[DrewDotNet]

Believe me, I don't want surgery, and I understand the gravity of this decision. Pain isn't my primary consideration.

My biggest concerns are: decompressing the spinal cord, and restoring proper lordosis (I'm actually better on the latter since physical therapy). I don't have any outward signs of myelopathy, but I have moderate cord compression that may progress.

My understanding is that when myelopathy symptoms show up, the "should I, or shouldn't I?" debate is basically over, unless you really like to gamble with your life.

If that happens, I want to be prepared to execute a well-researched set of options.

Thank you for sharing your story. I don't have any known allergies, but I definitely want to check for reactions to implant metals prior to making any decision.

Isn't there some kind of standard testing for this now? I thought I read about that somewhere.