A week ago I woke and got out of bed. A stab of pain started in my back and then radiated down my left leg. I figured I just slept wrong. But, the next day, I woke up to more pain. I took some 800mg Motrins (they didn’t do much). The pain got worse. So I called my doctor, but he was totally booked (plenty of people around here are still getting the flu). But I was offered an appointment with Diane’s doctor, Dr. O’Donnell, and I grabbed it. By the time the appointment rolled around, my pain was intense. Dr. O’Donnell examined me and she said, “I know what your problem is and I know what caused it.”
I couldn’t believe what she said next! “You are experiencing sciatic nerve pain caused by your wallet.” Art Scott can attest to the fatness of my wallet. It’s about 4 inches thick. I carried all my credit cards and ID cards around with me. Dr. O’Donnell told me she sees guys–especially truck drivers with those huge wallets–coming in all the time with sciatic nerve pain. The wallet over time creates stress on the back and that triggers the sciatic nerve pain. I’m on a muscle relaxer, Cyclobenzaprine, and those 800mg Motrins. The pain is slowly receding–Dr. O’Donnell said it would take about a week–and I’ve been doing the exercises she recommended in the pool.
So please heed my warning: don’t carry that huge wallet in your back pocket!
Solely out of my concern for your health and well-being, George, the contents of your wallet should be sent to me.
Jerry, I would have to rent a U-Haul truck!
By an odd coincidence, I just read an article yesterday that said men should never carry their wallets in their back pockets. Glad you’ve found the answer to the pain.
Bill, I wish I’d read that article before this sciatic nerve back pain attack! The muscle relaxers are working…but not fast enough! Ouch!
I’ve never had a problem with my wallet being too full. Guess I just live right or something.
Dan, I was following my old Cub Scout motto, “Always Be Prepared.” But now, I carry very little in any of my pockets. It’s been a painful lesson.
This reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where George (Costanza, not Kelly) put so much stuff in his wallet, it exploded. All joking aside, I hope you’re feeling better soon. Maybe it’s time to consider a “man-purse”–or a “murse” if you will. Or at least consider not carrying quite so much in your wallet. Yeah, right–that’s like telling me not to carry so much in my handbag–ain’t gonna happen.
Deb, Diane has been after me for years to carry less “stuff” in my wallet. Once again, Diane’s right!
I have been after Phil on this for years. Plus the wallet wears out his pants at the pocket. Every pair is whitish or worse there. I have a very mean story to tell about myself on this issue. Should I tell it. OK. I was convinced the wallet was actually making holes in his pants so to “persuade” him not to carry it there, I sewed the back pockets shut. But still he got holes. We finally figured out it was the springs in his seat of the car doing it. This is the story about me that gets told at every celebration. That and how I put vocabulary words next to the kids’ beds every night for years. Yes, I am a busy body. But they can tell you what ubiquitous means.
Patti, I’m sure Diane flirted with the thought of sewing my back pockets shut. But after this sciatic nerve pain attack, I will NEVER carry a wallet in my back pocket! It’s not worth the pain.
My husband will leave the house with his driver’s license, ATM card, phone, and keys and feel perfectly at ease; whereas I don’t feel right unless I have my overflowing purse with everything from extra phone charger (you never know…) to aspirin to three flavors of gum. Like I often say, I’m a bag lady in training.
Deb, you and I are soulmates when it comes to carrying stuff. I have medications in one pocket, pens, change, and a handkerchief (I’m Old School) in another pocket. And, I used to carry that 4-inch thick wallet in my back pocket. Add the Rogue’s key fob, keys to my Office at the College, and other miscellaneous “stuff” and I’m a bag man in training!
Sciatica is very painful and I hope you’re feeling better, George. There is excellent long-term homoeopathic remedy for sciatic pain, Save for a couple of currency notes and loose change, my wallet is empty. I carry my credit and ID cards in a small flip-folder in my front pant pocket.
Prashant, you are very wise to travel light (I need to get better at this!). What is the homeopathic remedy? My sciatic nerve pain is slowly receding, but I’m will to try anything to get rid of it completely!
George, homoeopathy is immensely popular in India. It has no side effects and it almost always works provided one has patience. It is my family’s first line of treatment. I can’t specify medicines for sciatica but I know for sure there is good remedy available. The treatment depends on a person’s nature and characteristics among other things. It is a holistic cure.
Prashant, I’ll look into it.
I had sciatica many years ago, the result of sleeping on a convertible couch/bed. I stopped using it and the pain disappeared. I don’t carry cash in my wallet and it’s fairly thin. I have a carrier for all my damned store, debit, and credit cards that I keep in my other hip pocket, so I’m somewhat balanced out.
Bob, I’ll be traveling “light” from now on. As you know, sciatic nerve pain can be agonizing.
Your doctor’s lightning diagnosis reminds me of the old Model Garage stories in Popular Science, where canny old mechanic Gus Wilson would listen to a misfiring engine and immediately attribute the problem to a pinhole leak in the windshield washer hose – or some such remote and unlikely cause. Did she at least palpate your back pocket before announcing you needed a walletectomy?
Art, Dr. O’Donnell gave me a thorough examination. What surprised me–other than my fat wallet being the cause–was Dr. O’Donnell’s assertion that she sees many male patients with this problem. I had no idea.
I had read something about this recently too. I do generally carry my wallet in the back pocket other than at certain times when I’m going to be sitting for long periods as on planes or when visiting the Mean Streets of Midtown. Once in a while I notice it bothering me and will move it. I don’t carry cash in it and only take the minimum number of cards – still probably at least a dozen.
Sorry about the pain
Jeff, sciatic nerve pain really, really hurts. If I were you, I’d carry your wallet in a front pocket. I am now.
I hope that you are feeling better, Dr. Kelley! Even now that you are carrying your stuff in a bag, please keep in mind that any imbalance will cause your body to have to compensate. So make sure to switch up the hand or shoulder that you are using to carry the bag. I had pretty bad hip pain a few months ago, and I eventually realized that it was caused from carrying my 17″ laptop in a bag on my right shoulder, which meant that my left hip had to work extra hard to keep me from tipping over. By the way, your story also made me think of the Seinfeld episode that Deb mentioned.
Lauren, I’m taking your advice. I’ll be shifting the weight of those 100 research papers (remember them?) that I have to hand back to students today! I’ve become a big fan of muscle relaxers.
I am definitely changing. I counted and there are 18 cards. It doesn’t match your four inch width but it’s too big to sit on.
Jeff, I had way more than 18 cards in my wallet. I rue the day I ignored Diane’s Good Advice to purge the wallet!