Nervous...scared...anxious...

Thanks, Doug. I believe I understand your reasoning. Only thing I would say is that it would be a good idea to get a second opinion from another surgeon. Not to hear what you want to hear...... But to have another opinion to weigh when making your decisions as to care.

The other thing is...... There are advancements in medicine. I don't know how long its been since you saw the last surgeon, but if its been several years or more it would be good to see another doctor for a new assessment and to get a second opinion to his or hers as well. Back surgery has come a long way since my surgery when I went home on crutches with big bottles of Vicodin and Soma and a long incision with metal staples holding things together for a couple of weeks following.

When I had the herniated disc nearly 25 years ago, following 6 months of PT, my surgeon did a lumbar laminectomy rather than fusion. He brought a full sized articulated plastic model of a human spine with him to our meting and explained that if he fused vertebrae, the remainder of unfused vertebrae would need to move even more (than before the fusion) for every movement I made with my back following surgery. And that would limit my range of motion. Or if I wasn't mindful to limit my range of motion on my own...... To make me more likely to develop another herniated disc.

Of course, my range of motion was already limited in my legs due to nerve damage as a result of the back injury anyway, but he meant I would have less range of motion in my spine as well if he did a fusion. So he did the lumbar laminectomy and said that if it didn't work, a fusion might be necessary. Fortunately, it has worked and except for having degenerative joint disease which has progressed since that time, it is still working as long as I don't overdo things and get my spine out of alignment.

In any case, I wish you well and if the pain management units you are trying will be of help, I hope that you can be pain free and possibly come off the pain meds or at least take a reduced dosage if your doctors (with your concurrence) believe it will work for you.

Best regards,

Harry