[Adrienne]

Hi Cathy,

You have my sympathies. We're in the same boat, the pain is diffuse and all they can find is a large, pain generating tear at L5/S1. There is no nerve impingement and the discs are only minimally degenerated.

I just scheduled myself for a fusion. It's been two years and I finally had to make the leap. I consulted 4 surgeons and came away with three alternatives. Each surgeon had his own bias but I ended up opting for the fusion because my facets were already a little hypertrophied and the long term consequences of ADR are relatively unknown. Plus, it's only one level so flexibility shouldn't be an issue.

I know, it's really hard when no one has a definitive answer. Hopefully, this new MRI will reveal something.

Take care, Adrienne