02 | The FIRST MISDIAGNOSIS : DISCHARGED WITH SCIATICA
I Was Discharged With Sciatica
After the first hospital visit I left with a diagnosis of sciatica and was awaiting an outpatient physiotherapy appointment. I was prescribed pain relief medication and felt some relief that the physiotherapist seemed confident in the diagnosis despite what felt like serious symptoms. I had never had sciatica before and it sounded like a straightforward condition that should respond to treatment. However, looking back, leaving the hospital in a wheelchair should probably have been a bigger red flag. Deep down, something did not feel right. The symptoms I was experiencing went far beyond what I understood sciatica to be.
On the very first morning after leaving hospital I managed to get downstairs and used the zimmer frame to reach the living room. But as soon as I arrived I suffered another sudden backward fall. It was frightening — my body simply stiffened without warning and I went straight back.
A few days after discharge the community occupational therapist and physiotherapist visited me at home. I was still unable to walk unaided. They immediately recognised that the hospital diagnosis of sciatica could not explain what they were seeing and arranged for my urgent readmission. The contrast with the hospital physiotherapist’s assessment — including the senior physiotherapist who had voiced doubts during the zimmer frame test — was stark. This rapid reversal of the discharge plan highlighted early inconsistencies in how my symptoms were being interpreted.
What I Would Say to Someone Now
If you are sent home with a diagnosis that does not match the severity or range of your symptoms, and especially if you leave unable to walk, trust your instincts. Document every new event after discharge. When another clinical team sees the same picture and immediately questions the original diagnosis, that is a clear signal that further investigation is needed. Speaking up early, even if it feels uncomfortable, can prevent weeks or months of delay.
TECHNICAL NOTE
Sciatica typically involves nerve root compression causing pain radiating down one leg. In this case the rapid progression to bilateral symptoms, startle reactions, and inability to walk unaided was not explained by simple sciatica. The differing opinions between physiotherapists during the zimmer frame assessment highlighted that the presentation did not fit a straightforward spinal nerve issue.
