Lizm,
I am a lumbar surgery patient, so haven't experienced neck surgery. Did I understand you that a co-worker said you would be bedridden for a whole year?
That is not what you want after ADR surgery.
I wasn't bedridden at all because they make sure you get up in the hospital and you are encouraged to walk when you get home. And I did a few steps in the hospital too with their PT guy. The first two weeks were difficult but things got better pain-wise as time went on.
If you cannot live with the pain, it is probably a good time to have surgery. I would listen to people on here and listen to your doctors rather than your co-worker.
I understand fusion takes longer to recover from and there is less mobility. A couple people on here have had fusion and then had to have a surgery or treatment on adjacent discs. You can shout out to them and get some answers.
Whether to have surgery or not is a tough decision.
Kimmers
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hurt back lifting, herniated disc at L4/L5. DDD
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