Mary, I have a zillion questions. But for now...
You did not mention any bone density tests. This does not surprise me, given your age. Most patients and docs would not necessarily consider this; but I would like to see it as REQUIREMENT for all ADR patients. Or perhaps something even better...I'll explain.
Many spine docs rely on the DEXA Scan for assessing bone density. Most ortho docs get a qualitative assessment from the "traditional" imaging studies (X Ray, CT, MRI), that is, an indication of the bone density of a patient. And by the way, DEXA tests are not perfect either (search for DEXA across forums on this site).
That said, your femur and other big bones can have good density, and your spine may even look OK to a doc. But then fast forward to surgery day -- where some patients vertebral bodies turn out to be softer than expected. Why do you suppose that is? I've seen this in patients in their 20s and 30s! Even more, osteoporosis can vary across the spinal column; so some segments may be suitable for certain kinds of surgical procedures, while others disqualified.
I have my own ideas about these causes, which is why research must be done to understand some of these underlying pathologies. In the meantime, please consider getting your spine DEXA scanned before even thinking about any surgeries.
This is just one of many topics I can discuss with you; the phone is more efficient for both of us. Call when/if you want. In the meantime, I encourage you to email/PM/talk with as many patients as you can.
