[annapurna]

Where I think Harrison is going with this and I'd carry further, is the idea that depending on your age and likelihood of a sucessful (in our meaning, you are out of pain and functional) surgery, it may be worth paying for the best surgery out of pocket. You'll need to think this through and decide for yourself, but we did the same thing when Laura's lumbar disk failed and again with her cervical. She earns enough that the expense would be paid for if we could extend her potential career with the ADR compared to where she would have been with no surgery or a fusion. Depending on your age and expected likelihood of sucess, investing in extending the number of years you can work may be the best investment at this time.