When our daughter was five years old, my sister-in-law noticed that there was a dip in her chest. I didn’t think much of it and wrote it off as my daughter being overly thin. At her next check-up, our pediatrician diagnosed her with a condition called “Pectus Excavatum.” Since that time, she has been followed by a pediatric surgeon and we have expected her to have surgery when she was around twelve.
This is a CT scan of a typical chest that I found online:
This is my daughter’s CT scan:
She has what’s called a “Haller Index” (which refers to the proportion of width vs. depth of her chest) of 3.58. A typical person’s Haller Index is 2.5, and anything over 3.25 is considered “severe” and a candidate for surgery. Notice that the heart is squished and moved out of position and how narrow it is from her backbone to her sternum.
And, here it is. This Thursday. July 7, 2016. 7.7. She will have a surgical procedure called a “Nuss Procedure” to insert a metal bar into her chest. The bar will remain in place for approximately 3 years and then be removed.
Please join me in praying for God’s blessings of healing and incredible peace for Noelle and our whole family, as well as wisdom and insight for the doctor and the medical staff. May God be glorified in all we say and do.
Teach What is Good 
We prayed for Noelle and the doctors this morning. As well, we have you all in our prayers. We will continue to keep you in our prayers throughout today and her recovery. Another great verse to remember is:
Be strong and courageous for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
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