Thanks all and I hear you. I rode a bit after the bruising was gone and as the warpage set in. This, I'm guessing, is the root of the discomfort I felt on the recovery ride after my "failed" climb. So, until the sciatica is gone, I'm staying put. This weekend is out; it's supposed to pour on Saturday (in freakin' JUNE?) and that's fine. When I can walk my pace at comfort, I'll know it's time to ride. The doctor advised that, once I'm off the Flexiril, I can decide when I'm ready and the stretching would be a good thing. I can confirm that. I've felt pretty good on the bike the last couple of times out but really ached when I got back home.
Denver says, ride on the Flexiril... good advice, no question, but I'm pretty wobbly on this stuff and I know my limits.
I'm motivated but I am not stupid. Well, not usually... I mean, I *did* slip and fall on the stairs, now, didn't I?

I've been living with this disk since, at least my teen years and it's most likely congenital (as opposed to my temporary scoliosis, which is not).
Just right now, it's getting squeezed and so am I. This is not my first bout of sciatica but they are few and far between.
Man, aren't we complicated pieces of machinery?