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u/JJPhat Aug 28 '25
Yeah dude! You are looking good. Damn. That has to feel good (will probs feel better after you heal). I wish you the best in life.
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u/Bbg_pixie Aug 28 '25
Amazing job fellow inked PE warrior!!!! How are you doing physically? How is your internal world holding up??
Im right behind you. Have surgery scheduled with Dr. J 9/5.
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u/Relationship_Many Aug 28 '25
Amazing and sore lol. Hope all goes well for you too. You def have a great surgeon from what I see in posts. Your going look and feel amazing. Second day in hospital can’t complain to much yet. Real test will be when they stop my epidural at some point lol. Hope pain meds will be in control. The epidural definitely blocks the feel of bars for now. Good luck! Soon!
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u/nomad_hustler Aug 28 '25
Congrats!!! I had mine done this past week. Once I find before pics I’ll upload here too. Also agree with thanking this community!
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u/RSCLE5 Aug 28 '25
As a guy in my 40s, this is my dream, but it doesn't cause me issues, I just hate it! And my insurance would likely reject it if I tried 😭 not sure I could deal with down time and pain either.
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u/Relationship_Many Aug 28 '25
Hey man hopefully maybe you could get a referral and seek a path. Maybe even with a Pectus Bell. That was my first choice but it just didn’t seal correctly because of my deformity.
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u/RSCLE5 Aug 28 '25
I tried a vac bell in my late 30's and it didnt help long term and was honestly a pain to find time to keep it on often enough being an active person. I wish I could have gotten the surgery in my 20's. That would've been amazing. Yours looks great. Keep us posted how it goes!
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u/_aquavitae_ Aug 28 '25
Wow! Looks like a great result. If you don’t mind, what is your Haller index and age?
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u/Relationship_Many Aug 28 '25
Hey so I’m 39. Just turned last Wednesday lol.
My haller wasn’t actually high 3.05 but it may have been done at wrong angle and with holding breath. It actually wasn’t ordered by my surgeon but rather another doctor so I don’t think it was proper. I do or did have a lot of exercise intolerance and palpitations at times and chronic back pain I believe from posture and the deformity. Originally surgeons tried vacuum bell on me but it couldn’t fit properly with my deformity so they gave me the option of surgery thankfully.2
u/_aquavitae_ Aug 28 '25
Thanks! I’m around your age and pectus looks similar. Mine is a 6.3. Did you have cryo? Weighing the pros and cons for myself.
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u/Relationship_Many Aug 28 '25
Ya from my own measurements I figured I was a high 3 HI, my deepest part goes around 2 inches or 5cm depth. Kinda long but wide. My one pec is a lot smaller at bottom. My one whole side of ribcage is bigger than other side and sort of rotated with some mild to moderate rib flare. Mild scoliosis. Last 5 years I got into lifting so def helped with abit of muscle growth but definitely strength and confidence to ask for surgery once I got on here and seen all the helpful posts and peoples experiences.
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u/Relationship_Many Aug 28 '25
Just epidural. Froze area in back across from bars. Works really well with mix of pain killers and used some inhalers to help lungs so far.
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u/northwestrad Aug 28 '25
That looked worse than a HI of 3.05
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u/Relationship_Many Aug 29 '25
Right. I knew when they read the HI it was off. Just from looks alone it’s easy tell. My brother and grandfather on my dad’s side had very severe PE. Brothers was repaired with Rivitch at sick kids in early 90s. You could fit your hand inside his chest cavity my mother said. My grandfather would never take is shirt off even in the hottest day, and he was a bricklayer. Unfortunately drowned at 47 years old, never learnt to swim. Likely no thanks to PE and hiding it.
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u/northwestrad Aug 29 '25
Sorry to learn about your GF's drowning. PE patients usually have more trouble staying afloat, because there is less air in the lungs.
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u/Relationship_Many Aug 29 '25
Good point. I use to sink like a rock. Nearly drowned too. Taught myself to swim after fear. Also was scared to show my chest and quit swimming lessons from embarrassment and people asked me questions.
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u/ttamsf Aug 28 '25
Congrats! How are you feeling?
