I had pectus excavatum from a very young age. In my case, this was caused by Marfan Syndrome, a connective tissue deformity which gives me issues with my back, joints, heart and eyes. As I grew and hit puberty, my chest sunk in further and further. By the age of 16, I had a few physical symptoms, but having a pectus deformity had a profound effect on me psychologically. My self-esteem was cripplingly low and I had no confidence. This massively affected my mental health, leading me to feel anxious and depressed. 

At age 16, everything changed and the problem got so much bigger. Every so often, I would feel my chest collapsing in. The pain in my sternum was immense and my breathing would become very strained, whilst my lungs adjusted to having less space to function. To begin with this was happening every 6 months or so, but by the time I was 22 this was happening every other month. Each time these episodes of collapse would happen I was in more pain, it was even harder to breathe, and my dip was deeper. 

Day to day, the effect this was having on my health was huge. Walking any distance, or even climbing the stairs too quickly would cause me to become completely breathless to the point where I experienced tachycardia. I had issues swallowing, overwhelming pain in my chest, and I felt completely hopeless. I struggled to attend my lectures as the 10-minute walk was on an incline; I couldn’t make the journey to the supermarket two streets away; I had tried and failed to hold down a part time job as my symptoms were too overwhelming. At 22, I was struggling just to care for my basic needs, let alone study for my Masters degree. I knew that once I’d finished university I wasn’t going to be able to work and that I’d have to move back home to be taken care of by my parents.

It was at this point that I contacted Joel Dunning. Unlike other cardiothoracic surgeons I’d seen over the years, Joel listened to my worries and understood that my pectus deformity was making my life unliveable. Pre-surgery scans showed that my heart was pressed into the shape of a banana, whilst my lung function was around 60%. 

I had the NUSS procedure in October 2018 at James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough. At the time of my surgery, my Haller index was 11.5 and my sternum was 1.7cm from touching my spine (usually over 20cm in a person without pectus deformity). After surgery, I had 3 titanium bars in my chest and felt relieved to know that it couldn’t collapse any further. 

Recovery was a long process. I suffered some complications post-surgery which saw me travelling back and forth to James Cook a number of times in the first few weeks. As I already suffered very profoundly with chronic pain, I found the recovery period very frustrating and difficult, but took the opportunity to rehabilitate myself and build up my general health. After 3 months, I was driving again and started swimming and taking longer walks. By 8 months, I was declared fit to work and started a part time job. It took some time building up my fitness and recovering from my chronic pain, but eventually I was able to work full-time. 

Having surgery to correct my pectus excavatum has allowed me to live a life that wasn’t possible before. Now, I can live independently, pursue my career goals, and maintain relationships with my friends and those important to me. None of this was possible before I had surgery. When the NHS decommissioned surgery for pectus patients (not 12 months after I’d had the NUSS procedure), I was gobsmacked to hear that the NHS believed there was no physical benefit to treatment. My family and I knew that having surgery not only changed my life, but probably also saved it.  

In February 2023, I became involved in forming Pectus Matters. Having lived with a pectus deformity that affected me so profoundly, both physical and mentally, I feel so saddened for patients and their families that they are having to fight so hard for treatment. It’s for these reasons and so many more, that I have dedicated my time to making Pectus Matters happen.