Hi Mark
Those bands you listed are what I grew up with also. I remember getting that Deep Purple album from my brother back when I turned 21.

You're not alone with regard to being so nervous. Being in so much pain for so long and after having tried pretty much everything possible, this sorta comes as a 'last hope' to us. We desperately want to get our lives back. There is so much 'build up' that leads us to the point you are at now. The red tape, the hoops to jump thru, reading other's testimonies, will this work? will it not?

Regarding your recovery, pretty much everything depends on how well you maintain the post op restrictions. It takes a lot of patience, especially after the initial surgical pain begins to wear off. I wish I would have practiced what I'm preaching . I got a bit too over-confident (or impatient) whichever. Ended up with a pulled lead.

If it weren't for my pulled lead, I'd say I felt back to 'normal' within 4 or 5 months. Others here pretty much went back to their active lives within a few weeks. When I say 'active', I mean things like going back to college, work, etc.

Don't worry tho, you certainly won't lose a sense of who you are. The SCS will give you back a quality of life, hopefully with much less pain.

Keep the Faith,
Rae