Brian I can't believe how long you are waiting for that hip surgery. If that's what happens with a single payor system, I'm withdrawing my support for it.

I think if steroids help you, and there is an end in sight with surgery, that you ought to let yourself go with it. You can ask the orthopod or whoever does the injection what and how much he injects, if that's a concern.

I had 3 epidurals before my spinal surgery, and they really got me through that awful waiting period. I had a facet injection in December, which helped tremendously, but now I'm waivering over getting another.

I know the facet block was "generous", and he injected two facets and a joint space, which could have been a lot of steroid. And I want to stay away from steroids to maximize my chance of healing, as it seems I have not fused at all.

But if the injection could hold you over til the surgery, and the doctors aren't worried about it, I think it's a good practical choice. Let's say, worst case scenario, you became a bit more bone thinned because of it? You could deal with that after the surgery is done and past with the osteoporosis meds. They do help rebuild.

It's hard to know what to do when one is in great pain, and I have a lot of sympathy with being practical about getting out of pain.

You've been waiting just so so long.