Frankie6190
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Whats it like to have the bar in?
I had a question for those of you who have had the nuss procedure. What is it like having the bar in? Do you constantly feel it or does it feel like
its not even there? 
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nightg
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hard to explain so i'll try. It feels like a pressure pushing against your ribs from the inside. and that went away after a couple of months. There
was alot of nerve damage which has come right over a year. everynow and then I might get a sharp stabbing pain but very rarely. I can sort of feel
them there but only when I concentrate on it and if I take a deep breath it stops me from fully expanding. Does that help a little 
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Frankie6190
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lol yea that helped, i was just trying to get an idea of what its like since I am considering getting nussed pretty soon.
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nightg
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Its a life changing experience. When I finally got up out of the hospital bed it felt like my chest weighed a ton.
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Skiddy
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Hi,
It's a strange feeling at times. As mentioned you get tightness with breathing. Coughing and sneezing is very difficult at times.
Pain comes and goes but overall, great to get rid of the p.e and with me, I feel fitter instantly.
Go for it and good luck.
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vanessa_b
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I'm one month post-op. I can feel a bump under each arm where my bars stick out on each side. It feels strange. I can't really feel the bars inside
my chest except for when I try to stand up straight and put my shoulders back--there is a weird feeling of resistance that the bars won't let me stand
up straight all the way. The tightness and shortness of breath mostly went away for me after a week or two but I still feel it if I exert myslf, like
climbing stairs. Some people say they can feel the bars moving a little or clicking but I haven't felt anything like that.
Generally I really can't feel the bars and my surgeon said within time I'll forget they're even there. Good luck! It's totally worth it!
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nrigali
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I can't feel my bars unless I breathe in really deep, and then I can feel a tightness/restriction which keeps me from expanding fully. If I
concentrate on my bars and flex my chest, I can kinda feel them.
Just like Vanessa, I can feel them poking out a little under my arms, and I can feel the stabilizers poking through the skin a little bit too.
I occasionally feel a click or pop when I lift weights, but its not painful and it doesn't seem to be a problem.
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Frankie6190
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awesome, lol yea it definetly seems worth having it done even with the small downfall of the pain it comes with
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edgey
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I've had my bars in for 2 years 9 months. Since around a year after, I have felt very little in the way pain...even occasionally. I do feel a kind
of tightness in my chest. like there is a tight belt around it, but its not painful, just a feeling of tightness. The only time I feel anything like
pain is if I twist my upper body around....but thats the only real restriction I feel.
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nrigali
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You can handle the pain. I was fortunate enough that the pain was almost completely gone in 3-4 weeks. I was unfortunate though, that pain meds did
NOTHING for me. So my pain was BAD, but only for a few weeks. I shall never have to go through it again (hopefully), and the results last a
lifetime.
GET NUSSED!
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IvanR
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Well I'm 3 months post Nuss yesterday  and the only real feeling of the bar
there is a degree of restriction, as mentioned, like a belt around my chest. After this long, I guess I've gotten used to it, I don't even feel it at
all for periods of time when I'm not physically exerting myself.
As for any sort of hinderance, the only thing I haven't been able to do is kick a goddamn ball. I play soccer a lot and if I even push the slightest
bit of power into a shot I get a massive stab of pain where my stabiliser is. The tightening of abdominal muscles as I kick is forcing the metal into
my ribcage, I'm guessing. Hopefully it'll get better.
Apart from that, I can say that at about the 3 month mark (if you're young and have a quick recovery) you should feel pretty normal and painfree
unless you really exert yourself physically.
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BullyBulldog
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skiing with bars in, is that possible? i ski a lot, lots of twisting!
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TylerM
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you tend to forget about it most of the time unless you sneeze or try taking in a deep breathe sometimes of course it hurts but if you just ignore it
next day it will be gone and you can sometimes feel something is in your chest but not very often and only if you do something involving your chest
and i dont know about anyone else but trying to take a deep breathe when you're on your sides can be a little discomfterable
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Randy
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im 26 months post dbl-nuss and I can feel the bars most of the time. Yes there is massive restriction on my breathing. when relaxed there is no
problem. when exercising or any cardio I instantly go into heavy breathing where it seems my body is not getting enough oxygen. I ran today for 7 min
about 3/4 mile, each breath was just a killer fight for me. It hurt and my body was starving for oxygen, yet the breathing pain is not as sever as a
sneeze. The Nuss is one tough trip!! Life changing for sure, beyond words!!
Here is a sneeze tip:
when you sneeze try crossing both arms together on your chest, like you are holding a small pillow against your chest. Then flex your chest pec's,
pull your arms very tight to your chest. Basically tighten your entire upper body........... then do one of those controlled sneezes, you know...one
of those that you dont try to blow the wall down but try to hold it back a little. This will stop much of the sneeze pain. Just try it!
