Hi, and welcome!
Without going into all the details I have been on pain meds since 2000 and I am far from being a junkie, there is a difference between addiction and dependence and I was seen by 5 NS's and basically told my back was a train wreck but the 1st 4 advised against surgery and the last one promised me the moon and being pain fre, Yada yada, and so I did it, had the surgery and that NS messed me up so that I am now 3 inches shorter and crippled for life, no nursing ever again (my old job and life) so please make sure if you go for the surgery that the Dr you choose is a fantastic one, because I can't go back and I only thought I knew what pain was until I had the 3 level fusion that was a disaster!! Be very careful because if I could turn back time, I would never had the surgery! Before I had constant back pain but meds could control it, now I have horrible back pain that all the morphine in the world won't make it go away, freq falls, paralysis of bladder and bowel, self cathing, muscle spasms from hell and loss of feeling from thighs to waist and left arm! My Ns cut into my spinal cord twice,oops, and did this to me, and I ended up with a 2 level fusion, 12 days in hosp., and I would give anything to go back to where I was! I am not telling you to not have the fusion, just make sure you don't end up with a quack like me because I wanted to be fixed so badly. My son now calls me Mrs C since I can no longer stand up straight! Be careful and be smart, and I know there are many of us here that know exactly how you feel and may be the only ones that will listen to you because with me, it got old real fast with family and friends, (what friends) except the ones i am finding on here!
Good Luck and rest, take the meds if you need them, I am not hooked and never will be!