My Costochondritis Journey: From Diagnosis to Living with the Pain Part 1

Have you ever felt an ache in your chest, an unwelcome companion that messes up your planned day? Let’s explore the world of costochondritis, a condition that can be a mystery, but together, we’ll uncover its symptoms and discover remedies that can bring relief.

Hearing the diagnosis was a shock- I had never even heard of costochondritis, and suddenly, it was affecting every part of my day-to-day life. It started at work, where I began to experience chest pains, which I initially ignored. I was walking downstairs to the café when I started to feel shortness of breath. My chest pains were worse, and I had trouble walking up the stairs. I called the nurse’s hotline. They couldn’t tell me what to do but said they would go straight to the emergency room if it were them. I packed up for the day and drove myself to the hospital. They took me right in when I mentioned my chest pains. They ended up giving me pain medication and diagnosed me with costochondritis. They told me to follow up with my regular doctor. Living in this condition is challenging. Some days I have no pain whereas other times I am in extreme pain. I have learned to live with it.

After my ER visit, I needed to understand what I was dealing with, so I researched. According to the Mayo Clinic, Costochondritis is an inflammation of the…