Diagnosis: Meh.

So yesterday, I went up to see an orthopaedic specialist - who's a surgeon - about what the hell's going on with my back, and what he thought should happen.

The drive there took about 40 minutes.

The wait, about 4 or 5 minutes.

I saw the doctor for all of 3 minutes.

His diagnosis of my MRI: I have normal wear and tear. I don't need surgery.

Great. So now what?

Well, essentially he said he would phone my doctor with some options for managing with the pain.

But basically it boils down to: strengthening my core muscles, keeping my weight down, and essentially not doing anything that'll re-injure my back.

Other than the "don't need surgery" part, I almost feel as if that appointment was a waste of my time.

Le. Sigh. And so it continues.