Welcome to spineyland! You are so welcome here, and will find lots of advice, info, and true friends. I am sorry for what brings you here, and hope you find what all of us (at least me) keep coming back for--talking to others who understand, have been through the procedures and tests you may face, with advice, and a lot of care, concern, and good wishes!
I had a car accident in Feb, 2005. I injured my back and right shoulder. Since then, I have had over 40 visits with physical therapists, 19 cortisone injections (15 in the lumbar spine, 3 in the rotator cuff, and 1 in the hip) MRI's, CT scans, myelgram, lots of x-rays, and surgery (fusion L5 S1).
As of today, I am glad I had my surgery (2 months ago). So far, so good! My sister had a cervical fusion a few years back, and she is very happy with the results.
A lot of the success stories move on, and come and visit, but not as often as the unsuccessful stories. So, hopefully, you will hear both sides.
Keep us posted, and keep in touch!
Carolyn