Does anyone else experience pain/symptoms on just one side of their body? I have several skeletal abnormalities on my right side (scoliosis, a dropped shoulder, Pectus Excavatum, rotated ribcage, uneven hips, shorter leg) and all of my symptoms always seem to be on that side. When I get a cold or cough, it’s always on my right side. I get migraines on my right side. I have joint pain on my right side. I often feel very unbalanced as if I’m falling to the right. No doctor had ever been able to tell me why this happens or why I’m so asymmetrical. It causes me A LOT of anxiety. As I’m getting older I feel like my right side is getting weaker and I will eventually be disabled. One of my biggest fears lately has been that I will need to be in a wheelchair or on an oxygen tank. That I won’t be able to care for myself. It’s gotten to the point where I feel like I can’t even go for a walk because my body is too weak.
Asymmetrical Symptoms
- Thread starter Kari85
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matisworried
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it sounds like a lot of what you're experiencing may be more mental than physical. if you're convinced that you're getting weaker, you're probably going to feel weaker.
i worry a lot about getting older and weaker. i worry about my heart and heart failure. i often THINK about doing things and can "feel it in my body" that there's no way i could do that... or that i could do it but would be really out of breath or have trouble completing the task... then i do them... and everything's fine. if you feel like you can't even go for a walk anymore, maybe MAKE YOURSELF go for a walk. prove yourself wrong.
as for the physical, it stands to reason that if you have some abnormalities (which we all have to some degree) that you may have some deficits on one side. i have back issues prominently on my left side which has caused hip issues on the same side which has caused shoulder, neck and foot issues on the same side. i'm going to PT for it. it won't cripple me, but i need to do my part and take care of myself. you're likely in the same boat.
i worry a lot about getting older and weaker. i worry about my heart and heart failure. i often THINK about doing things and can "feel it in my body" that there's no way i could do that... or that i could do it but would be really out of breath or have trouble completing the task... then i do them... and everything's fine. if you feel like you can't even go for a walk anymore, maybe MAKE YOURSELF go for a walk. prove yourself wrong.
as for the physical, it stands to reason that if you have some abnormalities (which we all have to some degree) that you may have some deficits on one side. i have back issues prominently on my left side which has caused hip issues on the same side which has caused shoulder, neck and foot issues on the same side. i'm going to PT for it. it won't cripple me, but i need to do my part and take care of myself. you're likely in the same boat.
I live just a few blocks from my work and have walked to and from for years but the past couple of months I’ve been feeling like I can’t do it anymore. I used to love to walk and actually found it calming. Now, just the thought of it sparks anxiety.
I was at Mayo Clinic a few weeks ago having a consultation regarding my Pectus Excavatum (a congenital chest wall deformity that causes your chest to cave inward and compress the heart and lungs). I had a chest CT Scan, exercise stress test and a pulmonary function test. The doctor said he didn’t see anything concerning or life threatening and didn’t recommend surgical repair at this time but I just can’t get my mind off of my heart and lungs. My lung capacity is 84% which he said was very good but the Pectus does restrict them from expanding fully and also restricts my heart from being able to pump oxygen as well has someone who has a normal chest wall. Like you, I now constantly worry about heart failure.
I’ve known for a few years now that I need to get into PT to strengthen my right side but my anxiety always stops me. Tells me I can’t do the exercises and am just headed for a wheelchair bound life. I am going to contact my doctor for a referral to hopefully start up in Jan.
I was at Mayo Clinic a few weeks ago having a consultation regarding my Pectus Excavatum (a congenital chest wall deformity that causes your chest to cave inward and compress the heart and lungs). I had a chest CT Scan, exercise stress test and a pulmonary function test. The doctor said he didn’t see anything concerning or life threatening and didn’t recommend surgical repair at this time but I just can’t get my mind off of my heart and lungs. My lung capacity is 84% which he said was very good but the Pectus does restrict them from expanding fully and also restricts my heart from being able to pump oxygen as well has someone who has a normal chest wall. Like you, I now constantly worry about heart failure.
I’ve known for a few years now that I need to get into PT to strengthen my right side but my anxiety always stops me. Tells me I can’t do the exercises and am just headed for a wheelchair bound life. I am going to contact my doctor for a referral to hopefully start up in Jan.
matisworried
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sounds like you received a pretty thorough exam (at one of the best hospitals in the country) which indicates that what you're experiencing might be more of a mental block than a decline in your actual physical ability. if your mind is convinced your body isn't capable, your body's going to start believing that.
also regarding physical symptoms... anxiety can cause pretty crazy shortness of breath. it can also cause your muscles to become tense which can make being physical more difficult (not to mention cause pain!) heck... anxiety can straight up zap your energy. speaking for myself, if i'm EXTREMELY anxious, sometimes i feel like i've been drugged to the point where i can barely keep my eyes open. this probably plays a significant role in how you've been feeling.
has your doctor told you you're going to end up wheelchair-bound? if the answer is no, what the heck are you doing thinking that? i mean... besides to cause yourself unnecessary worry and anxiety?
(worrying is worthless, btw. it will change nothing. regardless of what is or is not wrong with you, worrying about it won't impact the outcome so there is zero reason to do it. you have nothing to worry about until a doctor tells you that you do and that is probably NOT happening any time soon!)
also regarding physical symptoms... anxiety can cause pretty crazy shortness of breath. it can also cause your muscles to become tense which can make being physical more difficult (not to mention cause pain!) heck... anxiety can straight up zap your energy. speaking for myself, if i'm EXTREMELY anxious, sometimes i feel like i've been drugged to the point where i can barely keep my eyes open. this probably plays a significant role in how you've been feeling.
has your doctor told you you're going to end up wheelchair-bound? if the answer is no, what the heck are you doing thinking that? i mean... besides to cause yourself unnecessary worry and anxiety?
(worrying is worthless, btw. it will change nothing. regardless of what is or is not wrong with you, worrying about it won't impact the outcome so there is zero reason to do it. you have nothing to worry about until a doctor tells you that you do and that is probably NOT happening any time soon!)
My anxiety has been focused on 2 things this year. MS and being disabled due to heart or lung failure. I’ve even talked to my boyfriend about what we would do if I needed to be in a wheelchair! I just can’t wait to get back into therapy and hopefully getting my brain and body functioning right again.
Worrying is so worthless. I think about MS and how much I don’t want it, as if that’s going to prevent it. Ridiculous!!
Worrying is so worthless. I think about MS and how much I don’t want it, as if that’s going to prevent it. Ridiculous!!
matisworried
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i knew nothing about MS until two years ago when they found an abnormality on an mri i had gotten looking for the cause of some hearing issues i was having. that lead to neuro referrals and a year of crazy research (and worry) while i waited for my follow-up scan (which confirmed I DIDN'T have MS.)
nothing you're describing sounds like MS. you're good! other than anxiety! definitely no need to be discussing the cares your boyfriend would need to provide if you had the disease you don't have.
