Zach,
What a pickle indeed! Congratulations on possessing the wherewithal to understand that you're going to have to live with this decision for another ... 50 or so years.
That sounds like a wise course; another microdiscectomy to buy you time. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be much on the horizon ADR-wise. There are a few new lumbar ADRs. Hopefully they'll produce good records while you're waiting; and by the time the "other shoe drops", the decision will be easy. Those microdiscectomies don't seem to last a long time. I'd encourage you to continue your research looking for the best course.
Permanent nerve damage is an unpredictable thing. We see people like me who had nerve compression for less than two years incur permanent damage. Then we've seen others that have had 20+ years of nerve compression that didn't incur permanent damage. Which are you? Of course no one knows.
Good luck, Jeff
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C4/5 - ACDF in 2000
C5/6 - ACDF in 2002
C3/4 & C6/7 - M6 ADR, Nov 2009, Barcelona
Conceded defeat to a manifestly disingenuous BCBS-TX in my quest for reimbursement, Jan 2011
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