Oh wow, I'm not dying? It's just costochondritis!
I have been suffering from pain on my left side rib cage, the lower part, more underneath the bottom of the rib cage, but the pain definitely radiates across the front left ribcage and across the back. I would describe it as sharp, stabbing, aching. The area feels tender to the touch. I feel better when I'm up and walking around, but I can't be on my feet 24/7 obviously. It's the seated slouching position where I feel the pain and in some twisted positions in exercise when I can feel the discomfort. I was sure for the longest time there was something very wrong with me and I was dying. I was crying several nights, googling how much the hospital is, yada yada. The pain was mild in 2021, I thought my bra was just too tight, it didn't really bother me. (I'm a woman, now 45) I started seeing a new doctor in 2025 and the pain hasn't improved, honestly, it feels worse. So I tried to make it a priority to deal with it. We have looked at everything, I have a CT scan this Thursday but honestly, I am optimistic it won't show anything. Just based off everything I'm reading, being told, muscular skeletal pain (the umbrella term) was a broad term that seemed like it might apply. I have now been told about costochondritis. Do I sound like I might be one of you? Even today it hit me how my wire bras are so painful and make the pain on my ribcage flare up. (Yes, I have a large chest) Reading some tips like, treat it like a scab, when it gets flared it, let it heal. Is helpful....but the hard part is that it really feels like I deal with it all the time. It makes exercise difficult, some activities harder, some clothes are less fun to wear. It really sucks <3 But yeah, hopefully figuring out whats wrong, is a step is a right direction.