Pectus Carinatum can have a sever impact on the physilogic effect of many children, including myself when I was a child. For people like me, being a self conscious person, the impact of having Pectus Carinatum was life changing. In my case it has made me a better person in personality and physical shape.
As a child the thought of having to take off my shirt in public was dreaded beyond explanation. Pool parties gave me anxiety and people poking at my chest and asking question was more than embarrassing. Covering my Pectus Carinatum became an obsession from early in my childhood and my first thought was surgical correction.
Pectus Carinatum Surgery
There were a few doctors in the country that treated Pectus Carinatum. When I saw a doctor in Atlanta Georgia I learned that my condition was considered purely a cosmetic problem and insurance would not cover it. Surgery was no longer an option. In pure frustration and desperation I turned to the internet to find other people who had fixed their Pectus Carinatum without surgery. Being the mid/late 1990’s the internet was not a valuable source for information on Pectus Carinatum. I had heard that some people covered their Pectus Carinatum by lifting weights. This was the start of a new lifestyle when I enrolled in a weight training class in 10th grade.
Bodybuilding for Pectus Carinatum
From 10th grade in high school until now, and the foreseeable future, I have been what you call a “gym rat”. My obsession to cover my Pectus Carinatum has kept me in the gym consistently for the past 12 years. I have developed an addictive habit that many people dream of having, to work out and be in shape. My childhood nightmare has turned me into a fitness/bodysculpting fanatic. My life has changed for the better because of my so called weakness.
As a child I was stared at, poked, and sometimes made fun of by other kids about my chest deformity. Now, as an adult people ask me for workout advice, they ask me what my motivation is, they ask me to be their personal trainer. My life has been sculpted, metaphorically and literally by my weakness. If I had one piece of advice to other people with ANY cosmetic deformity it would be to let it strengthen you, not destroy you. Your weaknesses can become your strengths, but you have to make a decision if that is going to happen.
I have recently found this page and it’s really inspirating. I’ve dealt with pectus carinatum my whole life and it has affected me a lot, by conditioning everything I do. Even buying new clothes is a problem to me, and let’s not talk about taking my shirt off in front of other people. But now I can see that I shouldn’t be this way, and your story has encouraged me to do something about this situation. I’m aware that i won’t be easy, but I’ll give it a huge try. Thak you very much!
Sorry for any mistakes, english is not my mother tongue, as you can probably tell 😛
I have worked out a lot to cover my Pectus Carinatum. It has become more of a lifestyle for me. That type of lifestyle is not for everyone. You will have to decide now if you want to make the commitment and spend the hours in the gym. Most people cannot motivate themselves to workout a lot but for me I have always been self conscious about my chest. That was my motivation
Its same for me.
Every word in this aricles is like writen by me.
PC is best motivation i ever have to go to gym, rarely miss a work out.
And in every workout i train to max, i like it i love it:D
70kg skinni tall guy to 95kg big dude:D now 87kg to get better definision.
Anyway thumbs up for PC nad PE dudes/womans.
Good site btw:)
Sry for bad english:)
Amen, I totally agree with everything you said! As a girl, PC was totally crippling for me in middle and high school. Then in college, I all but fainted in the doctor’s office when I looked into having corrective surgery. I guess as a girl there are other options to mask this 😉 but that’s not for me. I believe that it has made me a more caring and compassionate individual. I’ve always been really in shape and competitive athletically, but I think I needed to accept my body before I really changed it. I’m not afraid of the weight room and I’m hitting it hard now. 🙂 Good stuff!
Love to hear this stuff! Keep it up!
Guys im 16 and I suffer from pc ! I can relate to everything you say especially in relation to self confidence,, I use any excuse I can to avoid removing my shirt in public and in the dressing room with the lads is also a nightmare. Fortunately I am willing to take action now ! What can I do to remove this lump from my chest ? I am not willing to do workouts but I am considering surgery ? Help me please !!!
Hey man good luck with surgery. Please let us all know how it goes we would all love to hear your experience!
And please anyone else who reads this and has some insights we want to hear from you too!
Hey, I have Upper Pectus Carinatum since my birth. i’ve just started working out. i am 19 years old. i wanted to ask if u only did ur chest excercises or or entire body workout?.and how much time did it take to reduce ur UPC? please reply or mail me ! you would be helping me !
Hey, I started lifting weights when I was 17 years old. I am now 28 years old. I make sure that I am running, lifting and working ALL my muscle groups. I focused a lot on my chest and abs but I always made sure to work out other parts of my body too.