Funny About Money asked how I damaged my sciatic nerve. Well, about a month ago, my very neat mother was coming to visit messy me. I was attempting to get something off a high shelf so I could neaten things up, and I stretched, and I stretched, and I stretched. Finally, a taller person came to my aid. But the damage was done.
Since I am doctor-phobic, I just waited for the pain to go away. I took ibuprofin and availed myself of small quantities of Mr. FS's painkillers (which he takes for a back problem).
Finally, I could stand it no more. I burst into tears and Mr. FS said, "That's it! I am making you an appointment." So he did.
The doctor to whom I was assigned had white hair, a crinkly face, a grandfatherly mien. I told him that I was taking painkillers, but that they weren't working. "Oh," he said, "That's because you're not taking enough." He prescribed various pills. If I had taken the full regimen, I would have been taking more than 20 pills a day!
He said that if the pills didn't work, I could get physical therapy.
Mr. FS did an on-line search and found a bunch of recommended exercises that I can do at home. So I did.
The pain has returned and is now on the OTHER side. My drug-loving doctor has an appointment available tomorrow; Mr. FS's doctor is booked up for three weeks. Does this suggest that drug-lover isn't very good? It may.
Anyway, the point of all this is that the doctor never mentioned the remedy that could be done at home and is absolutely free: a series of exercises. Even though my expensive health insurance allows me to fill the prescriptions and go to physical therapy, frugal me would have appreciated a mention of the frugal choice: exercise.
Do you think I'm being too hard on the crinkly faced doctor?
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