Randy
well, just taking one day at a time and Praying our Great Country "Gets Back On It's Feet"
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nrigali
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Fortunately, my sneezes do not hurt anymore and I have those crazy loud forceful sneezes!
I worked out pretty hard today, and barely felt my bars. Sometimes laying on my side I can feel them a bit.
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lehulei
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In the beginning you feel the restriction and after a while when it stops hurting, you don't really feel the bar just cause you kind of forget that
it's there. I've had mine in for almost 20 months and my left side has been hurting pretty bad this week cause I've been sick and coughing like crazy
but before that I don't think I've even thought about my bar within the last 6 months or so.
BullyBulldog I'm sure you can ski with the bars after a certain amount of time.. probably after the typical sport restriction time. I've snowboarded 6
times with the bar in.. it's definitely not as much twisting as skiing but as far as falling and stuff goes it's never the bar that hurts!
Nussed on 07-16-08
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frustrated
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I feel mine all day every day, and they're quite uncomfortable at times, 16 months in. They constrict my breathing. I think this is due to my PE's
asymmetry.
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Randy
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Quote: Originally posted by frustrated  | | I feel mine all day every day, and they're quite uncomfortable at times, 16 months in. They constrict my breathing. I think this is due to my PE's
asymmetry. |
Yah I hear you!
Where you live age activity fat skinny????? I dont see a lot of post that say what you said, you sound like me.
randy
well, just taking one day at a time and Praying our Great Country "Gets Back On It's Feet"
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frustrated
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| Quote: Originally posted by Randy | | Quote: Originally posted by frustrated | | I feel mine all day every day, and they're quite uncomfortable at times, 16 months in. They constrict my breathing. I think this is due to my PE's
asymmetry. |
Yah I hear you!
Where you live age activity fat skinny????? I dont see a lot of post that say what you said, you sound like me.
randy |
Hey Randy,
Yeah, I think we're in a similar situation. It feels to me like the bar is too short.
I'm 26, from Colorado, but I'm currently in LA. I work out for about an hour, 4 or 5 times a week. I'm overall pretty skinny, but I've got some fat
around my gut. I've been trying to lose that by doing cardio on the exercise bike. I get out of breath very quickly and I get light headed sometimes.
I find myself yawning very often.. I think because I'm not getting full breaths.
Overall, I'm glad that I had Schaar put the 2 bars in. It wasn't a magic bullet though, and now I have problems that I didn't have before. But I would
trade my old chest for my new chest any day. My new chest still looks kinda weird, but in a new way. It can be hard to get motivated to work out
because I know that even if I get into great shape, I'll still have an odd looking chest and probably a pot belly.
Did I read that you're going back to see Schaar soon? Are you getting your bars out, or are you getting a check up from Schaar?
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Randy
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| Quote: Originally posted by frustrated | | Quote: Originally posted by Randy | | Quote: Originally posted by frustrated | | I feel mine all day every day, and they're quite uncomfortable at times, 16 months in. They constrict my breathing. I think this is due to my PE's
asymmetry. |
Yah I hear you!
Where you live age activity fat skinny????? I dont see a lot of post that say what you said, you sound like me.
randy |
Hey Randy,
Yeah, I think we're in a similar situation. It feels to me like the bar is too short.
I'm 26, from Colorado, but I'm currently in LA. I work out for about an hour, 4 or 5 times a week. I'm overall pretty skinny, but I've got some fat
around my gut. I've been trying to lose that by doing cardio on the exercise bike. I get out of breath very quickly and I get light headed sometimes.
I find myself yawning very often.. I think because I'm not getting full breaths.
Overall, I'm glad that I had Schaar put the 2 bars in. It wasn't a magic bullet though, and now I have problems that I didn't have before. But I would
trade my old chest for my new chest any day. My new chest still looks kinda weird, but in a new way. It can be hard to get motivated to work out
because I know that even if I get into great shape, I'll still have an odd looking chest and probably a pot belly.
Did I read that you're going back to see Schaar soon? Are you getting your bars out, or are you getting a check up from Schaar?
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Fustrated
Were are in the same ship. The “Too Tight” ship. My bars hurt me still at 27 months. Yet I usually go about my business doing what I want even when
they kill me. I just don’t care. Any thing I do most likely will not hurt the bars so I do what I want, then enjoy the pain. My pain usually only
hurts when I am doing some action, when I stop, the pain stops. My pain is no longer delayed until the next day or the next few days. When I do pull
ups I feel pain until I jump off, then it will go away. Pull overs hurt, so I do very slow motion pull overs which ease the pain. One arm dumb-bell
rear laterals gives me much massive pain to enjoy, this one really huts. Just keep training very strict form 4 times a week with weights. Train abs
and lower back daily. I would suggest 400 abs a day and 100 lower back each day. A knowledgeable diet will rip the body and dump the pot belly, at the
same time build muscle. This is the goal, lean and muscular. You can do this even with a little bumpy chest. Put on the size and get all pumped up,
the beach is waiting.
