I have what is called
Pectus Excavatum (PE for short). This is sometimes referred to as "funnel chest". The breast bone sinks in and can cause the heart
to be displaced and the lungs to be compressed. It becomes more noticeable as growth spurts occur. It also gives
the appearance of a pot belly. (See my pot belly?!)
I was born with this, although it really wasn't noticeable at first. The pictures of me at birth show a very small
indent on my chest, but no one said anything about it. (Mommy will add those pictures later. She wants to edit
out my "man parts first"! She's so silly!) It wasn't until I was 4 months old that it started to show at all.
There is also 1 person that I am related to that has PE (that I know about anyway), so that could mean it runs in my family.
PE occurs in about 1 out of 300-400 births. So, it's not exactly common, but it's not rare either.
Most doctors think it is just cosmetic, but several people with PE will tell you differently. In some cases, it
really is just cosmetic. Mommy hopes my PE doesn't give me problems later in life. There is a surgery to correct
it, and patients usually report great results in both the look of their chests as well as in their abilty to breathe easier.
The recovery from the surgery can be painful if you don't take your pain medication!
