Success rates and trade offs – what are your expectations

[fireyangel76]

So well put Dale!

I consider my Dynesys at L5-S1 a success to the extent I am not in bed on ice and drugs for weeks at a time. I still have a great deal of limitations as in work, sports, lifting, bending, ect., but I am so much better than I was. I can again find enjoyment in life that I wondered at times if I ever would again. And to the extent I can leave my house, go on short trips, shop till I drop (although I drop fast) I am so happy with my decision and think of myself as a success story.
If someone else were to have my limitations they might be very disappointed and think of it as a complete failure. Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder. success is entirely subjective.

[ans]

I would be incredibly happy if I could work out for tone/endurance, hence light and to do 1 hr. aerobics/day e.g. laps in the pool or handle one aerobics machine like the elliptical.

[fuzzy]

My expectation was as simple as being able to sit in an airplane or go to a movie with my wife with out killing pain and "my feet falling off sensations", burning, numb, ice cold etc creeping up my legs and the inabillity to get up, being in real pain and walking stiff as a board every time I get up. This was at the best of time as of last. I was hoping for relief from the fear of one little "wrong" movement causing a "bada bang!" in my lumbar and severe pain and completely out of service for weeks. Lather, rinse, repeat.

The surgery was sucessfull. No more stiffness, much easier to get up after sitting, longer endurance in car and almost no pain killers. No more badabangs.I still have a lot of the same problems wih my feet, ice cold bad burning tinglings etc and sometimes pain down my right leg. At the same time I could probably start a chainsaw and use it, kick a motorcycle starter and be able to hold motortcycle upright or ride over a bump with no worries. I am not doing these things in part due to the remaining problems but also to not take any more long term chances on that hardeware then nessesary. So, 100%, I an not sure, but even if my other problems were to get resolved with a neck surgery as planned I would still be very happy with the current out come of what seems realistically maybe 50% as the pain got removed but the other problems remain. Still, it is acceptable to me and what I was willing to accept.