They Said Those Words Made the Fear Disappear

What this person remembered about the clinic was three things. The clean space, the staff who handled the consultation, and the nursing team.

People who come in for gynecomastia have usually spent a long time worrying alone before arriving. So the first few minutes matter. It is not rare for someone's mind to settle before the consultation has even begun.

The moment this person remembered most vividly was just before entering the operating room. They were told not to worry, that it would go well and be over quickly. "Those words made the fear disappear."

The time we spend talking with patients is in the consulting room and in the preparation stage right before surgery. Because the operating surgeon enters after anesthesia is complete, I explain how things went during recovery, once the surgery is over. The words this person remembers came from that pre-operative moment.

For what they wanted to do after surgery, this person wrote two things. "I want to wear all the clothes I've wanted to wear, and go out — a pool or anywhere."

Things put off every summer. The experience of the places you can go narrowing because of what is under your shirt is something patients who have this surgery describe in common.

To others facing the same concern, this person wrote that rather than keep worrying alone, come in and have a consultation. A consultation is not surgery. It is a place to confirm whether your condition is at a level that calls for surgery, and there are people who hear that it is not and go home.

In the last box, they left a note that they had worried a great deal before surgery and were grateful for the care. Given how much they worried, I hope they are at ease for a long time.