I was in bed when I was suddenly struck by agonising pain in my ribs. My GP had no idea what was wrong. Then I discovered the real problem… and most women haven’t heard of it

In my early 40s, I had my fair share of strange and uncomfortable medical conditions, from hernias to hemorrhoids. It made sense: I trained as a classical dancer for a decade in my teens, then had four children in my 20s and 30s.

One evening last year, I experienced something so disturbing that I felt as if an alien was living inside me. Is it far? Maybe, but let me explain.

As I lay in bed and bent over to pick something up, an unbearable spasm took over my left side. I screamed as I looked down at my torso and noticed a large lump ‘protruding’ from under the skin under my ribs.

My husband came running into the room and quickly became paler than in the labor ward. ‘What’s this?’ he asked, pointing at my chest.

I couldn’t even breathe, let alone talk, due to the pain and pressure, but I managed to grab my phone and take a photo.

I was afraid that there might be an organ entering through a hernia I didn’t know about. I even had the crazy idea that I might be pregnant for the fifth time because it looked like a baby’s feet kicking my skin. With every spasm of pain a single thought burst out: No doctor would ever believe this.

It took a few minutes of steady breathing and gentle massaging of the area until the body part settled again, but the spot continued to hurt for days. My abdominal muscles also ached as if I had done an intense core workout. And I was afraid; Something must have been seriously wrong to cause such sudden pain.

However, this was not an isolated incident and the problem was always my ribs. They have been ‘stuck’ on certain yoga moves for years. I had taken off all my bras and tight tops because they felt ‘stifling’, as if my ribs had expanded. And if I went out to dinner with my husband, I would be in pain, my ribs would ache from the pressure of the food. I couldn’t ignore this any longer.

When I saw the GP later that week and showed him the photo, his jaw dropped.

“I have absolutely no idea what this is,” he admitted.

I learned that this condition typically affects the eighth, ninth and tenth ‘false’ ribs, which have no direct connection to the sternum, and occurs when the ligaments relax and move abnormally.

Luckily, I received a referral for a scan to St George’s Hospital in Tooting, south London. I showed the sonographer my photo and he didn’t seem confused or disgusted.

‘I can’t confirm with this scan, but have you heard of sliding rib syndrome?’ he asked.

I learned that this condition typically affects the eighth, ninth and tenth ‘false’ ribs, which have no direct connection to the sternum, and occurs when the ligaments relax and move abnormally. They can click, pop, cause stabbing pains and spasms, and their movements can irritate muscles, tissues, and intercostal nerves.

This condition can affect men and women of all ages, but is linked to hypermobility. It can also follow trauma, sports injury, or birth.

This appointment was over a year ago. I was very fortunate to meet a knowledgeable professional right away; It turns out that slipped rib syndrome is incredibly difficult to diagnose.

Symptoms can sometimes mimic heart or gastrointestinal problems, and one study found that 40 percent of patients underwent at least one invasive test with no relief. Some of them underwent unnecessary procedures such as gallbladder removal after misdiagnosis.

Consultant thoracic surgeon Ian Hunt suggested I was ‘possibly suffering from intermittent rib displacement syndrome’ due to repeated pregnancies. He then referred me to radiologist James Pilcher for a dynamic scan; here I had to cough, roll over and roll over to confirm the diagnosis.

Interestingly, the syndrome looks different on each side: on my right side, one rib slides over the other but doesn’t cause much pain.

On the left, the tenth rib slides under the ninth rib and crushes the nerves. The doctor likens it to ‘squeezing toothpaste’.

There was so much visible inflammation on my scan that Dr. Pilcher recommended steroid injections for short-term relief.

I received my first injection two months ago and it had a huge impact; There are no more alien explosions and the pain has become just an ache. It is unclear whether the effects will be permanent or not, but for now I am very satisfied. I didn’t realize how much discomfort I had become accustomed to until it went away.

My husband witnessing my rib making an alien baby costume initially sent him into a horrified panic, but it’s now become a joke about our growing collection of 40-something annoyances. While my kids would tell me how ‘disgusting’ they found my body, they have since become more practical when unpacking their groceries.

I’m lucky to have support. Given the chronic pain and delays in diagnosis, it’s no surprise that studies show patients with slipped ribs suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts.

I recommend that anyone with similar symptoms see a pulmonologist and get a dynamic scan. My symptoms started eight years ago, but the fear of them being dismissed as female hysteria kept me from seeking help sooner.

While I’m still trying to find my voice, I can’t help but think that my baby’s alien rib coming off is my body’s way of screaming.