[brattigans]

Thank you for all of your info. I can imagine your feeling as exhausted as I am researching all of this.. I think you are doing the best thing for the best outcome, especially if it does come to a fusion, with multi-level ADR. The pilates studio next to my work, the instructor got me in touch with a guy that had multi-level ADR in Germany. He was 27 at the time of the surgery. Anyway, he had an excellent experience and outcome. He said he was with his family skiing a little over a month of the surgery. They stayed for awhile because his wife is German. This is 2 years later, and he has his whole life back. He had suffered for years, I believe he said from his teens, 16? I think. I think it's so interesting to take the leap of faith to fly to another country and have surgery. Very brave. I hope that you not only enjoy the outcome of your surgery but also the journey.

So, too answer a few of your questions:

Yes I had multiple doctors tell me I needed a multi-level fusion. I had one doctor tell me a hybrid, or possible multi-level ADR. I had 2 doctors tell me multi-level fusion, and something for my hips (facets?) In all honesty, when I heard him say another part of my body he wanted to work on, I checked out. The doctor I'm going with is doing a L5-S1 minimally invasive fusion, through the back. My L4-5 is degenerated. The multi-level fusion wasn't anything I wanted to do and I was hoping I would get a hybrid, but it looks like that can be difficult to get approved.

7mm is a grade 1. I feel more comfortable with the prospects of ADR as well. There is something more comforting about a prosthetic disc, then nuts and bolts in your spine. All of my doctors have stated they would go through the front for the surgery. The surgeon (Dr. Regan) that I'm going with through the back. I'm happy I'm not going to have my stomach muscles cut, but because I've been so focused on the ALIF, I don't know all the info on the PLIF, so I'm trying to get in the pro's and cons.

What has been the consensus on you, back, or front?

What's the injection you had on the defect? I've never heard of that before. You know, I did not have any luck with my injections either, and I had enormous pain on my last injection. I don't remember what it's called, but it's basically an epidural, but it's not as focused. I was in worse pain to the point where I though, wow, I don't have any pain killers and this is getting really bad. It went away after a night, and then sore for about 4 days. Have you ever had RF? That did work for me on the left side, for about 6 months. Not to where I had no pain, just dulled it. When it came back, it was night and day how I felt. But after that, I never got that same relief. Maybe in the interim of your surgery. Please keep me posted on everything. I will the same. Surgery in 2 weeks. Can't wait to get back to the gym, running, my family, playing with my daughter, even things as stupid as grocery shopping. I miss doing normal stuff without counting the seconds to get home and lying down so I can be out of pain.