I plan on seeing Schaar 12-10 or 1-11, depending on the economy and my cash. He will need to touch me up some. My dent came back a little.
well, just taking one day at a time and Praying our Great Country "Gets Back On It's Feet"
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Pectus Dude
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| Quote: Originally posted by frustrated | It can be hard to get motivated to work out because I know that even if I get into great shape, I'll still have an odd looking chest and probably a
pot belly.
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The only reason you'll have a pot belly is becuase you have too much fat around your waist. That is my belief and what I am telling myself. I want
to try to blame my flared ribs (which are worse now than before surgery) but my trainer says that is just a cop out and that I am simply a fat cow.
Gotta love my trainer!
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nrigali
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| Quote: Originally posted by lehulei | In the beginning you feel the restriction and after a while when it stops hurting, you don't really feel the bar just cause you kind of forget that
it's there. I've had mine in for almost 20 months and my left side has been hurting pretty bad this week cause I've been sick and coughing like crazy
but before that I don't think I've even thought about my bar within the last 6 months or so.
BullyBulldog I'm sure you can ski with the bars after a certain amount of time.. probably after the typical sport restriction time. I've snowboarded 6
times with the bar in.. it's definitely not as much twisting as skiing but as far as falling and stuff goes it's never the bar that hurts!
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where did you snowboard? i see youre in california too...i have never gone but I wanna try something that isn't going to be too rough on me
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frustrated
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| Quote: Originally posted by Pectus Dude | [rquote=63337&tid=7271&author=frustratedIt can be hard to get motivated to work out because I know that even if I get into great shape, I'll
still have an odd looking chest and probably a pot belly.
[/ rquote]
The only reason you'll have a pot belly is becuase you have too much fat around your waist. That is my belief and what I am telling myself. I want
to try to blame my flared ribs (which are worse now than before surgery) but my trainer says that is just a cop out and that I am simply a fat cow.
Gotta love my trainer!
|
That might be true. The fat definitely doesn't help things. My chest is abnormally constricted due to my first failed ravitch when I was 5.. so I'm
going to keep trying to make my belly smaller to be more proportionate with my smaller chest diameter.
Randy.. have you talked to Dr. Schaar about the touch ups? What would you like to have done? New bars? You've got heart to go back after what you went
through the first time.
I'd like to ask Dr. Schaar about putting in a bigger bar. I feel claustrophobic in my own body. I kind of like the pain in the bones after working out
too.. it makes me feel like I may be expanding the chest wall. It's probably just a placebo effect though.
This page has some chest widening exercises that feel good on the ol cartilidges. http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/shenandoah/OBB/Chest.html
When you say 400 abs a day.. what exercises do you mean.. crunches? howbout for the back? and is there any info you can link me to on diet? Thanks
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lehulei
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| Quote: Originally posted by nrigali | | Quote: Originally posted by lehulei | In the beginning you feel the restriction and after a while when it stops hurting, you don't really feel the bar just cause you kind of forget that
it's there. I've had mine in for almost 20 months and my left side has been hurting pretty bad this week cause I've been sick and coughing like crazy
but before that I don't think I've even thought about my bar within the last 6 months or so.
BullyBulldog I'm sure you can ski with the bars after a certain amount of time.. probably after the typical sport restriction time. I've snowboarded 6
times with the bar in.. it's definitely not as much twisting as skiing but as far as falling and stuff goes it's never the bar that hurts!
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where did you snowboard? i see youre in california too...i have never gone but I wanna try something that isn't going to be too rough on me
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I live in the South Bay so I normally go to Big Bear or Mountain High. It's definitely super fun once you get the hang of it and falling mostly hurts
either your butt or your arms so the bar doesn't tend to get in the way.
Nussed on 07-16-08
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nrigali
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| Quote: Originally posted by lehulei | | Quote: Originally posted by nrigali | | Quote: Originally posted by lehulei | In the beginning you feel the restriction and after a while when it stops hurting, you don't really feel the bar just cause you kind of forget that
it's there. I've had mine in for almost 20 months and my left side has been hurting pretty bad this week cause I've been sick and coughing like crazy
but before that I don't think I've even thought about my bar within the last 6 months or so.
BullyBulldog I'm sure you can ski with the bars after a certain amount of time.. probably after the typical sport restriction time. I've snowboarded 6
times with the bar in.. it's definitely not as much twisting as skiing but as far as falling and stuff goes it's never the bar that hurts!
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where did you snowboard? i see youre in california too...i have never gone but I wanna try something that isn't going to be too rough on me
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I live in the South Bay so I normally go to Big Bear or Mountain High. It's definitely super fun once you get the hang of it and falling mostly hurts
either your butt or your arms so the bar doesn't tend to get in the way.
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Oh I work in the South Bay and live up near Pasadena, so those places are close to me! And that's really good to hear about the bar because I know
I'll be falling a lot! lol
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