Cheryl,
I am not sure how to feel when I read your post, you poor lady! I am 50 years old, had lumbar fusion in December of 2010 and it turned out beautifully! I left the hospital in less pain than I went in, had immediate relief in the pain in my legs, and am extremely happy with the results. I will say this, though. I believe very strongly in that brace and it sounds to me like it may be part of the reason you are in so much pain. You are moving stuff that needs to stay put. I wore it constantly when I was up and was only allowed to be up for 10 minutes without it. I definitely had more pain without it.

Here is the reason I'm not sure how to feel. I also have hemangiomas in the thoracic area of my spine and have been told by my neurosurgeon in Chicago as well as Mayo Clinic that benign hemangiomas do not require treatment. Maybe I didn't read your post closely enough but were yours large? Did they say what causes them? The reason I ask is that I also have thoracic degenerative disc disease and the pain is so severe that I take ibuprofen AND hydrocodone every 4 hours and that's how I function and even sleep. I also take an antiarrhythmia for very frequent and regular PVC's that mysteriously started two years ago. I have bone swelling, spurs and bulging discs as well as Teitse's syndrome. I'm not sure how I got them, if it was a severe car accident 28 years ago that started the process, undifferentiated connective tissue disease which I've also been told I have, running marathons or just a combination of them all! It seems as though you did not have good results from thoracic surgery and that gives me pause to even have the upcoming discogram. I know that you will feel better over time and that healing from all those levels has got to be painful.

I hope you are feeling better now! I would definitely ask for some physical therapy and even a brace if it's not too far past your surgery. Definitely take a pain pill and do the walking. It will help the fusion process! Also, stop thinking about the hardware in your back. All I have to do is SEE my xrays and it makes my back hurt! You are in my prayers!