My latest thing: strange sensation under right rib

[TX85]

I try to avoid asking about every new bodily concern that arises for me, but this one has me pretty scared for some reason. I think it's because I'm worried that if I did need urgent medical care, I'd have difficulty securing it because of the pandemic. It hasn't hit Texas all that hard yet as of March 28, but the operative word is yet because Texans are carrying on like nothing's coming. So that's going to turn out really well. Oh boy.

Anyway...

I feel like there's something under my ribcage, on the right (my right). It's just a sensation I'm receiving somewhat at random when I sit, stand, or lie down. Today, I noticed it immediately after eating lunch. Right now, I'm noticing it as I sit up straight and breathe in. Like there's.. just something there that normally isn't. It doesn't seem to be painful (though there have been occasional little twinges), and I can't feel anything if I prod it with my hand. Unfortunately, I gave in to temptation and googled my symptoms and started to find things about liver problems. I didn't dig too deeply because I knew I'd just freak myself out even worse.

I'm 100% open to it being gas or even some stool that isn't moving along as it should, but it's been about 3 days now and it keeps coming back in its random way. My digestion seems to be working, though I am slowly losing weight and have been for many months (I take proton pump inhibitors for my GERD and am aware that these can cause weight loss). Not eating out anymore because of the pandemic probably isn't helping -- my caloric intake has certainly plummeted.

By now, I'm sure you know where this is going: I'm concerned there's a cancer-type situation somewhere along my digestive tract, like my liver perhaps, given the positioning. I am a cancer survivor, so this can initiate spiraling. I'm trying very hard to hold it at bay, but it's getting more difficult with each day that this persists.

Has anyone else grappled with a similar sensation and/or concern? Thanks for reading.

 

[bin_tenn]

Yep, I've had exactly this sensation before. I honestly don't have a definitive answer, but I do believe it's probably gas, or even possibly a muscular issue. Mine has sometimes lasted for days, and other times only an hour or two. It can occur whether I'm sitting or standing, whether I've eaten recently or not, and so on. But yeah, it feels like there's a "thing" behind my ribs, also on the right side.

 

[amanduh]

Yes this has happened to me too! When I stopped thinking about it so much it did go away.

 

[TX85]

Thank you both -- that does help. I'm going to try to stay the course and not have a freakout about it for now, since there doesn't seem to be any pain or irregular stool. I'll report back on the resolution (whether it just goes away like everything else, or if something comes to a head) so that anyone who finds this thread in the future can maybe get some peace from it. And thanks again!

 

[Aries]

Pulled muscle? I had a pulled rib cage muscle that lasted for months. Right now I think I've got a groin pull that has lasted for months. I went to the doc when it moved up to my stomach and I got a $4000 cat SCAN. Then I figured out that the stomach pain was because I was taking fish oil pills that have acrylic in them - I am allergic to acrylic. I never thought they would put that in fish pills!

 

[TX85]

I hope it's a pulled muscle! I seem to be able to "activate" it when I lie on the floor and do certain stretches, so it's entirely possible. It may also be my nerves registering my ribcage differently now that I've lost a little weight (I actually want to gain weight, so this is frustrating). Or it could, as I always assume, be something horrible related to my guts that will land me in the hospital. Who knows with this stuff? Ugh.

 

[Aries]

What kind of cancer did you have?

 

[TX85]

When I was a kid (younger than 10), I had rhabdomyosarcoma. It took a testicle and some abdominal lymph nodes. I was treated with surgeries, chemo, and radiation, and am very, very thankful for every day of life that I get to live -- even the hard ones. That said, I'm afraid everything is cancer and always catastrophize whenever I feel any sort of novel sensation or experience an unexpected bodily operation. For example, whatever's wrong with me right now? Yeah, it's cancer. Because of course it is...

 

[TX85]

A quick update... because hey, why not?

The sensation seems to have changed slightly. The best description I can give is that I feel like my colon is bloated all up and down my right side. This is arguably worse than the original sensation of something just feeling weird or extra under my ribs on the right because the affected area seems larger. Am I imagining it? I have no idea.

If it's an actual problem, I don't think it's liver-related because I'm not jaundiced. I don't think it's pancreatitis because I'm not vomiting, feverish, etc. I mean, it COULD be a mild/chronic pancreatitis because of the weight loss and the tiny twinges of pain I get sometimes (I actually think that might be my abs when I hunch over, oops?)... but... hm. And my stools seem fine so far.

