I was in bed when I was suddenly struck by agonising pain in my ribs

By my early 40s, I had experienced my fair share of odd and awkward medical conditions, from hernias to haemorrhoids. It made sense: I’d spent a decade training as a classical dancer in my teen years, then had four children in my 20s and 30s.

One evening last year, I experienced something so unsettling it felt like an alien was living inside me. Far-fetched? Perhaps, but let me explain.

As I lay in bed and twisted to pick something up from the floor, an excruciating spasm gripped my left side. Looking down at my torso, I shrieked as I spotted a large lump ‘popping out’ under the skin from beneath my ribs.

My husband came running into the room and quickly turned paler than he had in the labour ward. ‘What… is… that?’ he asked, pointing to my chest.

I could barely breathe, let alone speak through the pain and pressure – but I managed to grab my phone and snap a picture.

I feared it could be an organ pushing through a hernia I hadn’t known about. I even had the insane idea I might be pregnant for a fifth time since it looked like a baby foot kicking through my skin. One thought kept bursting through each spasm of pain: no doctor will ever believe this.

It took a few moments of steady breathing and gently massaging the area before the body part reinserted itself, but the spot continued to ache for days. My abdominals felt sore, too, like I’d done an intensive core workout. And I was scared; something must have been seriously wrong to cause that level of pain so suddenly.

This wasn’t an isolated incident though – and my ribs were always the trouble. For years, they kept getting ‘stuck’ in certain yoga twists. I’d chucked out all my bras and tight-fitting tops because they felt ‘suffocating’, as if my ribs had expanded. And if I ever went out to dinner with my husband, I’d be in agony, my ribs aching 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 that is,’ he admitted.

When Jennifer saw the GP and showed him the photo of the lump popping out of her torsi, his jaw dropped. ‘I have absolutely no idea what that is,’ he admitted

I learned the condition typically affects the eighth, ninth and tenth ‘false’ ribs which don’t connect directly to the sternum, and it occurs when loosening ligaments move abnormally

Luckily, I got a referral for a scan at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, south London. I showed the sonographer my photo and she didn’t look confused, or disgusted.

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

I learned the condition typically affects the eighth, ninth and tenth ‘false’ ribs which don’t connect directly to the sternum, and it occurs when loosening ligaments move abnormally. They can click, pop, cause stabbing pains and spasms, and the movements can irritate muscles, tissues and intercostal nerves.

The condition can affect women and men of all ages, though it is linked to hypermobility. It can also follow trauma, a sports injury or birth.

That appointment was over a year ago. I was so lucky to meet with a knowledgeable professional right away – it turns out slipping rib syndrome is incredibly difficult to diagnose.

The symptoms can sometimes mimic cardiac or gastrointestinal issues, and one study found 40 per cent of patients underwent at least one invasive test with no relief. Some have had unnecessary procedures such as gallbladder removal after misdiagnosis.

Consultant thoracic surgeon Ian Hunt suggested I was suffering with ‘likely intermittent slipping rib syndrome’ due to repeated pregnancies. He then referred me to radiologist James Pilcher, for a dynamic scan, where I had to cough, twist and roll around to confirm diagnosis.

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

On the left, the tenth rib slips under the ninth and crushes down on the nerves, which the doctor likened to ‘toothpaste being squeezed’.

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

I got my first jab two months ago and it’s had a huge impact – no more alien pop-outs and the pain reduced to a mere twinge. It’s uncertain if the effects will last but for now I’m overjoyed. I hadn’t realised how much discomfort I’d become used to until it ceased.

My husband witnessing my rib cosplaying a baby alien initially sent him into a terrified panic but it’s now become an in-joke about our growing collection of 40-something ailments. While my kids inform me how ‘gross’ they find my body, they have since been more hands-on when unpacking groceries.

I’m lucky to have support. Given the chronic pain and delays in diagnosis, it’s no surprise research shows slipping rib patients suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts.

I’d urge anyone with similar symptoms to see a thoracic specialist and get a dynamic scan. My symptoms began eight years ago, but fear of them being dismissed as female hysteria stopped me from seeking help sooner.

I can’t help thinking my baby alien rib pop-out was my body’s way of screaming when I was still trying to find my voice.