One Month in Costa Rica & Costochondritis

June 11/2014. One Month in Costa Rica.

June 11, 2014 marks my one month in Costa Rica. It still feels like it was just yesterday that I arrived with my 3 surfboards, Niko, his dog crate and my two suitcases.

Sharp Pain
Two nights ago, I experienced one of the worst excruciating pains in my life. Unable to stand up straight, cough, sneeze or laugh without a sharp pain to the right side of my body underneath the rib cage, I tossed and turned and no matter which way I tossed my body, it just hurt and I broke out in a sweat. Waited it out for a day but I could barely walk to the office without bending over half my body to compensate for the pain. It didn't feel right, it was way more pain than your regular muscle soreness even if it was from paddling on a surfboard.

On my first consultation with the doctor ($50USD), she diagnosed me with inflammation of my gall bladder for unknown reasons. I couldn't breathe deeply without the right side of my body hurting. That's where the gall bladder is and she suspected it could be that. She sent me home with two anti-inflammatory pills ($8USD) and the pain subsided just slightly. If the pain doesn't disappear in 48 hours, I was to be sent to the hospital in Liberia for an ultrasound and/or x-rays. Luckily, I was at least able to breathe a bit better shortly after taking the pill, and the pain subsided enough, so I went surfing! The consultation fee was a one-time fee for the same problem, so any re-visits for this would not be any additional cost.

The next morning, I felt much better. In fact, I woke up and thought it was completely gone since I tossed and turned and didn't feel any pain. I even took a huge deep breath and didn't feel the pain. Sadly, as soon as I got changed and walked to the restaurant, there it was - the pain was there, like a heavy balloon sitting at the bottom of my lungs, but this morning, it was on both sides of my rib cage. I texted my doctor and she told me to come in for a re-check. She told me "Good news!" My gall bladder is fine - I have costochondritis. What?

Costochondritis is a condition in which there is inflammation and tenderness in the area where the cartilage attaches to the sternum (costochondral joints) causing great pain on one or both sides of the sternum. The condition and associated pain can last for six months to a year or more depending on how fast one's body recovers. Apparently a common problem among surfers when pressure is put on the rib cage on the board to paddle out.

I am so happy that it's not a gall bladder issue and I don't need to go to Liberia for x-rays. However, if it does persist or get worse, I still may need to go to the city to see what it is. Hopefully it is just costochondritis and it will just take a long time to heal ...

But for now ... I'm gonna go surf!