Welcome!
So glad you did not give up and have a fusion (or have to pay for a trip to Germany)! Sounds like you've definitely been smart and done your research. I admire educated patients!
It is always a bit nerve-wracking to have any kind of surgery, and this one was the most "involved" surgery I'd ever had, but it has (so far) been worth it, I think. Just take that recovery time and go slow! I tried to start being super-active at 3 weeks and it wasn't pretty. That's the best advice I can give you at this point - LET YOUR BODY HEAL after surgery!
My insurance blatantly, black-and-white did NOT cover ADR (TriCare for dependents); they considered it an unnecessary procedure that cortisone injections could treat just as well (Yeah, RIGHT!). I volunteered to be an FDA guinea-pig and have a disc that's currently not in use in the US (outside of the trial), but at least I didn't have to come up with the $50,000 for surgery!
The ProDisc-L is a great, promising device that I know many people have had great success with! Good luck to you!
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