Hi Brett,
Just read your post and can sympathize with your condition. I've had back troubles for about 8 years now, but for the last 2 years it has been getting progressively worse (ie 1 day not bad followed by 2 days of pain). Like you, I'm currently chasing my 15 month old child around which aggravates it a lot and have been trolling this site for possible ADR surgery.
Also, I'm caught up in Ontario medical system and the Doctors seem to not know how to approach back problems. After getting an MRI was told to keep doing pilates and hang in there! Thanks, tell me something I don't know. One thing I was wondering was, do you have a positive straight leg raise test? Mine is negative so a surgeon won't even see me even thought my feet are numb.
One more thing I wanted to mention; in 2005 I had a really bad disk herniation that they wanted to operate on (I was living in the U.S.); but instead I tried two ESI done with a fluoroscope. My pain went from a 10 to a 1 and it lasted for 3 years until I injured another disk. They were about $650 each, but I don't think they do them in Canada, not sure though.
I would be very interested in learning what you decide do since I'm in the same boat.
Good Luck
John
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L3/4 - Disk desiccation with left paracentral herniation that compresses the left L4 nerve root within the lateral recess.
L4/5 - Disk desiccation with an annular tear, disc height loss & a broad based central disc herniation that compresses the descending L5 nerve roots bilaterally.
L5/S1 - Disk desiccation with a central disk herniation and annular tear that has led again to bilateral lateral recess narrowing with potential compression of the descending S1 nerve roots.
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