Yet Another Immigrant

[ImpOssibleOne]

Hi, I introduced myself very briefly on someone else’s thread so I thought I do it properly .

I’m Adrienne, a refugee from The Other Site. I live in California with my husband and two sons, aged 18 & 20.

Had mild back pain and mild toe numbness while exercising for many years but never really paid attention because it would stop the minute I stopped moving. Two years ago the leg numbness (both legs) and back pain increased to the point I hauled myself into the doctor. My husband is an MD, so I had every test imaginable, MRI’s from stem to stern , CT scans. Then they tested for neuro diseases to circulatory diseases, viruses, etc. All negative.

So it was back to the back. Had a discography which showed a large tear at L5/S1. Everyone agrees that it accounts for the back pain but the leg numbness is another matter. Maybe, maybe not? (I should also add that I have an extra vertebrae below that disc which doesn’t move and that is likely why the disc blew. There is also a pars defect at that level, no slippage and mild facet arthritis. )

Two years later: I’ve been to four surgeons and have four opinions.

Surgeon #1 “Your scans look great. Hang out for another year and see if anything definitive emerges.”

Surgeon #2 Either fusion or ADR but I’d suggest ADR because the recovery time is quicker.

Surgeon #3 You look awfully mobile to me but if you insist on having surgery, have a fusion because you have facet arthritis. You actually don’t meet the inclusion criteria for ADR.


Surgeon #4 I’d recommend a fusion. The ADR is still new and we don’t have long-term outcomes. At L5/S1 you shouldn’t notice any lack of flexibility. Your other discs are healthy and should hold up for a long time. If they do go, the surgical technology will be much better by then.

So I’m deciding between
Hanging out, maybe trying a chiropractor.
Fusion
ADR

I’m currently leaning towards the fusion. But ask me again tomorrow.