As I laid in agony on a hospital bed aboard the USNS Mercy in the Persian Gulf, a nurse making her rounds asked me to rate the pain from a significant disc herniation at the L4-5 vertebral level. I begrudgingly underestimated that level, knowing the injury was a blow to both my bruised powerlifting gym-rat ego and my future in the military.
Little did I know there was much more to come from an Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm tour of duty that would not only seriously alter my life and career path, but also prove to be a cautionary tale for anyone working in the healthcare space. Included in that mix are benefit advisers I encounter who sincerely want to steer the employee populations they serve to more meaningful resources that actually fix what’s wrong rather than treat symptoms.
