#dented

pectus excavatum physiology - a drawing from last year inspired by the effect of having a caved in sternum. second pic is a bottom-up view of a 3D model of my ribcage based on a ct scan (rendered by artnerdpex on insta).

reducing my sternum's impact on my heart (and getting to know my heart better) has been my main priority as I've noticed the effect more with age

i think the physical shock of the heart being pressed on leads to some somewhat predictable changes in the shapes and physiology of the body that are easily ignored when the condition is viewed as cosmetic. i think people w severe forms of this condition often exist in states of dissociation where we can't read the information from our hearts (and bodies more broadly) because it's so uncomfortable or pained, and can wind up conceptualised as a primarily mental illness or neurotype thing, and so probably harder to fix. I think existing in a state where the heart is permanently pressed on disrupts the production of healthy biorythms that are crucial to benevolent non-verbal communication between living things.