Surgery Scheduled for Pro Disc C , Scared

[ajspine]

Hello,
I a new to posting on here but I have been "lurking" for 2 weeks now, LOL. Mark fixed my user account so I can now post, Thank you! I am a 34 year old wife and mother of 2 girls(16 and 10), about to Graduate from UWM, and a disabled Navy Vet. I am having surgery within the next two weeks(at the mercy of VA scheduling) to replace the disk at the c5/6 level. They will also be removing 3 bone spurs, 2 of which are compressing my spinal cord. I can't feel my left thumb at all anymore and my left arm just goes to sleep out of the blue. My headaches are sometimes unbearable. There are also 4 other herniated disks in c spine but they are not as bad I guess.
I didn't have a specific injury, i just woke up one morning 2 summers ago and couldn't move my neck and with a headache so bad I ended up in the ER.
We have tried PT and meds and I am allergic to steroid injections so those were a no go. They have recently changed my meds from Vicodin to Percocet, because they want me on the later throughout the surgery and recovery. But now there is a possibility of surgery being delayed until September because I start my new job May 13th. If I have to postpone it, I will be devastated as I feel my life has been put on hold. Always in pain, so I never feel like being out with my family. I am also scared that is we postpone I will no longer be a candidate for the Artificial Disk and they will have to do a fusion, if we wait 4 months will it get significantly worse?
I guess my question for you guys is, if I have the surgery on April 22nd, and I start work on May 13th, is plenty of recovery time? And on the medication, if they have to postpone it will I become addicted? and do I have a decent chance of getting my hiking, soccer playing, Kayaking life back? I thank you all in advance for your answers.