[Big_A_2246]

Hello all,
I am a 36 yo male from Indiana. I am a Firefighter and Paramedic. I have been experiencing lower back pain and right sided hip pain for almost 3 years now. For the past 2.5 years I have been going from doctor to doctor trying to figure out this pain. I have had 3 rounds of PT, spinal injections, paravertebral injections, SI Joint injections, MRI's, X-rays, Bone scans, CAT scans, 100 days of antibiotics and even a Frenectomy. Yes, I said Frenectomy! On the suggestion of a pain doctor that came highly recommended, he stated that all of my pain was coming from being tongue tied. So against the ENT's better judgement he did it for me. Don't hold your breath everyone.....It didn't solve my back pain! I do sleep a little better but my back still hurts. I have been in silent agony because I did not want my work to find out that I was in this much pain. So I would take it all out at home. This doesn't fair well with the family. I hate making my kids and wife so miserable.
Right now I can walk as far and as long as I want, but as soon as I stop I lock up and can't move anymore. Sitting does not bother me but laying does. As a fireman we do get down time after hours. I lay in bed and then a call comes in. I have to walk out to the truck hunched over and barely able to breath because of the pain. In bed at night I have to have my wife help me roll over. And this is often because I am never comfortable.
It is so confusing because I have good days and think that it is over and then I bend to wash my hands at a sink or something and start crying because of the pain. I have stopped all activities with my kids and wife and constantly rely on everyone else to pick things up off the floor for me.
The only thing that has helped so far was when the 3rd doctor gave me Naproxen. That took almost half the pain away.
So I finally made an appointment with a doctor in Chicago instead to Indiana. He was at Northwestern, he told me my only option was a spinal fusion. L5-S1 by the way. He also said that I would never be a fireman again. This was heartbreaking. I would rather deal with the pain then never be a firefighter again. So I sought out another opinion, this time at Rush. I made the appointment and told the secretary that this was my 4th opinion and she grunted and said the Dr would not like that. I also said that I did not want a fusion. The appointment was 4 weeks out. 2 days before she called me and stated that he is not refusing to see me. He said if I did not want to discuss a fusion that he was not the Dr for me. Another devastating blow. She refered me to another Neurosurgeon out of the practice. She said that he takes the cases that no one else wants. I finally saw him today. He recommended a ADR. I was ecstatic hearing this. He explained that no one would do it for me because they don't know how. He stated that he is one of few in Chicago that do it. Surgery is set for 2-28-17. 2 months out because he said that I need to lose weight before surgery.
I am excited to share my story as reading all out your stories has given me hope for a brighter future. I know it was long winded but thank you for listening.