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Old 09-01-2020, 10:17 AM
annapurna annapurna is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2004
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About a decade ago, Zeegers was presenting at an event in California and threw up a MRI image of a patient, properly marked out so the audience couldn't tell who it was. One disk looked horrible on the MRI; the adjacent disk shows slight changes. He asked the audience which was the pain generator and, after everyone pointed toward the horrible disk, explained that it was the other, the slightly damaged one. For that patient, the horrible disk was so badly degenerated it no longer generated pain and the slight damaged one was the one that hurt. He went on to say an important phrase, one that I'm slightly paraphrasing, "We treat patients not films."


Go with what your pain tells you. Understand, though, that leaving in an adjacent badly damaged disk might lead to problems at L34. Laura ended up needing two level cervical ADR at around your age and nearly required 2 level lumbar ADR, which was only fended off with a stem-cell like procedure for her L45. I'm not telling you to get the 2 level surgery, just that the argument that you're too young to need two level is specious and you need what your body tells you it needs.


One more thought - the decision to actually get surgery is up to you but I'd strongly suggest investing time now, while you feel that you're functional, in getting yourself fully ready to get surgery. Find a surgeon you trust and establish a relationship with them. Investigate the ADR(s) they offer. (I'd recommend checking it out in that order as disk placement and surgeon skill dictates success more than ADR type if you believe the eyeball statistical analysis of outcomes on this forum). Basically get yourself ready and use the feeling that your doing all of that to regain control in your life to address some of the depression you're feeling.
__________________
Laura - L5S1 Charitee
C5/6 and 6/7 Prodisc C
Facet problems L4-S1
General joint hypermobility

Jim - C4/5, C5/6, L4/5 disk bulges and facet damage, L4/5 disk tears, currently using regenerative medicine to address

"There are many Annapurnas in the lives of men" Maurice Herzog

Last edited by annapurna; 09-01-2020 at 10:21 AM. Reason: added thoughts
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