WHAT'S THE MEANING OF SUFFERING?

[namast]

Hi,

Be patient while i tell my my story.

This is probably the first time i am ever sharing or rather talking anything about my condition with anybody.

I am an African. A Nigerian. My predicament started while I was around 12-13years old immediately after finishing primary school. I remember once waking up in the middle of the night feeling alot of pains in my breast area. I mean lots of pains. My breasts started swelling. From that time on, (13years), i could'nt remove my shirt in public, and since i was in boarding school, i always had to wake up earlier than everybody to take my shower, so that people dont see me.

As a kid, people started noticing it. Wicked prefects would then call me (i will never forgive them), and ask me to remove my shirt in front of them - to my eternal shame!

I could'nt play soccer (love of my life) as a kid, if my side are asked to remove their shirts. I could only escort my kid friends to swim ( i still dont swim), I could not do all the things that boys/men do with their shirts off!

I am not a very tall person, am not too fat either. I just have this things protruding on my chest. I could not throw jest at my friends for fear that they would remind me of my own... the pain was just so much.

That was how I grew. I am now 39 years.

Girlfriends do joke if they could buy me a bra, when i remove my shirt. I always just pretend to smile and change the subject.

I onced approached by boilogy teacher to explain my problem. All he told me was that as a muslim i should accept it as a will of God. I guessed I accepted to live with it. I accepted defeat.

I remember, way back, after graduation from University in 1992, i went to a doctor for help, and I complained to him that people are making jest of me, and if anything could be done about my breast problem. He only looked at it and said, its just fat, and whoever asked me, I should just asked them what their business was? That coming from a Doctor, made me believe that my problem doesn't have a solution. It does'nt have a name. That made me gave up. I only knew of 2 people (old men) that i saw the problem with. If they are old, living with it, who am i to go asking them for solution? I just considered myself unfortunate. I resigned my fate to God.

It was only in February of this year 2007, while I was going through a newspaper that i was one later that someone wrote that he has enlarged breast and wants help from the editor. The editor described the condition as "gynecomastia". In the 39 years of my life,  it was exactly 130days ago that i ever heard a name for  a condition that has afflicted me all my life. How sad? Am sure there's alot of Africans like me.

That was how i quickly ran (practically ran) to an internet cafe to enquire about the word 'gynecomastia". I also looked for solutions immediately. I came across one site that sale pills called 'diet aid of questionable value'. The problem is i did'nt know how to buy things from America. I had to go and crash some of my investments to register for a mastercard, which enable me to purchse the drugs. I received them last week, and have started taking them. Getting the name of the disease(?) and getting me to think that there are drugs out there for it, was probably why I declared 2007 the greatest year of my entire life. I got into this site today, and am happy that there are people who share in my kind of problem.

Honestly, i dont like the condition. I hope one day i will come to America for surgery if this drugs dont work.

The greatest day of my life will be the day i will remove my shirt and sit in my parlour together with my wife and kids.... without the door locked.

Thank God that i could talk to you.



   


 









 

[turningacorner]

Interesting story sir, thankyou for sharing your plight.

You've come through many years of torment to where you are now. It highlights the power of the internet in understanding the way things are in the world, and without the internet you would have probably died still thinking it was god who gave you gynecomastia. I might have died still blaming those around me, such as my parents.

Don't put too much faith in those pills and certainly don't spend more money thinking you need a stronger dose, save that money for surgery so that you can live out the rest of your life without gynecomastia. I can imagine after all this time the relief of losing your gynecomastia will be powerfully immense.

Good luck sir.

[Toffer]

As turning said.  Good luck wityh the pills but if you dont find a difference after taking them I'd seriously consider surgery - I've put up with it for the last six and a half years that I remember, and now 2 days after surgery I don't regret a thing. 

Keep us updated

[namast]

Hey thanks.

Am just happy that people are relating with me.

[namast]

Please keep us updated on the 'diet aid of questionable value', but I have to tell you no one yet has posted a success story with it.

If you are going to travel for surgery, the surgeons in India, Poland and the Philippines seem to be turning out good work for a lot less money than the US doctors.

Hey thanks.

Give me some names of doctors, or email adresses.

[finallygotitdone]

Hi , to me , gyne is the meaning of suffering . you are not alone , ive been through the same as you , and had the same experiences . im 33 and had my surgery 2 days ago and i am happier all ready, even though im a little sore. I also have a family too ,who are very supportive of me . I wish you the best , and you will succeed , be strong and use all of your supports , god bless .

[namast]

Hi,

Do you have your pictures now?