for me and the thousands of other gynecomastia sufferers, it is only considered cosmetic and treatment will not be covered by insurance. I’m here to tell you, gynecomastia is FAR from being just cosmetic. The physical symptoms of gynecomastia aside from the abnormally large breasts are usually just sensitivity in the breasts and back pain from slouching to try to hide them. The psychological effects however, are what makes it so devistating. I feel socially crippled, having a hard time meeting or making friends. I’m constantly depressed and embarrassed of my body, and have had a very hard time holding down a job because of the constant teasing and staring by coworkers. I almost completely avoid going into the public because it seems there is always that moment when you walk past someone and there is silence followed by snickering after you walk by. It makes me feel like no one shows any respect just because my body is amusing to them. Because of this, I have no self confidence or sense of worth. I feel like I am just wasting my life away waiting for the day I can magically afford surgery. It is expensive, but I finally have the motivation to earn the money and do it. I WILL NOT waste any more of this precious life I have been given! I’m so tired of being teased and hating people. And I don’t just mean the insensitive people, but the good ones as well. I've always been too uncomfortable to open up to anyone to know who is actually good.
Other men who have undergone the surgery report an instant boost in confidence and a new lease on life. This is what I hope to accomplish through this blog. I want to have accountability for my actions and want to meet other people who suffer the same as I do. I want to stay motivated to improve my life through health, wealth, and confidence and motivate others to do the same. I WILL raise the money to have the surgery done, and not only that, I will keep raising money to help other people in my situation to get the surgery as well. Some men accept and even embrace having breasts, but most, like myself, don’t. Anyone in my situation deserves to have the surgery done and have a lifetime of normal living and being able to feel good about themselves, and I want to make it happen for myself and others!
My name is Gyno Guy (alias). I am 25 years old and I have been uncomfortable with my body as long as I can remember. I am married and have two young daughters. I won’t go swimming or take my shirt off in front of anyone, including my wife. I wear at least 2 shirts at any given time to try to hide my gynecomastia. I have taken a huge step putting this out there for the world to see. I have rarely talked about this to anyone, including my wife or parents. I am doing this because I want to finally have a normal life. Fortunately for me, it doesn’t cause any health problems other than major sensitivity when my daughters climb on me to play, although it has caused psychological problems. It took a lot of courage for me to finally open up about this and will take even more for me to be able to post pictures of myself on here, and eventually tell people who I am. Pictures are promised as soon as I get a few followers who will keep me motivated!

[Samael]

Welcome and Hello.
Thank you for telling us your story.

[hammer]

I'm very sorry to hear about the trouble that you and other young men of today go through because of enlarged breast! I to had them as long as I can remember, and by the time I was 25 I was waiting for my 3rd son to be born, had served in the US Navy as a diver for 4 year's and joined the Army Reserves. I didn't go in until I was 20.

Yes, I had some simple in fun teasing, like coming back from the shower, "petty officer ski, please cover your top too we all miss our wife's and you don't help matters any"!

I didn't let it bother me, and it never got out of hand, but even in school, but I couldn't be bullied either!

Now at 57, 5 children, 4 grandkids later and due to health issues and the lose of my testicles, I'm a 46H, but I feel no less a man then I did at 25. Those bumps of extra breast tissue, fat and skin don't change who I am anymore than standing in the woods will make me a bear!

Do whatever you must do, but don't let those "things" control you, you take control!

Good luck
Bob

[expedient-traveller]

It took me a while to get over the worst part of having breasts...my own attitude. No one, including the Hammer, have such massive mountains on our chests that the world stops and points them out. Getting that into our head is perhaps the toughest part of being "chesty".
This helped me: wear a compression sports bra for a while and get used to it. In time go out in public with it on under some shirt and do that for some time to get accustomed to it and others to you. Next, try on a less restrictive bra and do the same routine. You train your own head to become used to wearing a bra/ binder/retainer in public and in time you come to realize that no one is watching you. If you go around without a bra on and are bouncing and jiggling, they will take notice. Besides, having breasts without support WILL hurt. Support yourself and get accustomed to wearing support.

[hammer]

Expedient traveller had some very good advice there on how to get use to wearing support!  I agree, that it would be very helpful!

Bob