Dr. J called this morning, which was good. She considers my defect severe, and does think that by doing the Nuss, she can free up my heart. She also said that it's obvious looking at the clinical picture that I've been active and in good health for a long time, and I'm compensating well. And that I will likely only get worse without correction. She says the calcification in my cartilage isn't too bad, but she is concerned about the right-side cartilage. It is possible one or two will break. If so, she'll make another incision and put a metal band-aid on it (essentially).
Asked her about the chronic cough, and she says she doesn't typically have patients that describe that symptom. And that even given my CT scan, my PFT numbers don't look where they should be. Well. Shit. Asked if it warranted repeat PFTs postop, and she said it would take a year postop for the numbers to look better...my symptoms (shortness of breath, exercise intolerance, arrhythmias) would be better before the PFT shows it. (No, I don't want to think about this today.)
She recommended I get a brace prior and start using it...and apparently there's another brace postop for the rib flare. Stretching exercises, back strengthening but no pectoral work.
So. I told her let's do it. Four months plus a week now.
My folks were here all weekend, so I've gone through this quite a lot this weekend. And I took my last exam after Mom and Dad left. They are not having an easy time of this. Mark and Chase appreciate dark humor; Mom and Dad....not so much.
I'm wiped out. But that's the news. I got to talk to her today.
She says that I'll be running by this time next year.
p.s. Dad said today, "You know, your paintings have always been about bones." I nodded, "and all of them have ribs, and most have sternums, and several have squashy hearts." "Kinda funny, huh." Yeah. Kinda funny.
Asked her about the chronic cough, and she says she doesn't typically have patients that describe that symptom. And that even given my CT scan, my PFT numbers don't look where they should be. Well. Shit. Asked if it warranted repeat PFTs postop, and she said it would take a year postop for the numbers to look better...my symptoms (shortness of breath, exercise intolerance, arrhythmias) would be better before the PFT shows it. (No, I don't want to think about this today.)
She recommended I get a brace prior and start using it...and apparently there's another brace postop for the rib flare. Stretching exercises, back strengthening but no pectoral work.
So. I told her let's do it. Four months plus a week now.
My folks were here all weekend, so I've gone through this quite a lot this weekend. And I took my last exam after Mom and Dad left. They are not having an easy time of this. Mark and Chase appreciate dark humor; Mom and Dad....not so much.
I'm wiped out. But that's the news. I got to talk to her today.
She says that I'll be running by this time next year.
p.s. Dad said today, "You know, your paintings have always been about bones." I nodded, "and all of them have ribs, and most have sternums, and several have squashy hearts." "Kinda funny, huh." Yeah. Kinda funny.
