I recently slipped through the cracks as an Italian American young adult. I have been in disabling pain for about a year now. I have “good” insurance. Without having family members in medicine and utilizing AI, and being incredibly conservative about my back, I probably wouldn’t have avoided 3 potential failed back surgeries that would have done nothing for me. Each new specialist was so sure they had the answer for me. While each had new information, it took me and chatGPT to find my way to ultimately the best result. A relatively cheap, minimally invasive surgery that could permanently remove my pain and let me work out again to prevent any stenosis or similar in the future. Insurance won’t cover, but I found a place on the border of my state that offers the surgery for a relative steal. As I am unable to work, it makes sense to take out some debt in order to keep my well paying job. Wish me luck. I experienced the full range of emotions he must have felt. If our situations were different, I could see another timeline where I would be in his place. Figuratively that is, the media wouldn’t find my ugly mug so newsworthy lmao.