Coming to terms with my body

I don't have "man boobs" or "moobs"--I have full-on breasts. If I wore a bra it would be a 42D. I've had them for as long as I can remember, but they've gotten bigger as I've aged. The medical term is "gynecomastia" and it happens in early puberty, when a boy's estrogen kicks in before his testosterone. My mother told me I was slim until I turned 9 and suddenly became chubby. Obese guys have "moobs" but they go away when a guy loses weight. I am overweight but not obese, and my breasts were actually larger after I lost 36 lbs. When I was a teenager my breasts were a constant source of shame and embarrassment. I went to great lengths to hide them. I was often mocked by other boys. I suffered from depression and nightmares. When I turned 22 I said to myself, "I'm going to hold my head up high and stop thinking negatively." I gained self-confidence and stopped thinking about my breasts so much. The years brought academic achievement and career success . . . but I still couldn't look at myself naked in the mirror. I never considered breast reduction surgery. It's expensive, painful and disfiguring. I've seen the "before" and "after" photos. I would much rather have boobs than scars. Then recently I said to myself, "Hey--my breasts are not lifeless dead weights hanging off my chest. They're a part of me, part of my identity. I'm going to accept them for what they are, and maybe try to make them a bit bigger." Now I often look at myself naked in the mirror and I'm posting this little story in hopes that it will help others with similar problems.

Seen the before & after pictures FROM WHERE, Darryl? And what about cases that qualify for NHS referral and funding? http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/cosmetic-treatments-guide/Pages/breast-reduction-male.aspx Did it ever occur to you that some woman who was whatever degree of Bi but predominantly straight might think you were the "whole package"/best of both worlds and that all her Xmases had come early? Or one that felt you having moobs were a small price to considering all your other (to her) amazing qualities and physical attributes? Frankly, the truth is, someone just needs to fall in love with you (whether sexually-romantically, or platonically i.e. best friend) and then you could even have skin that was purple with green spots, and yet bet your a*se she'd find that (and sell it on to others) as some endearing bonus rather than fault. In other words, she'd do what you've done, but pretty instantly. Don't get me wrong, if you've mastered your feelings and attitude about it, that's an excellent and mightily impressive achievement! (Y) But that doesn't mean other people have the same mental strength as you to be a "make it to make it" rather than "fake it to make it" merchant. They might prefer scars (particularly as they can fade). That's all I want to point out. But, yes, thank-*you* for illustrating how 'surgery' can be done externally/physically *for* you by a 'stranger' or by oneself, the original expert, as the psychological (thus truly conquering and far more expansively self-improving) version, and therefore isn't the only fruit. :-)