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By Ruth Purnell
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
“It’s finally out,” said Alex Purnell about the bar that doctors planted in his chest nearly two years ago. Purnell, 19, was diagnosed with Pectus Excavatum a little over three , years ago and since then has undergone surgery to correct it.
As a child it was clear that Alex’s chest was a “little different,” as there was always a large dent in it. He was even able to hold water in the crevice if he lay down. “It was always hard to breath when I ran around or played sports,” said Purnell, who even fainted once while at a summer basketball camp when he over exerted himself while playing.
Pectus Excavatum is a depression of the sternum and anterior chest. The connective tissue disorder pushes the heart over to the left, reducing lung capacity and causing severe chest pain when heavy breathing is required.
Curious as to why he was experiencing great pain whenever he exercised, Purnell sought an answer to the problem. Researching online by himself he finally came up with his answer and suspected he had Pectus Excavatum. An interview with a cardiologist confirmed Purnell’s self diagnosis. “I felt like I wanted to get this fixed and I was
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