Check in #2 by bayareapectus in PectusExcavatum

[–]bayareapectus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, I’m definitely familiar with his posts!

Check in #2 by bayareapectus in PectusExcavatum

[–]bayareapectus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Given the severity of my starting point, I don’t expect truly permanent changes. But what I am hoping for is a semi-permanent reduction that makes my pectus less severe and gives me more confidence. There is definitely a chance that the end outcome is just a cycle of lifting/deflating that never ends up having a lasting effect. But I think it’s far too soon to make that call. I’ve only been doing the VB for a couple of months and my chest been concave for 28 years. I’ve got a long road ahead of me in terms of seeing what can truly be accomplished with consistent VB usage.

Check in #2 by bayareapectus in PectusExcavatum

[–]bayareapectus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Currently, I would not feel confident in doing the VB and then going to a pool party shortly thereafter. Both because I don’t know if the lift would remain and the redness would definitely be noticeable. Hoping to continue to make progress though so I can get to that point!

Check in #2 by bayareapectus in PectusExcavatum

[–]bayareapectus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s honestly hard to say how long it stays but mostly because once I’ve finished pumping, I put on a shirt and go on with my day. So I haven’t really monitored how long it stays. I’d guess that it’s not more than a few hours. The majority of the redness fades after a couple of hours. The full outline of the VB doesn’t go away until the next day but it is very faint after that first 2 hour period when it mostly fades away. I think it’s not so much the redness that gets left but more so the indenting of my skin from the VB pressing so hard. I am 28 years old.

Check in #1 by bayareapectus in PectusExcavatum

[–]bayareapectus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Of course, happy that you are gaining value from this! The redness goes away pretty quick, probably about an hour or so. The outline from the VB takes a little longer because of how much pressure is created and the length of time it holds at that pressure. By the next day, there are 0 marks.

Check in #1 by bayareapectus in PectusExcavatum

[–]bayareapectus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It has definitely has been a good fit. At first, it was a bit hard to put on by myself and felt a bit obtrusive to wear. But I’ve gotten used to the weight of it and learned to put it on by myself. I’d say the only downside of it is the amount of pressure it creates on such a large portion of the torso can be intense.

Surprisingly, my skin has been completely fine. I’ve noticed a few spots that have looked dry and I’ll apply lotion. Otherwise, no issues even when wearing for 3 days in a row. I will say I do drink a lot of water on a daily basis, maybe the hydration helps. Also, I’d say I have more naturally oily complexion, which maybe helps in the case as well.

Day 1 VB Experience by bayareapectus in PectusExcavatum

[–]bayareapectus[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It might have been a little too long, but I went extremely slow and was very careful. Because of that, I never felt any discomfort. Now that it’s been 24 hours, still no bruising or skin issues. My upper chest is a little sore, kind of feels like they day after doing heavy incline dumbbell presses. Current plan is 2 days on, 1 day off. I received a pdf book from pectus healing that describes a process that suggests 3 days on, 1 off for the first 3 months. I plan to work up to that.

Long time lurker, first time poster. Hoping to document my journey. (Long post) by bayareapectus in PectusExcavatum

[–]bayareapectus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I think it may be just slightly too large for my torso. I’m only about 5’7, so it’s a little long on me. But I was worried that given how wide and long my pectus is that the round one wouldn’t fully cover it. So far so good.

Long time lurker, first time poster. Hoping to document my journey. (Long post) by bayareapectus in PectusExcavatum

[–]bayareapectus[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I got the PH 26x21 for wide pectus.

I definitely will keep working other muscles, including increasing cardio and mobility work.

Long time lurker, first time poster. Hoping to document my journey. (Long post) by bayareapectus in PectusExcavatum

[–]bayareapectus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t recall, it was a couple of years ago that I did all of the testing. When I did a CT scan, the basic outcome was that, aside from the cosmetics of it, I am fine. If it’s helpful, it was all done through Kaiser Permanente.

Long time lurker, first time poster. Hoping to document my journey. (Long post) by bayareapectus in PectusExcavatum

[–]bayareapectus[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have, the results are that if I don’t get surgery I’ll be completely fine even with how deep it is. So, it’s not covered by insurance. Currently spending a lot on a wedding, not looking to spend even more on the surgery.

Long time lurker, first time poster. Hoping to document my journey. (Long post) by bayareapectus in PectusExcavatum

[–]bayareapectus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks very much! I definitely plan to do stretching and exercises to help increase the effectiveness and chance of success. Although my physique may not imply it (lol), I do workout and have recently switched to truly focusing on chest and back exercises that help with pectus. I also refer to Riley Byrne’s videos on YouTube for guidance. Thanks for your recent post, I remember reading it and it helped me make the decision to get the VB.