Rib Cramping
I was sitting in church. This was about 5 years before they told me I had stage 3 COPD. I believe I had COPD back then, I just had not gone to a doctor to find out. My dad passed away with COPD. Back to my story. I was sitting in church and all of a sudden I doubled over with the worst squeezing pain in my chest. It felt like someone was taking my lung on the left side and squeezing it real hard or the muscle around my lung. I don't know, I just know the pain was terrible. Well, everyone near me saw me double over and thought I was having a heart attack. At first I sort of thought the same thing. But, it didn't last very long. Still I knew it was not gas - not the way it hurt or felt. This was a squeeze and pain. Like it was smothering me. Well, my husband said he was taking me to the ER to have me checked out. After several test they found nothing wrong with me. SURPRISE! The doctor said it was probably just gas pains. I am here to tell you THAT WAS NOT GAS PAINS. I have had these same squeezing problems several times now both before they said I had COPD and since they told me. I still don't know what is causing them. Maybe muscle spasms, perhaps nerve damage, no one seems to know. However, after reading about rib cramping I am so happy to just know others with COPD are having some type of this same problem. I am not crazy after all lolol. Once I just calm down, lay down and rest, the pain and squeezing leaves till the next time. I sure wish they could find out what is causing this because I don't enjoy that pain.
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