Truman Customer Story Column
The Part That Exercise Never Showed
"Exercise that never showed, no matter how much I did." That is the phrase written in the review of someone who had surgery in early June.
Gynecomastia is a matter of glandular tissue. Unlike fat, it does not shrink with exercise or weight control. So many people arrive at the clinic having blamed themselves for something that did not change despite long effort. It is not a cosmetic matter; it falls within treatment, with a diagnosis attached.
This person said there were two reasons they had put surgery off. One was the cost, the other was pain and complications after surgery.
About their first visit, they wrote that the consultation was gentle. It is the place where something long left unsaid is first said out loud, so if that place was comfortable, half the distance has been covered.
I speak frankly about pain in consultations. As long as it is surgery, there is an uncomfortable period. This person also wrote that "the pain is an unavoidable part." But how that period is spent depends on the care that follows. In their case, they wrote that post-operative care continued without gaps, so it could be finished without much worry. The course of recovery and the degree of discomfort differ from person to person.
The Scene They Remembered from the Operating RoomWhat this person kept as a memory of the surgery was the greeting and light conversation they heard as soon as they got on the table. They said they "were able to fall asleep with a calm mind."
The first to receive a patient in the operating room are the doctor handling anesthesia and the nursing team. The operating surgeon enters after anesthesia is complete. So the greeting they remember belongs to that time, and I heard about it later. Pre-operative explanations happen in the consulting room; the conversation about results happens after the surgery is over.
What this person wrote for what they wanted to do after surgery was nothing grand. One thin T-shirt, clothes that fit. And now, exercise that shows. That much, they said, would reduce the mental strain.
To those who have carried the same concern for years, this person wrote never to hesitate. That is their experience, and no doubt their feeling. But whether surgery is needed, and whether now is the right time, is something to decide after confirming your own condition through an examination.
In the box asking what they would like from us, they wrote nothing in particular. For us, an empty box there is a good sign.
