Hey,

I am happy to go into more detail about my experiences if you want, but I just wanted to say that I had my 1st rib removed on the left side in December of 2012 and on the right side in August of 2014, and I have no troubling, lingering side effects.

I am able to do CrossFit workouts and Olympic Lifting 5-6 days a week, and I was not active at all - like ZERO active points - before my first surgery in 2012, so it's not strictly a result of my fitness level pre-surgery. The actual surgery is tough for a little bit, but after my second one, I was walking 2+ miles a day (VERY SLOWLY) while I was still in the hospital - the nurses kept laughing at me dragging my IV pole back and forth in the halls. I was back at CrossFit (lifting amazingly light weights) by 6 weeks or so, and now, six months later, I can do pull-ups and push-ups and lift more weight than I ever had before surgery.

I certainly understand that some people have far less positive experiences than I have had, but I can remember feeling really overwhelmed and stressed because everything I read online seemed so negative. I hope it brings you some comfort to know that not every experience is bad - I am super happy I had it done. I even have some neat scars to show off now.

Elizabeth, 29, Texas
(Left 1st rib resection, December 2012 - age 27; Right 1st rib resection August 2014, age 29)