DESPERATE: considering lower back surgery

[newhouse17]

My name is Kathy and am 39 years old and a mother of five children. I injured my back in 2002 working as a CNA in a local nursing home. I hade a L4/L5 disc herniation with tears, DDD, and spinal stenos is. I went through several bouts of pt, different meds, and injections which seemed to help with the pain. I could no longer be a CNA and had to modify my life to avoid surgery. I became a very active person running 3 to 4 miles a day, lost 70 lbs. and was in the best shape of my life until 2 years ago. I went from feeling great with only 1 to 2 episodes a year of my back giving out, to 10 in the past 2 years.

My last episode was June 23, which I have never recovered from. Tests revealed significant nerve damage in legs, DDD, spinal stenosis, with two herniated discs at L4/L5/S1. Went through usual treatment for back pain. I am in pain every day and can not be on my feet longer than two hours without severe pain in back and legs. I've seen surgeeons that said that a combination of disc replacement with charitie artificial disc and disc fusion with correct the problems of the two bad discs. I have never had surgery before and I am very scared but cannot sit on the couch and let life pass me by. Does anyone have any suggestions or good experiences with a surgeon in the Syracuse, NY area? VERY UNHAPPY!!! PLEASE HELP!!