A bit worried!

[lizzziep]

I have ET and am on HU and aspirin.I went to see my GP recently about the feeling/pain I've been getting under my left ribs. He had a bit of a prod at me, said he couldn't feel anything untoward, so arranged a scan for me (appointment is 20th November). However since then it does seem a bit worse. I can feel it most when sitting down, I can feel something pressing against my ribs and down my left side. It is not particularly painful. I have gall stones at my right side too.

The last couple of days I keep getting a "feeling" (hard to describe) in my chest just below my left collar bone and also down towards my left groin. Again not really painful just not normal.

I've decided to try and get in touch with my specialist nurse tomorrow.

It is quite worrying, could be something, could be nothing, maybe something to do with my spleen, it might feel worse because I am worrying about it and getting stressed.

I know none of you can help I just needed to get it off my chest a bit!

Lizziep

[Aime]

Hi lizzie, sorry to hear you are have pain. I had pain and pressure behind ribs on left for quite a number of weeks but mine turned out to be muscular. I was all worried and as we all do, thinking something bad. Worry does make things worse so do get answers as soon as you can and hopefully like I was you are worrying about nothing.

I totally understand how you are feeling, thinking about you. Let us know how you get on. Best wishes Aime 😺

[lizzziep in reply to Aime]

Thank you. I think I'm over thinking any ache pain or twinge! I've just got in from taking a friend to the station, and was fine whilst driving the 30 mile round trip! Back home and sitting down back come the aches, bad thoughts etc. I'll post how I get on!

X

[Aime in reply to lizzziep]

Totally understand what you are going through. Best wishes Aime xx😺

[malachy]

Hi Lizzie, I hope the nurse can shed some light tomorrow? Feel better soon and good luck on the 20th! xxx

[pastorterry]

Don't know if this is related to your symptoms or not, but I was diagnosed with Costochondritis as being the reason for the funny pain below my left rib cage. You might look into that. I just use an athletic heat rub on it and it usually goes away fairly quickly. Even the doctors at the heart hospital missed this one. The PV pain tends to mask all other pain for me, but at times they shine through.

[beetle in reply to pastorterry]

Thank you for mentioning this. I have just come out of hospital after what was initially suspected to be a heart attack. Almost all tests came back normal so they decided the pain was coming from my chest wall but did not give it a name. I have googled costochondritis and it seems to fit my bill 100% - even down to saying it is sometimes mistaken for a heart attack. It says to take pain killers and wait for it to go away which could take up to several weeks☹️. I think I will try the heat rub but being female there are bits of anatomy that might get in the way! 😳

[lizzziep in reply to beetle]

I had to google it to see what it was too!

X

[katiewalsh]

Hi Lizzie, It must be awful not knowing. I've had docs (doing fellowships in MPNs) who didn't know how to properly check for an enlarged spleen. I thought mine wasn't enlarged until a knowledgeable doc felt it. Since then 3 other docs have also felt it. I was told that if its able to be felt, it's enlarged. However, I don't have any symptoms except I've had nausea after eating for the past year which may or may not be related. Not sure that info helps. But please let us know what you learn. Good luck and don't settle for "I don't know" answers too quickly. Katie Walsh

[Twinkly]

Now ,,now ,,Lizzy ..don't fret ! It may be something or nothing ,,,

Even if it is your spleen growing its going to get checked on the 20 th .

Not too long away ..just relax ..take very deep breaths ,,in through the nose .

Blow out the candle through your mouth ...it will relax you ..

Try not to wear tight jeans or tight waist bands ,I was told at the clinic ..

Drink plenty of fluids ,,lots of small meals and tasty snax ..all day ..

Your imagination is to be put away till the scan day ! Love twinkly. Xxxx

[lizzziep in reply to Twinkly]

Thank you for your wise words Twinkly. Fortunately, due to going to Slimming World, my waistbands are fairly loose!!

XX

[Twinkly in reply to lizzziep]

That's very good news ,,,trim n slim ...xx

[Hidden]

My new favourite quote what the mind believes the body conceives.. so try (and I know it is hard sometimes) to not focus on the things that you don't want and focus on the things you do want.. so take your focus off the area of pain and discomfort and stay positive.

Good luck on the 20th xx

[Hidden]

Best wishes Lizzie I was advised to focus on other things when I had a lumpy feeling in my throat but it's hard when your concerned about something but it helped a little for me and my scan revealed nothing I should have been worrying myself about so try not to fret .

I think I will go back to slimming world too as you can eat well and healthily and not be hungry ....well done for getting trim !

[lizzziep in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. Been decorating today so that's taken my mind off it a bit! My arthritic knees are screaming. The specialist nurse is on holiday, the person I spoke to said to wait for scan, which is a sensible idea!

The upper chest "feeling" has almost gone. Under the ribs still there though. So I'll just have to be patient.

I've lost 2 St 5 so far with slimming world, slowly though.

X

[Mardi in reply to lizzziep]

PV dx 2014 -9 hydrea a week and aspirin . I'm so lucky -don't seem to have any symptoms with PV (since medicated) or hydrea. Have asthma and mild bronchiectasis and last week my chest and ribs felt stiff and tight -turned out to be " not quite pneumonia "! No cough or sniffles.My winter cold started 2months ago and this is part of it . I hope that's the end of it until next year!

[janwh]

It sounds like the pain I get from my enlarged spleen Lizzie. They found mine from a scan when I was diagnosed with ET two years ago. Mine seems to ache more when I'm sickening for something - I think of it as my very own early warning system! Good luck with the scan, and try not to worry. Not too long to wait now.

[lizzziep in reply to janwh]

Thank you!