That’s a really good point.
According to the NYT
The back pain was not his only struggle. He wrote at times about “brain fog” that had worsened during his college years, making studying more difficult. Doctors could not seem to figure out what was happening, he reported.
“It’s absolutely brutal to have such a life-halting issue,” he wrote.
He also posted on a page for people dealing with irritable bowel syndrome, saying that he had undergone some testing for the condition. He said the testing had been covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield — his only reference in the Reddit writings to insurance coverage.
As someone who went multiple years from doctor to doctor trying to find the cause for disabling symptoms, I can relate that he must have faced lots of suffering.
When you don’t have diagnosis, the medical system really isn’t there for you. You’re treated as a malingerer.
I’m not talking about the back pain, but the brain fog and bowel symptoms.
He ended up getting surgery and diagnosis for the back issue. Not the rest though.