My Comeback Story: Myriah J.

My name is Myriah, and at 35 years old, I never imagined that a single workout could change my life so dramatically, or that getting the right diagnosis would become such a long and difficult journey.
I have always been extremely active. I am an avid weight lifter, runner, and mountain biker, and fitness has always been a huge part of who I am. One day, while doing heavy deadlifts, I felt a sudden, sharp, and intense pain in my left buttock as I came back up from the lift. I knew immediately that something was seriously wrong.

At the time, I was living in Phoenix, and this was during the beginning of COVID. I went to the ER multiple times, but each time I was diagnosed with piriformis syndrome. Because hospitals were overwhelmed, there was understandably tremendous pressure to get patients in and out quickly. Unfortunately, no imaging or diagnostic testing was done to determine what was actually happening.

My condition continued to deteriorate. By my final ER visit, I could barely stand or walk without a walker. I was desperate for relief and even begged for a steroid injection into my piriformis muscle. I was sent home instead with medications and instructions for bed rest.

The very next day, I happened to be in Flagstaff visiting my family. They encouraged me to go to Flagstaff Bone & Joint for a walk-in appointment.

That decision changed my life.

I met Patrick, who greeted me with a bright smile and a genuine willingness to help. He took one look at me and immediately questioned the diagnosis I had been given. He told me, “It’s not your piriformis. It’s your back.”

He ordered X-rays that same day.

The results were shocking. My L5-S1 disc space had collapsed, and I had bone-on-bone compression that was crushing the nerve. Suddenly, the extreme pain and loss of function I had been experiencing finally made sense.

I was scared and overwhelmed, but for the first time in weeks, I felt seen, heard, and supported rather than dismissed.

From there, I met Dr. Jones. He immediately understood the seriousness of my condition and knew that surgery was likely necessary. More importantly, he was willing to fight for what he believed was the best treatment for me.

My insurance company initially required me to undergo spinal injections before approving any further treatment. Dr. Jones knew these injections were unlikely to solve my problem because of the condition of my disc. I went through with them anyway because insurance would not allow me to move forward without doing so.

Just as Dr. Jones predicted, the injections did not help. In fact, my condition continued to worsen.

The next battle was getting the right surgical treatment approved. My insurance company wanted me to have a fusion. Dr. Jones believed that, given my young age and extremely active lifestyle, fusion was not the best option for me. Instead, he recommended a trial that only a handful of surgeons of surgeons had the opportunity to do at the time- a titanium artificial disc.

I was terrified. I wasn't sure what to think or what decision to make. But I knew one thing: I had a surgeon who was fighting for what he genuinely believed was the best option for my future.

And he didn't stop fighting.

Dr. Jones fought with my insurance company right up until the day of my surgery. In fact, he was in surgery with another patient when he was on the phone with the insurance company, advocating for me and explaining why this procedure was the right choice for my situation.

Eventually, he won.

They approved the surgery.

Today, I am unbelievably grateful to Dr. Jones and Patrick. I don't think they will ever fully understand how profoundly they changed my life.

I went from walking into their office with a walker, unable to bend and barely able to function because of excruciating pain, to lifting weights again, running, riding mountain bikes, and living the active, beautiful life I love.

They didn't simply treat my back. They gave me my life back.

Looking back, I honestly don't know where I would be without this team. They not only wanted to help me—they wanted to find the treatment that was truly best for me. They listened. They advocated for me. They believed in me when I was scared and uncertain.

I will forever be grateful to Dr. Jones, Patrick, and the entire team for their compassion, persistence, expertise, and empathy.

A million thank-yous will never be enough.

They changed my life, and I will be forever grateful that I found them.