It happened suddenly. I felt a pain deep in my …well…my “derrière” to be polite. I had felt it before but usually while under stress so I thought it was somehow related to anxiety. So while it was familiar, something was a little different. It felt as if something had shifted and while that cannot be confirmed, I can tell you that my temporary pain that I assumed was stress related was lingering and it was debilitating. I couldn’t stand or walk for more than five minutes. After personal research, lots of doctor visits for a complete medical workup, six different ineffective prescriptions and physical therapy, I was sent to an orthopedic surgeon. That guy set me on a path to personal health management which includes a serious quest for weight loss. How did he do that? By snatching whatever faith I had in doctors or medicine away from me like the guy who never pays grabbing the last piece of pizza - your're amazed at how little he cares.

I haven’t officially been diagnosed but it’s a version of sciatica. My discs in my spine are compressing the sciatic nerve. Stretching my spine and allowing the weight of my body to stretch my spine (ex from seated position raising my body up and being supported only by my hands) is the only physical behavior that provides relief.

Anyway, the orthopedic doctor was uninterested (he’s certainly seen it before) and gave me the same options and information I found out myself on the internet: anti-inflammatories, needle to the spine, back surgery or heavy narcotics. He told me it all with a shrug of his shoulders with a “s--- happens” look in his eyes. I let him know I wasn’t interested in invasive procedures and narcotics were out of the question. He had no answers, no alternatives and I felt his impatience looming. It was as if I was making him late for a golf game.

I asked him about a chiropractor and he said some of his patients have experienced relief but insurance didn’t cover it. Number one, I didn’t ask him if insurance covered it (by the way my insurance does cover it).  Number two, is that why he didn’t mention it to me – no insurance?  How thoughtful of him to think about money or what he believed I could afford before actually thinking about what might be good for my health.

I asked him about acupuncture. Oh sure that’s an option he tells me and again he let me know some of his patients have found relief with that option. So why didn’t he tell me that? Insurance concerns, again? I wasn’t asking for his endorsement of any procedure, but I was paying for his consultation.  His patients reported back to him positively on non-invasive procedures. He should have volunteered that information when I asked for options.

I asked how long I should take the NSAID - as long as you need it (another shrug of his shoulder). No warning from him that prolonged use can cause other health issues like stomach bleeding. (He can warn me about issues of insurance but not health?) I didn’t ask about weight loss since I already knew the answer to that too. Although I’m not exactly overweight, I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of telling me I could lose a few pounds. That visit was like a bad, bad date - except I was paying.

So after all the doctor visits and especially this last doctor visit, I have now decided that there are other options. I’m getting healthier and rebuilding my body from the inside out and it starts today. My plans can't be any worse than the doctors.