A New Beginning

​My Story of Living with Gynecomastia

I hated having gynecomastia. Some men learn to accept this condition, but I never could. The teenage years were the worst. I avoided many pool parties, beach outings, and any other activity that required me to remove my shirt. I couldn’t bear the thought of what other kids might say if they saw what my breasts looked like. The few that did see them would usually ask me what size bra I wore. Pretty embarrassing, especially at that age.

I didn’t realize that what I had was called gynecomastia until a few years ago. I figured that if I exercised more & lost some weight they’d go away. However, after joining a gym and dropping about 60lbs, there was no change in the size & shape of my breasts. I figured I would have this forever and would never be able to do things “shirtless”.

The Realities of Gynecomastia Surgery

Then one day while I was reading through a newspaper I came across an article about this condition called Gynecomastia (enlarged male breasts). The article, written by a plastic surgeon, stated that it can be corrected through cosmetic surgery. Awesome!! I can get rid of this now. But wait, here’s the bad news: the surgery may cost a couple thousand dollars and most likely won’t be covered by my medical insurance. What? Well that really sucks!! Where is a 20-year-old kid supposed to get that type of money while trying to pay for school and bills? My parents certainly didn’t have it. I was starting to lose hope. My self-esteem and confidence was at an all-time low. I even developed an anxiety disorder.

While in school I got a job at a bank and started putting some money away. By age 24, I felt it was time to do the surgery (even though I was well short of the final price). Hey, that’s what loans are for. I figured if I’m ever going to have this corrected, I’m going to do it while I’m still young. Later in life who knows what will be going on. Right now, I’m pretty much a free-spirit.

So I made an appointment with a certified plastic/cosmetic surgeon in my area that a friend recommended. My consultation went great & I set a date for my surgery. I joined the gynecomastia list on Merle’s website and was surprised by how many guys were out there with the same condition. They gave me a lot of support to go through with this!

The Gynecomastia Procedure and Recovery

My surgery took place on April 18th, 2000. The surgery was a success! I was actually sent home a few hours after being in the recovery room. The recovery from surgery was also less painful than I had expected. If fact, I was given a bottle of painkillers but only needed to take 2 or 3. I returned to work a few days later. I had to wear a compression vest (Ugh!) to help keep down some swelling that may occur. All in all, surgery and recovery was a piece of cake!

It’s now coming up on 4 months since the surgery. I feel and look great! My friends (who saw me bare-chested) before, can’t believe the difference! I have no problem taking my shirt off at the beach or pool now. My confidence is restored! What a great feeling it is too!

If you have this condition and it is affecting you emotionally, I say go get it removed. If it doesn’t bother you, then leave it alone know that it was hurting my self-esteem & confidence. I have no regrets (even though I’m a few thousand dollars poorer).

Now, what can I do about these abs? Just kidding!

Thank you for taking the time to read my short story of living with gynecomastia and seeking plastic surgery for male breast reduction. I hope this has given you some hope & inspiration on going through with the surgery. It’s now up to you to make the final decision.

Take Care, -Billy

More stories:

• A Mother’s Surgery Success Story
• A Success Story – Start to Finish
• My Son’s Story
• My Surgery Day
• A Mother’s Story
• My Outcome
• Living with Gynecomastia – Samuel’s Story
• Living Each Day With Gynecomastia
• A Success Story