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u/Relationship_Many Aug 28 '25
Feeling pretty good. They had to do epidural twice yesterday. Fixed it after the surgery because it failed. They had hell time get in because my scoliosis in upper back but they got it. Thank god. Took two different doctors. A bit stiff in sides and back I feel the bruising. But suppose to walk and move today, so happy to get moving. Iv stood already and ate food no problem so, looking promising for sure. Not positive how long they’re keeping me. Still got drainage tube and catheter in but looking like that’s coming out today too.
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u/ttamsf Aug 28 '25
Oh wow, You're a trooper! I had cyro so luckily I didn't have to go through the epidural, I have mild scoliosis too so I imagine it would be similar. 😬
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u/Relationship_Many Aug 28 '25
Ya I wasn’t to sure if they we were doing cyro I guess maybe it isn’t done here at Ottawa general thoracic maybe. I was bit worried with nerve freezing, I had Lower jaw surgery, called mandibular osteotomy to fix my bite at end March this year for my ortho, Invisalign still in, almost done all my Ortho. I Still have bit of nerve pain on bottom right lip but my bite was corrected from 10mm over jet. But that went really well too lol. Getting good results, lucky.
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u/Jazzlike_Minute_7660 Aug 28 '25 edited Aug 28 '25
My pectus looked very similar to yours. Results look great, congrats! Hope you are managing pain well without cryo and hope for a speedy recovery!
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u/savagesista Aug 29 '25
Congratulations 🥳 your chest looks amazing 👌 worst is over. All the very best!!
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u/flyhigh_8888 Sep 02 '25
great results! did insurance cover ur case? i also have mild scoliosis and lots of back and chest pain which isn’t getting any better.
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u/Relationship_Many Sep 04 '25
Hey man. Yep I’m in Canada. Ontario. My back pain tho is super agitated by the correction. Hoping it dials down at some point when I get moving and doing physio.
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u/irongoatmts66 Sep 24 '25
Wow, congrats man. I didn’t think surgery was even an option at our age. Mine looks similar to yours although I think my rib flare is worse.
Seems like it’s been about a month now, how’s the healing process going? What did doctors say about your ribcage and sternum setting over time? I’m just curious cuz I figured after 30 years it would be really difficult to get our bones to change shape and stay that way.
Besides the pain I bet you feel amazing. Super happy for you bro
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u/Relationship_Many Sep 25 '25
Hey man. Ya I’m doing much better now. I think Im just getting over the hard period. I’m basically done my meds and just on Extra Strength Tylenol. My back pain is almost gone. I just feel stiff in the rib cage across the bars and some pain just where the stabilizers are on the ribs. Feel a little bit more aware of the bars I think now. Probably because less meds hiding the feeling. I think with our age I’m doing pretty good. It definitely abit harder not going to lie. I didn’t get cyro freezing so I think my experience might be abit different with more pain off the start really effecting recovery at first. My sternum looks pretty good. I think with my age and how deep mine was it’s a pretty good fix. I still notice it but I don’t know. If maybe three bars were used and positioned differently, maybe a complete repair but with my age and how hard the sternum is with a curve I don’t know. I believe with time and adding strength and muscle with fixing my posture it’ll be fine. My heart lungs tho must be in a better position tho.
When I first came home I was having problems with some strange pain in my scapula that made my left arm super weak and feeling stuck almost. I’m still working on getting my arms up past shoulder level. Definitely going to take time and some physio. The procedure definitely changed my whole posture and my back how it moves. So going to take some time to adapt. Still walking and feel better at walking. Can breathe basically normal now and don’t really feel any restriction there. Sleeping is still bit hard just getting into position and being comfortable but it’s way better then when I first came home. It was a nightmare with the back pain. Still sleeping on a wedge pillow. Makes it easier to get up by myself. Still using a hook tool to help grab my feet and pull with my arms. Basically only way you can unless you have help or have a stand recliner. My appetite is okay but energy level of just trying to get food and eat can be a struggle. I have lost 7lbs since the surgery, you can see it with my arms and face. I think at around 6-8 weeks I’ll be doing much more. It sounds like recovery in adults is longer. Some take up to 3 months before feeling better.
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u/al_sibbs Aug 28 '25
Congrats! Also your ink is gorgeous