I have also been losing weight. It's all within a 5 lbs range, but still. Is anyone else having weight fluctuations right now? I suspect it's because I'm not able to eat out anymore because of the pandemic, but of course I also worry that it's another symptom of whatever else is (okay, okay, could be) going on with me. I have been trying to stuff down calories to compensate...

As always, thanks for reading. I appreciate this community so much!

 

[bin_tenn]

A quick update... because hey, why not?

The sensation seems to have changed slightly. The best description I can give is that I feel like my colon is bloated all up and down my right side. This is arguably worse than the original sensation of something just feeling weird or extra under my ribs on the right because the affected area seems larger. Am I imagining it? I have no idea.

If it's an actual problem, I don't think it's liver-related because I'm not jaundiced. I don't think it's pancreatitis because I'm not vomiting, feverish, etc. I mean, it COULD be a mild/chronic pancreatitis because of the weight loss and the tiny twinges of pain I get sometimes (I actually think that might be my abs when I hunch over, oops?)... but... hm. And my stools seem fine so far.

I have also been losing weight. It's all within a 5 lbs range, but still. Is anyone else having weight fluctuations right now? I suspect it's because I'm not able to eat out anymore because of the pandemic, but of course I also worry that it's another symptom of whatever else is (okay, okay, could be) going on with me. I have been trying to stuff down calories to compensate...

As always, thanks for reading. I appreciate this community so much!

I don't know if you're imagining it or not. Perhaps you are. On the other hand, perhaps you're feeling a very normal sensation, but you perceive it as being worse, because anxiety is really good at that.

Weight fluctuates regularly for pretty much everyone. It's more pronounced in some people. Generally, fluctuations of 5lbs or even a little more are entirely expected/normal. If you normally eat out frequently, that is likely a contributing factor since you can't right now. Even so, it's normal. I can weigh my usual 165ish pounds one time, and an hour or two later weigh 170 or 160.

 

[Aries]

A quick update... because hey, why not?

The sensation seems to have changed slightly. The best description I can give is that I feel like my colon is bloated all up and down my right side. This is arguably worse than the original sensation of something just feeling weird or extra under my ribs on the right because the affected area seems larger. Am I imagining it? I have no idea.

If it's an actual problem, I don't think it's liver-related because I'm not jaundiced. I don't think it's pancreatitis because I'm not vomiting, feverish, etc. I mean, it COULD be a mild/chronic pancreatitis because of the weight loss and the tiny twinges of pain I get sometimes (I actually think that might be my abs when I hunch over, oops?)... but... hm. And my stools seem fine so far.

I have also been losing weight. It's all within a 5 lbs range, but still. Is anyone else having weight fluctuations right now? I suspect it's because I'm not able to eat out anymore because of the pandemic, but of course I also worry that it's another symptom of whatever else is (okay, okay, could be) going on with me. I have been trying to stuff down calories to compensate...

As always, thanks for reading. I appreciate this community so much!

Having cancer that you must be pretty traumatic. You don't have a regular doc you talk to about your fears? I'm gaining weight since I am just hanging around the house watching TV. Almost done with Berlin Station now.

 

[TX85]

I was young, so I didn't understand that I could have died. I didn't figure that out until later. Once I did, though, and ever since, things have only gotten worse because the longer we live, the more strange bodily sensations and failures we experience. Small price to pay for survival, but it does still cause me a fair bit of suffering that I would prefer not to have.

I have a GP that I've been seeing for years, and he does a pretty good job of setting me straight when things get bad. I've been avoiding seeing him for this because of the pandemic, but I finally broke down and decided I need to see him Monday at 2. I've been in my house the past 3 weeks and am not looking forward to this, but I feel like I need a blood test or something because the weird feeling is still there and I just keep losing weight. I need to know if there's anything squirrely going on. Could be entirely anxiety, but you know how it is: what if this time, it's not?

I'm also looking into getting a therapist to handle the mental/emotional side of all this, because it's getting overwhelming. I try to control this nonsense. I try really, really hard. But when it gets bad, it gets bad. I come here and read about everyone else's struggles and that can help give me a feeling of solidarity, and sometimes that's enough. Other times... nope. And as this drags on, it's turning into nope.

 

[Aries]

I was young, so I didn't understand that I could have died. I didn't figure that out until later. Once I did, though, and ever since, things have only gotten worse because the longer we live, the more strange bodily sensations and failures we experience. Small price to pay for survival, but it does still cause me a fair bit of suffering that I would prefer not to have.

