Michelle, I think that this is my biggest fear, that I will go through a very painful surgery only to be no better or worse off in the end.
But then I come here and talk to others who have had wonderful successes, and it gives me enough hope to carry on. I've also become friends with a number of people who do not post here, who have also gone overseas for surgery in the last year and have their lives back. All of them have been told by their local doctors that it would be a giant mistake and they would regret it. How wrong they were.
I have learned a few things.....to put very little faith in doctors here; that for whatever reason they really don't have my best interests at heart, and to persevere and find my own best solution through education.
If I could grant wishes for all of us in this situation, it would be to make learning about our options very easy instead of so difficult, and to make financing readily available so that we are not doubly stressed about getting treatment.
That would be my perfect world right now. (Plus getting rid of this darn pain, of course
)