First off - you are not alone - out - there :-) You are in the right place here -this is a great place for advice, support or answers to your condition.

Second....I never take one Doctor's word at face value...I am a disabled Vet and learned long, long time ago to always ask for a second opinion....especially when a doctor says "surgery". (When he mutters Lumbar Fusion......Risks...you could see me literally running out the door!....My neurosurgeon has wanted to complete a L5-L3 Lumbar Fusion with Laminectomy for 5 years now - but when he says in the same breath - you will be trading one pain for another - I decided to hold off)

You say that you are in Korea...can you get a second opinion regarding your MRI and your doctor's suggestion?

Remember - you are an individual...and no two diagnosis' are the same. Pain affects each person differently. What may not hurt you..may knock me down to the ground. Your back, your pain tolerance, and your situation is totally unique to you.

What kind of surgery did your doctor suggest?