At my age something always hurts so I pretty much ignore things. A few years ago I had stomach pain that went on for 5 hours and I was pooping blood so I finally decided to go to the ER. It was a GI tract infection that was inflaming my hemorrhoids. I got some fentynyl and a couple of bags of fluids and I was good to go.

 

[TX85]

Well, this has gotten... interesting.

What I was feeling was apparently my right kidney. My doctor spotted what he thought might be blood in my urine. After an ultrasound, we discovered it is swollen. The assumption was that this was caused by kidney stones, but a follow-up CT scan didn't reveal any. Right now, the theory is that scar tissue from previous surgeries is somehow involved, but we don't know. That's where I am right now: the not-knowing. Next step is an IVP, or intravenous pyelogram. They don't tend to be used so much these days so my doctor is trying to track one down for me. It should help give a clearer picture of what the hell is going on. I expect to get that show on the road today (it's 11a right now).

I've been slamming back alprazolam and hydroxyzine like Skittles just to keep functioning. I've had fetal-position meltdowns. I work from home (very fortunate for me, very fortunate) but am having extraordinary difficulty concentrating and staying productive.

I'm terrified and emotionally drained. I feel weak. My back hurts. I'm nauseated and my guts are unhappy. My pee is "dusty" and it burns. I don't know exactly what's wrong or how we're going to fix me. I'm terrified of getting exposed to the coronavirus at some point during the ordeal.

Just in a very dark, scary place.

 

[Aries]

How many previous surgeries have you had? And on what? I have scar tissue in my foot from 3 surgeries and it always hurts. Even if you have a bad disease your left kidney is still OK, isn't it?

 

[mollyfin]

The not-knowing phase is awful. I hope you get some answers soon.

 

[TX85]

How many previous surgeries have you had? And on what? I have scar tissue in my foot from 3 surgeries and it always hurts. Even if you have a bad disease your left kidney is still OK, isn't it?

I had 3 pretty major abdominal surgeries about 25 years ago, and a less invasive one a year ago to deal with an ulcer caused by diverticulitis. And yes, all signs point to my left kidney being OK.

The not-knowing phase is awful. I hope you get some answers soon.

I'm going to be in this phase for a while yet, unfortunately, because of the damn pandemic. I saw a urologist a week ago and they want to do some exploratory surgery since the scans aren't giving them the answers they need. So now, I get to sit on my hands and wait. I'm trying very hard not to let it make me crazy.

All the while, there is this strange "pinching" feeling at the top of my right abdomen, inside. I've been feeling that one for months. Comes on randomly and what seems to be every few minutes. It is pretty uncomfortable and annoying. I'm hoping it's just some weird muscular thing but... you know how this goes. It's just going to have to be a mystery for now. This is aaaaawesome.

 

[Aries]

I had 3 pretty major abdominal surgeries about 25 years ago, and a less invasive one a year ago to deal with an ulcer caused by diverticulitis. And yes, all signs point to my left kidney being OK.


I'm going to be in this phase for a while yet, unfortunately, because of the damn pandemic. I saw a urologist a week ago and they want to do some exploratory surgery since the scans aren't giving them the answers they need. So now, I get to sit on my hands and wait. I'm trying very hard not to let it make me crazy.

All the while, there is this strange "pinching" feeling at the top of my right abdomen, inside. I've been feeling that one for months. Comes on randomly and what seems to be every few minutes. It is pretty uncomfortable and annoying. I'm hoping it's just some weird muscular thing but... you know how this goes. It's just going to have to be a mystery for now. This is aaaaawesome.

I remember back when I was a kid watching medical shows and they would do exploratory surgeries. I think they should still be used though, because I've had things that don't show up on scans. I've had a bunch of worthless MRIs. How long did they say before you can get it?

 

[TX85]

How long did they say before you can get it?

In Texas, there is an assumption (or at least there was a week ago) that "elective" medical procedures would be allowed again starting in May. So I guess that's my target date right now.

 

[Aries]

In Texas, there is an assumption (or at least there was a week ago) that "elective" medical procedures would be allowed again starting in May. So I guess that's my target date right now.

That's not so long. I had to wait almost 4 months for a shoulder surgery a few years ago even though I was practically bed ridden. I took over 2 months off from work to stay in bed 20 hours per day before I had 3 cortisone shots. After that I could get through a work day before going home and right to bed. That was not a possible cancer though. With your situations I'm sure they will get to it in a few weeks. Good luck. Keep us posted.